TORONTO — The Grey Cup, the championship game of the Canadian Football League, has been a symbol of national identity for more than 100 years.



Grey Cup Week, nicknamed the Grand National Drunk decades ago by the sports columnist Dick Beddoes, is considered by some to be bigger than the game itself.

“People will fly in Wednesday night for a Sunday game,” said Terry Melnyk, 52, a longtime C.F.L. fan. “Some people won’t even go to the game if it’s cold outside. The game is almost like an afterthought.”

But in Toronto, where Sunday’s Grey Cup game will be held at BMO Field, the event is suffering from benign neglect, another troubling sign for the C.F.L.