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Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice makes his way through a throng of media Monday morning at Canad Inns Stadium. He made it clear to players the Grey Cup will be a business trip. (PHOTOS BY JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

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Buck Pierce says he's fine being the underdog. Again. (JOE BRYKSA/ WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

ONCE again, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are the underdog.

After feeling disrespected through the strong start to the 2011 season and believing they were not getting the credit they deserved en route to the first-place finish in the East Division -- at least that how some members felt -- the Bombers are back in familiar territory. Various sportsbooks and gambling outlets have the Bombers as 6 1/2 point underdogs when they face the B.C. Lions in the 99th Grey Cup in Vancouver Sunday.

"That's fine," quarterback Buck Pierce told a gaggle of reporters a day after the 19-3 win over Hamilton in the Eastern final. "I think that's what we've been all year and we like where we are."

Defensive back Jovon Johnson's reaction to the Bombers being listed as the lesser club was more pointed.

"Typical," he said.

The early spread should come as little shock to even the most casual CFL observer, given how the West Division champs finished the season winning 11 out of the last 12 games and are playing for the championship in the comforts of their home surroundings.

Not everyone is using the underdog label as motivation, though. Linebacker Marcellus Bowman was refreshingly frank in his assessment on how outsiders would handicap the Bombers-Lions matchup, understanding that it's difficult to overlook what's been happening on the West Coast.

"The way they've been playing lately, I'm not even upset with that kind of prediction," he said. "(The Lions have been) lights out. Offence has been outrageous, the defence is outrageous, the special teams are doing what they're supposed to do -- they're playing like a team that's supposed to be in the Grey Cup."

BUSINESS TRIP: Head coach Paul LaPolice gave a stern lecture about the dangers of Grey Cup week Monday, telling players that no funny business will be tolerated.

Message received, said Pierce. "We're going out there with a purpose. This is a business trip for us. We're excited where we are, but it's not done yet."

Behind closed doors, LaPolice stressed focus. In front of reporters, though, he provided a more conservative take of the potential distractions during Grey Cup week, downplaying the outside noise players will face in the days and nights leading up to the big game.

"I think a lot of people think that there's a huge week of partying and that kind of stuff," he said. "You're going to get a chance to go to the CFL player awards (Thursday night). You're going to get time to spend with your family on Friday night and maybe Saturday afternoon.

"And besides that, you're going to be busy the whole time."

LaPolice is not changing the team road policy for the Grey Cup week. Curfew is still at 11 o'clock.

The team is scheduled to depart for Vancouver at 4:45 p.m. today.

INJURY REPORT: LaPolice says cornerback Brandon Stewart is "day-to-day" with a sprained ankle but based on the crutches he's been sporting since Sunday's game, Stewart's status falls closer to the questionable side of the injury report. Not having him available for the Grey Cup would be a huge loss to the defence and the special teams. If he can't go, Deon Beasley would take his spot in the starting lineup.

OPENING STATEMENTS: The war of words between the two Grey Cup defences has already started.

After beating Edmonton 40-23 in the West Final, B.C. defensive back Dante Marsh declared the Lions' defence the best in the land. Johnson had this to say on the matter Monday:

"I don't know what statistical categories he was looking at. I could have swore we were the best defence in the majority of the categories. But everybody has their own opinion. He feels strongly about his defence, just like I feel strongly about ours."

The Lions D has certainly improved as the season unfolded but the Bombers have been remarkably consistent. Winnipeg led the CFL in a dozen defensive statistical categories heading into the post-season, while B.C. finished atop of the heap in five categories.

KARMA? Perhaps the most interesting comment emerging from the LaPolice household following Sunday's Bombers victory came not from the head coach, Paul LaPolice, but from his wife, Tina LaPolice.

Mrs. LaPolice, who caused a stir earlier this season with her comments on Twitter calling out Hamilton receiver Dave Stala, seemed to suggest on her Twitter account Sunday evening that karma was at play in Hamilton's loss to Winnipeg.

"God doesn't reward dishonesty and treachery! #truth," Tina LaPolice tweeted Sunday evening.

The comments appear to be a reference to the Ticats signing receiver Terence Jeffers-Harris last Friday, 24 hours after the Bombers released him and despite the fact Jeffers-Harris was ineligible to play.

The Ticats move prompted allegations by some Bombers players that Hamilton was using Jeffers-Harris to get inside info on the Bombers.

EXTRA POINTS: The Bombers are wearing white jerseys and gold pants for the game. The Lions will be in orange tops and white pants... This is the second time Winnipeg and B.C. will square off for the CFL title. The Bombers beat the Leos 22-21 at the 1988 Grey Cup in Ottawa.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 22, 2011 D4