Perry Lefko

Perry Lefko keeps you connected to all the news in the CFL on Sportsnet.ca.

Friday’s 2012 Grey Cup announcement was about more than who will host it.

They sat a head table, a group of seven individuals representing the Canadian Football League, the federal, provincial and municipal governments, all extolling the virtues of the Grey Cup, which will be played in Toronto in 2012 in what will be the 100th edition of the game.

The Group of Seven spoke of the social, economic, cultural, historical and sporting significance of the game. CFL commissioner Mark Cohon continued his platform of pushing the "this is our game" theme.

"We are one nation. We are one game. The Grey Cup is something that defines us as Canadians," he said.

We were told the bicentennial of the War of 1812, which will coincide with the game, will be part of the festivities.

And we were told about the economic value of the game. Back in 2007, when Toronto played host to the game for the first time in 15 years, it generated more than $80.1 million in total economic activity throughout Ontario, with more than $52.9 million of that occurring in Toronto.

This year’s game, which will be played in Edmonton, has an overall projected income of $83 million. Next year’s game, which will be played in B.C., has a projection of $100 million. For 2012, the figure is pegged at $120 million.

In other words, it’s a cash cow for the province, the city and, though it wasn’t mentioned, for the host team. It costs between $3 million to $4 million for a host team to buy the game from the CFL, but it could result in a potential profit of $5 million, possibly more. David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski, who took over the franchise after the 2003 season and owned it until giving it up to B.C. Lions’ owner David Braley in February, claimed the 2012 Cup could generate a profit of $10 million because of the significance of the anniversary.

It was never in doubt that the 2012 game would be played in Toronto. This was in the planning long ago. The game was played for the first time in Toronto in 1909 and has been played a total of 46 times there. It just had to come to Toronto, for obvious reasons.

But how will the game play out in Toronto, which has been called a sports town, although some people claim it is a Toronto Maple Leafs town and every other sports institution in the city is playing for scraps?

Certainly the appetite is nothing like in Edmonton. The Eskimos sold out all available seats, believed to be 60,000, for this year’s game in only one week, the quickest sellout in CFL history. The Argos sold out all 60,000 seats in 2007, but much of that came from Saskatchewan Roughriders’ fans scooping up tickets, many dumped by Torontonians hoping to see the Argos play, only to see their beloved team fall one victory short.

The Argos have fallen on hard times since, plummeting to a league-low 3-15 last season. This year is all about selling the 2010 Argos. With Braley, dressed for the Grey Cup announcement in a blue suit and a blue tie, clearly clashing with his B.C. Lions’ colours, and a new head coach, Jim Barker, there is a feeling of rebirth in Argoland.

Both Argo president Bob Nicholson and Chris Rudge, the former chief executive officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee and newly-appointed chairman/CEO of the 2012 Grey Cup, talked about engaging the city of Toronto towards the Argo product. They are hoping to use the Argo games in the next two years as a springboard to the Grey Cup.

The 2012 Grey Cup will be a throwback of a sorts for the CFL. There is tremendous optimism about this particular game because of what it will mean to the nation and to the CFL.

"The Grey Cup brings Canadians together like no other event," Cohon said.

For Braley, the newly-appointed senator, the Grey Cup is defined by words like passion, party and festival.

"We’re going to host it and do a hell of a job," he said.