WINNIPEG -- They came with cowbells, painted faces and layers of long underwear under their parkas to watch the Canadian football showdown of the year.
Hearty Grey Cup fans bundled in their seats, prepared for a relatively mild November evening at around -5C in Winnipeg -- a city better known for its frigid temperatures and high wind-chills.
But after days of friendly trash talk and high hopes, Edmonton Eskimo fans left the CFL's championship game with bragging rights as they beat the Ottawa Redblacks in a nail-biting game by a score of 26-20.
Bill Aldred, from Grande Prairie, Alta., said the victory was a long time coming -- 10 years to be precise.
"It's about time. We've had some tough years," he said, a huge grin accompanying his Eskimos poncho. "They finally got it done. It was exciting."
Sarah Mackintosh, from Winnipeg, cheered on the Eskimos -- her dad's team -- after the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' disappointing season.
"I obviously chose the right team this year," said Mackintosh, one of the 36,634 fans in the sold-out stadium. "We're going to go singing 'We Are The Champions' out those doors."
The game was a disappointment for Redblacks fans who thought their team might be crowned champions at the end of their second season. Raj Khanna, from Ottawa, left the stadium with mixed feelings.
"It was a close game. I feel bad that we lost but that's the way it goes. We are proud that we qualified for the finals," he said. "Next time, for sure."
Jay Ferguson, a 28-year-old from Edmonton, has been waiting for this moment for years. Ferguson and his friends, Peter and Matthew Machado, bought their tickets in April hoping that this was going to be Edmonton's year.
"We were down in the dumps for a decade so it's nice to be back on top," Ferguson said.
The trio say they have been a bit put off by the "pro-Ottawa" sentiment in Winnipeg but that's not enough to dampen their spirits.
Ken Macinnes, 40, from Ottawa, admitted he's been feeling the love in Winnipeg as well.
"I think it's probably due to the fact that people are probably cheering against Edmonton as much as it is for the Redblacks," he laughed. "All the restaurants you go to, people are wearing Redblacks hats or jerseys."
Macinnes bought his tickets in the spring, not expecting his team to make the final game. He lost his voice "for about a week" because he was screaming so much at the eastern final.
To make it this far after only two years in the CFL is a dream come true, he said. But he said it's just "one game." He knew going in that "anything can happen."
Redblacks fans Donald Maisonneuve and Anne Proulx made a last-minute decision Wednesday to drive to Winnipeg for the game. They didn't have tickets or a place to stay but everything fell into place when they arrived.
Dressed in team colours with a bright, fuzzy red-haired toque, Maisonneuve said they have loved every minute of the party. Edmonton deserved to win the Grey Cup after waiting so long, he said grudgingly.
Even still, "I even brought my wheelbarrow to bring back that Grey Cup home to Ottawa," he said.
This year, it will be going back empty.
