Courtesy Regina Leader Post:

So what happens when fans from two Prairie-based CFL teams descend upon Toronto for the Grey Cup?

“Trouble,” Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Kerry Joseph said, jokingly, after his CFL team arrived at Pearson International Airport on Tuesday afternoon.

“Nahhh. There’s going to be a lot of passion and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

The Roughriders are to resume practising this afternoon in preparation for Sunday’s Grey Cup against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The kickoff is scheduled for 5:02 p.m., at the Rogers Centre — the same building in which Saskatchewan won its previous Grey Cup title in 1989.

In that final of 18 years ago, Kent Austin was the victorious quarterback in a 43-40 conquest of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Austin — who is completing his first year as the Roughriders’ head coach — was named the most valuable player of that ‘89 classic after passing for 474 yards and three touchdowns.

“That was a long time ago,” Austin said when asked about the significance of returning to the site of the 1989 victory. “It’s a different time. It’s a different set of circumstances. I’m a coach now, not a player. Certainly, I still have very awesome memories of that time.”

Jim Hopson is hoping this year’s game will produce better recollections.

His last CFL game as a Roughriders offensive lineman was played at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium on Nov. 28, 1976, when Tony Gabriel’s 24-yard touchdown catch with 20 seconds remaining gave the Ottawa Rough Riders a 23-20 victory over Saskatchewan.

“I thought I had gotten over 1976 — I really did,” said Hopson, who is now the Roughriders’ president and CEO. “I thought it was done and it never happened. But now that I’m back here and in Toronto, this is a chance to complete the circle. I’m pretty happy to be back here.”

Austin is at a Grey Cup for the fourth time. He played in Grey Cups with the 1989 Roughriders and 1994 B.C. Lions, and was also the Toronto Argonauts’ offensive co-ordinator in the 2004 final. So, obviously, Austin knows the routine.

“It hits you when you finally get to the city of the Grey Cup,” said Austin, who has a 3-0 record in Grey Cups. “The guys get hit with the media as they leave (the airport) and then when they get over to the hotel.

“As the week builds, the excitement level raises and the players can’t help but notice that, but we’ll keep them grounded and keep them focused.”

Many members of the Roughriders won’t be grounded for long. Hopson estimated that representatives of the organization will number approximately 200 by the weekend.

The green army will include spouses, family members, board members, volunteers, members of the cheer team, and people who will be selling team merchandise at the Riderville festival venue.

“One neat thing is that all of our guys are here,” Hopson said in reference to the players. “For some of our guys, this is the first time they’ve been on the road with the team since the exhibition season. There are the practice-roster guys and the guys who are injured.

“This is pretty nice to have everybody on the flight and coming out together.”

There is also the matter of finding tickets for friends, loved ones, and the like. “I know some of the guys picked up 20 Grey Cup tickets so there’s a lot of family coming in or in the area,” Hopson said. “Some of the guys said, ‘I only need my one or two tickets,’ but we were able to buy some at the last minute and help out. It kind of evened out.

“There were the Andy Fantuzes and Luca Congis of the world, but most of the guys only needed the two that they were getting, or in some cases one or two. Some of them were spending their playoff money.”