Courtesy Montreal Gazette:

Few, if any, care more deeply about the Alouettes than Larry Smith. He wears his red, white and blue emotions about the organization on his sleeve, and isn’t shy, having played for the team in the 1970s before eventually becoming its president.

Smith was a fullback with Montreal between 1972-80, an era when the team was good, but didn’t always win the Grey Cup, like today. The Als played for the championship five times during Smith’s career, winning twice. Each one of the title games was against the Edmonton Eskimos. So understand Smith’s feelings were running high last weekend, before, during and after the Als’ division final victory against one of their most bitter rivals.

“I was playing the game, lifting weights before the game. I was that pumped up,” he said.

Smith said he never lost hope, even after Montreal fell behind 13-3 midway through the second quarter. He figured after so many heartbreaking defeats over the years – Edmonton has captured eight of 11 Cups between the teams – the Als’ time had come.

“If we played our game, I knew we had enough in the tank to get by,” Smith said. “We started slowly, but got momentum and came on like gangbusters. I was never nervous. Instead, I was quietly confident. I was only anxious at the end, but we had a big enough lead to weather it.”

Smith had the rare opportunity to play in two Olympic Stadium championship games, in 1977 and ’79. The former, marking the first time Montreal played host since 1969, at the Autostade, ended in a resounding 41-6 victory. But the Als lost 17-9 two years later.

Smith talks from experience when he states Sunday’s Grey Cup game between the Als and Calgary Stampeders at Olympic Stadium will provide Montreal players with lifelong memories. The teams haven’t met for the championship since 1970.

“Of all the Grey Cups I experienced, 1977 is the one I’ll never forget,” he said. “It was a fantastic opportunity. There wasn’t pressure then and there isn’t now. All the players have to do is focus.

“We had the excitement that comes with being the Grey Cup city. It marked the first time the big game was in the stadium and we still had the momentum coming off the (1976) Olympics. It was a fantastic experience I’ll never forget. To host it in a different capacity 31 years later is fantastic. Twice in a lifetime is special.”

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