CALGARY, Alberta -- The other Flutie was the star yesterday as the B.C. Lions fought their way into the Grey Cup.
Darren Flutie, the younger brother of Calgary Stampeders star quarterback Doug, caught a 4-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game to give the Lions a 37-36 win over the favored Stampeders in the CFL Western Division final.
"I feel for Doug, but he's beaten us so many times before," Darren said. "Now it's Baltimore, and we've got our work cut out for us. They've got a great team there."
Flutie, a slotback, said yesterday's win was the biggest thrill of his life, although that may change soon -- his wife, Terri, is due to give birth within days.
The Lions will play Baltimore in the Grey Cup game Sunday at B.C.'s home stadium, B.C. Place in Vancouver. It will be the first time since 1983 that a home team will play in the Grey Cup.
"We earned the right to be there," said Eric Tillman, B.C.'s general manager. "They didn't lose the game. We won it."
The chalkboard in the B.C. dressing room had, in huge letters, 62-21 -- the regular-season score when Calgary humiliated the Lions in Calgary.
"It's the same thing against Baltimore," said quarterback Danny McManus. "They kicked our butts."
Flutie's winning reception, from McManus, was his 11th of the game. He led B.C. receivers with 164 yards, and scored three touchdowns.
Running back Sean Millington scored the other Lions touchdown.
McManus came into the game in the third quarter, after B.C.'s starting quarterback, Kent Austin, left the game with a third-degree separation to his left shoulder. At that point, Calgary was ahead by 13 points.
Calgary had three touchdowns from running back Tony Stewart, and one from wide receiver Will Moore.
Doug Flutie passed for 311 yards, completing 24 of 34 attempts. He also ran for 84 yards.
"I thought we did everything we could to win the game, it's just Darren's time," he said.
For B.C., Austin and McManus combined for 6 yards of rushing -- and 436 yards of passing, completing 29 of 46 attempts.
B.C. took an early 4-0 lead, but Calgary was ahead 34-21 by the third quarter. Soon after, it started to snow -- and the field began to look like it did during the western division final last year, when the Stampeders were defeated by the Edmonton Eskimos in a blizzard.
The start of the Calgary-B.C. game was delayed until the end of the Baltimore-Winnipeg game. The player most blamed last year's Stampeders collapse, Karl Anthony, was a hero for Baltimore Sunday.
Sunday's game might have been the last CFL game in Calgary.
Larry Ryckman, the owner of the money-losing Stampeders franchise, has been asking the provincial government for financial help. Last week, he was told he shouldn't expect anything from the deficit-slashing government.
Calgary's football fans haven't been helping, either. Only 18,260 went to 37,000-seat McMahon Stadium to watch Sunday's game, which was televised in Calgary.
Speculation has the Stampeders moving to a United States venue -- possibly San Antonio -- before next season.
CFL PLAYOFFS
YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Eastern final:
Baltimore 14, Winnipeg 12
Western final:
B.C. 37, Calgary 36
GREY CUP Baltimore CFLS (14-6) vs. B.C. Lions (13-6-1) Where: B.C. Place, Vancouver, British Columbia
When: Sunday, 6:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: (1300 AM)