Cocky Stamps like chances against Esks

CALGARY— The Stampeders were showing a bit of swagger yesterday as they prepared to meet the Edmonton Eskimos in their first playoff game in four years.

“ I have three words for everyone: respect my cockiness,” commanded flamboyant receiver Nik Lewis as he hammed it up for a photographer and for his guffawing teammates in the Calgary locker room.

“ I am the T. O. ( Terrell Owens) of the league,” he said with a chuckle.

Lewis refrained from any trash talking after his comments last week criticizing defensive back Shannon Garrett and the rest of the Eskimo defence were posted in Edmonton’s locker room.

“ My intent is to make it so after this year, he won’t want to play football again,” Lewis said a week ago. “ Just like Saskatchewan, their DBs fear us.” But there was no lack of confidence yesterday from the Stampeders, who relish the idea of going into today’s semifinal as the favourite.

“ I’m not going to say we’re not. We are the favourites,” receiver Jeremaine Copeland said.

“ We got the best chance for the victory as long as we go execute and do what we’ve been doing for the past couple of weeks; I think we’ll be all right.”

Calgary quarterback Henry Burris, one of eight Stampeders named to the CFL West all- star team, said he is more than comfortable giving up the team’s status as underdog.

“ I think you’d have to give the edge to the red and white,” he said. “ We knew we’d be here and we set this as one of our many goals for the season — to get into the playoffs and get a firstround home game.”

Calgary won the season series against arch-rival Edmonton, including a convincing 43-23 victory last week that gave the Stamps second place. Burris was 14 of 24 and passed for 311 yards and three touchdowns. The Eskimos are looking to get a giant monkey off their backs