Ottawa Redblacks fans show their pride ahead of 104th Grey Cup

You'll have to forgive Ottawa football fans for being a bit giddy. Two Grey Cup appearances in three years is a pretty big deal. Before this streak, CFL fans here had just three cup appearances to look forward to in about 40 years. Put another way: people born in the '80s had no recollection of those appearances.

So, in general terms, the Redblacks boast two kinds of fans: the legacy fan and the newb. Both of them are brimming with pride.

Longtime fan knows the pain

Rick Sgabellone, 47, will make it to his fifth Grey Cup game this Sunday. His 16-year-old son Mitchell will be making the trip to Toronto with him and cheering on the team. 

Sgabellone grew up a Rough Rider fan in Ottawa. 

"I was obsessed with the Ottawa Rough Riders. I had pictures of the team cut out from the newspaper up on my wall. I watched and listened to every game that I could."

Fast forward 30 years or so, and Sgabellone says the all-new version of the team has him thrilled for the future of CFL football here.

"I think everyone would have been happy if we just had a playoff contender a year ago and we went all the way to the final game. Part of it still feels a little unreal. I'm still getting used to the fact that not only do we have a team, not only do we have a good team, we have arguably one of the best teams."

It took some effort for Sgabellone to get to the Grey Cup, but says he would have had big regrets if the Redblacks come away with the cup and he missed a games that was so close to home.

New generation spoiled by success

Contrast Sgabellone's experience with that of newcomers to the CFL like Andrea Vandette.

The Barrie, Ont. native had minimal exposure — and interest — in the CFL until 2013. That's when she moved to Ottawa and happened to be walking her dog near Lansdowne for the team's inaugural home opener. 

"After that, I got plugged in through social media, with a big group of fans through Twitter and through Facebook. And I just embraced it wholeheartedly. I thought it was great and I've been a part of it for three years now."

Speaking in between Grey Cup festivities on Friday afternoon, Vandette says she's in Toronto to support the players. She's been following the team to away games for two seasons now and she knows it's made a difference.

"We know the [Redblacks] players can hear us amongst the fans for the home team and they've given us some feedback... that 'We hear you guys. It's really great. It helps us. It encourages us. It motivates us.' And the Redblacks have had a good road record this year, so it's really brought us together," says Vandette, who adds she and her fellow diehard fans have events planned for the off-season too. 

But first things first: Grey Cup Sunday.

"We came on Wednesday… And I've been seeing messages, so and so is coming on Friday, so and so is showing up on Saturday… I think there's going to be a really big R-Nation turnout so I'm really excited about that," says Vandette.