Tag Archives: Canad Inns Stadium

No Fluke: CFL’s Two Best Teams Meet in the Grey Cup

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Scott Taylor| 1 Comment

At 3 p.m. on Monday afternoon, the B.C. Lions were installed as 7-point favorites. By 6 p.m., the Lions were favored by 7.5.

Travis Lulay1 300x226 No Fluke: CFL’s Two Best Teams Meet in the Grey Cup

Travis Lulay

The Canadian Football League must feel like it won a lottery this season. Not only will it have a hometown team in its 99th Grey Cup game but even the visitor is the right visitor.

It will be the Eastern Conference champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers against the Western Conference champion B.C. Lions in the 2011 Grey Cup game this coming Sunday night at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver.

This past Sunday, in front of 30,000 spectators at the final game ever played at Canad Inns Stadium, Bombers runningback Chris Garrett rushed for 190 yards and a touchdown while the Swaggerville defense shut down Kevin Glenn and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as the Bombers whipped the Ticats 19-3 in the Eastern final. Winnipeg will play in its third Grey Cup game since 2001.

Meanwhile, out on the West Coast Travis Lulay threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a 61-yard major as the B.C. Lions drilled the Edmonton Eskimos 40-23. Geroy Simon caught six passes for 106 yards and a touchdown as the Lions will get to play at home in next Sunday’s Grey Cup game. The big game goes at 5:30 CST live on TSN.

That’s the news. Here’s the story: The two best teams without argument will meet in the biggest game of the year. This will not be the 1981 Grey Cup when the 5-11 Ottawa Rough Riders won the East. This will not be the 1988 Grey Cup when the 9-9 Bombers beat the 10-8 Lions in a battle of third-place teams. This will not be the 2001 Grey Cup when an 8-10 Calgary Stampeders team beat the 14-4 Winnipeg Blue Bombers because Marcus Crandell suddenly figured out how to play football on the same day that Khari Jones forgot (Does anyone remember the Most Outstanding Canadian in the Cup that year? I don’t think Aldi Henry’s family remember either.)

This year the first place team in the East will meet the first-place team in the West in a battle that will absolutely determine the champion of the Canadian Football League.

There was no fluke on Sunday. The Bombers earned first place in the East by beating Montreal and Hamilton in the regular season and by fighting off injuries and a 3-7 slump down the stretch. They turned to the best defence in the CFL and got the job done in one of the most complete games the Bombers played all year against a quarterback who is, arguably, the most inconsistent starting QB in CFL history. Nobody has ever been more “.500” than Kevin Glenn. You can look it up. His epitaph will read: “9-9.”

Meanwhile, out west, the greatest coaching job in CFL history was rewarded when the Lions drilled the Edmonton Eskimos on Sunday. This was a team that started 0-5 and didn’t look like it could beat the Sisters of the Poor. Then, because of Wally Buono’s loyalty to Travis Lulay, got its act together and blew away all challengers, going 11-2 down the stretch: Twelve and two if you count Sunday’s thrashing of the overmatched Eskimos.

So now it’s Grey Cup Week and here’s a quick look at how these two “best teams,” stack up head-to-head.

The 2011 Record: If you’d put money down on the Lions and Bombers on a futures bet in Vegas back in the spring, you’d have been setting up a college trust fund for your kids. The Lions were +825 to win the Cup while the Bombers were +1700. The Bombers were +1200 to make the playoffs. While the odds for Sunday’s game have yet to be set, it’s likely B.C. will be a heavy favorite, even though Winnipeg won the season series. The Bombers beat the Lions 25-20 in Winnipeg on July 28 as Alex Brink came off the bench and led the Bombers to a late game-winning touchdown. Then, Winnipeg went into B.C. and beat the Lions 30-17 on Aug. 13. However, that changed the Lions completely. B.C. went on to rip off eight consecutive victories while, the Bombers seemingly fell apart after that game, going 3-7 down the stretch and finishing the year 3-5 against the West. 11-8 Winnipeg was 5-4 on the road while 12-7 B.C. was 7-3 at home (counting Sunday’s games). Oh, and here’s one thing to remember: It’s very difficult to beat an evenly matched opponent three times in one season.

