The weather and how much history matters were the themes Saturday at McMahon Stadium as the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders prepared for the CFL's West semifinal.
The winner of today's game advances to the West final Nov. 18 against the B.C Lions in Vancouver. The losers pack up their lockers for the season.
The Stampeders are favoured with a 12-6 record, which was good enough for second in both the division and the league. They're winners of four straight, while the Roughriders have dropped four in a row. Saskatchewan finished third in the West at 8-10.
Calgary has lost four playoff games to Saskatchewan over the last six seasons. Their most recent post-season meeting in 2010 was a major upset by Saskatchewan.
The Stampeders boasted a league-best 13-5 record and had won four straight heading into the West final. The Roughriders, 10-8, lost four of five to conclude the regular season.
With snow falling and a windchill of -24 C at kickoff, the Roughriders beat Calgary 20-16 and advanced to the Grey Cup for the second straight year.
While their post-season record against the Roughriders is unflattering, the Stampeders downplayed the past.
"This team is completely different than any other team that has played the Roughriders in the last few years," said Stampeder running back Jon Cornish.
"It's really just an opportunity for us to really show everybody that the past has nothing to do with what this team is capable of."
Added Stampeder receiver Nik Lewis: "I think we're the better team and I think we should win the game. Call us what you want but after tomorrow night, you can call us winners."
The Roughriders weren't as quick to dismiss their playoff success against the Stampeders. Defensive end Brent Hawkins said the upset two years ago can be inspirational today.
"It's good to explain how that felt and what was actually going on that day for the guys who weren't here," Hawkins explained. "My roommate is Jay Alford and I said 'hey man, you don't understand what this is doing to be like. It's going to be cold, we're rivals.'
"I was telling him about how good it felt to beat Calgary here at their own place. They were heavily favoured. We definitely were the underdogs. It seems like it's kind of like that now, with this game."
The weather at McMahon won't be as challenging for players and spectators as it was in 2010.
The forecast for today's game is sunny, but chilly with temperatures dropping from a forecasted high of -5 at kickoff toward -10.
The snowfall covering Calgary ended Saturday morning with no more accumulation expected prior to the game. The wind that sometimes whips mercilessly north-south through the stadium is projected to be 10 kilometres per hour out of the southwest.
Ticket sales numbers weren't available, but a Stampeder spokesman said 30,000 are expected at the game.
With no indoor practice facility, the Stampeders have trained outside in the elements since Oct. 26 when they beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at home in a near-whiteout. Subsequent wins in Alberta over B.C. and Edmonton were also in wintry conditions.
The Roughriders are no strangers to frost, but Calgary is claiming superior toughness when it comes to weather.
"The fact we've played in this for the last three or four weeks, I think it plays in our favour," Calgary long-snapper Randy Chevrier said.
"We do have a slight advantage. I wouldn't say it's a game-changer but we know how to operate in these types of conditions."
