Saskatchewan Roughriders brave the cold for Sundays Grey Cup

c/p from the sports network by the a/p
EDMONTON -- The Saskatchewan Roughriders braved the cold Wednesday, while the Montreal Alouettes headed indoors for their first practices of Grey Cup week.

In a sport where toughness is prized, the Roughriders could feel smug for training in minus-25 temperatures at Commonwealth Stadium, where workers feverishly shovelled snow from the stands all day. The Als opted to work out inside the University of Alberta Pavilion.

"You can sit here and talk about the weather, but until you're out there in it, until you practise in it and play in it, it's going to be an obstacle to overcome," Saskatchewan quarterback Darian Durant warned.

When told the Als opted to train inside, he said: "That's good for us."

The temperature is mercifully predicted to rise for Sunday's Grey Cup game to a high of minus-six. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:32 local time, so it will still feel chilly by the end of the game.

But that would feel relatively warm to Saskatchewan, who have practised in frigid temperatures since the middle of last week and won the West final Sunday in Calgary in blowing snow and temperature of minus-20.

"Anything warmer than what we've been through is great for us," Durant said.

The Alouettes haven't experienced the same level of cold in Montreal and won the East final over Toronto indoors at Olympic Stadium on Sunday.

Quarterback Anthony Calvillo says his team will start practising at Commonwealth on Thursday when the forecast is for a high of zero.

"It shouldn't affect preparation pretty much at all," Calvillo said of the weather. "Once you get on the football field, it's all about letting your adrenalin take over and just playing football."

Slotback Ben Cahoon said any indoor-outdoor controversy would be much ado about nothing.

"I'd rather be warm," said Cahoon. "I don't see a reason to practise outdoors. We didn't even practise Wednesday last year (at the Grey Cup). And we're just having a walkthrough anyways.

"Practise outdoors and the only thing that can happen is you can get sick, you can get cold and injured."

Roughriders managed the cold by huddling beside two large heaters on the sidelines when they weren't involved in action on the field. Defensive end Brent Hawkins and defensive lineman Ryan Lucas had fun with it, clutching their legs and dropping to the frozen turf as though they were suffering leg cramps as soon as they stepped on the field.

"It's a different animal when you get out there," Durant said. "For us to practise in it for basically two weeks and to play a game in it was big for us. The weather is not an issue anymore."