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The '''Edmonton Eskimos''' are a professional [[Canadian football]] team based in [[Edmonton]], [[Alberta]], competing in the [[CFL West Division|West Division]] of the [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL). The Eskimos play their home games at [[Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)|The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium]] and are the third-youngest franchise in the CFL. The Eskimos were founded in 1949, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895. The Eskimos are arguably the most successful franchise of the modern era (professional, since 1954), having won the league's [[Grey Cup]] championship fourteen times, second overall only to the [[Toronto Argonauts]], who have won sixteen as both an amateur and CFL team. This includes |
The '''Edmonton Eskimos''' are a professional [[Canadian football]] team based in [[Edmonton]], [[Alberta]], competing in the [[CFL West Division|West Division]] of the [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL). The Eskimos play their home games at [[Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)|The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium]] and are the third-youngest franchise in the CFL. The Eskimos were founded in 1949, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895. The Eskimos are arguably the most successful franchise of the modern era (professional, since 1954), having won the league's [[Grey Cup]] championship fourteen times, second overall only to the [[Toronto Argonauts]], who have won sixteen since 1909 as both an amateur and CFL team. This includes an Eskimo [[three-peat]] between 1954 and 1956 and an unmatched five consecutive wins between 1978 and 1982, and most recently in [[103rd Grey Cup|2015]]. |
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The Eskimos hold a North American professional sports record by qualifying for the playoffs for 34 consecutive years between [[1972 Edmonton Eskimos season|1972]] and [[2005 Edmonton Eskimos season|2005]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cfl.ca/article/eskimos_left_out_in_cold |title=Eskimos left out in cold |first=Vicki |last=Hall |publisher=Edmonton Journal |date=October 15, 2006 |accessdate=May 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cfl.ca/article/by-the-numbers-playoffs |title=By the Numbers: Playoffs???!!! |author=CFL.ca Staff |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=November 11, 2010 |accessdate=May 12, 2014}}</ref> Edmonton has had the most regular season division championships in the modern era with 21, with their most recent coming in [[2015 CFL season|2015]]. The team has a [[Battle of Alberta|rivalry]] with the [[Calgary Stampeders]] and are one of the three community owned teams currently operating in the CFL. |
The Eskimos hold a North American professional sports record by qualifying for the playoffs for 34 consecutive years between [[1972 Edmonton Eskimos season|1972]] and [[2005 Edmonton Eskimos season|2005]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cfl.ca/article/eskimos_left_out_in_cold |title=Eskimos left out in cold |first=Vicki |last=Hall |publisher=Edmonton Journal |date=October 15, 2006 |accessdate=May 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cfl.ca/article/by-the-numbers-playoffs |title=By the Numbers: Playoffs???!!! |author=CFL.ca Staff |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=November 11, 2010 |accessdate=May 12, 2014}}</ref> Edmonton has had the most regular season division championships in the modern era with 21, with their most recent coming in [[2015 CFL season|2015]]. The team has a [[Battle of Alberta|rivalry]] with the [[Calgary Stampeders]] and are one of the three community owned teams currently operating in the CFL. |
Revision as of 06:25, 9 July 2017
Founded | 1949 |
---|---|
Based in | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
Home field | The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium |
Head coach | Jason Maas |
General manager | Brock Sunderland |
Owner(s) | "Community" (shareholder) owned |
League | Canadian Football League |
Division | West Division |
Colours | Green, gold and white |
Nickname(s) | Esks, Eskies, The Double-E |
Mascot(s) | Nanook and Punter |
Grey Cup wins | 14 (1954, 1955, 1956, 1975 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 1982, 1987, 1993, 2003, 2005, 2015) |
Website | www |
Current uniform | |
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The Edmonton Eskimos are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta, competing in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Eskimos play their home games at The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium and are the third-youngest franchise in the CFL. The Eskimos were founded in 1949, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895. The Eskimos are arguably the most successful franchise of the modern era (professional, since 1954), having won the league's Grey Cup championship fourteen times, second overall only to the Toronto Argonauts, who have won sixteen since 1909 as both an amateur and CFL team. This includes an Eskimo three-peat between 1954 and 1956 and an unmatched five consecutive wins between 1978 and 1982, and most recently in 2015.
The Eskimos hold a North American professional sports record by qualifying for the playoffs for 34 consecutive years between 1972 and 2005.[1][2] Edmonton has had the most regular season division championships in the modern era with 21, with their most recent coming in 2015. The team has a rivalry with the Calgary Stampeders and are one of the three community owned teams currently operating in the CFL.
