Friday night was do or die for the BC Lions – they had to win their game against the Calgary Stampeders to still have a hope for a playoff spot.
They got stamped.
Before Friday night’s match up at BC Place, it was a known fact that the Lions needed to win their final two games of the season to secure a spot in the playoffs for the Grey Cup. But, they weren’t the only team hungry to secure a playoff spot, and everyone knew that.
Fans were nervous about what the outcome of the game was going to be, knowing that the Lions still hadn’t broken their losing streak, which was up to 6 at that point. I ran into a Lions superfan just before the game, who has had season tickets for the past 25 seasons, and he said that this is most definitely one of the worst seasons he’s seen from the team.
But it ultimately came down to who was hungrier for that playoff spot because the Calgary Stampeders also needed to win to clinch a spot in the playoffs.
Disclaimer. I’m not going to give you the entire rundown of the game because that would be brutal for you – my knowledge of football is limited and I am one to just sit down and enjoy the game, you know?
I walked into the stadium a few minutes before the end of the second quarter (I had to finish my work shift before going into the game) and I thought to myself “This is going to be a good game.”
The score was 13-13. It seemed that the Lions were hungry for that win.
https://twitter.com/CFL/status/1459385507905953801
Just before the start of halftime, the Stampeders started to break away and once the third quarter started, the Lions couldn’t keep up, but they kept fighting hard.
https://twitter.com/CFL/status/1459395418501128198
As the clock was ticking down to the final minutes, fans were still hopeful that the Lions would pull a Saskatchewan and get 13 points with a minute left in the game, but knowing how the Lions have played this season, a miracle really needed to happen for that to play out. When fans realized that that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, many left, and BC Place became a lot less full with minutes still left in the game.
A nose for paydirt: @MalikHenry_2 with a timely TD late in the fourth!#CFLGameday | @calstampeders pic.twitter.com/hNdaS89jBw
— CFL (@CFL) November 13, 2021
As predicted and after putting up quite the fight, the Lions fell 33-23 to the Stampeders and lost their chance to be in the playoffs. This is the second consecutive season that the team hasn’t made it to playoffs. For the Stampeders, they have extended their playoff streak to 16 years after their win on Friday.
Unbelievable stuff from @Rikester13 to try to keep things alive: ✊#CFLGameday | @BCLions pic.twitter.com/w4Tiln5See
— CFL (@CFL) November 13, 2021
But I must say, the atmosphere at the game was good. Fans were kept at the edge of their seats the entire time, and there was definitely a high after Lucky Whitehead broke away and scored a 86-yard touchdown. But unfortunately, that high couldn’t help the Lions win.
The highlight for me personally, was meeting Lions superfan, Crazy P.
The Stampeders will play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for their final regular season game on Saturday. Then, they will face the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday, November 28th, for the CFL Division Semi-Finals in Regina.
The Lions have one more game of the season at BC Place, against the Edmonton Elks. The Elks are currently last in the West Division and are 2-10 this season.
Friday is also Fan Appreciation Night, where they will have lots of fun features, players messages, and giveaways for fans.
Kickoff is at 7:30.