This year's version of the Panda Game was record-setting. Over 23,000 fans piled into TD Place on Saturday, making the sell out the largest crowd in modern history to take in a regular season CIS football game. The annual match up features the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees and the Carleton Ravens, in a battle for Pedro the Panda. The game is steeped in history. Alumni from Ottawa U gathered at the Aberdeen Pavillion before kickoff to reminisce about former glory days. "We're all friends from '80 to '84, some of us went our separate ways, rekindled and came back," says Mike Savard, who was sporting a picture of university friends from the Panda Game in 1984. The College Bowl winning Gee-Gees from 1975 were also on hand, posing for pictures on the 41st anniversary of their national title. The rivalry is still fierce, even with alumni. "We won! That was the best part! We won and we crushed those birds and flew down south and never came back," jokes Jim Johnton-Iafelice, a former Gee-Gees linebacker. "Some were fonder than others," recalls former Ravens player Tony Panetta. "I won two, lost three and won one as a coach, so I broke even." Thousands of students from both schools were on hand to support their team. Even though it's still a huge party, things have changed over the past few decades. "The people in the stands, they were throwing water balloons across the stadium," remembers Mike Fabiilli, a former Gee-Gees linebacker. "We were always told to keep your helmet on and don't look up because you don't want a water balloon to hit you in the facemask." As for the game itself, Carleton ran away with it in the second half and went on to win 43-23, claiming their third straight Panda Game title. Of note, CTV Ottawa sports director Terry Marcotte was honoured before the game for his contribution to covering university sports in the capital.
