Two grey-haired greats brawl over 48-year grudge (+ video)

Joe Kapp and Angelo Mosca battle it out. Photo / YouTube

A Canadian football grudge that has festered for 48 years spilled onto a public stage as two legends of the game, now 73 and grey-haired, brawled in front of an aghast crowd.

Joe Kapp was the quarterback of the British Columbia Lions and Angelo Mosca was a defensive lineman with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats when the two faced off in the 1963 Grey Cup - Canadian football's version of the Superbowl.

The old rivalry escalated into an insult, then petty slaps and eventually an all-out fight Sunday as Mr Mosca cracked Mr Kapp across the head with his cane and Mr Capp retaliated by felling his opponent with a punch.

It all happened on stage at a Canadian Football League alumni luncheon in Vancouver that was meant to discuss an infamous tackle Mr Mosca made against Mr Kapp's teammate at the Grey Cup game nearly five decades ago.

Mr Mosca was accused to deliberately making a late, out-of-bounds hit on one of the stars of the BC Lions, which injured him so badly it removed him from the game. The Tiger-Cats went on to win the game.

But bygones could not be bygones for these two aging warriors.

When the pair are called to the stage, Mr Kapp offers Mr Mosca a flower as an olive branch. Mr Mosca rejects the offer and tells his opponent: 'Stick it up your a**!'

Mr Kapp, instead, decides to shove the flower up Mr Mosca's nose. The defensive lineman bats Mr Kapp's hand away.

The former quarterback lurches toward Mr Mosca. Mr Mosca swings with his microphone, then his cane. The cane connects with Mr Kapp's head.

At this point, the audience, which had been laughing hysterically, falls silent as it realizes the two elderly men on stage are not playing around.

Mr Kapp moves in and punches Mr Mosca in the jaw, knocking him to the floor. As he's down Mr Kapp seems to land one good kick.

About 30 seconds in, younger, more responsible men rush the stage and tear the two elderly football players apart.

Both men had careers long after the infamous 1963 game. Mr Angelo went into professional wrestling after developing a reputation as the meanest player in Canadian professional sports. Mr Kapp became the only quarterback to play in the Rose Bowl, the Superbowl and the Grey Cup.

"I don't want to pass judgement on Angelo Mosca or Joe Kapp but I think there is a lesson to be learned here. The trick to life is to lighten the road, not pile it on," comedian Ron James, who was the host of the luncheon, told CBC Sports.

"But these guys, despite their age, what is bred in their bones is a warrior's streak."

- THE DAILY MAIL