Team facts
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Edmonton_eskimos_wordmark.png/250px-Edmonton_eskimos_wordmark.png)
- Founded: 1949, although other teams named the Edmonton Eskimos existed 1895 to 1923 and 1929 to 1939
- Formerly known as: The "Esquimaux" 1897 to 1910, the "Elks" in 1922.
- Helmet design: Yellow background, with a gold "EE" on a green oval
- Uniform colours: Green, gold and white
- Past uniform colours: Blue and white (1938 to 1939) and black and yellow (1907 to 1937)
- Nicknames: Esks, Eskies, The Double-E
- Mascots: Nanook and Punter
- Fight Song: Eskimo Fight Song
- Stadiums: Clarke Stadium (1949–1978) and The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium (1978–present)
- Main rivals: Calgary Stampeders (see battle of Alberta) and Montreal Alouettes (11 meetings in the Grey Cup, once in the East final).
- Western Division 1st place: 23—1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2015
- Western Division Champions: 23—1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2015
- Grey Cup championships: 14—1954, 1955, 1956, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1993, 2003, 2005 and 2015
- 2016 regular season record: 10 wins, 8 losses
Ownership
The Edmonton Eskimos Football Club is one of three "community owned" teams in the CFL (owned by local shareholders). This was once the most common type of ownership in the CFL.[3] In 2006 the Ottawa Sun reported that shares cost $10 each, but were not open to the general public and required the approval of the 80 existing shareholders.[4] This contrasts with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, one of the other community owned teams in the CFL, who have offered shares to the public. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are the third community owned team.
Board of directors
Edmonton Eskimos, Inc., is governed by a ten-member board of directors.[5] The board consists of a chairman, treasurer, secretary, six directors and an alternate governor. As of 2011[update] the board of directors included chairman Allan Sawin, treasurer Bruce Bentley, secretary John Moquin, director Diane Brickner, Chris Bruce, Terry O'Flynn, Harold Roozen, William Scott, Brad Sparrow and alternate governor Rick LeLacheur. The club's president and CEO is Len Rhodes,[6][7] he is not currently a member of the board.
History
Origins of the name
The story of team's name goes back to stories in the press from at least 1903 and possibly as far back as 1892, the first date of a "rugby football" game between Edmonton and Calgary. It is a legacy of the bitter rivalry between the cities of Edmonton and Calgary, the so-called Battle of Alberta. In the early years of sports competition between the cities, the press in each town used colourful nicknames to insult the rival team's home. Edmontonian writers called Calgary "the cow camp", "horse country", or "the little village beside the Bow". Likewise Calgary's responded with insults about Edmonton's northern latitude and frigid weather, calling the city's residents "Esquimeaux" (an archaic spelling of "Eskimos", referring to the indigenous people of the Canadian Arctic, modernly called Inuit). Despite the fact Edmonton is several thousand kilometres south of the Arctic, the name "had the advantages of alliteration, neatness, uniqueness, and a certain amount of truth," and thus, according to historian of Edmonton Tony Cashman, "it stuck." The name remained an unofficial nickname, however until the arrival in Edmonton of American baseball coach and sports promoter William Deacon White in 1907. White founded the Edmonton Eskimos baseball team in 1909, the football Eskimos in 1910, and Edmonton Eskimos hockey team in 1911. Of the three, only the football teams' name has survived.
Team history
Edmonton played its first series of organized games with the formation of the Alberta Rugby Football Union in 1895. In 1897 the name Esquimaux was adopted. In 1910 the club was officially named the Edmonton Eskimos. Since 1978 the Eskimos have played their home games in The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium. They are one of the most successful teams in Canadian football history, having won the Grey Cup more than any other team except the Toronto Argonauts, and being the leader in attendance for many years.
The team holds many impressive records, including five consecutive Grey Cup wins (1978–82) and 34 consecutive years in the playoffs (1972–2005); the latter is a record no other North American professional sports team has equalled. Former Eskimos have figured prominently in Alberta political life: past players include two former provincial premiers (Peter Lougheed and Donald Getty), a former mayor of Edmonton (Bill Smith), and a lieutenant-governor (Norman Kwong).
During the glory years of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Edmonton Eskimos won five Grey Cup championships in a row (1978–82). Since Edmonton re-entered the CFL in 1949, only one other team—also Edmonton—has managed to win three championships in row (1954–56), let alone five. The achievements during the Eskimos dynasty were documented in the book, Decade of Excellence, with photographs by Bob Peterson.
