Stamps give Calgarians a lift with win over Lions

CALGARY — Naheed Nenshi wears suits to work, not shoulder pads. His favourite colour is purple, not red.

But the Calgary mayor received an ovation louder than any football player Friday prior to kickoff for the 2013 Stampeders season-opener against the B.C. Lions.

Funny how a natural disaster — like the Southern Alberta floods — can shed a different light on the definition of a modern-day hero.

“We’ve all seen police officers in the 20th hour of their shifts, treating citizens with compassion and professionalism,” Nenshi told the crowd of 26,625 at McMahon Stadium.

“We’ve seen public servants working their hearts out to keep us all safe. We’ve seen citizens of our great city come together like never before to lift up those neighbours of ours that have been dragged down. I want to say to all of you, thank you.”

And then: “Are you ready for some football?”

With the full understanding football is merely a game, the Stampeders set out to do their part, however small, to give Calgarians a distraction from the massive cleanup.

The men in red did just that, following the up the pre-game ceremony to honour first responders with a commanding 44-32 victory over the Leos.

On Thursday, tailback Jon Cornish pledged to donate $10 per yard gained to the Red Cross for Alberta flood relief.

His final totals: 24 carries for 172 yards and one catch for 20 yards. He owes $1,920 to the Red Cross, but pledged to round that up to $2,000.

“It was something Calgary needed,” Cornish said in a post-game interview. “Any time you can help a community and sort of lift their spirits, it’s a very positive thing.”

Anchored by a new-look offensive line — with rookie Brett Jones at centre — the Stamps gave Drew Tate all kinds of time in the pocket. Tate completed 19 of 27 passes for 237 yards for touchdowns by Joe West (who had a pair) and Maurice Price. Charleston Hughes chipped in with three quarterback sacks.

Down 31-6 at halftime, the Lions gave Calgary a game in the third quarter, striking for two touchdowns in 52 seconds.

But the Stamps roared back. Cornish scored his second touchdown of the night to put this one out of reach with 2:35 remaining in the third quarter.