BC Place was the backdrop for the weirdest thing to happen in the CFL this season, with punts hitting the scoreboard on three separate occasions. But as the Grey Cup gets set to kickoff at that venue on Sunday, neither team’s punter appears concerned about creating a fourth viral moment.
“No, I have pretty good control over where I’m punting the ball,” Winnipeg’s Jamieson Sheahan said without skipping a beat. “This is my third time here and I have never hit the scoreboard before. I’m not planning on doing it this week.”
Toronto’s John Haggerty shared the same perspective.
“Not worried at all,” he said. “It shouldn’t be in the picture, so I’m not worried about it at all.”
It was B.C. Lions’ punter Stefan Flintoft who sent the ball directly into the bottom of the jumbotron during three consecutive home games this year, culminating in one where the ball got stuck inside it. Grey Cup head referee Ben Major was on hand to make a ruling on the American’s first two errant kicks, going viral for his description of the play.
“The kick hit the scoreboard, which is pretty odd,” said Major. “We’re gonna re-do everything.”
Both of the Grey Cup punters, who each hail from the same Prokick Australia program, agreed that it is harder to hit the scoreboard than not.
“It’s actually hard to hit it up there,” said Sheahan. “You have to be in the right position on the field, and Flintoft, who hit it, has a big leg. It’s not going to affect how I approach the game on Sunday.”
“From the tape, I know how (Flintoft) kicks,” Haggerty added. “He hits it a lot when he’s kicking across the field. He does it a lot when he’s on the right hash, kicking across. We don’t put it up in the air like that.”
Each specialist has been solid for their respective team this season. Haggerty averaged 50 yards per punt on 91 attempts with the Argonauts, while Sheahan averaged 44 yards per punt on 93 attempts in Winnipeg. The Blue Bombers’ punter mentioned how incredible it is to have Australian punters playing in the biggest game of the year.
“It’s pretty special to have two Aussies in the final. I’m proud to be an Australian. We all grew up kicking balls. It’s an honour to be facing each other in the final.”
The 111th Grey Cup will be played on Sunday, November 17 from Vancouver with the kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST.
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