On the eve of the 2008 season that kicks off tomorrow night in Hamilton and Calgary, CFL.ca sat down with Chris Cuthbert, play-by-play announcer for TSN.

Between Canadian football and hockey, it’s a long season for you. How do you prepare for the CFL season after being away from it for six months?

Actually the two sports seasons mesh well. I have about six weeks between my last Stanley Cup playoff call and the opening CFL kickoff at McMahon. That's enough time to unwind and get reinvigorated for a CFL season with new players and storylines and a summer road trip across Canada.

What are you most excited about heading into this season?

Definitely knowing that our TSN team has already made the playoffs and is gearing up for our first Grey Cup telecast. We're like the players. We want to be involved in the big games; calling the Grey Cup, playoff games, the Labour Day Classics and football on Thanksgiving weekend makes this year the best one yet!

How long have you been calling CFL football?

I started as the sideline reporter for the Montreal Alouettes in 1981. It was the year that Vince Ferragamo came to the CFL. The following year I was the voice of the team, except, the franchise was renamed the Concordes. Wally Buono, Eric Tillman, George Cortez and Dave Ritchie were all on that coaching staff. A Hall of Fame group which generated two wins. Proof that you need good players more than good coaches to be successful.

You have had the privilege of calling Grey Cup’s in the past. How excited are you to have the Grey Cup on TSN, knowing that you will play a major role in broadcasting Canada’s largest sporting event?

It will be my tenth Grey Cup play by play call. Frankly, when I left CBC, I was certain I had called my last. It's the biggest game of the year and the highlight of my sports calendar. But more importantly it will be exciting to experience this Grey Cup with so many members of the crew who will be working on a Grey Cup for the first time. Glen Suitor, our panel and production crews have paid their dues for so many years. They deserve the chance to work on the Classic.

The theme for the 2008 CFL season is “This is Our League”. What does this league mean to you?

The CFL`s new campaign video went straight to the heart. For me the CFL is about being a proud Canadian. It’s the sensational view of the action and Montreal skyline from Percival Molson Stadium, the sounds of Toronto fans bellowing out ``Arrrrggoooss’ at Rogers Centre. It’s the dislike Ticat fans have for their big city rivals at Ivor Wynne, Milt Stegall outrunning defenders and Charles Roberts being the best little big man in football. It’s the love affair that Saskatchewan has with its team which spills over from Mosaic Stadium into every other football stadium in the country. It’s the natural grass of Commonwealth with names like Parker Moon and Kepley on the Wall of Honour. It’s Labour Day at McMahon with the Rockies as a backdrop and the breathtaking views I enjoy on each visit to Vancouver where Geroy Simon strikes his Superman pose. My CFL also includes a team returning to Ottawa and a tenth franchise in Halifax. That would truly make it Our League from coast to coast.

(The ‘This is Our League’ video will be aired for the first time on national TV during the season opener on TSN this Thursday.)

You have a great passion for the CFL. Where does that come from? Where did it all start?

I fell in love with the CFL watching Russ Jackson, Ronnie Stewart and Whit Tucker and the Ottawa Rough Riders in the `60s. l was an Ottawa fan because of the blackout which prevented me from watching the Argos and Ticats play at home. I`d watch the Riders, (often turning down the sound to try my own play by play) and then head out to the school yard to play two hand touch and emulate my heroes.

What are your favourite calls you made in 2007 from the broadcasters booth?

Any high scoring game that goes down to the last play is a favourite - but a couple plays stand out; Milt Stegall`s record breaking touchdown. Canad Inns Stadium was electric that night as Milt made a string of big plays to set up his historic touchdown. And Kerry Joseph`s quarterback draw in the final minute to win the Labour Day Classic in Regina which sent Roughrider fans into a fabulous frenzy.