Courtesy Montreal Gazette:

It’s one of the realities of life in the Canadian Football League, and it’s one that everyone who ventures here - be it a player or coach - soon discovers, personally or from a distance.Expect the unexpected.

During his seven seasons with the Alouettes in a variety of coaching capacities, Doug Berry twice saw teams with 8-10 records - British Columbia in 2000 and Calgary the following year - win the Grey Cup. Indeed, Berry was on the Montreal staff that was upset 28-26 by the

Lions in the title game. It mattered little that the Als had scored nearly 600 offensive points that season, nor that Montreal had won both regular-season meetings that year against B.C.

And Berry was the offensive

coordinator in 2004 when Montreal (14-4), failed to advance to the championship game.

Expect the unexpected.

“Throw the regular season away. It’s over and done,” Berry, the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, said yesterday. “All we’ve got is what’s in front of us.”

And that would be an East Division semifinal showdown against Montreal Sunday at Winnipeg.

In forging a 10-7-1 record this season, the Bombers played three times against the Als - and won them all, including last Friday’s season-finale, 20-17, at Winnipeg. The Bombers were 7-2 at home in 2007, while the Als lost six of nine on the road in slumping to 8-10 overall.

The better team invariably will win. And Winnipeg is a better team than Montreal. But, as difficult as it is to defeat a team three times in one season, Berry realizes four straight is even more unlikely. That is just one of his fears.

“I can’t qualify how tough it is. We have the better record, right now. But in reality, when the two teams take the field, we may have home-field advantage, but I think these two teams are going to be equal,” he said.

“People expect if the game’s close and you’re in it until the end, and because you’re at home, you should have the better opportunity. But I never feel going into a game that we will and should dominate. We’re just not that kind of team. But I’d rather be playing at home.”

The Bombers should not be in this position. Winnipeg was 7-3-1 at one point this season and occupied first place in the division for 97 days. Indeed, as of Sept. 16, the Bombers had a three-point lead over the Als and a whopping seven-point cushion on Toronto. But Winnipeg finished 3-4 while the Argonauts won seven straight to finish first. The Argos get a bye this week and await the winner of Sunday’s game.

Berry knows that before a team can win, it needs to learn how to win. In last year’s semifinal at Toronto, the Bombers were leading 27-17 with 7:45 left in the fourth quarter. That’s when Michael Bishop replaced Damon Allen at quarterback, leading the Argos to two quick touchdowns and an improbable 31-27 victory.

“There’s nothing worse than the feeling of defeat. We did it last year. A lot of the guys felt it. I hope this year, we experience that we need to take the next step,” Berry said.

That it will potentially come against the organization that gave Berry his first pro opportunity, he said, is inconsequential. And the CFL’s reigning coach of the year claimed he has no special feelings, or any particular advantage, in knowing general manager Jim Popp, in his first full season as head coach of Montreal, will be on the other sideline.

As good as the Bombers have been this season, they should

only be better and stronger this weekend. Running-back Charles Roberts, defensive-end Tom Canada and cornerback Juran Bolden all could return from injury. But Winnipeg will be without centre Obby Khan, who suffered a torn triceps against Montreal and is out for the season.