 |
They have 60 minutes between becoming the Atlanta Braves or turning themselves into the Detroit Red Wings.
The Montreal Alouettes are entering their seventh Grey Cup appearance in the past 10 years, which is an impressive feat no matter how you slice it.
But in that time, the Als have just one title to their credit, and that came back in 2002, just their second trip to the CFL championship game.
The Braves had a run of 15 years making the Major League Baseball playoffs, but that is not considered a great dynasty because they won just one World Series.
The Detroit Red Wings won Stanley Cups in 2002 and 2008 and are often pointed at as the standard bearers for National Hockey League supremacy in this era.
Which one will the Als emulate?
Sunday’s Grey Cup at McMahon Stadium will decide that.
The core group of Alouettes is at the peak of their prime, or perhaps just past it.
In all seven attempts at winning the Cup, Anthony Calvillo was the quarterback, Ben Cahoon caught passes in the slot, Bryan Chiu snapped the ball from centre and Scott Flory played guard.
Defensive end Anwar Stewart is playing in his sixth CFL final, while guard Paul Lambert is in his fifth. Kicker Damon Duval and cornerback Davis Sanchez are in their fourth each.
All those players are well over 30, and each could retire after this season.
So the Alouettes didn’t bother hurrying to Calgary Tuesday to jump into Grey Cup festivities.
They’ve been there, done that … many times in fact.
“Nothing’s new anymore,” said Lambert. “You know the routine, in and out. You know which days are more hectic than others, you know the media requirements. So you’re just there as a shoulder for the younger guys if they have questions on how to handle the time management aspect of it.”
The mission to hit Alberta and steal the thunder away from this city started more than a year ago.
On Nov. 23, 2008, the Calgary Stampeders came into Olympic Stadium and ruined the Alouettes’ thoughts of being the first host city to celebrate a Grey Cup win since 1994.
The Als won their only title beating a host team in 2002, when they topped the Edmonton Eskimos 25-16 at Commonwealth Stadium.
The year after that, the Eskimos beat them in the rematch at Taylor Field in Regina. Then they lost to the Eskimos again in 2005 in Vancouver, the Lions in 2006 in Winnipeg and last season.
They started their decade of near excellence by losing to the Lions at McMahon Stadium in 2000.
Not since the team was the Baltimore Stallions in 1995 has the Alouettes franchise come into Grey Cup week hotter or as focused.
Since getting defeated 22-14 by the Stamps in late November, Marc Trestman has coached his team to just three losses in 19 games, and all were on Western road trips (Vancouver, Edmonton and Winnipeg).
They arrive in Calgary fresh off a 56-18 whipping of the B.C. Lions in the East final.
“We’re a more complete team than we were in past years,” Chiu said. “Our defence is the stingiest in this league and our offence is going so well right now. There’s so much trust in this locker-room, we believe in each other. It’s definitely a different feeling.”
They better hope things are different.
Or else they will be hoping to go back to Edmonton next season trying to erase thoughts of a sixth Grey Cup loss in 10 years.