As of August, 2016, the Eskimos also have had the largest average attendance in the league 27 times since moving to Commonwealth Stadium in 1978.[8]
Uniform
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/10/CFL_EDM_Jersey_Combinations.png/300px-CFL_EDM_Jersey_Combinations.png)
The current uniform colours, green and gold, were adopted when the Eskimos received uniforms from the University of Alberta Golden Bears football team, which was dormant due to a lack of competition in 1949. The colours have remained since that time, and the Golden Bears maintain them to this day as well.
Overall, the jersey and colours have remained essentially the same over the years with only minor modifications. In 2001 the Eskimos introduced white pants to be worn with their away jerseys. In the 2005 CFL season all CFL teams switched to a Reebok designed template but the jerseys for the Eskimos stayed much the same. In that same year the Eskimos introduced an alternate jersey for the first time in the franchise's history. Green pants were also introduced at this time and were worn with their home and away jerseys from 2005 to 2015. The alternate gold jersey was last worn in 2007, as they mainly use their green jerseys. Along with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers, they were one of the few teams to alternate the pants and jersey combinations of their uniforms within a season.
The Eskimos had their jerseys remodelled for the 2012 season and brought back the green helmets that were worn for the Labour Day game and rematch in 2008. The green helmets were worn with the away jerseys and marked the first time in franchise history that a helmet other than gold was worn as a regular facet of the uniform. It was also the first time in franchise history that two different helmets were worn for home and away uniforms. The team also stopped alternating pant and jersey combinations during this season, using consistent home and away looks all year long. However, during the following season, on August 24, 2013, the Eskimos returned to the all-green combination of green helmets, jerseys, and pants that had not been worn since 2008.[9] The Eskimos first wore their gold helmets with their away uniforms for a regular season game on October 19, 2014 and wore them again in the post-season on November 23, 2014 with matching gold pants.[10][11] Gold helmets were worn with away uniforms in three of eight regular season games in 2015. In 2014, the team introduced their Signature series alternate uniforms, which was the second alternate uniform to be worn in team history (not including throwback jerseys).
With the league switching uniform contracts to Adidas in 2016, the Eskimos again redesigned their uniforms, with the jerseys more closely resembling the simplistic jersey stripe pattern worn from 1996 to 2011.[12] The white jerseys removed the green side-panelling and the team retired the green helmet. The team also removed shoulder numbers, which was the first time the team did not have numbers on the shoulder since 1965. For this season, the team wore gold pants for every game played, including with their Signature series alternate uniforms, which were retained following the Adidas redesign.
Wall of Honour
The Eskimos have a policy of honouring the players who have best represented the team on the field. The player's name, number and seasons played with the Eskimos are displayed on the edge of the concrete separating the upper and lower decks of The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium. The Eskimos keep the number in circulation rather than retire them from use.
Numbers so honoured as of 2014[update]:
- 1 Warren Moon (2001)
- 2 Henry "Gizmo" Williams (2002)
- 11
Sean Fleming (2011)
- 12 Tom Wilkinson (1982)
- 13 Larry Highbaugh (1996)
- 22 Tom Scott (1993)
- 24 Johnny Bright (1983)
- 26
Dave Cutler (1986)
- 27
Don Getty (1992)
- 30 Danny Bass (1992)
- 36
Oscar Kruger (1992)
- 39 Willie Pless (2004)
- 42 Danny Kepley (1987)
- 47
Larry Wruck (2011)
- 51 Frank "Guts" Anderson † (1985)
- 53
Frank Morris (1984)
- 55 Ron Estay (2010)
- 60
Chris Morris (2008)
- 62
Bill Stevenson † (2014)
- 63
Hector Pothier (2014)
- 65
Dave Fennell (1984)
- 66 Roger Nelson (1987)
- 66 John LaGrone (1988)
- 67
Rod Connop (2005)
- 70 Brian Kelly (1989)
- 76 George McGowan (1985)
- 77
Tommy Joe Coffey (1988)
- 91 Jackie Parker (1983)
- 94 Rollie Miles (1983)
- 95
Norman Kwong (1984)
† Honoured posthumously
Team song
During the break between the 3rd and 4th quarter of each home game fans stand and sing the "Edmonton Eskimos Fight Song" to the tune "Washington and Lee Swing":
- We're cheering fight, fight, fight on Eskimos
- We're marching right, right, right on Eskimos
- We're charging down the field for all to see
- and shouting rah, rah, rah, fight on to victory
- We're fighting on till every game is won
- The Green and Gold is bold and when we're done
- we'll tell the world we're proud of Edmonton
- and the Edmonton Eskimos!
