From the Lions' Den

Some longtime Lions fans have recently complained that there were just not enough close games this year in the CFL for their liking. On Friday night, in front of 33,532 of the faithful, all that changed. Casey, mighty Casey, struck out.

Does anyone remember that athletic kid in High School who won all the scholarships, won the big games, and got all the attention from the girls? Ladies, remember that one gal with the perfect smile who never tripped, was always smiling, never got a zit, and had her choice of the track team?

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Edmonton Eskimos. 34 straight years in the Playoffs, Ricky Ray, Ed Hervey, Signor Mobley and Shannon Garrett, from the City of Champions. This was the team that destroyed BC’s 11-0 start in 2005, and begat “The Trade” with Hamilton, in which they didn’t really have to give up the main player involved until he won them a Grey Cup.

Those Eskimos. The ones that nothing bad ever happens to. The most successful franchise in the CFL, ever. Those Eskimos.

If you’re a Lions fan, this is heady stuff. We all remember 1977, and a very cold and frosty day at Clarke, where Dave Cutler kept Esks footballs next to the heater, and had Lions footballs left in the –23 degree cold. Lions ran the opening kickoff out to the 5. Lui Passaglia said it was like kicking a block of cement. We remember 1987, and Edmonton destroying us at home in our House; we remember Larry Highbaugh not getting called for interference in 1981, and Signor Mobley not being called on the goal line in last year’s Western Final.

The Breaks always go Eskies way. Always. They see to it that they do. That is, until now.

Casey came to bat in the bottom of the 9^th with a full count, and …wiffed.

Wind back four quarters, and find two very determined Football Clubs working very hard not to make a mistake, with (arguably) the more talented one on paper taking the lead by halftime with their backup quarterback, and missing their best speedster receiver, and with their All-Canadian Slotback just returned from a torn MCL. An admirable performance against the Grey Cup Champions, and the hope was that they could keep it up in the second half.

They couldn’t. After four games at the beginning of the season where the players felt that they didn’t need to put in the effort in the second half (At home against Regina, in Regina, at home to Toronto, and finally in a loss at Commonwealth.) Then came the “talk” where Coach Ritchie read the riot act, and joined by Coach Buono, turned the team around. All that motivation went for naught, as Slotback Geroy Simon put it, “We felt that we had it, and laid back a little.”

Note to the team again: This is the CFL. Anything can, and will happen, and did. Edmonton battles back to within a few points, but then Korey Banks picks off a Ricky Ray pass for a touchdown. That should be it, right? No, this is the CFL, so Edmonton fights back with a great touchdown to Gaylor. The Lions bring in Dave Dickenson to hopefully move the ball and get a first down or two to grind out the clock. He doesn’t budge the Offence, and Lions punt to Esks with a minute and a half left, 30-28. A Field Goal will win it for the Forces of Darkness.

Esks go incomplete twice, then strike on a seam route to Gaylor over the middle that burned Javy Glatt so badly that he didn’t ever see the torch go by. Now it’s up to Jason Johnson, Sean Fleming, and the Esks new Offensive Line.

The ball is snapped, and Jason Johnson seems to take his eye off of it for just a split second, and the ball rolls along the turf after bouncing off JJ’s hands.

The Dome goes insane, absolutely wacko. 33,000 fans can’t believe that the Evil Empire, the Dark Side of the Force, the dreaded Eskimos, had not gotten that last minute flag, the game winning TD, or the Field Goal at BC Place to win.

Casey came to bat in the bottom of the 9^th with a full count, and …wiffed.  Casey, Mighty Casey, the pride of Edmonton. Mark this day on your calendars CFL fans, because it will be a long time before it ever happened again, if it ever does.

The BC Lions now have a bye week, after thanking their lucky stars. As for us, maybe we can rest just a bit easier when we finally head upstairs to meet our Maker. Edmonton didn’t get the break….this time.