Courtesy Vancouver Sun:

Nature abhors a vacuum, and so does the media.

That’s why last month, with three days between Canuck games and much airtime and newspaper space to be filled, Vancouver defenceman Willie Mitchell’s stated preference to not have coach Alain Vigneault criticize him publicly turned into Williegate.

And that’s why, with two weeks between games for the B.C. Lions, the suspension of offensive tackle Jason Jimenez by the Canadian Football League is being debated and analyzed like the O.J. verdict.

Jimenez announced Tuesday to an eager throng of reporters who braved 8 C temperatures on the Lions’ practice field in Surrey that he will formally appeal the one-game suspension he was issued Monday for breaking the leg and ligaments of Calgary Stampeder defensive end Anthony Gargiulo on the final play before halftime on Nov. 3.

The appeal, which will be lodged on Jimenez’s behalf by the CFL Players’ Association, requires the league to appoint an independent arbitrator to hear formal submissions. It all but guarantees Jimenez, who was ejected from the Calgary game and, nine days later, suspended for “rough play,” will start Sunday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West Championship.

The CFL allows suspended players to compete while an appeal is underway.

So, go ahead Vancouver, breathe again.

Within the Lions there was never a crisis, and not because they don’t care about Jimenez, but because Jimenez shouldn’t matter enough to be the difference between winning and losing.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with what Jason’s doing,” veteran centre Angus Reid said.

“I’m not sitting here saying: ‘Oh, my God, we’re not going to win this football game without Jason.’ You always want your best players to play. He’s been our right tackle for two seasons now and you never want to miss a guy. But it’s not like we’re folding the tents because Jason might not play.

“We’ve proven at the quarterback position, you can have the highest-paid player and the MVP of the league go down, and we still win games. You want Jason in the lineup. But if he’s not there, we adjust and adapt to keep winning games, anyway.”

Neither Jimenez nor Lions coach Wally Buono professed to know the time frame for the appeal, but both expect the 27-year-old from Queens, N.Y., to be available Sunday.

It’s possible the CFL could rule on Jimenez’s appeal next week, which means the player could miss the Nov. 25 Grey Cup in Toronto should the Lions beat the Roughriders.

Or a ruling could come after the Grey Cup, or the CFL could overturn the suspension as it did earlier this season with Edmonton Eskimo linebacker A.J. Gass, whose appeal was ultimately heard by a judge who happened to be an Eskimos season ticket holder.

Gass, you might recall, ripped the helmet off Calgary Stampeders offensive lineman John Comiskey and tossed it down the field like a discus during an Aug. 4 game. Suspended for one game by CFL commissioner Mark Cohon, Gass promptly appealed it, whereupon Cohon upheld his decision on Aug. 13.

Not to be dissuaded, Gass appealed that decision, and the arbitrator — Alberta Chief Justice Allan Wachowich, an Eskimos fan — sided with Gass on Aug. 29.

Hey, it’s the CFL. You never know.

“I can’t really talk about anything that happens in the appeal process because I’ve been asked not to,” Jimenez said.

“I’m going to be as productive as I can to help my teammates in the Western final.

“We’ve faced adversity all year long. This is just another aspect of adversity. To answer you question, no, I don’t think it’s a distraction.”

Not within the locker room, anyway.

Think about it: This is a team that steamed through the regular season with third-string quarterback Jarious Jackson, who will start Sunday even though Dave Dickenson and Buck Pierce are healthy enough to play.

The Lions soldiered through the summer despite a wave of injuries on defence that saw four starters out at one point.

That didn’t halt the Lions. So why would playing without Jimenez?

Jimenez has undoubtedly upgraded and stabilized the right tackle position since he replaced Cory Mantyka before last season. He is a good athlete who has helped transform the Lions’ offensive line to the league’s best from one of its worst.

But indispensible? Not even close, not when the rest of the line is healthy.

Left tackle Rob Murphy protects the quarterback’s blind spot and has been nominated to retain the CFL outstanding lineman award he won last season. Guard Kelly Bates is a West all-star and Reid, as centre, calls the blocks and is important for continuity.

So, at best, Jimenez is B.C.’s fourth most important lineman. This isn’t criticism. It’s perspective.

How good would the Lions be, really, if they lost because he was unavailable?

“Jason is going to do what’s right for him,” Buono said. “He’s our starting right tackle. If he chooses to appeal it, so be it. We can adjust either way. Under the collective agreement, he’s got the right to appeal and he’s using that. We’ll play with or without Jason on Sunday.”

Reid said: “The timing makes it a good story. But the reality is no one is sitting around freaking out.

“It’s unfortunate if he has to miss this game. Nobody wants that. But it’s not like we’re changing our game strategy. If I went down, if Kelly Bates went down, nothing would really change. The next guy would be coming in ready.”

That’s how it is on great teams.