In the midst of a brilliant slice of Canadiana that saw tens of thousands turn yesterday's Grey Cup parade into something resembling more of a St. Patrick's Day celebration, one green-clad observer turned to the other with a sobering thought.
"I just hope it's a good game," he said quietly, as if not wanting to startle his Pil-swilling brethren gathered around the Yodeling Sausage stand.
Lost in the revelry of Rider Pride this week is the reality that, although Saskatchewan Roughriders fans have plenty to celebrate, the party is just about to be crashed.
Just as the Calgary Stampeders put an abrupt end to Montreal's Grey Cup celebration last year, it's payback time for the Alouettes.
Since opening week, when the Als came here and obliterated the Calgary Stampeders, they've been focused on returning the favour. Sadly, the Stamps didn't even extend the courtesy of showing up for the big game.
Instead, the hosts gave way to a team slightly more popular than beer, ensuring the ratio between Riders and Alouettes fans is higher than the game's 91/2-point spread.
However, you'd have a better chance finding an uncracked watermelon in town today than you would of seeing Gang Green celebrating later tonight, as their squad is about to be destroyed by a team far more talented, focused and experienced.
It's not going to be a good game.
It's gonna be a rout.
The Alouettes are not only going to silence some of the greatest football fans in Canada by game's end, they're going to shut up all those who suggested a 1-5 record in Grey Cups since 2000 would have any bearing on this year's edition.
Not only did the 15-3 Als beat the Riders handily in both meetings this year, but they enter the 97th Grey Cup with just one loss in their last 10 games dating back to early September.
Despite having the personality of a french fry, Als head coach Marc Trestman has followed up brilliant schemes with an ability to help keep the team focused and sharp, even when games meant nothing.
"We went 5-1 after clinching the division, and I think that's a big difference from past years when we kind of cruised into the playoffs," said Als quarterback Anthony Calvillo, the CFL's player of the week, year and decade. "I think with our (56-18) win over B.C., we showed we're ready."
Coming off one of his best seasons, Calvillo's rapport with a star-studded receiving corps is so tight, he nearly set the CFL record with a 72% completion rate.
Avon Cobourne's running game compliments a scary passing attack to the point the Als scored almost twice as many points (600) as they allowed this year (324). The differential of 276 is more than 200 points better than the second-place Stamps (71) and the third-place Riders (31).
That doesn't happen without a defence some suggested at times this year was one of the best in CFL lore: A unit that will put the type of pressure on Darian Durant that saw the Als outscore the Riders 77-35 this year.
Granted, their last meeting was Aug. 21, and Durant has since emerged as one of the game's best young pivots. However, he's prone to the type of inconsistency that saw the Roughriders win no more than twice in a row all year.
It would take his best outing of the year for the Riders to even have a chance today, and a swarming, highly-motivated Als defence will have something to say about that.
The one thing the Riders have going for them is the crowd and the emotion it will surely bring. The Stamps overcame that last year, and there were 60,000 watching that day as opposed to 46,000 today.
For the third year in a row, the team with the best record will win the Grey Cup.
Handily, at that.
And the silent fears of Hoppers fans will be realized.
ERIC.FRANCIS@SUNMEDIA.CA
