TORONTO — Bell Media, athlete empowerment brand Uninterrupted Canada, the Canadian Football League (CFL) and OK Tire announced last week a new feature documentary, Rivalries: The QEW Series, which chronicles the long-standing rivalry between the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Each September, the two southern Ontario teams face each other in the Labour Day Classic, an annual event that “dates back to the 1950s and has become destination viewing for Canadian sports fans, making it one of the longest-standing rivalries in pro football history,” reads a press release.
Scheduled to air this fall exclusively on Bell Media’s TSN, Rivalries: The QEW Series is a one-hour documentary from Uninterrupted Canada, which “will present the teams’ up-and-coming and veteran stars and introduce them to a new generation of fans, while contextualizing the historical tension between the clubs,” the release explains.
The documentary “will shine the spotlight on the compelling personal stories of Toronto Argonauts quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson (pictured above in jersey #4) and linebacker Henoc Muamba, and their respective Hamilton Tiger-Cats counterparts, Dane Evans and Simoni Lawrence,” the release says.
“The film will also pay homage to the fans and their devotion to their respective teams, while highlighting the unique passion of diehard supporters in southern Ontario.”
“The fierce and bitter tradition between the Argos and the Ticats has been handed down from generation to generation,” said Scott Moore, CEO of Uninterrupted Canada, in the release. “We’re thankful to the CFL and both franchises for allowing us inside their front offices and locker rooms to showcase the many engaging personalities and the emotional journey that culminates each year with the Labour Day Classic.”
“Separated by less than 70 km in Southern Ontario, the storied history of these two teams is one of the most compelling through-lines in Canadian sports,” said Shawn Redmond, vice-president of Bell Media Sports. “We’re thrilled to showcase this documentary, which gives an intimate, behind-the-scenes view of what makes these franchises so special, and explores the unwavering passion behind this great Canadian rivalry. It will be one football fans won’t want to miss.”
Rivalries is sponsored by OK Tire in association with Blackhawk Tire, the title sponsor of the CFL’s Labour Day Weekend matchups.
“As a longtime CFL fan, I’ve been personally invested in the passion that embodies CFL rivalries. OK Tire and Blackhawk Tires are excited to be a part of helping bring fans an inside look behind the scenes of the Labour Day Classic, always a key date on the Canadian sports calendar,” said Jim Bethune, president and CEO of OK Tire.
Photo borrowed from Bell Media’s website.
