Calgary Stampeders



The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta, competing in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-oldest active franchise in the CFL. The Stampeders were officially founded in 1945, although there were clubs in Calgary as early as 1909.

The Stampeders have won seven Grey Cups, most recently in 2014, from their appearances in 15 Grey Cup Championship games. They have won 19 Western Division Championships and one Northern Division Championship in the franchise's history. The team has a provincial rivalry with the Edmonton Eskimos, as well as fierce divisional rivalries with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the BC Lions.

Team facts

 * Founded: 1945
 * Helmet design: Red background with a white, running horse. This design has been in place, with slight variations, since the 1967 season
 * Uniform colours: Red, white and black
 * Past uniform colours: Red and white with accents of grey
 * Nicknames: Stamps, Horsemen
 * Mascot: Ralph the Dog
 * Fight Song: "Ye Men of Calgary"
 * Stadium: McMahon Stadium
 * Main Rivals: Edmonton Eskimos (see Battle of Alberta), Saskatchewan Roughriders, BC Lions
 * Western Division 1st Place: 19—1946, 1948, 1949, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016
 * Western Division Championships: 15—1948, 1949, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016
 * Grey Cup Championships: 7—1948, 1971, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2008, 2014
 * 2016 regular season record: 15 wins, 2 losses, 1 tie

1909-1940: Pre-Stampeders football
Prior to the formation of the Calgary Stampeders, football in Calgary can be dated back as early as 1909 and the Calgary Tigers of the Alberta Rugby Football Union. The following years saw Calgary based teams come and go these included the Calgary Canucks, the "Fiftieth Battalion", the Tigers again, then the Calgary Altomahs, and finally the Calgary Bronks of the Western Interprovincial Football Union. These teams were a dominant force in football in Alberta winning championships 15 times over the next 30 years.

World War II brought a halt to football in Calgary for a few years. 1940 was the final year for the Bronks.

1945-1959: The early years and a perfect season
The WIFU returned to Calgary on September 29, 1945 with the formation of the Calgary Stampeders. In their very first game played on October 22 at Mewata Stadium they beat the Regina Roughriders 12–0 before 4,000 fans in attendance. It was a taste of success to come that decade under the direction of head coach Les Lear and talented stars such as Woody Strode, Paul Rowe, Keith Spaith, Dave Berry, Normie Kwong and Ezzert "Sugarfoot" Anderson.

The year 1948 was perhaps the greatest season in Stamps history, becoming the only professional Canadian football team ever to achieve a perfect season with a record of 12–0 and capping the year with a Grey Cup victory over the Ottawa Rough Riders at Toronto's Varsity Stadium. It was also during that same Grey Cup festival that Calgary fans brought pageantry to the game and made it into a national celebration, featuring pancake breakfasts on the steps of City Hall, starting the Grey Cup parade and even riding horses in the lobby of the Royal York Hotel.

They returned to the Grey Cup the following year (1949), with a 13–1 record but lost to the Montreal Alouettes 28–15 in the title game. It was 19 years until Calgary once again reached the Grey Cup, losing 24–21 to Ottawa in the 1968 final and not until 1971 when they were crowned champions, defeating the Toronto Argonauts 14–11.

1960-1971: A new stadium
The year 1960 brought the Stampeders a new home, McMahon Stadium. Their first game in their new stadium was on August 15, 1960, a 23-38 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

From 1968 to 1971 the Stampeders made it to the Grey Cup 3 out of the 4 years, winning it in 1971.

1972-1989: Save Our Stamps
After having some great years at the end of the 1960s, 1972 started a long period of struggles for the Stampeders. In the 14 seasons from 1972 to 1985 the Stampeders only made the playoffs 4 times, and were the only CFL team that did not win a playoff game during the 1980s.

The Stampeders nearly folded after the 1985 season due to years of declining attendance, financial woes and a poor 3–13 record. However, a successful Save Our Stamps campaign resulted in season ticket sales of 22,400, additional funds and stability that translated to improved on-field play which laid the groundwork for Grey Cup berths in 1991 and 1992 when they won the title over Winnipeg.

1990-2002: Wally Buono era
Wally Buono took over the head coaching duties in 1990 (after having served as an assistant couch for the previous three years). The next 13 years would be some of the most successful years in Stampeders history. Led by quarterbacks Doug Flutie, Jeff Garcia, and Dave Dickenson receivers Allen Pitts, Terry Vaughn, and Dave Sapunjis, and a rock steady defence led by Western All Stars Alondra Johnson, Stu Laird, and Will Johnson the Stampeders would rack up a 153–79–2 record during these years. They reached the Grey Cup six times, winning in 1992, 1998, and 2001, losing in 1991, 1995, and 1999.

2003-2007: Coaching carousel
After Wally Buono departed from the Stamps in 2003, the team went through three different head coaches in three years. Jim Barker succeeded Buono in 2003, but was let go after a 5-13 season, and he was replaced by Matt Dunigan, who fared no better in his lone season in 2004, going 4-14. The coaching carousel ended with Tom Higgins taking over in 2005, who brought the team back to respectability led by Henry Burris at quarterback and Joffrey Reynolds at running back, but lost in three straight years in the 2005, 2006, and 2007 Western semi-final games in that span.

