CALGARY – They are chasing history and trying to make some of their own. And the deeper the Winnipeg Blue Bombers go into the playoffs, the more the subjects surface.

Two points of discussion, big picture, as the Bombers prepare for the West Final Sunday afternoon against the Calgary Stampeders:

1. It’s been 12 years since a third-place team in the Canadian Football League – that would be the 2005 Edmonton Eskimos – advanced to the Grey Cup and won it.

2. And of course, it’s been since 1990 when a championship was last celebrated at Portage and Main– the longest drought in club history and the longest Grey Cup drought currently in the CFL.

But while the Bombers as a franchise carry those historical nuggets into Sunday’s game, they simply are part of the backdrop and have no impact on what unfolds at McMahon Stadium.

“People talk about, ‘Ahhh, the last time there was a Grey Cup…. ‘ I’ve heard it a few times, but I wasn’t here,” said veteran cornerback Chris Randle earlier this week. “We understand the history and are aware of it. Look, to acknowledge it is one thing, but to let it affect us or let it be on our mind while we’re playing is a whole other thing. We know what the situation is, but all we have is this day in front of us.”

“We hear that once in a while, usually when you guys in the media bring it up,” added Jake Thomas, the longest-serving Bomber. “It sticks with me because that’s my birth year. People in sports are always bringing up stats, but we’ve done a good job this year of treating every week like its own. About 1990… a lot of guys wouldn’t know that was the last time we won a Grey Cup. We want to honour the city and the fans, but we have to take things week by week. That has to be our focus.”

The Bombers touched down in Calgary Saturday afternoon, with a handful of players addressing the media at McMahon Stadium. It’s been another long week leading up to Sunday’s game, with just about every story angle explored and revisited again. Here are 10 takes from the Bombers press conference on the eve of the West Final:

1. MOTIVATION SITUATION

The Stamps held their media session before the Bombers on Saturday and QB Bo Levi Mitchell, an Eastern Washington alumnus, recalled how a recruiting trip there when he was in high school saw him shown around campus by three players at the time – Greg Peach, J.C. Sherritt and Matt Nichols, all current or past CFLers.

Mitchell also suggested Nichols might have been motivated by hearing boos in the Banjo Bowl and calls for him to be replaced by Chris Streveler.

Over to you, Mr. Nichols…

“I don’t know… I feel like I’m a very driven person. I don’t know that I totally need extra things driving me. But overall it came down to me just not wanting to let my teammates down. That’s really as simple as it was. I was disappointed in my performance for a few games. It happens. It’s in the rearview mirror and it will never happen again.”

2. FAVOURITE-SCHMAVOURITE

The Stampeders are 4 ½-point favourites, but have been saying all week they could be the underdogs to the Bombers, who went 5-1 down the stretch and then knocked off Saskatchewan last week in the West Semi.

And all of this means exactly….?

“I don’t feel like we’re the favourite or they’re the favourite,” said Nichols. “I feel like it’s two good teams going against each other and both teams want to win badly. I don’t really care what other people think. I know we have a good football team and we feel like we’re a championship team, but it boils down to proving it week in and week out. (Sunday) is no different.”

3. CANUCK CONTENT

Both the Bombers and Stamps are stacked with Canadian talent, with the two sides led by Winnipeg RB Andrew Harris and Calgary LB Alex Singleton. Here’s Harris on Singleton:

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Alex, for sure. He plays in a great system that allows him to run around and make plays. He’s a guy that doesn’t miss very many tackles. That’s one thing… I’ve been watching so many cut-ups on how to break tackles and he’s a guy that doesn’t miss many when he has you in a spot.”

4. ANOTHER WEEK… MORE GOING 1-0 TALK

“Since the Montreal game two months ago, we’ve been preaching 1-0 in the locker room,” said Nichols. “It’s something we believe in and that’s all we’re focused on, trying to go 1-0 every single week. Once we accomplished that last week, instantly the mindset was to try and go 1-0 again this week. Guys have really bought into that mindset and it’s been a good thing for us in the back half of the season. We feel like we’ve been playing playoff games for two months now, so really, this game’s no different than what we’ve been dealing with a long time now. I’m confident my team is going to go out and play well.”