Buck Pierce 2 200x300 No Fluke: CFL’s Two Best Teams Meet in the Grey Cup

Buck Pierce (Photo by Shawn Coates)

Offense: B.C. ‘s Travis Lulay was the No. 2 quarterback in the league with 4,815 passing yards. Geroy Simon was the No. 2 receiver with 1,350 yards. Buck Pierce, meanwhile, was seventh with 3,348 and Alex Brink was 11th with 1,023. Winnipeg’s leading receiver, Terrence Edwards was seventh with 1,124. B.C. won’t run the football much, but Winnipeg got a real boost from runningback Chris Garrett who carried for 190 yards against Hamilton on Sunday. He’ll be hard to stop. B.C. scored 551 points counting Sunday’s playoff game while Winnipeg scored 451 counting Sunday’s game – afull 100 points fewer. This Grey Cup game will be about Winnipeg’s defense and B.C.’s offense and you know what they say about defense and winning championships. Advantage: B.C.

Jovon Johnson 21 200x300 No Fluke: CFL’s Two Best Teams Meet in the Grey Cup

Jovon Johnson (Photo by Shawn Coates)

Defense: The Lions’ led the CFL by allowing the fewest points (21.4 per game), touchdowns (32) and touchdown passes (20). Meanwhile, they were second overall in sacks (54), in rushing yards allowed (95.9), in passing yards allowed (249.1) and in total yards allowed (318 per game). On Sunday, B.C. forced four turnovers (three interceptions and one fumble) and its offence converted that good fortune into 21 points. Solomon Elimimian was probably the best all-around defensive player in the CFL. However, in fairness, he Bombers were just as good this season. Winnipeg finished the regular season leading the CFL in fewest yards allowed (301.1 per game), most interceptions (25), fewest completions (320) and most sacks (55). Bombers corner Jovon Johnson, perhaps the best all-around football player in the Canadian game, is a finalist for the league’s top defensive player after recording  a CFL-leading eight interceptions, returning two for TDs. Defense should be a toss-up, but somehow, I’d rather have Swaggerville on my side than a Lions defense that gave up 23 points to the Eskimos on Sunday. Advantage: Winnipeg.

lions No Fluke: CFL’s Two Best Teams Meet in the Grey Cup

Solomon Elimimian

Special Teams: B.C.’s defensive star is Andrew Bighill, who was fourth in the CFL with 21 special teams tackles. Rookie Henoc Muamba is the man to watch for the Bombers. He had 15 tackles. B.C.’s Tim Brown had 1,569 return yards this year. Kicker Paul McCallum scored 203 kicking points and averaged 42.1 yards punting this season. For Winnipeg, Jovon Johnson had 795 return yards while punter Jamie Boreham averaged 40.7 yards per punt. Three Bonber kickers combined for 174 kicking points this season. Advantage: B.C.

Doug Brown 2 200x300 No Fluke: CFL’s Two Best Teams Meet in the Grey Cup

Doug Brown (Photo by Shawn Coates)

Intangibles: The last time these two teams met in the Grey Cup, in 1988, Winnipeg’s defense won the game almost singlehandedly, 22-21. Veteran defensive star Doug Brown will be playing his last game for the Bombers and that should be significant considering he’s never won a Grey Cup while Lions star Brent Johnson will also be playing his final game. The Lions will try to become the the first CFL team to win the Grey Cup in their own ballyard since they did it at B.C. Place in 1994, beating Baltimore 26-23 on Lui Passaglia’s last-second field goal. The Bombers haven’t won a Grey Cup in 21 years. B.C. tailback Andrew Harris is a Winnipegger. Buck Pierce returns to B.C. where he started his CFL career in 2005. However, the Lions are at home and that’s huge. I like the Lions intangibles better than the Bombers intangibles. Advantage: B.C.

