Lions Take On Eskimos
The BC Lions (3-3) host the Edmonton Eskimos (4-2) in a critical West Division game Friday night at BC Place. The club's disappointing 35-24 loss in Edmonton a week ago has left them winless against divisional opponents in 2008 and placed them squarely behind the eight ball from a standings point of view. Taking a 10-point lead into the second half only to be outscored 25-4 has not sat well with the club.The cellar is not familiar territory for a Lions team that has hosted four straight West Division Finals, but just six games into the 2008 campaign it appears that the right to represent the West will be a dogfight to the end.
Head coach Wally Buono may only look back to the 2006 season however to see that his squad has responded well when challenged. That championship season also started relatively slowly and included a July loss in Edmonton (24-17) before the team regrouped for a seven game win streak and a 13-5 overall record. Whether or not this version of the Lions can regain its winning ways in a consistent manner will play out in weeks to come, but looking back through their Grey Cup history over the past 25 years reveals that three of the club's seven appearances in the league championship have come after 3-3 starts.
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