By GARY POIGNANT -- Edmonton Sun

For this B.C. Lions fanatic, it was one classic Grey Cup moment after another.

The 88th edition of Canada's football championship this past Sunday in Calgary is certainly a personal all-time favourite - and not just because the B.C. Lions surprised the Als on the scoreboard.

No, what put this game on another level was the way the Lions players were willing to share their victory with their fans.

The first one to celebrate with this fan was none other than retiring kicking legend Lui Passaglia.

Yours truly approached him as he came in through the front door of a downtown Calgary hotel, asked him to pose for a photograph and to also sign my jersey.

Considering my appearance, I'm surprised Passaglia didn't call for hotel security and race for the elevator.

I was wearing an orange wig, had been '`partying'' since early afternoon and was sporting a bloodied gash on my nose from being nailed by a bathroom door hours earlier at McMahon Stadium.

Passaglia smiled, obliged and engaged in conversation for a minute or so as I mildly pleaded with him to reconsider retirement plans.

He thanked me for being a fan and said he was going to miss the game and - most importantly - being a Lion.

After 25 years with one team, that's not a surprise.

What was remarkable about that exchange is that no one - from hotel staff to Lions staff - tried to cut me off.

I was trying to imagine what would happen if I was trying to meet a star with the Stanley Cup or Super Bowl champions.

As Lui headed upstairs to a private room where most Lions were celebrating, I headed to the lobby bar where I assumed I would just hang out with about 100 other diehard Lions fans.

Surprise, surprise.

I met game MVP Robert Drummond trying to order a drink. I congratulated him on his tremendous performance and asked if he would be back next year.

He could've just given me the pat 'I don't know' response. But Drummond said he is in an option year and he really wanted to return to the Lions next year.

Slotback-turned-cornerback Chuck Levy was also there. I asked him if he had ever heard of Bill Munsey, the B.C. Lion who scored a touchdown on both offence and defence in the 1964 Grey Cup, a feat never matched.

I pointed out that, potentially, he is the only player on the Leos who could pull off such a feat these days. Levy, who had heard of Munsey's heroics, said he would be back next year to give it a shot.

Cornerback Eric Carter also wandered past, just as the noise level rose in the bar. The Grey Cup had been brought down from the private party.

Everyone in the jam-packed bar had a chance to hold the Cup as it was passed around. A few even managed a sip of beer from it.

Passaglia later returned with several other players and sipped cognac at a corner table. Fans took turns having photographs taken and autographs signed. Backs were slapped and hands shaken. There were smiles and cheers all round.

The Cup and a few of the players left early to go back upstairs to the private party, but most stayed in the bar with the fans until well after midnight.

It truly was a Grey Cup to remember.