CFL postseason preview

For those who follow the CFL (and I tried to help you out if you don't follow it), this is the best time of the year: the playoffs. Things shaped up long ago in the West, though don't count out any team left standing in this division. The East came down to the last day, with almost interchangable pieces.

In the West, the Edmonton Eskimos stay home for the first time since 1971, snapping the longest playoff streak in professional sports. Pierre Trudeau was prime minister the last time the Eskimos stayed home from the playoffs.

The B.C. Lions won the division, getting a bye. The Lions host the Calgary-Saskatchewan winner November 12 in Vancouver. Calgary hosts the Roughriders on November 5.

Though B.C. has the home-field advantage, the road for the Lions will not be easy. Buck Pierce or Dave Dickenson will be the quarterback. Dickenson is the more seasoned of the two, but his health has been a gigantic issue for some time. Plus, Calgary and Saskatchewan are playing well. Still, being indoors will help B.C. simply because it won't be Calgary or Regina.

The East turned out to be far more bizarre. The matchups came down to the final weekend when Montreal finally grabbed the top spot, hosting the East Final at Olympic Stadium on November 12. Toronto will host Winnipeg in the East semifinal on November 5. The Blue Bombers had a chance to host the East semifinal, but lost to B.C. in the final game.

I know home field advantage has been traditionally huge in the CFL playoffs, but several of us smell a potential upset or two.

The Grey Cup will be at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg on November 19. The halftime entertainment will feature Nelly Furtado and the Canadian Idol winner.

The semifinals and finals begin at 1 pm EST and 4 pm EST. The Grey Cup is at 6 pm EST. All the postseason games will air live on CBC and tape-delayed on those outlets that have carried the CFL in the U.S.