And then there were four

The Edmonton Eskimos beat the Calgary Stampeders 33-19 in the West semi-final, but going forward without their feature running back, Jerome Messam, who suffered a knee injury in the game, will make their task of beating the B.C. Lions in their stadium extremely difficult. The Eskimos announced Wednesday Messam suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee in the game and won't play again this year.

"Jerome has played an important role in our success this season, so it's very disappointing news that he won't be in uniform when we take to the field," head coach Kavis Reed said in a media release.

Messam gave the Eskimos a balanced attack, rushing for 1,057 yards on 195 carries, while giving quarterback Ricky Ray another target out of the backfield. The Eskimos had essentially been a pass-happy offence prior to his arrival via trade from B.C. before the start of the season. He had problems off the field with the Lions, but became a modal player with the Eskimos and is the leading candidate to win the league award as Most Outstanding Canadian player. It was a great pickup by Edmonton general manager Eric Tillman, who made another wise addition trading for diminutive running back Hugh Charles from Saskatchewan late in the season. Charles will likely split playing time with Calvin McCarty, who has similar physical characteristics as Messam.

If Messam's injury is not serious and doesn't require major surgery, he could be headed to the National Football League. He is entering his option year, but signed the deal prior to the CFL putting restrictions on players trying the NFL market while still under contract to their CFL team.

BAD WEEK FOR BURRIS: Calgary quarterback Henry Burris created a bit of a stir prior to the Western semi when he tweeted some thoughts about the Penn State scandal, suggesting head coach Joe Paterno, who was subsequently relieved of his duties, exercised protocol by reporting to the school's authorities what he had been told about the alleged child sexual abuse scandal but didn't report it to the police. This prompted some critical responses from former National Hockey League star Theo Fleury, who has become a leading advocate in the fight against child sexual abuse based on his own experiences. The two engaged in a running thread that Burris simply could not win.

"I never said whether it was good or bad," Burris was quoted by the Calgary Sun about his tweets. "I was merely asking questions. When people started weighing in, I was happy to see that. I understand when I say something, people will listen. That was my intention. I want people to know it's unacceptable."

Burris played in the semi-final game, relieving struggling starter Drew Tate, who had taken his spot in the final three games, in the second half and did little to stop Calgary's ineffectiveness. But that's the last time you'll see Burris in a Stamps uniform.

The Stamps look like a team badly in need of an overhaul, and it will begin with Burris, who wants out of Calgary because he doesn't want to be a backup anymore.

"It would be tough for me to want to be in the position I'm in right now," Burris told the Calgary media on Monday. "I've done so much and I still have so much more I can do in this game. Right now, it doesn't feel good to be a puppet. I'm a player. They pay me to win games. They pay me to play the game at a high level. And that's what I prepare myself to do every year.

"I think a lot of people are forgetting that when everything happened (and Tate was named the starter), I was still one of the top quarterbacks in the league in every category. But, unfortunately, when decisions are made, they're made. But for me, I'm a competitor, I get paid to compete, I get paid to do what I can to help win games, and that's the type of situation I want to be in."

Burris had kept a lid on his frustration following the demotion, so his reaction clearly allowed him to vent - and it was quite voluminous. Smilin' Hank has now become Angry Hank.

The Stamps will deal him; it's just a question of whether they allow him to have any say in the matter. His precipitous fall a year after winning the CFL's Most Outstanding Player of the Year honour was shocking. He just seemed to fall apart, beginning with the team's loss to Edmonton on Labour Day.

The Argos could use Burris and it would be a nice fit because he is a proven starter and might regain his form in a new environment, combined with added motivation. The Argos don't have a legitimate starting quarterback and are going into a year in which they will play host to the Grey Cup. They need something major to sell tickets. Burris can do it with his charm.

Burris has a prior relationship with Argos GM/head coach Jim Barker, who worked in a personnel capacity with the Stamps. But Barker's future is uncertain. It's rumoured his job will be whittled down, and the current whispers are he will be limited only to coaching.

Stay tuned on this and what will likely be some other interesting moves for the Argos.

DWINDLING CROWDS: Some media critics commented on the poor attendance for the semi-final games because neither Montreal nor Edmonton had sellouts.

Here's my take on it: Both teams entered the final week of the regular season with a chance to finish first in their division. The Als bombed in B.C., finishing the season with three consecutive losses and giving the division final to Winnipeg, which had already lost earlier in the day, providing an opening for Montreal that it squandered. Edmonton barely squeaked by the impotent Saskatchewan Roughriders, but were bumped down to second after B.C. beat Montreal.

So fans of both teams had to be disappointed, knowing first place had been lost. In Montreal's case, second place was a bitter failure after so many first-place finishes.

It also impacted upon both team's marketing campaigns. They also had to scurry to put together plans for the semi-final on only a few days notice. It's one thing to market a division final, it's another to do it for a semi-final. The hype isn't the same.

The division finals will provide a greater understanding of fan appreciation. B.C is playing in the newly-renovated B.C. Place Stadium, and has been the hottest team in the second half of the season. They also play host to the Grey Cup. Winnipeg is playing a rare division final at home and the last game at Canad Inns Stadium.

Hard to imagine both places won't be sold out or with near-capacity crowds.

BRUCE IN TROUBLE: Controversial B.C. receiver, picked up in an early-season trade from Hamilton that helped kickstart the Lions turnaround, had an issue with Vancouver police on Sunday. He had a verbal altercation with an officer after receiving a parking ticket, but it is not considered a big deal. The Lions said it will not impact his status for Sunday's game.

Bruce has been involved in all sorts of controversies in his CFL career, some of which led to his exits from Toronto and Hamilton.

When he's on his game, there are few receivers in the CFL that can impact a game like he can.

Remember earlier in the season when Bruce wanted to be called by his self-adopted name Runako Reth? It started to became a dying topic about the time the Bombers' self-adopted Swaggerville name started to sag.

Wouldn't be surprised if the two themes are revisited, particularly if the Lions and Bombers meet in the Grey Cup.

Perry Lefko keeps you connected to all the news in the CFL on Sportsnet.ca.