2008-2015: Hufnagel years
In 2008, one-time Stamps QB John Hufnagel took the coaching reins, and the Stampeders ended their playoff victory drought en route to winning the team's sixth Grey Cup 22–14 against the Montreal Alouettes. Burris was named the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player with DeAngelis being the top Canadian for their efforts. John Hufnagel had been interviewed by several NFL and college football teams, but is still the teams's general manager to this day. Hufnagel was also the team's head coach until the end of the 2015 season, when he turned over the head coaching duties to former Stampeder and BC Lions star Dave Dickenson.

Between 2009 and 2014, the Stampeders have reached the Western Final every year except 2011, when the team lost the semi-final game to the Eskimos in Edmonton, 33–19. They were able to reach the Grey Cup game the following year only to come up short against the Argonauts, falling by a score of 35–22. Following another heartbreaking defeat in the Western Final in 2013, the Stampeders were once again able to reach the Grey Cup the following year. This time, they came out on top with the franchise's seventh championship, defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 20–16.

2016-present: Dave Dickenson takes over
After the 2015 season, Hufnagel stepped down from his dual responsibility as head coach and general manager, becoming purely a general manager and handing the coaching reins to former Stamps QB Dave Dickenson. The Stamps continued their success in 2016, winning the West Division again with a 15-2-1 record, but falling to the third-year Ottawa REDBLACKS in the 104th Grey Cup in overtime.

Builders of note
Builders honoured as of 2012


 * 2001 Tony Anselmo
 * 2001 Tom Brook
 * 2001  Roy Jennings
 * 2001 George McMahon
 * 2001 Frank McMahon
 * 2004   Rogers Lehew
 * 2004  Stan Schwartz
 * 2006   Dr. Vince Murphy
 * 2010 Jim Finks
 * 2012  Sig Gutsche
 * 2012 Norman Kwong

Canadian Football Hall of Famers

 * Tony Anselmo
 * Willie Burden
 * Doug Flutie
 * Dean Griffing
 * Wayne Harris
 * Herman Harrison
 * John Helton
 * Alondra Johnson
 * Jerry Keeling
 * Earl "The Earthquake" Lunsford
 * Don Luzzi
 * Tony Pajaczkowski
 * Allen Pitts
 * Larry Robinson
 * Rocco Romano
 * Paul Rowe
 * Dave Dickenson
 * Harvey Wylie

Head coaches

 * Dean Griffing (1945–1947)
 * Les Lear (1948–1952)
 * Bob Snyder (1953)
 * Larry Siemering (1954)
 * Jack Hennemier (1955–1956)
 * Otis Douglas (1956–1960) (Douglas resigned August 19, 1960 with the Stampeders 0–2–1)
 * Jim Finks (1960) (GM Finks acted as co-ordinator of the coaching staff for the August 22 loss to the BC Lions.)
 * Steve Owen (1960) (Owen was hired August 23, 1960 with the Stampeders 0–3–1)
 * Bobby Dobbs (1961–1964)
 * Jerry Williams (1965–1968)
 * Jim Duncan (1969–1973)
 * Jim Wood (1973–1975)
 * Bob Baker (1975–1976)
 * Joe Tiller (1976)
 * Jack Gotta (1977–1979)
 * Ardell Wiegandt (1980–1981)
 * Jerry Williams (1981)
 * Jack Gotta (1982–1983)
 * Steve Buratto (1984–1985)
 * Bud Riley (1985)
 * Bob Vespaziani (1986–1987)
 * Lary Kuharich (1987–1989)
 * Wally Buono (1990–2002)
 * Jim Barker (2003)
 * Matt Dunigan (2004)
 * Tom Higgins (2005–2007)
 * John Hufnagel (2008–2015)
 * Dave Dickenson (2016–Present)

General managers

 * Bob Robinett (1953–1955)
 * Bob Masterson (1956)
 * Jim Finks (1957–1964)
 * Pat Mahoney (1964)
 * Rogers Lehew (1965–1973)
 * Gary Hobson (1974–1976)
 * Jack Gotta (1977–1983)
 * Steve Buratto (1984)
 * Earl Lunsford (1985–1987)
 * Vern Siemens (1987) Interim
 * Norm Kwong (1988–1991)
 * Wally Buono (1992–2002)
 * Fred Fateri (2003)
 * Mark McLoughlin (2003)
 * Matt Dunigan (2004)
 * Jim Barker (2005–2007)
 * John Hufnagel (2008–present)

The Presidents' Ring
The Presidents' Ring was established in 1967 by Calgary Stampeders Football Club team president George McMahon and general manager Rogers Lehew. Formerly presented to the team's most valuable player, it is currently awarded to the player who best demonstrates leadership ability. , 29 players have won the award, including three-time winners Henry Burris, Danny Barrett and Stu Laird.

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Wall of Fame
The Stampeders Wall of Fame recognizes the greatest players and most important off-field contributors in Stampeders history; it was Instituted in 1985.

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