ALOUETTES CRYING FOUL

The new diggs of the Edmonton Eskimos dressing room at Commonwealth Stadium have been taken over by the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the 98th Grey Cup. Photo taken on November 26, 2010.
Photograph by: Don Healy, Leader-Post

EDMONTON — Some members of the Montreal Alouettes are green with envy when it comes to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Mathieu Proulx and Etienne Boulay told a Montreal radio station Thursday that the CFL was exhibiting favouritism towards the Roughriders, who are to play the Alouettes in Sunday's Grey Cup game (5:30 p.m., TSN, CKRM). The Canadian safeties said the league did that by putting the Riders in a superior hotel and allowing them to use the Edmonton Eskimos' luxurious locker room.

"I was asked a question on the facilities and the hotel and what we had to prepare with and I feel, at this stage of the season, when two teams show up for the Grey Cup, both teams should be put at the same level,'' said Proulx, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the East Division final and won't play Sunday. "The meeting rooms are inadequate, we don't have a pool, or any cold tubs, no training room and we're not allowed to use the weight room (at Commonwealth), as well. I didn't want to attack anyone on a personal level."

Proulx apologized Friday for telling the radio station that the CFL wanted the Riders to win the Grey Cup, adding those were his feelings and not those of the team. CFL commissioner Mark Cohon declined Friday to get into a verbal battle with the players over the

accommodations. Cohon did discuss the situation with Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman on Thursday. Cohon added that there isn't favouritism involved in any aspect of the Grey Cup.

"When we're in the west, the west is the home team and when we're in the east the east finalist is always the home team.'' Cohon said during his annual commissioner's address Friday. "So, we look for the best hotels. If the (Hamilton) Tiger-Cats were in, or if the (Toronto) Argos were in, that would have been the hotel that they were in.''

Riders head coach Ken Miller declined to get drawn into the controversy that threatened to overshadow the Grey Cup festivities.

"I have no idea about what they have or what they don't have,'' Miller said. "I just know that being in the Edmonton locker room, is it's pretty palatial in comparison to what we're used to. We would be happy in a broom closet so we kind of rattle around in that place.''

Cohon also found himself defending the Commissioner's Award, which he presented to all Riders fans during the CFL awards gala on Thursday. Cohon was questioned about singling out one group of fans over

supporters of another team.

"When you look at our fans, we have the greatest fans in this country,'' Cohon said. "The Rider Nation is celebrating 100 years of pride. But when you look at their fan base, almost 10 of those 18 games that were over a million viewers were games that the Roughriders were in. When you look at visiting teams that fill our stadiums, they fill our stadiums.

"They're about half of our licensing business. So they ooze pride, and that pride helps our other teams. In no way are we saying that they are better than our other fans ... It's recognizing fans who have had a profound impact on our game, and celebrating that.''

Lance Frazier, a veteran defensive halfback with the Riders, felt the award was well-deserved.

"There isn't any favouritism because we are the fan favourites,'' Frazier said. "They've earned that. Montreal has good fans as well and it's wonderful to play there but Rider fans go to the extremes. They are out there, half-naked and with watermelons on their heads. It's a beautiful thing and it gets us going.''

mmccormick@leaderpost.com
Leader-Post sportswriter Murray McCormick