A five-minute guide to the big game: Heads say Als, hearts Riders

5 REASONS YOU SHOULD WATCH

1. THE TRADITION

There aren't many things more Canadian than the CFL and Grey Cup Sunday. This is a day about indulging, imbibing and gathering around the TV or radio, or taking in the game live in person. It's about reliving the great moments decades later, from Ken Ploen's OT run in 1961, to Tom Clements, to Tony Gabriel in 1976, to Dave Ridgway's last-second field-goal in 1989, to the B.C. Lions' win over Baltimore Stallions in 1994, to Calgary's huge win in Montreal a year ago. Football clubs have been contesting for this ol' mug since 1909, when the University of Toronto beat Toronto Parkdale in front of 3,807 fans and the game, and the event itself, has never been bigger.

2. A DECADE OF WINS... AND SOME CRUSHING DEFEATS

The Montreal Alouettes have been the CFL's most successful on-field franchise since their return to Quebec from Baltimore in 1996, averaging 12 wins a season over that span and appearing in 12 division finals and now seven Grey Cups, all since 2000. Here's the thing: They are just 1-5 in the championship game and have lost in their last four attempts at glory. This team has had its talent core essentially kept intact -- 10 starters are 30 or older -- but if they don't get it done here after a 15-3 regular season, their legacy will be as much about failure in the Grey Cup as about their June-to-October domination.

3. RIDER NATION GROWS AND GROWS AND...

It's become a country-wide phenomenon how the Roughriders have made their brand as powerful as any in sports in the country outside of the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. Rider fans are everywhere and now that the team is successful -- they are chasing their second title in three years on Sunday -- more and more are admitting their allegiance. Rider green will dominate McMahon Stadium and, love 'em or hate 'em, there is no doubting their affection for their squad.

4. THE QB MATCHUP

A great football game is always built around the work of the QBs and Sunday's contest pits a future hall of famer in Montreal's Anthony Calvillo against the emerging star Saskatchewan's Darian Durant has become. Calvillo, now 37, is trying to add to his already glowing resumé. Durant, 27, was a backup in the Riders win over Winnipeg in 2007, but now wants to lead a team to a title. That kind of matchup can make for some compelling theatre.

5. THE CANADIAN AIR FORCE

Meet Andy Fantuz, Rob Bagg, Chris Getzlaf and Jason Clermont -- they are the Roughriders' all-Canadian receiving corps, along with import Gerran Walker, and they scored all three of Saskatchewan's TDs in last week's West Final win over Calgary. Yes, the Riders desperately miss the dynamic Weston Dressler, an American, but their receiving corps is the perfect representation of Canadian content and proves that, given time and patience from a coaching staff, the homegrown football player is more than capable of getting the job done in our league. With that possibly being threatened now -- rumblings are the number of starting Canadians could be reduced in the new collective-bargaining agreement -- the success of the Riders' Canuck receivers screams out as an argument to just leave the ratio the way it is.

THE TEAM MATCHUP

WHEN THE ALS RUN

Avon Cobourne has torched the Riders with three consecutive 100-yard games in their last three meetings and the Riders were run over by DeAndra' Cobb of Hamilton and Calgary's Joffrey Reynolds -- 159 yards and 107 yards, respectively -- in their last two games.

Advantage: Als

WHEN THE ALS PASS

Montreal's precision passing game is frightening and they can throw out a collection of pass catchers that makes it virtually impossible to double-cover any single one of them. Big heat needed from Rider ends John Chick and Stevie Baggs.

Advantage: Als

WHEN THE RIDERS RUN

Wes Cates posted decent numbers this season -- 974 yards and seven TDs -- but just once in his last six games did he post a per-carry average of greater than five yards. He had just two 100-yard games this year and is working against a defence that was stingiest (75.1 yards) against the run in the entire league.

Advantage: Als

WHEN THE RIDERS PASS

Rider offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice, a former Bomber staffer, doesn't get enough credit for the work he's done with Saskatchewan's game plan. These guys are skilled, but the scheme is solid, too.

Advantage: Riders

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Rider return game was horrid until they dusted off Jason Armstead halfway through the season and Luca Congi hit on 76.7 per cent of his field goals. But the Als trot out Damon Duval, the CFL's all-star kicker with a gaudy 87.3 field-goal success rate, and the league's top special-teams player in Larry Taylor.

Advantage: Als

INTANGILBLES

The weather forecast changes daily here -- surprise, surprise -- but the Riders are a Prairie team that is used to the elements, whether they are wind, rain, snow or sleet. Plus, this will essentially be a "home"' game for Gang Green

Advantage: Riders.

OUR CALL

Montreal 30 Saskatchewan 28

FYI

When: Sunday, Nov. 29. Kickoff: 5:32 p.m.

The site: McMahon Stadium, Calgary. Capacity: 46.020.

TV: TSN/RDS. Radio: CJOB.

Halftime performers: Blue Rodeo.

Streaks: Sask.: 2W; Mtl.: 3W.

Vegas line: The Alouettes are favoured by 9 points.

Head to head: Montreal won both games this season, 43-10 in Regina on July 18 and 34-23 in Montreal on Aug. 21. The Als have won three straight against the Riders and are 7-5 in their last 12 meetings.

THE PICKS

Bob Irving: Montreal. The Als' trouncing of the B.C. Lions has me convinced that they are a team on a mission. I think the Riders can keep it close, but Anthony Calvillo will be sharp, and the Als will win their second Grey Cup in seven attempts this decade.

Gary Lawless: Montreal. Too good to fall this late. They'll be a team we talk about for a long time.

Ed Tait: Montreal. The bubble doesn't burst this year. A complete team, top to bottom, that will finish the season with an overall record of 17-3.

Randy Turner: Saskatchewan. Damn the odds, it's raining watermelons.

Mitch Zalnasky: Saskatchewan. It is the year of the upset and the Riders will hang in there and beat Montreal because they just wear a team down. The Als will take the early lead and relax just enough to allow the Riders back in the game and the Green Machine will take control in the fourth quarter. Every team this year keeps looking past the Riders, and that has been their mistake.

Last week/overall: Bob Irving: 1-1/47-29; Randy Turner: 2-0/46-30; Ed Tait: 1-1/45-31; Mitch Zalnasky: 2-0/45-31; Gary Lawless: 0-2/42-34.

BY THE NUMBERS

3,650,000 -- The number of viewers for the 2008 Grey Cup on TSN and RDS

$16,000 -- Money earned by each member of the Grey Cup champs

$8,000 -- Money for each member of the runner-ups

32 -- The number of cameras TSN will use during the Grey Cup Broadcast. Includes a helicopter camera, a cable cam and a live look into the CFL review command centre

+9 -- The forecast high for Sunday, according to Environment Canada

3 -- Grey Cup wins by the Saskatchewan Roughriders (1966, 1989, 2007)

13 -- Grey Cup losses by the Roughriders, tied with Winnipeg for the most in CFL history

5 -- Grey Cup wins by the Montreal Alouettes (1949, 1970, 1974, 1977, 2002)

11 -- Grey Cup losses by the Als

26 -- Number of players on the Rider roster who also have Grey Cup rings from 2007

1,208 -- Penalty yardage amassed by Saskatchewan this season, fewest in the CFL

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 28, 2009 D5