Inside the Xs and Os

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/10/2010 (5815 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VEGAS LINE: Winnipeg by 3

BOMBERS VS. LIONS: Since 1954, the Bombers and Lions have met 153 times, with the Blue and Gold holding an 80-71-2 mark. Winnipeg is 44-30-2 against B.C. at home.

BLAZING HOT: For October, anyway. According to Environment Canada, the forecast calls for a mix of sun and cloud and a high of 21 C. If it’s anywhere near that, it should be a great day for watching a football game.

CROWD COUNT: Just over 22,200 sold. FYI, Bomber box office is open at 9:30 a.m.

BOMBER ROSTER UPDATE: Final 46-man rosters won’t be revealed until Sunday, but the biggest change for the Bombers is at quarterback. Rookie Alex Brink gets the start over Steven Jyles for this one, in a move designed to not only spark the offence but evaluate what the team has with Brink moving forward. More roster drama includes the possible addition of RB Yvenson Bernard. The back hasn’t seen any time yet this season but he’s been getting a lot of action in practice this week, suggesting his time has finally come. He could replace SB Chris Davis in the lineup. Other expected roster moves: S James Green (arm) is out, and DB Jonathan Hefney will start at halfback, moving DB Jovon Johnson back out to corner and sending DB Brandon Stewart to the bench.

LIONS ROSTER UPDATE: QB Travis Lulay will make his second straight start against the Bombers. Receiver Paris Jackson is nursing a knee injury and may not be ready to play. Rookie Shawn Gore, the 10th overall pick in the 2010 CFL draft, will take Jackson’s spot if he can’t go.

KICKER WATCH: Bombers P Mike Renaud tried to make it to practice Friday, but he’s still recovering from a virus (he’s expected back today). On the other side, Lions P/K Paul McCallum hasn’t fully recovered from the hamstring injury he suffered against Winnipeg last week, so his status is up in the air. Reports out of Vancouver indicate the Lions will bring both McCallum and back-up Sean Whyte on the trip.

BRINK SCRAMBLE: Brink does have some mobility for a 6-foot-3, 216-pound pivot — and he’ll be expected to use it to buy himself a bit more time back there when things start to get a little blurry for him. Head coach Paul LaPolice: “For any quarterback, if you can’t see the picture clearly, go somewhere else with the football. The clock goes off in their head. If (they’re) holding the ball too long — boom — you have to go. He moves better than you think for a big guy.”

GOOD PUSH: OL Luke Fritz is the Bombers’ idea man for the league-wide Pepsi Refresh Project, a social change initiative that has the soft drink company donating $50,000 to a charitable cause in that player’s community. If Fritz’s idea beats out the seven other CFL entries, the money will go to Winnipeg Harvest’s ‘Hunger for Hope,’ a program dedicated to ending child hunger.

— Adam Wazny