Coaching: With the exception of Bombers defensive coordinator Tim Burke, I’d take the Lions staff over the Bombers staff any day. The Lions got better as the season went along while the Bombers got worse. And offensively, Paul LaPolice and Jamie Barresi aren’t even in the same league as Wally Buono and Jacques Chapdelaine. Advantage: B.C.

Outcome: The Lions win 28-23

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Jeffers-Harris Signs With Hamilton. Does It Matter?

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
Swarming D 200x300 Jeffers Harris Signs With Hamilton. Does It Matter?

The Swarming Bombers D is the Key to Victory (Photos by Shawn Coates)

On the eve of the final football game ever played at Canad Inns Stadium, I’ve received a number of emails, texts and Facebook messages concerning  the recent release of Blue Bombers wide receiver Terence Jeffers-Harris.

In a bit of a shocker this past week, the Bombers released the talented but disgruntled import wideout and then the Hamilton Tiger-Cats — the Bombers opponents in tomorrow’s Eastern final — signed him. For those who have been around the team recently, the release didn’t come as a shock, but the fact hamilton decided to sign the guy was kind of stunning.

According to Bombers general manager Joe Mack: “It became evident throughout the course of the season that T.J. was struggling with his position with the team. With our club preparing for this crucial game Sunday, it became clearer that he was having difficulty coming to terms with the challenges of limited playing time, therefore, this difficult decision was made today. Although regrettable, we feel that this was in the best interest of both the organization and T.J. Harris, and thank him for his efforts put forth throughout the past two seasons.” Through

Harris was solid but not outstanding during two seasons in Winnipeg. He had 77 receptions for 894 yards and six touchdowns, but in recent weeks had been relegated to the practice roster. His time in Winnipeg was coming to and end, but the timning of the release did take some people by surprise.

Me included. I thought for sure the Bombers would have waited until after the season (whether that “after” comes tomorrow or next week) to let Jeffers-Harris go. There was no need to allow him to give secrets to the enemy, even though it’s unlikely there are any secrets that the Tiger-Cats don;’t already know.

Jovon Johnson 4 200x300 Jeffers Harris Signs With Hamilton. Does It Matter?

Jovon Johnson Needs to Bring the Swagger

That’s the one thing about football.  Coaches spend so much time scouting and watching video that there is really nothing new under the sun. Everybody in the league knows everybody else’s tendencies and whether Jeffers-Harris can give the Tiger-Cats coaching staff any real insight remains to be seen.

Then, of course, even if he does give Marcel Bellefeuille and company some newfound knowledge, the Tiger-Cats still have to execute. As my Facebook friend, The House of Volda suggested: “Just because you know something’s coming doesn’t mean you can stop it. You still have to execute. But the Bomber offense has been so anemic this year, what’s to steal, anyway?” Well put. The Bombers have been void of consistent offence all season, but the defence is the best in the CFL and winning playoff football has always been about tough, hard-nosed, butt-kicking D.

The key to Sunday’s CFL Eastern Conference final is execution. The Bombers offence isn’t likely going to score more than 21-24 points anyway so the defence has to get its Swagger on and chase Kevin Glenn into the turf. If that happens, the Bombers will win. If it doesn’t, it might be close.

This is the Winnipeg defence’s game to lose. And no matter what Terence Jeffers-Harris tells anybody, if the Bombers defence shows up and kicks ass, all the extra knowledge in the world won’t make a lick of difference.

However, if the defence plays well enough to win — and well enough should be holding Hamilton to fewer than 20 points — but the Bombers offence can’t score 20, then perhaps it’s time to take a close look at head coach Paul LaPolice and offensive coordinator Jamie Barresi.

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Bombers Backed Into First? Well No, Not Really.

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
Jovon Johnson 2 200x300 Bombers Backed Into First? Well No, Not Really.

The Bombers Most Outstanding Player Jovon Johnson (Photos by Shawn Coates)

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers did everything humanly possible on Saturday afternoon to pull off, well, the impossible.

Trailing 24-0 to the Calgary Stampeders in Calgary, early in the second quarter, the Bombers battled all the way back before losing 30-24. However, they did have two opportunities in the final four minutes to do something with the football. In other words, they had a chance to win.

