Sunday afternoon was almost a heartbreaking day for Michael Durham.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats fan was clad in black and gold and cheering for his team at BMO Field. They needed at least 12 points to catch up to the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL East Division final — but the Ticats didn’t have a single point.
“We were taking a beating,” the 61-year-old told CBC Hamilton late Sunday afternoon.
As Durham sat in the stands praying for a comeback after halftime, lifelong fan Jim Martin was also in misery.
Martin and his 71-year-old father sat on their living room couch wearing their lucky jerseys and hats. They watched as the team struggled to mount any momentum.
“We were calling them a bunch of lazy bums and we were ready to take our shirts and throw them out the front door,” Martin said.
WATCH: Grey Cup host Ticats earn berth in CFL championship
![](https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/919/890/CP143647505.png?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=510px:* 510w")
Papi White’s 92-yard punt return touchdown propelled Hamilton to a 27-19 win over Toronto in the East Final. 1:32
Then Ticats quarterback Dane Evans stepped onto the gridiron, replacing starter Jeremiah Masoli.
“You’re on the edge of your seat and you’re like, ‘Oh my god, this is crazy, we’re going to get the Grey Cup at home and we’re not even going to make the [final],” said Monica Dewar, who was watching the game with her friend Carole Muir in Hamilton’s east end.
“And once they got that first touchdown, you could see the momentum change. It was epic.”
Durham said the cow bells rang a little louder, the horns blared a little longer and the stomps and claps shook the Toronto arena.
“I think we were outshouting the Argo fans, especially on defensive side,” he said.
“You could sense from Argos fans things were about to change and you could see the apprehension in their faces.”
The Ticats pounced, going from no points in the first half to 27 points in the second half.
Claps and cheers filled Martin’s Kitchener, Ont. home as the Hamilton team rallied back to claim an upset victory.
Social media feeds were also full of Ticat pride, with some fans shedding tears.
I’m emotional okay 😫😭🤣🤷🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️😤🤪 <a href=”https://t.co/RJvFoPtvrV”>https://t.co/RJvFoPtvrV</a>
—@SandraD905
The Ticats advanced to the finals, setting up a rematch against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
In 2019, the last time there was a Grey Cup game, Winnipeg blew Hamilton away in the big game, winning 33 to 12.
The two teams will clash again on Sunday at Tim Hortons Field — and Martin can’t wait.
“It’ll be sweet revenge,” he said.
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