Somewhere along the way in my life I memorized the lines to the B.C. Lions fight song. If you want proof check out the video on our website at www.vernonmorningstar.com under NFL picks (I know it’s the CFL and usually we do the NFL but it is Grey Cup weekend). It may not be good singing but, hey, at least we know the words.
And that will come in handy this weekend as the Lions take on the Blue Bombers of Winnipeg at B.C. Place this afternoon for all the marbles (actually there are no marbles involved, just an old beat-up trophy) in the 99th Grey Cup.
Come on and roar you Lions roar, that’s what a Lions roar is for,
From the mountains to the sea, you are the pride of all B.C………
I also memorized a couple Shakespeare soliloquies along the way too but they will come in less handy this weekend. Unless the Lions happen to lose of course and then To Be or Not to Be…. may prove to be useful.
Of course I’m kidding but I must admit that all the hype and almost every prediction about the Lions winning easily makes me nervous. It kind of reminds of the Canucks going up against the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals. That was supposed to be a sure thing, especially after a 2-0 start, but does anyone remember how that one ended up?
And yeah, everybody’s already writing the story about the Lions’ 0-5 start and how they’ve come back from the coaches almost getting fired to Wally Buono being carried off the field into retirement as a Grey Cup champion.
Sounds great. But, wait a minute here.
Did anybody check out how the Lions did against the Bombers this year?
I believe it was two losses (both before the Lions’ 10-game winning streak).
Everybody talks about the Lions defence but the Bombers is just as good, especially against the Lions so far (which in the CFL means keeping the score against under 30 points).
And don’t you think Buck Pierce wouldn’t just love coming back to B.C. and winning the big game against a team that gave up on him? And Winnipeg was 4-14 last year. From the bottom to the top in one year is a pretty good story too.
And anybody who knows football, especially Canadian football, knows that all it takes is one fumble, one interception, one point, or even one too many guys on the field (sorry Riders fans) to decide the outcome of a single game.
But that’s also what makes sports and a one-game championship so wonderful too.
Unlike your favourite sitcom or even your favourite movie, anything can happen.
It is unwritten. In fact, oftentimes if it was written ahead of time no one would believe it (sorry again Riders fans, although it should be noted I lived through the Lancaster-Reid era when the Lions always lost to the Riders, often, at least in my memory, in the dying seconds when it looked like a B.C. win was assured, heavy sigh).
So if the Lions win, which they should and I hope and predict (how does 27-17 Lions grab you?), I’ll be a happy guy, along with most of the rest of the province. It will also take some of the sting out of the Canucks loss, but, of course, not totally as they’re not quite on the same level.
They’re also not related in any way, so don’t tempt fate or destiny or whatever word comes to mind by pre-ordaining today’s outcome of a football game because of any Canucks’ loss.
Yes, the Lions can and should and maybe even will win today but Winnipeg and the way the football bounces will also have something to say about that.
So enjoy the game, and the food and the drink and all this great Canadian tradition has to offer. Oh, and go Lions go.
Come on and roar you Lions roar…..
—Glenn Mitchell, B.C. Lions fan, is the managing editor of The Morning Star
