It’s the low-hanging fruit, the easy and obvious angle to the 107^th Grey Cup and it will be snatched and gobbled up by anyone with a microphone, a notepad or a laptop through all the festivities in Calgary.

So we’ll go there, too, to begin our coverage of the week…

This Sunday’s Canadian Football League championship has already been dubbed the ‘Drought Bowl’, as it features the two franchises with the longest current absences from the winner’s circle in the Winnipeg Blue Bombers – who last won in 1990 – and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who had their last moment of glory in 1999.

That alone makes this game compelling enough for the diehards in those two championship-starved fan bases and those who are simply drawn to a scrap featuring a pair of teams many had predicted would be standing when the curtain lifted on the 2019 season.

But there’s more, so much more, to this one that makes it as juicy a final showdown as any in previous years.

Just an FYI, the Bombers are chartering to Calgary Tuesday afternoon and will have their first practice in Cowtown on Wednesday. With all that in mind, here’s our early look at the key storylines leading up to Sunday’s 107^th Grey Cup game.

1. SOMEBODY’S WOE IS ABOUT TO GO

Let’s put the Bombers long drought here into context…

Of the 46-men listed on the roster for Sunday’s Western Final 31 players – THIRTY-ONE – were not alive when the club last hoisted the Grey Cup aloft back in 1990.

That last title came before Winnipeg Football Club hall of famers like Milt Stegall, Charles Roberts, Doug Brown, Terrance Edwards, Gerald Wilcox, Matt Dunigan, Brett MacNeil, Khari Jones, Wade Miller, Troy Westwood and Dave Mudge had ever taken a snap for the Bombers. It was before Darryl Rogers, Jeff Reinebold, Urban Bowman, Gary Hoffman, Dave Ritchie, Jim Daley, Doug Berry, Mike Kelly, Paul LaPolice and Tim Burke had worn the big headset as head coaches.

Brian Mulroney was the Prime Minister, Gary Filmon the Premier, Doug Flutie was in his first year with the B.C. Lions, ‘Ghost’ and ‘Home Alone’ – the original – were the top-grossing movies, and Wilson Phillips and Roxette topped the Billboard 100.

So, hell yeah, it’s been awhile.

The centre pieces to the Ticats’ last championship in ‘99, meanwhile, were current Bombers Assistant GM/Director of U.S. Scouting Danny McManus – who was the MVP of that game – along with the late, great Ron Lancaster as head coach, current Bombers GM Kyle Walters at safety and stars like Joe Montford, Darren Flutie, Rob Hitchcock, Calvin Tiggle and Gerald Vaughn.

A fact worth noting here: two previous longest Grey Cup droughts in Bombers history were ended with victories over the Ticats. The club ended a 17-year drought in 1958 with a 35-28 win over the Ticats and the 1984 victory over Hamilton ended a 22-year absence.

Read into that what you will, Bombers fans.

2. BEEN HERE, DONE THIS

So, while we’re comfortably seated in our little time machine, a few more nuggets about Bombers vs. Ticats in the Grey Cup.

These two historic franchises will meet for the 11^th time in the history of the Grey Cup, including so far back the two teams didn’t even have their current nicknames.

The ‘Pegs and Hamilton Tigers met in 1935, with Winnipeg becoming the first team based in Western Canada to win the Grey Cup, and matchups followed in 1943 1953, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1965 and 1984. Winnipeg has a 6-4 record in those previous battles, with wins in ’35, ’58, ’59, ’61, ’62 and ’84. Those games include the 1958 and 1961 championships – considered for years to be among the greatest Grey Cup games – along with the 1962 ‘Fog Bowl’ and the 1965 ‘Wind Bowl.’

3. THE HERE AND NOW: 2019 MEETINGS REVISITED

The Ticats are the only CFL squad the Bombers haven’t beaten in 2019. Interestingly, the starting QB for the Bombers in each of the three meetings will be different, with Matt Nichols and Chris Streveler taking the first snap in the two previous games.

Here’s a brief synopsis of the first two games:

July 26: Hamilton 23 Winnipeg 15, @ Tim Hortons Field

The Bombers were 5-0 to start a season for the first time since 1960 and the Ticats were 4-1. Winnipeg turned the ball over seven times, including three interceptions, in what was the first leg of a big-time stumble on a two-game trek to southern Ontario that was followed by a loss to Toronto.

The news on the Ticats front was much more significant, as QB Jeremiah Masoli was lost for the season with a knee injury and replaced by the then relatively-untested Dane Evans. Evans completed 13 of of 25, but for just 94 yards and ran for a score, but the Ticat defence was stout when it mattered.

September 27: Hamilton 33 Winnipeg 13, @ IG Field

The Ticats, then 10-3, rolled into River City to face the 9-4 Bombers and then rolled over the home side in a dominant win. The loss was the second straight for the Bombers, coming on the heels of the Meltdown in Montreal, and was the club’s lone loss at home all year. Hamilton had 338 yards at halftime as Evans threw for three touchdowns while Simoni Lawrence set a new CFL record for tackles in a single game with 17.

CFL Most Outstanding Player finalist Brandon Branks was particularly problematic for the Bombers, pulling in 14 passes for 161 yards and a TD in the two meetings.

4. THE STORY THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

The Collaros story – twice traded this season – and now 3-0 in his starts for the Bombers, including knocking off the 2018 champion Calgary Stampeders twice and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the division final – will feature one more chapter this season. Collaros has breathed life into the Bombers season and his own career over the last few weeks since being acquired just before the CFL trade deadline in October.

New to his teammates, new to his coaches, new to his playbook and living in a hotel, Collaros has completed 50-of-74 passes for 681 yards with four touchdowns against one interception. He’s working effectively in the QB-tandem that features Streveler and has brought a vertical element to the offence had been missing since Nichols had thrown for 15 touchdowns and only five interceptions in his first nine starts.

Add the fact that Collaros is now facing the team with which he had the most success – including guiding them to a Grey Cup berth in 2014 – and will be staring across the line of scrimmage at Simoni Lawrence, whose hit in the first game sidelined him, and this is a story that has more layers than an onion.

5. THE POWER OF MO

The Ticats carry a seven-game win streak into the Grey Cup, having not lost since a 19-18 defeat in Calgary in a game in which a final-minute 42-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Tre Roberson. They are 11-1, including their Eastern Final win over Edmonton, in their last 12.

And then there’s the Bombers…

It’s hard to define or quantify momentum, but whatever the description, the Bombers have it right now with three straight wins – including two straight on the road. The club has surrendered just 27 points in two playoff games and is attempting to become the first third-place team since the 2005 Eskimos to be holding the Grey Cup aloft on the last Sunday in November.

This is going to be a fun week, people, capped by what should be an absolute slobber-knocker.