RIDERS MOVE INTO THE STAMPS LOCKER ROOM

By Rob Vanstone, Leader-PostNovember 24, 2009
CALGARY — The Saskatchewan Roughriders are applying their own Stamp to their temporary confines.

The Roughriders are to occupy the McMahon Stadium locker room of the arch-rival Calgary Stampeders during Grey Cup week. In advance of the players moving in today, equipment manager Gord Gilroy and his assistant, Bob Thomas, have been making some temporary alterations.

"I hope you have an opportunity to visit our locker room, because I think you're going to be surprised,'' Roughriders head coach Ken Miller said Tuesday at Calgary International Airport. "I think it's going to look a lot like our locker room at home.''

When last seen on their home field, the Roughriders were in the process of defeating Calgary 27-17 in Sunday's West Division final. In the process, the Roughriders deprived the Stampeders of an opportunity to be the home team in the Grey Cup.

"With the trash talk that those guys gave us and how they said that they would be playing Montreal this week, it feels good,'' said Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant, whose team is preparing to oppose the East Division-champion Montreal Alouettes for CFL supremacy.

Durant is hoping to occupy the locker-room stall of Stampeders quarterback Henry Burris, whom the Roughriders quarterback considers to be a friend and mentor. Burris piloted Calgary to the 2008 Grey Cup title.

"He's the defending champ,'' Durant said, "so why wouldn't I want to take his seat?''
Defensive halfback Eddie Davis, meanwhile, plans to occupy his former seat. He played for Calgary from 1996 to 2000 before signing with Saskatchewan as a free agent.

"I've already told Gordie (Gilroy) to go get it,'' Davis said of his former stall. "I was in that back corner between Freddie Childress and Kelvin Anderson.''

Similarly, Roughriders linebacker Tad Kornegay has identified the stall he wishes to occupy — that of Stampeders slotback Nik Lewis.

"Me and Nik had a little Twitter war,'' Kornegay said, recalling the days leading up to the West final. "It was all fun. It was for the fans. It was exciting to have everybody involved in it and just enjoying the moment, but we won. That's a friend of mine, but I would like to have his locker because of the Twitter war.''

It was, Kornegay emphasized, a friendly war.

"He's a great player and I respect him to the utmost,'' Kornegay said. "He can play on any of my teams, anytime.''

That said, Kornegay is delighted that Lewis's team is not playing on Sunday, and that the outspoken slotback must temporarily surrender his space in the Stampeders' sanctuary.
"I requested it. I demanded it. I'll get it,'' Kornegay said with a chuckle.

rvanstone@leaderpost.canwest.com