On Sunday morning, there were a handful of pundits across the country who wanted to suggest that the Bombers “backed into first place in the CFL’s Eastern Conference,” but nothing could be further from the truth. Finishing first isn’t making the playoffs. Finishing first is a combination of playing well enough all season long and then winning the right games. The Bombers did that.

Granted, the Bombers finished 10-8. Granted, they lost their final two games of the season. Granted, they won only three of their last 10 games. However, on Saturday, Oct. 22, the Bombers came back from a 25-10 deficit after three quarters and beat the Montreal Alouettes 26-25. That was the difference and that’s why nobody backed into anything.

Over the final two weeks, Montreal lost 32-27 at home to Calgary and 43-1 in B.C. That’s hardly catching the Bombers and allowing a slumping team to finish first. As bad as the Bombers might have been, the Alouettes lost their final THREE games, including the game against Winnipeg that ultimately determined the first-place finisher in the East.

Clint Kent 200x300 Bombers Backed Into First? Well No, Not Really.

Clint Kent and the great Bombers Defense.

It might have been an ugly way to finish the season for Winnipeg, but it was even uglier for Montreal. And just as we predicted all week on Streetz 104.7 in Winnipeg, “The Bombers would probably lose to Calgary, but Montreal will get pasted in B.C.” And that’s exactly what happened.

In the meantime, Bombers No. 2 quarterback Alex Brink got a lot more comfortable with the Canadian game on saturday and if he has to play against the winner of the Montreal-Hamilton game next week, he’ll be able to handle the situation without much difficulty.

Although quite frankly, the Bombers are going to play in the 2011 Grey Cup. Winnipeg’s defense is clearly the best in the East and because of it, the Bombers will whip either Montreal or Hamilton (Hamilton?) at Canad Inns Stadium on Nov. 20 and WILL be playing in Vancouver on Nov. 27.

Mark my words. The 99th Grey Cup game at B.C. Place Stadium will feature the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the B.C. Lions. And on Nov. 27, nobody will be even hinting that the Bombers “backed in” to first place.

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CFL Official Dismissed for Bad Call (See Below)

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

We learned earlier today — and TSN confirmed it tonight — that the Canadian Football League dismissed side judge Rick Berezowski on Monday.

Berezowski is the official who threw the flag on the phantom pass interference call against Montreal’s Greg Laybourn on the goal line late in the game on Friday night in Winnipeg – originally I thought it was Dave Foxcroft, but the league knows best.

Director of officiating Tom Higgins called the decision by Berezowski to throw the flag: “absolutely terrible.”

As you read on Saturday (see below), I thought it was the worst call in CFL history, but I quickly realized that that type of thinking was too hyperbolic even for me. Fact is, it was just another bad call by a group of officials who make bad calls on a regular basis.

There were, surprisingly, quite a large number of people who thought that Higgins and the league’s executives were  being far too hard on Berezowski (I sure feel bad for the guy), but in this case I agree with Higgins’ decision. It was an egregiously bad call at a horrible time and could have changed the outcome of the game. Fact is, the side judge didn’t see the play at all and threw the flag only when he saw the Bombers’ Greg Carr fall down (nice dive, by the way).

CFL Official Dismissed for Bad Call (See Below)

Greg Carr

This was a gutsy call by Higgins. It demonstrated that the CFL is going to hold its officials as accountable as the league’s coaches hold the players. And in the CFL, especially, we all know that if a player makes one small mistake, no problem, but if he makes a huge mistake that costs his team a football game, chances are good he’ll be handed an airline ticket the next day.

The call turned a great football game into a chaotic mess at the end. Upon further review the perpetrator was penalized.

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Chaos, Mayhem Best Describe Finish of Bombers-Als Fiasco

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Scott Taylor| 1 Comment

The Montreal Alouettes defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 32-26 at Canad Inns Stadium on Friday night. In the end, the officials had nothing to do with the final score.

