By Jan Carinci
Published in the Times-Transcript on Thursday March 18, 2010
Appeared on Page B1

Have any friends living in southern Ontario interested in coming to Moncton to participate in the festivities that will be Touchdown Atlantic?

Well if you do, tell them to check out the Toronto Argonauts website and click on The Ultimate Moncton Fan Trip.

The Argos have partnered with Red Tag Vacations for those coming to our fair city that includes a round-trip flight from Toronto to Moncton, two nights' accommodation at the Residence Inn by Marriott Moncton Hotel (double occupancy), complimentary hot buffet breakfast, one ticket to see the Argonauts battle the Edmonton Eskimos at the new Stade Moncton 2010 Stadium, ground transportation, Argos stuff and access to an exclusive Argos fan-only party with the team, coaches and cheerleaders.

All this for only $949, taxes in!

Now, given that any fan east of here who wants to come to Moncton for the Sept. 26 game can travel through Toronto to do so, why not invite all CFL fans to take advantage of this Toronto-Moncton package?

It's a quick drive up the QEW for Hamilton Tiger Cats fans to make the trip east. Now wouldn't that make for an interesting plane ride from the Big Smoke -- chants of "Oski Wee Wee, Oskie Wah Wah, Tiger Cats, eat 'em raw" followed by the haunting melody of 'Arrrgooos!'

Saskatchewan fans could be on the flight complete with their watermelon helmets.

What could possibly possess a normally sane human being to carve out a watermelon in the shape of a football helmet and place it on his, or her (yes, her) head for three hours on a hot summer afternoon?

And what about Stampeders fans joining in the fun?

Do you know they once rode horses through the lobby of Toronto's posh Royal York Hotel during Grey Cup week in 1948?

When I played for B.C., we flew to Ottawa from Vancouver via Calgary to play in the 1988 Grey Cup game.

In Calgary, roughly 100 people boarded the plane clad in Stampeders paraphernalia, cowboy boots and Stetsons, carrying briefcases proclaiming to anyone who would listen that they were on a "business trip."

Once the plane reached cruising altitude, the briefcases were opened, revealing form-fitted padding protecting bottles of their favourite libation and two glasses -- they were there to make friends, after all.

By the end of the four-hour flight, the majority of them were certain the Stampeders were playing in the Grey Cup when in fact Calgary didn't even make the playoffs that year.

One group of fans you definitely don't want on your bud's flight are those who cheer for the aforementioned Lions -- too loud!

B.C. Place Stadium became Canada's first domed stadium in 1983. Domed stadiums are noisy places.

It was there that the aptly named Krazy George first beat his drum encouraging fans to make as much noise as possible while rising from their seats, creating what was soon to be known as The Wave.

Then-B.C. head coach Don Matthews loved the noise factor when he was the home team. Yet when Don returned to the dome as head coach of the Baltimore Stallions in the 1994 Grey Cup, he tried to have Krazy George banned from the game.

He failed and the Lions won the Grey Cup on a last-play field goal by Lui Passaglia.

Edmonton and Saskatchewan have the most sickening fight songs in the league, so pray they're not on your friends' flight.

Bombers fans will only be allowed inside Toronto's airport if they are in disguise and if that's the case, those new security scanners will thankfully ensure none of them are on the plane.

And finally, fans of the defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes, who proved in the mid-1980s they would not support their CFL franchise if it played in a 66,000-seat dome but would support it if it played in a 20,000-seat, open-air stadium, will likely drive to the game, so get ready for more strangers trying to figure out the Hall's Creek traffic circle.

All this to say get ready for some 'fun folks' arriving in Moncton for Touchdown Atlantic.

And to the management at the Marriott, better erect a few hitching posts outside the main entrance, just in case.

* Jan Carinci played 10 seasons in the CFL and was on the 1983 Grey Cup Champion Toronto Argonauts. Jan and his family have called Moncton home since 2001.