TORONTO — Rivalries are built on memory.
Memories of previous battles that come down to the wire, of glories and disappointments, of two sides wanting to get the best of each other.
The Ottawa REDBLACKS and Montreal Alouettes face off on Monday to cap off WestJet Thanksgiving Weekend looking to add to those memories.
Receiver Tyson Philpot has been a part of those before, knowing that a game against his closest rivals, geographically speaking, will always be a tough one.
“First off all, it’s always a great matchup, playing Ottawa,” said Philpot in a conversation with CFL.ca. “No better place to play them than on Thanksgiving. fans always show out for that game. We’re super excited for that one. It’s gonna be an exciting matchup.”
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Thanksgiving and football is a perfect combination and it’s made even better when you put together two rivals that have threads connecting them back-and-forth.
One of those threads is receiver Eugene Lewis, who started his career with the Alouettes, where he amassed 4,347 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns.
“They have the addition of Geno Lewis now, which is definitely someone we’re gonna have the game plan for,” added Philpot. “He was in Montreal for years tearing up the league.”
Lewis has yet to beat the Alouettes after leaving town, including a Week 2 matchup in which Montreal took down Ottawa 39-18. The veteran receiver is hoping that come Thanksgiving, he’ll be thankful for finally scoring a victory against his former teammates and colleagues.
“I’m excited, I love playing Montreal,” said Lewis. “That’s the first city that embraced me when I got to Canada. I’m always appreciative of them. I’ve always loved those people, love that fan base, but I have to get my first win against Montreal. That’s one thing I haven’t done yet, since I’ve been playing them. I can’t wait to go back.”
The REDBLACKS have been eliminated from playoff contention, but could still play a big role in the East Division race for first place with back-to-back games against Montreal. The Als meanwhile want to keep track with the Tiger-Cats, who lost their matchup against the Stampeders on Saturday and opened the door for Montreal to finish ahead.
With the Als finishing first or second in the division over the last three seasons (while also winning the last two Thanksgiving battles against Ottawa), the East has been on alert to knock them down, says Philpot, who’s determined to show Ottawa why his team has had so much success recently.
“They’re trying to match the Alouettes so it’s time to show them what we’re about.”
All that is left is the matter of naming this rivalry.
“Battle of the canal or something like that?” said Philpot.
While the name is a work in progress, the rivalry gets renewed when the REDBLACKS and Alouettes face off on Thanksgiving Monday to prove – albeit temporarily – who rules the day between the two easternmost teams in the CFL.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET. Catch the action on TSN or RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the U.S. or CFL+ internationally.