Disrespect famous, however dismissed by playoff-focused B.C. Lions

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Oh, you will be positive they’ve all seen it. The B.C. Lions have all positively seen it.

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‘It’ elicited a wry grin from Vernon Adams Jr., confusion from Sukh Chung and befuddlement from Bo Lokombo, whereas Dom Rhymes took it in stride.

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The CFL ran their playoff simulation via no matter steam-or-hamster-wheel-powered computational system they’ve, and got here up with these numbers:

• The Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ odds to win the Gray Cup: 66.2 per cent. 
• The Lions’ odds to win the Cup: 3.4 per cent. 
• The Bombers’ odds of profitable the West ultimate: 90.1 per cent. 
• The Lions’ odds of profitable the West ultimate: 8.9 per cent. 

“Who even comes up with that quantity?” stated Lokombo. “… I don’t actually learn an excessive amount of into it. It’s form of wild … to say the least.”

“It’s no extra (added) motivation as a result of we don’t play for individuals’s predictions. We play actual soccer,” stated Rhymes.

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Adams, who’s basked in his share of disrespect this 12 months — he was the league’s passing chief and didn’t even fee an all-star nod — was nonplussed.

NEXT GAME

West Division ultimate

B.C. Lions vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. PT, IG Discipline

TV: TSN. Radio: AM730

“Oh, I’ve seen it. It’s cool,” he stated. “It’s at all times disrespect in direction of the Lions … Winnipeg deserved all of the credit score they’ve been getting. We simply have come to work, deal with our enterprise and do we have to do.

“It’s nothing new to me. I’ve been an underdog my complete life.”

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The 13-6 Lions had been 2-1 in opposition to Winnipeg (14-4) this 12 months, with each side having fun with blowout wins earlier than the Bombers got here out on prime in an extra time rubber-match thriller. Even in that recreation, the Lions had an opportunity to win in regulation, however for a split-second choice by Rhymes.

The simulation weighted the groups’ data and opponents-faced, margins of victory and up to date outcomes, amongst different elements, to come back to this conclusion.

The 16-2 defending Gray Cup-champion Toronto Argonauts aren’t pleased with their meagre odds both (21.4 per cent to win the title), their math seemingly skewed closely by a Week 17 loss to Winnipeg. Keep in mind that recreation the place they sat a number of key starters, and offensive catalyst A.J. Ouellette had however a single carry as that they had already clinched the East with six video games to play?

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And did the simulation consider Adams’ large playoff efficiency in opposition to Calgary (413 yards passing, 5 whole touchdowns) within the West semifinal? Or the truth that the CFL’s main landing machine — Winnipeg receiver Dalton Schoen — has been hobbling round in a strolling boot and is questionable for Saturday’s recreation?

Query for the CFL head workplace: Have you ever tried unplugging the pc and plugging it again in? Or at the very least feeding the hamster inside it? Was it programmed by an NFT bro who’s nonetheless insisting that Bored Apes are an incredible monetary funding?

Even non-B.C. followers commenting on their submit aren’t positive it is sensible.

“I simply have my intestine and it tells me that one thing within the system is weighted far too closely,” wrote Illinois​Man. “I feel they should hit the aspect of the pc machine or one thing.”

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Questionable outcome apart it’s a head-scratching approach to promote a recreation between two of one of the best groups within the league, who only recently produced an exhilarating recreation the final time they met, to not point out the East ultimate, the place the Montreal Alouettes gained’t be thrilled about their scores both.

“There’s nothing improper with being an underdog,” stated Lions coach Rick Campbell. “However I hope our guys are intrinsically motivated. You’re speaking to a coach right here too. If it provides any person gasoline, then good for them, however we hold speaking about: it’s about us. It’s about us, and enjoying good soccer. We’ve come a great distance from Kamloops and coaching camp with the chance to play one recreation to go to the Gray Cup, so we simply need to benefit from the chance and go from there.”

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Lokombo says the oddsmakers’ labels gained’t matter. And till they dethrone the winners of three straight West titles, that respect gained’t come. The Bombers, it needs to be famous, gained the primary of their two straight Cups (2019 and 2021) after ending third within the West.

“For a recreation like this it doesn’t matter,” stated the Lions’ linebacker. “I can perceive why we’re (underdogs). We’re enjoying in Winnipeg; it’s chilly, it’s a tricky place to win, they’ve been the highest canine — however none of that issues.

“You’ve obtained to earn that respect (of being favourites). Props to them to the whole lot they’re doing. We do respect them. However we’ve to show that we’re in that class, and I really feel like we’re. We’re an excellent workforce, we’ve had an excellent 12 months and we’re simply prepared for battle, man. We’re prepared for them.”

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