Courtesy Calgary Herald:

Henry Burris is prepared for all of Saskatchewan to bring the house Sunday afternoon.

Not just Fred Perry, Scott Schultz and Eddie Davis.

No, there’s Lou and Edna, who’ve been motoring in for ‘Riders’ games from Craik since Jack Abendshan was booting field goals the old-fashioned way, straight on. Or the Barrow boys from Wascana Park, their faces painted a ghoulish, greenish hue and enough alcohol siphoned into the tank to lift a 747 off the runway.

They’re looking to lay some serious smack on him, too.

Them, and 28,000 more of Hank’s nearest and dearest.

“Can’t be any worse than the first time I went back there, in 2005,” Burris recalled Wednesday. “Could not be any worse. No way.

“The stakes are higher (Sunday), but they sure let me know how they felt that day.

“That was my dress rehearsal.”

Smilin’ Hank is by now familiar with the reception he’ll receive at Mosaic (It’ll Always Be Taylor Field) Stadium. Genghis Khan was more welcome in China. Rosie O’Donnell could expect a warmer greeting knocking on Donald Trump’s front door.

It’s not a state secret that the folks in Saskatchewan prefer a case of halitosis or gingivitis to a case of Henry.

“It’s going to be intense,” agreed Burris, smiling delightedly.

The Calgary Stampeders returned to McMahon Stadium after a two-day respite to begin preparations for Sunday’s West Division semifinal and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Much of the attention, naturally, was centred on ex-’Rider Burris, the Stamps’ key to sending all the sodbusters home scowling; to wrecking their 19-year home playoff-drought party.

Looking at the game dispassionately, Kent Austin’s ‘Riders have a lot of check marks on their side of the ledger. The league’s second-most potent offence. The intangibles of that 19-year home playoff wait. The most intimidating fans in the country. A Calgary team that enters this game losers of six of its past seven decisions.

The Stampeders can counter with the joker in what appears to be a stacked deck: Burris, the one man possessing the skill set to turn this game on its head, who threw for 4,279 yards and 34 touchdowns in less than a full’s season’s work.

A quarterback at the top of his form can offset a lot of deficiencies in a one-game showdown.

And don’t for an instance be conned into believing the rabid zealots and the ‘Riders themselves aren’t fully aware of the potential danger. They’ve seen firsthand what Good Henry is capable of.

“Congratulations to the Roughriders for the year they had,” Burris said. “I’ve still got a lot of friends on that team.

“Congratulations to their faithful here in Calgary and all across the province of Saskatchewan.

“For any team, regardless of whether it’s Calgary, Edmonton or B.C., they’re not going to receive a warm welcome.”

If anyone in the Stampeder family understands the unique bond between the populace of the province and their ‘Riders, it is, of course, Burris.

And most everyone in the locker-room is only too aware of the precarious weight that can come from hosting a playoff game — the semifinal folderoos of ‘05 and ‘06.

“The pressure’s on them,” maintained Burris.

“People are saying they’re just going to run over the Stampeders. This and that. People are already writing us off. Good. Playing at home isn’t easy

” If you lose, it’s tough to show your face around town, people always asking you, ‘What happened?’

“It’s a double-edged sword. If they start making plays, with that crowd behind them, they’re going to be difficult. You don’t want them building up momentum. It’s up to us to move the ball, move the chains, keep drives alive. Hopefully, we can keep (the crowd) as quiet as possible. It’s going to be tough.

“The first few minutes of both halves are going to be very important for us.”

The Stampeders carry their share of gremlins into Sunday as well. In this, Year 3 of the great reclamation project, there’s an inordinate amount of expectation to finally push past the semis and into the divisional final. Beating the ‘Riders is the only way to salvage a season gone wrong. Burris downplayed a report in Monday’s Herald that no matter the outcome Sunday, or perhaps beyond, coach Tom Higgins is set to be replaced next season by former Stamp quarterback/assistant coach John Hufnagel.

“It’s just more of people trying to put us down. Demean us. We can’t play. We can’t coach. I guess we can’t do anything well. People are writing us off. Writing our head man off. But people that are writing about us and saying things about us don’t put the pads on.

“We’re behind Tom. He’s behind us. When he took over three years ago, this wasn’t a playoff team.

“We might have been 7-10-1 this year, but we felt we did some good things.”

Considering the circumstances, and the environment sure to await them, good things won’t be enough on Sunday. It’s either great things, or slink home.

“This is the fun part of the year,” argued Burris.

“This is what you look forward to. They’re the favourites. As everyone keeps telling us.

“But come playoff time in the CFL, nothing’s for certain.”

Nothing except the all-out blitz he’ll face Sunday.

Luckily, it isn’t coming from the blind side.