End Zones and Border Wars

Book excerpt: End Zones and Border Wars is the story of the CFL's ill-fated period of expansion into the United States during the early to mid- 1990s. It was a time filled with intriguing characters, from John Candy to Nick Mileti to Pepper Rodgers, the coach who loved everything about the Canadian game except the rules and the teams. With a cast of investors who are hopeful but unfamiliar with the game, bizarre stories emerge, from the Las Vegas Posse practising in the parking lot of the Riviera to the Shreveport Pirates camping out above a barn full of circus animals. The CFL's attempts to push the Canadian game into expanded territory brought both heartbreak and victory, with the 1994 Grey Cup victory of the BC Lions coming alongside the quick decline of every American club under low sales and resistance to new rules. The CFL survived these turbulent times to the harsh realization that it is a game for Canada alone, breaking through to a promising new era for the venerable institution.