Calgary Stampeders SB Nik Lewis wasted little time starting the war or words ahead of Sunday's Western Final, but he's unlikely to find a sparring partner with the BC Lions.
Coming on the heels of Calgary's wild Western Semi-Final win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Lewis said the Lions were hoping Saskatchewan would win so they wouldn't have to face the Stamps in the Western Final, according to a story in the Calgary Herald.
But on Monday, the Lions weren't biting, saying instead it was just a case of Nik being Nik.
"Everybody knows what Nik Lewis is. And that's what he is," said veteran SB Geroy Simon. "He talks trash, he runs his mouth, but in the end they still have to come here and play."
"That's Nik," echoed QB Travis Lulay. "I can tell you, asking the guys around the locker room, that's not the case. We understand this is the Western Finals; regardless of who we're playing, we're going to have to outplay that opponent on game day.
"Calgary's been hot; they're playing good football, so we're going to have to play a good one to win. But that doesn't change if Saskatchewan had been the winner."
The week ahead, the Lions say their focus is on executing as a team, not worrying about what their opponents are saying.
"I don't go against Nik Lewis. All I can worry about is our guys on offence," said SB Arland Bruce, who is expected to suit up on Sunday after missing the last five games due to concussion. "We have to just put up points and we can't focus on guys on the other team."
"We match up well with them," said Simon. "It's not about Calgary, it's about us. If we go out and play our game, we'll handle what we need to handle."