Current roster
Current coaching staff
Front Office
Head Coach
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coach
Strength and Conditioning
|
Head coaches
Annis Stukus (1949–1952)
- Frank Filchock (1952)
- Darrell Royal (1953)
- Pop Ivy (1954–1957)
- Sam Lyle (1958)
- Eagle Keys (1959–1963)
- Neill Armstrong (1964–1969)
- Ray Jauch (1970–1977)
- Hugh Campbell (1977–1982)
- Pete Kettela (1983)
- Jackie Parker (1983–1987)
- Joe Faragalli (1987–1990)
- Ron Lancaster (1991–1997)
- Kay Stephenson (1998)
- Don Matthews (1999–2000)
- Tom Higgins (2001–2004)
Danny Maciocia (2005–2008)
- Richie Hall (2009–2010)
- Kavis Reed (2011–2013)
- Chris Jones (2014–2015)
- Jason Maas (2016–Present)
CFL awards and trophies
- 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2003
- Dave Fennell (DT): 1978, 1982
- Tom Wilkinson (QB): 1978
- Warren Moon (QB): 1980, 1982
- Dale Potter (LB): 1980
- Damon Allen (QB): 1987, 1993
- Stewart Hill (DE): 1987
- Jason Tucker (WR): 2003
- Ricky Ray (QB): 2005
- Mike Reilly (QB): 2015
- Garry Lefebvre (DB): 1973
- Dave Cutler (K): 1975
- Angelo Santucci (RB): 1978
- Dale Potter (LB): 1980
- Neil Lumsden (RB): 1981
- Dave Fennell (DT): 1982
- Milson Jones (RB): 1987
- Sean Fleming (P/K): 1993
- Mike Maurer (FB): 2005
- Shamawd Chambers (WR): 2015
- Billy Vessels (RB): 1953
- Jackie Parker (QB/RB): 1957, 1958, 1960
- Johnny Bright (RB): 1959
- George McGowan (WR): 1973
- Tom Wilkinson (QB): 1974
- Warren Moon (QB): 1983
- Tracy Ham (QB): 1989
Most Outstanding Canadian Award
- Norman Kwong (RB): 1955, 1956
- Dave Fennell (DT): 1979
- Blake Marshall (FB): 1991
- Leroy Blugh (DE): 1996
- Kamau Peterson (WR): 2008
- Jerome Messam (RB): 2011
Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award
- Danny Kepley (LB): 1977, 1980, 1981
- Dave Fennell (DT): 1978
- James Parker (LB): 1982
- Danny Bass (LB): 1989
- Willie Pless (LB): 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
- Elfrid Payton (DE): 2002
- J. C. Sherritt (LB): 2012
Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award
- Charlie Turner (OT): 1975
- Michael Wilson (OT): 1979, 1980
- Rod Connop (C): 1989
Most Outstanding Lineman Award[a]
- Roger Nelson (OT): 1959
- John LaGrone (DT): 1969
- Brian Kelly (WR): 1979
- Shalon Baker (WR): 1995
- Dexter McCoil (LB): 2014
- Derel Walker (WR): 2015
- David Boone (DE): 1982
- Hector Pothier (OT): 1988
- Rick Walters (SB): 2001
a Defunct
Mascots
Nanook and Punter are the mascots for the Edmonton Eskimos. They were introduced in 1997 and 2004, respectively.
See also
- Edmonton Eskimos all time records and statistics
- Canadian Football Hall of Fame
- Canadian football
- Comparison of Canadian and American football
- List of Canadian Football League seasons
- List of fan-owned sports teams
References
- ^ Hall, Vicki (October 15, 2006). "Eskimos left out in cold". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
- ^ CFL.ca Staff (November 11, 2010). "By the Numbers: Playoffs???!!!". Canadian Football League. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
- ^ Seskus, Tony (2007-09-01). "Community ownership a port in CFL's storms". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
- ^ Canoe inc. "Local ownership 'fraught with uncertainty'". canoe.ca. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ "Board of Directors - Edmonton Eskimos". Edmonton Eskimos. Archived from the original on 3 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
{{cite web}}
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ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Eskimos". Edmonton Eskimos. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ "Profile: Len Rhodes - Edmonton Eskimos". Edmonton Eskimos. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Jones, Terry (2016-08-24). "Eskimos are still league leaders in attendance numbers, but half the seats at Commonwealth are empty". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
- ^ Sheets, Roughriders outlast Eskimos in track meet
- ^ Second Effort: Big half lifts Reilly, Esks to win over Riders
- ^ Giddyup: Stamps Grey Cup-bound after win over Esks
- ^ Edmonton Eskimos follow tradition with new jersey design
External links
- Official website
- Watch Football Story, a 1953 National Film Board of Canada documentary about the Edmonton Eskimos