Bombers — why I’m taking the Leos

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/11/2011 (5376 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER – Allow me to don the black hat and go with Orange. Sorry, Blue.

While it’s true that football championships are handed out on a one-game sample size and anything can happen within those 60 minutes, it’s hard to overlook the lead-in to the matchup between the Bombers and the Lions in the 99th edition of the Grey Cup and not develop a crush on Orange.

After going 0-5 to start the summer, B.C. won 11 out of their last 12 games and has been the dominant property in the CFL the last three months of the season. Winnipeg has four wins in its last 11 games.

Momentum, Leos.

The Lions have the CFL’s most outstanding player, quarterback Travis Lulay, directing the offence and any worry people have about the inexperienced Lulay shrinking in the big game was put to rest when he led his club to a Western final romp a week ago. Watching him handle the media throng this week, it’s easy to see what Wally Buono had a sense of when he hitched his reputation to Lulay before this season.

Cool as a ginger cucumber, if there is such a thing.

Now before you cast this into the Pacific Ocean as another rail against the Blue from the keyboard of yours truly, understand the following: This is not an indictment of the Bombers but rather an appreciation of the Leos.

Vancouver’s football team is loaded with players who have performed in this theatre before. Grey Cup juice is found up and down the Orange roster, and the team knows exactly what they’re getting into and how to respond under these stressful conditions.

Some view veteran experience as an antiquated notion. Call me old fashioned if you want — it applies here.

What about the environment inside BC Place? Over 54,000 people are expected to attend, with many of them clad in Halloween shades, cheering for the hometown Lions. Those Winnipeg fans who made the trip will stand up and be counted, but it’s easy to assume the crowd will boom loudest when the Bombers offence is counting silently.

Ultimately though, figuring out which team is going to win the Coupe Grey is made easier when you turn to the gambling community. Vegas is not in the business of losing money, so when you ignore the element of popular sentiment and bet strictly with your wallet based on projections fuelled by money (not passion), another layer of guesswork is removed.

Orange is the straight-up favourite. Seven points.

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If there was a bizarro CFL league running parallel to the one we all know and love, a loop that only counted wins and losses under the influence of a point spread, I’d be inclined to grab the touchdown and watch the speedy Blue defence keep the game exciting right up to the final gun.

This is not the world we live in, however.

My prediction: Lions 28, Bombers 24.

Rebuttals can be sent to the addresses below. No profanity, please.

Twitter: @wazoowazny