5. LIVE FOR NOW

“It’s a blessing to play with guys like this. You appreciate it,” said Andrew Harris, when talking about how this team has changed since he arrived in 2016. “The run we’re on now, the fact that we’re here now… my message is we can’t take this for granted because there is something special in our locker room. I just appreciate them and whole-heartedly love this group of guys.

“I definitely get so excited to go to battle with them every week. Even our practices are a blessing. It comes down to the relationships and characters within the locker room that you’ve built and gotten to know.”

6. JUST ANOTHER GAME? REALLY? YES, REALLY

Nichols was asked Saturday about the task of becoming the first team since the ’05 Eskimos to finish third in a division and then win two road games just to get to the Grey Cup.

“When you look at the overall picture of it, it can seem like this big thing,” he said. “But really it was ‘This week we’ve got to go into Regina and beat Saskatchewan.’ That game’s over with. Now we have to win one game on the road. That’s my mindset: we don’t have to win two games on the road, we have to win one game on the road. It’s simple. It’s honestly been.

“As crazy as it sounds, this game doesn’t feel any differently to me than any other game I’ve played in. I thought it would. But when you prepare for games and put so much on it week in and week out, when you get to a moment like this it just feel like you’ve been there before. That’s the way I feel: this is just another game where I get to go out and play with my buddies and try and get another win.”

7. LIVE FOR NOW, PART 2

More on living in the moment, courtesy Weston Dressler:

“Personally, I made it to a Grey Cup game in two of my first three years in the league. So, it seemed like you should be able to do this every year. And then you get into some years where you get into some battles and some dogfights where you don’t make it and you understand how hard it is to get to this point. You learn a lot more the more you play. You get a little smarter and appreciate these types of moments a little bit more.”

8. ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION

Adam Bighill was asked about how he managed to become a leader so quickly with the Bombers after signing with the club in mid-May, just a few days before training camp.

“It was definitely different for me. I came in with the mindset I was going to let my work ethic speak for me and what I do on the field speak for me and earn respect in the locker room. The first thing I noticed coming into this team was the locker room was already very close. There are a lot of great guys in the locker room, so it was easy for me to come in and fit in and get adjusted to another team. That was a good feeling right off the bat.

“From there I just wanted to do what I do: make plays and help people around me make plays. As time went through training camp and things got going it just kinda naturally happened. It’s never something you want to force, because players can feel that. You don’t want to feel that somebody’s trying to take over a team or anything like that. It was just go about your business and whatever happens, happens.”

9. NO SANTOS-KNOX; MORE WILSON AND WILD

The Bombers made two roster changes Saturday, moving LB Jovan Santos-Knox – who did not dress last week – to the one-game injured list along with SB Kenbrell Thompkins. Ryan Lankford and Chris Nelson are now listed in Thompkins’ spot on offence.

Here’s Bighill on the absence of Santos-Knox and his replacements:

“Jovan is a guy who just has amazing energy all the time. Everybody sees it in the stands – he’s truly excited for every single person on the field that makes a play, celebrating with everybody. That energy is infectious throughout the entire team. When you don’t have a guy like that on the field that energy level just isn’t the same because he’s a special person that way, for sure.

“But I think depth-wise we are deep at linebacker with experience with Ian Wild and talent with Kyrie Wilson as well. They both are good players that can get the job done. Kyrie has done a great job of staying locked in all year and just waiting for his opportunity to come in and do his part and he’s doing that. And Ian has several years in this league and is a phenomenal player as well.”

10. THE LAST WORD

Bombers coach Mike O’Shea was asked a simple question about what he liked most about playing on this weekend. And his answer offered a hint at the philosophy he takes every day to coaching.

“Watching our guys play,” he said. “These guys work hard all week to get back on the field to do something they love to do and do something great for their teammates. And I get to sit on the sidelines and see it all unfold. They’re a great group and a lot of fun to watch.”