WE DON'T FEEL LIKE UNDERDOGS

Riders’ Darian Durant is swarmed by media upon arrival at the Calgary International Airport on Tuesday.
Photograph by: Bryan Schlosser, Leader-Post

CALGARY — The Saskatchewan Roughriders find themselves in a familiar role after arriving in Calgary on Tuesday.

The Riders are the underdogs to the Montreal Alouettes in Sunday's Grey Cup game. It's not a label they are happy about but one they used to playing.

"Everyone looks at us as the underdogs but of course we don't feel that way,'' Riders quarterback Darian Durant said after touching down at the Calgary International Airport. "We feel like we deserve to be here. If they want to overlook us, that's fine. That's how it has been all year.''

The Alouettes are the favourites after posting a 15-3-0 regular-season record and pounding the B.C. Lions 56-18 in the East Division final. Saskatchewan was 10-7-1 and defeated the Calgary Stampeders 27-17 in Sunday's West Division final. Montreal swept the two-game regular series between the two teams and has been the CFL's dominant squad through the 2009 season.

"There's no doubt that they deserve to be the favourites,'' said Riders defensive back Lance Frazier. "It just happens that they have kicking butt all season long.''

The Alouettes have been established as nine-point favourites. Frazier doesn't have any problem with the early betting line.

"If I was a betting man, I would bet on Montreal too,'' Frazier said with a laugh.

The Riders are used to people betting against them, particularly this season. In some pre-season previews, the Riders were picked to finish fourth in the West Division.

Thern there were some experts who didn't expect the Riders to beat the Stampeders in the West Division final. The Riders proved them wrong by finishing first in the West Division for the first time in 33 years. Then they beat the Stampeders to reach Sunday's Grey Cup game for the second time in three years.
"In my mind, we were never the underdogs,'' said Riders middle linebacker Rey Williams, whose 10 defensive tackles and three sacks in the West Division final earned him the CFL's defensive player-of-the-week award. "I know that we were everyone else's. No one likes being the underdog because for some reason it means you're not as good as somebody else. That is not the case.''

Williams said the Riders took the pre-season rankings personally.

"It was a slap in the face,'' said Williams. "During the off-season I talked to Darian Durant and Lance Frazier and we felt with the talent that we had on this team that we should be here. We're always picked last for some reason. We have some great guys on this team and some great character guys. That's why we are here.''
Frazier felt there were good reasons for doubting the Riders. Defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall left during the off-season to become the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos. The Riders then lost all-star linebackers Maurice Lloyd and Anton McKenzie to free agency. Williams and Tad Kornegay have filled their voids but there were doubts before the season started.

"Every time there is a change with our ball club, they think it's the end of the world,'' said Frazier. "We lost some key guys and where do you start from there? We took it upon ourselves and we had a chip on a shoulder all year to prove people wrong.''

Regardless of the role, the West Division champions were welcomed to Calgary by a marching band and a small but vocal group of supporters at the airport. Durant, the Riders' first-year starting quarterback, enjoyed being in the spotlight.

"This is what playing in the Grey Cup is all about,'' said Durant. "We've earned it and we've worked very hard to get here.''

The Riders are scheduled to work out today at McMahon Stadium for the first time since Sunday's win at Mosaic Stadium.

mmccormick@leaderpost.canwest.com