Stamps’ plan is win, kick back and relax

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This article was published 05/11/2011 (5143 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY — Juwan Simpson has been looking forward to today for quite some time.

In the afternoon, the veteran Calgary Stampeders linebacker will be on the field taking on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the final Canadian Football League regular-season game for both teams, and a game that will play a significant role in deciding playoff positions in both the West and East divisions.

At night, with Simpson still savouring the memories of what he hopes will be a Stampeder victory, he’ll park himself in front of a TV to watch the late game that will help shape the post-season.

No, not the Montreal-B.C. game. Instead, Simpson will be watching his alma mater, the nationally second-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, take on the visiting (and top-ranked) LSU Tigers in one of those so-called NCAA Games of the Century that happen every few years or so.

Simpson, like his teammates, isn’t terribly concerned about what happens in Vancouver on Saturday night; all they can do is worry about what happens in the afternoon at McMahon Stadium.

“I mean, we’re going to go out there and play football — that’s what we signed up for,” said Simpson after a snowy practice Friday. “Whatever happens, happens. It’s really out of our control, so we’re just going to focus on beating Winnipeg.”

And therein lies the most important aspect of today’s tussle between two of the five teams in a logjam at 10-7, the best record in the league — there’s the potential that a Stampeder win will accomplish absolutely nothing in terms of securing home-field advantage for the playoffs (the Stamps need to win, and for both of them to lose this weekend to host the West final on Nov. 20, or for one of them to lose to host the West semi on Nov. 13; if they both win, Calgary is third, regardless of what happens this afternoon).

— Postmedia News