In his 13th season of professional football and coming off shoulder surgery last winter, Rick Cunningham - at age 33 - doesn't recover between games as quickly as he once did.

"It takes me about six months - the whole off-season," the Alouettes' veteran offensive tackle admitted. "You never really recover.

"You live with the injuries and the pain, but you also thrive on the pressure and excitement."

Cunningham should experience both this week.

The Als meet the British Columbia Lions tonight, the first of two road games the CFL's only undefeated team will play this week.

The odyssey concludes Sunday, when Montreal takes on the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Regina. That will also end a stretch of three games in 10 days for the Als.

"I think it's a joke," slotback Ben Cahoon said.

But one that's a necessary evil in a nine-team league.

When the CFL granted Ottawa an expansion franchise this season, scheduling changes became necessary.

By playing an 18-game schedule over 19 weeks, every team except the Renegades and Roughriders - coincidentally the league's worst team last year, with a 6-12 record - is forced to play two games within five days.
This week, it's Montreal's turn.

The Lions, Toronto, Winnipeg and Hamilton have already gone through this charade and the results have hardly been flattering. Those teams combined for a 2-6 record. No team has won the second game on the road. The Blue Bombers, in fact, haven't won since ending their road trip with a loss to the Als at Molson Stadium on July 27, losing three straight.

"It's a tough deal, but every team goes through it," said outside-linebacker Stefen Reid, who said he played five games in 19 days as a rookie in 1996 with Ottawa - when they were the Rough Riders. "The timing is perfect, with us being on a roll, and it's not too early in the season, although it took its toll on some teams and put them in a funk.

"We're healthy enough to win them both. We're not going to just win one."

Scott Suter, the Als' head athletic therapist, said a body can withstand the rigours of playing so many games in an abbreviated time frame. He believes the team will fare well, since it's reasonably healthy at this time of year and, unlike previous seasons, made the cross-country flight one day earlier, arriving here Monday night.

"The players have to make sure they're hydrated and well-rested," Suter said. "Coming out here two days early was major. It's extremely important to get used to the time change, plus it gives you time to get rested. The second half of games out here in previous years, I noticed the guys were falling asleep.

"I think the adrenaline will carry us through the Saskatchewan game."

Defensive-tackle Ed Philion, another Montreal veteran at age 32, said this week becomes an exercise in mind over matter. He said he requires seven days to recover between games and will rely on plenty of anti-inflammatory drugs.
"More than the physical aspect, it will be the mental grind. We have to prepare ourselves quickly for the second game," Philion said. "But we've known about it and have a chance to prepare.

"In a way it's good that we're on the road. We'll get plenty of rest," he added. "There are no kids on the road and it will be a nice break. As long as you get plenty of rest, the physical part should be no problem."

Rest is the key, Cunningham added. The 6-foot-7, 315-pounder said he's actually looking forward to the competitive juices that will flow twice in a short time frame.
"The players should know how to rest, and I'll get as much rest as possible," he said. "When the game comes, you play as hard as you can. You just have to stay focused. When you get out there, don't think how tired you are or how physical it is.

"I'm going to be sore. I've been sore the last four or five years."

Of course, there are advantages. Trips like these provide a team with reduced costs for airfare, hotels and player per diems. Plus, with players getting paid following each game, they can look forward to receiving two cheques upon their return to Montreal. However, with the majority of franchises being gate-driven, providing players with two cheques proves to be a drain on teams' financial resources.

If they require any additional incentive, they need only contemplate this: they'll get six days off after this trip.

A summer vacation.