Only the Argos can appreciate what it means to play on the road, their plight well documented, a homeless franchise that will finally have a place to call home next season.

Hamilton doesn’t exactly conjure warm feelings, but it’s an environment the Argos relish each time they visit the Hammer, occasionally leaving town with a win.

Monday night’s matchup is being viewed as a home game away from home given how the Argos have been forced to play their opening four games in western Canada, surprisingly emerging with a 3-1 record with Toronto cast as underdog in each kickoff.

And once again, the Argos will be the underdogs against the Ticats, a team that plays its home opener at Tim Hortons Field, where the locals are unbeaten, including a 13-12 defensive game on Labour Day last year when the Argos visited the new venue.

There’s no atmosphere quite like an Argos game in Hamilton, the fans engaged, vocal and willing to air their vitriol toward the hated Argos.

It’s an event, heightened this time around by the schedule that has seen the Argos and Ticats begin on the road.

It’ll be the first of two visits for the Argos, who return on Labour Day to begin a home-and-home stretch with the Ticats.

There’s no plane to catch, no hotel to check into, no need to worry about summoning the proper emotional level given the stage.

“It’s going to be a great atmosphere,’’ said slotback Chad Owens. “As a pro football player, any football player for that matter at any level, that’s all you can ask for, a great atmosphere. You want to have the energy the crowd provides and use it.

“All that aside, we’ve got to understand that they are a good football team and we need to bring our best in order to win this football game. We can’t afford to turn the ball over, we can’t have silly penalties and we’ve got to execute our game plan. We’ve got to play harder and longer.”

Owens was hurt last time the Argos visited Hamilton, an afternoon when Toronto’s offence struggled with so few healthy playmakers on the field.

The final Labour Day Classic to be played at Ivor Wynne Stadium featured Owens making a spectacular over-the-middle catch, one-handed no less, to preserve an Argos win.

Monday night’s marquee matchup has the makings of a classic, a potential must-see moment featuring two young and emerging quarterbacks in Zach Collaros and Trevor Harris.

The Ticats have the edge because they are at home and are getting healthier.

The Argos have shown resiliency, but aren’t likely to stage yet another comeback win if they happen to trail early and big.

Toronto is coming off a bye week and more importantly the team won’t have to fret about any flight delays or travel inconvenience.

“That’s always a plus,’’ said Owens. “We’ve had great energy this week. This team just loves playing football and you really get a sense of that. There really hasn’t been a down day yet since we started.

“Guys are excited and I think that just shows what kind of team we have.”

The Argos’ roster is dotted with first-year CFL players, but many have been exposed to the bright lights of the NFL.

Harris will start in only his fifth CFL game, but he’s been in the same Argos system for four years.

The underdog tag applies to the Argos, a label that has hovered Owens for virtually his entire life.

“I thrive in it,’’ he said. “It doesn’t bother me. I like being the underdog.

“We leave those picks to whomever is making those picks. I guess in pro sports you’ve got to have predictions, but I believe we’ve got a balanced league and it’s about who wants it more, who is willing to spend the extra time during the week preparing mentally, who is willing to stay in the game regardless of what’s happening.

“We were down 21-0 last game (in B.C.), but we chose to stay in it. We had that mentality to not put our head down, to keep fighting, scored one touchdown and we kept believing. That mind-set is what gets you the W sometimes when everything else isn’t really there. You got to dig deep and find that belief.

“You have that combination when you’re executing, playing smart and not turning the ball over and you have that belief, then you’ve got a really good chance of winning. And that applies to any team.”

There is a belief in Argoland and it’ll be put to the test Monday night.

Fans in this market have waited too long to watch a regular-season game in person, but their wait may be worth it if the Argos and Ticats put on a show.

C.O. READY TO GO AFTER APOLOGY

There’s no better teammate than Chad Owens, no better playmaker in the CFL than Owens and no one you’d rather get the ball to than Owens.

When the Argos last played, a comeback win in B.C. that featured the home side leading by 21 points, Owens was frustrated at the lack of touches.

His emotions got the better of him, capped by a sideline rant featuring Owens tossing a water bottle into the turf.

“I’ve got to be bigger than that, rise above that and understand, and I do understand, trust me, I’m all about the team, but I was like: “Damn it! I’m not getting the ball, I’m not helping the team.’”

When everything settled down, Owens apologized to his team.

He knows his voice carries weight inside the locker room, especially with so many newcomers on the Argos.

Owens knows better than to allow his emotions to take over.

“I allowed my competitiveness to get to me,’’ he added. “I lashed out and that can affect the team. I wanted to let the guys know that I apologized and appreciate them for having my back and not allowing it to affect them. Everyone pulled together and got the job done.”

Owens is a competitor — as fierce as they come — who grew from the experience.

“Everyone goes through things,’’ said Owens. “You either learn and grown from it or you don’t. That was just another one of those things where I can grow from and can learn from. I’ll be a better player, better father, better husband, a better brother out here.”

STALA STICKING IN STEELTOWN

Every day for the past few months, Dave Stala makes the drive from his home in Hamilton to the Toronto Argonauts’ practice facility at Downsview Park.

Touch wood, nothing out of the ordinary has played out, but the odometer keeps rising.

On Monday, he won’t have to travel that far as Stala suits up for the Double Blue in The Hammer.

The classy veteran played at Tim Hortons Field last season, losing both times as a member of the Montreal Alouettes, including the Als’ setback in the East final.

He’s never shown his face as an Argonaut in Hamilton, knowing full well what he’s facing as the Ticats kick off their home opener in front of a sold-out house.

“This, to me, is really a preview of the Labour Day Classic,’’ said Stala. “Both teams are fighting for first place, both teams having to play their games on the road (to start the 2015 season). We play each other three times this year and this is the first one.

“Everyone knows the significance of this game. It’s very meaningful to both teams because you never know of the tie-breaker.”

Stala knows about the atmosphere and storylines, but is hoping to pen something new.

“The great story would be if they (Ticats) got their first loss (at Tim Hortons Field) against the Argos. That’s the great story and it’s one we’re planning on doing,’’ he said.

Stala still keeps in touch with several members of the Ticats.

“You make friends throughout the league, but when you step out on the field, it’s a different rivalry,’’ said Stala. “That organization was great to me. (But) It’s about the game this week.”

Hometown player against his home team, Stala isn’t sure of the reception. “The biggest question is whether I’ll get booed or hear applause. I get another opportunity to play at Tim Hortons Field and I’m just happy to be with the Argos.”