Exiting the inner sanctum of the locker room and into the players’ lounge at McMahon Stadium, Josh Bell spied the awaiting media horde.

“Mr. DeMille,’’ he murmured softly, “I am ready for my close-up.”

Among athletes anywhere, maybe only the Calgary Stampeders’ chatty safety would be caught referencing the classic film noir Sunset Boulevard and its signature fadeout line delivered by out-of-date, out-of-touch former silent movie goddess Norma Desmond.

But he had a point.

Close-ups. Cameras. Attention. Bright lights. Distraction.

That’s Grey Cup week.

“I think it’s definitely more challenging,’’ acknowledged Stamps’ coach Dave Dickenson, no stranger – as player or coach – to the whirligig of the CFL’s showcase event. “First off, as a staff you used to get used to your own little office, your own schedules.

“The thing that’s crazy is how much the guys are asked media-wise to not only promote our team, but to promote the game.

“We will do that but the focus is about the game. Be yourselves, do your normal schedule but nothing about this game is normal.

“Be selfish at times, too, and turn down some requests because you’ve got to get yourself, get your body right.

“There’s a lot of nightlife out there and our guys are human but they’ve got to understand and make sure to focus in on what’s important.

“I’ve got lot of trust in our guys. They’re here for the right reasons so I’ve got a lot of trust they’ll do the right things.”

Photo by David Moll

The Stamps are just two years removed from hoisting the big silver chalice with the Prince Charles ears (20-16 over Hamilton at B.C. Place in Vancouver) and perhaps more importantly only four from the deflation of watching another team do it in their presence (the Argos, 35-22, at Toronto’s Rogers Centre).

“There’s a lot of things going on,’’ cautioned fullback Rob Cote. “Basically, to me, preparing as if it’s a regular week isn’t enough at a Grey Cup.

“Lots of times you get caught up. I think it happened to us in 2012. You don’t even get a chance to prepare quite like it is a regular week, never mind put in the extra work you need to win.

“In ’14, obviously we knew that. A lot of us had the pain of ’12 in our minds. We still have a good corps group from those two teams. We understand it takes extra work.

“It’s the same because we’re going to Toronto again. But hopefully everything else is different.”

All season, the businesslike demeanour of the Stampeders has been arguably their most impressive trait. They arrived at work every day with a job to do, quite like the mailman, set on delivering the mail.

In the wake of Sunday’s emphatic win against a respected opponent, the players did acquiesce somewhat to let their hair down, briefly, and share the moment with 32,000 of their nearest and dearest, hoisting the West Division Trophy.

“It was a funny feeling last night,’’ Cote admitted Monday. “I was having fun but I wasn’t as happy as I have been. It was like: ‘OK, yeah. I expected us to win. Now let’s go and do it.’

“I kinda want to see that in everybody else. And I have.

“We’ve got a really good team this year but I think we’re humble and focused. I like the feeling in our locker room now.

“I saw what Ottawa did, playing around, not wanting to touch the (East Division) trophy. That’s … good, if you want to do that. We won a trophy (Sunday) night and we wanted to enjoy that, knowing that’s not the ultimate prize.

“I think everybody understands that.”

Photo by Canadian Press/Larry MacDougal

There’s also, in the mind of many, a little matter of legacy. Victory on Sunday would propel these Stampeders to an astonishing 17-2-1 and put them in the after-dinner conversation about the best CFL teams ever.

“I think about being a championship team,’’ countered Cote. “I want to win championships. I’m only playing this game, still, for that reason.

“That’s the fun part. That’s what we get paid to do. So let’s go do it.”

As they fly to Hogtown on Tuesday to begin final preparations, so much outside of a football game awaits them. Festivities. Parties. Family. Friends.

The trick on Grey Cup week for any participating team is balancing the uniqueness of a moment that doesn’t come along often in any player’s a career with the actual task at hand.

“We have,’’ said Bell, “a good combination, almost like a mullet, I’d say: Business in the front and party in the back.

“A great combination of guys. That’s a part of our chemistry. We have fun. We laugh. We kid. We smile. Being too serious is not an option. If somebody’s being too serious, somebody get to tan ’em up, making ’em smile, clownin’ ’em up.

“That’s a hat’s off to our coaches, our organization. Attitude reflects leadership.

“The young guys, they’re happy about winning. ‘We won the game. Yeah!’ And the old guys are like ‘Naw. Need the hardware.’”

That’s only available come Sunday. In the interim, there are preparations to make and temptations to avoid.

All those snapshots, selfies, commitments.

And, yes, close-ups.

Not from Mr. Cecil B. DeMille, of course.

But Mr. TSN. Mr. Stamps TV. Mr. Sportsnet. And all the rest.

No worries, says Josh Bell. The eyes are fixed on the prize.

“Playing games like this,’’ he explained Monday, “kinda makes you a little crazy. Because you always want to play in a game like this. You always want to play in a championship game. You always want to win a championship game.

“Once you get that taste, you can’t go back. You don’t want anything else.

“That’s all you want.

“2014, I’ve still got pictures. And you want that same feeling you had.

“Playing games like this, it gives you that eternal drive.”