*   *   *

alex brink1 212x300 Chaos, Mayhem Best Describe Finish of Bombers Als Fiasco

Alex Brink of the Bombers

Let me preface this by saying I have absolutely no use for Canadian Football League referee Al Bradbury’s crew. For full disclosure, this bunch has been the only crew I’ve rated a “Slug” in my weekly CFL Stars and Slugs column at www.fantrax.com.

These were the donkeys who let this year’s Winnipeg-Saskatchewan Labor Day Classic get out of hand at the end, resulting in penalties and disqualifications that simply made the CFL look foolish.

So imagine my thrill when they showed up in Winnipeg on Friday to call the Bombers-Als game. You knew it would get stupid and just as if a call had been made to the crew on the field (“Hey boys, it’s the Commish, time to screw it up, now.”), it did.

It all started with 14 seconds left on the clock when Bombers quarterback Alex Brink threw a desperation pass to no one in the end zone on third-and-10. That should have ended the game right there and while 30,000 Winnipeg fans would have gone home disappointed, the league would not have looked bush.

But it did. That’s because for some inexplicable reason a pass interference call was made against Montreal defensive back Greg Laybourn for getting karate chopped and held by Bombers receiver Greg Carr. If there was interference on the play — which every replay clearly showed there was not — it should have gone against Carr, but because Bradbury’s crew tends to become visually impaired near the end of the game, a flag was thrown and pass interference in the end zone was called against Laybourn.

Now remember, the ball was thrown 20 yards away from Carr. One might have come to the conclusion that he was the intended receiver, but the fact is, the ball was thrown away while Carr beat on Laybourn at the goal line. However, Carr, who would be a prize winner at the Academy of Broadcasting’s acting class, just fell down and out came the flag. At the time the flag was thrown I called it, “The worst call in CFL history,” but that’s probably overstating it. There have been so many bad calls in the CFL, that it was really just another night at the ballyard.

Meanwhile, back at the stadium, the Bombers now had first-and-goal from the one with eight seconds left. On the first play it appeared as if Brink had bulled his way over the goal line but no signal was given, the officials said “no touchdown” so when they checked replay there was no clear evidence to change the call. That left second and goal from the one with five seconds left. Now, remember, the first play took three seconds. The second play, a carbon copy of the first play apparently took five seconds.

Clearly, Brink didn’t get in on second down, but even on replay, when TSN gave us a whistle-to-whistle look, it took only four seconds to run the play. There should have been time for one more play from the one.

But no, Bradbury says “clock is correct,” Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice argues, nobody listens, game over.

Now, frankly, this game should never have reached the point of bush-league fiasco at the end. There was no interference on Laybourn. Period. But in an inadvertent effort to make the CFL look bad again, the Bradbury Crew found a way to screw things up. The only thing that didn’t make the league look completely stupid was the fact the phantom pass interference call didn’t change the outcome of the game.

You know, the football played in the CFL, even by backups (see: Winnipeg Blue Bombers), is pretty good. Too bad the league hasn’t been able to find officiating crews on a par with the players.

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Random Thoughts on Staggerville Sunday

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
Buck Pierce 4 200x300 Random Thoughts on Staggerville Sunday

Run Buck, Run! (Photo by Shawn Coates)

It used to be known as “Re-Match Weekend” around the CFL, but we here in Winnipeg now refer to it as “Banjo Bowl Weekend.” Then again, after Sunday’s debacle it might now be referred to as “Embarrassment Weekend.”

For the uninitiated, Banjo Bowl Weekend became a big deal eight years ago. It started after Bombers kicker Troy Westwood, a native of Saskatchewan, said, “The trouble with Roughriders fans is that they’re all banjo-picking inbreds.”

That, of course, led to an apoplectic fit from just about every person living in Saskatchewan, so Westwood was forced to apologize: “I’m sorry,” he said. “I was mistaken. Most Roughriders fans aren’t smart enough to play the banjo.” Ouch!

Ever since that day, the Sunday after Labor Day has become the cornerstone of Banjo Bowl Weekend and this past Sunday, the Bombers and their fans looked like the banjo pickers themselves. Getting drilled is one thing. Getting drilled 45-23 on your own field by a 2-7 team is quite another. Especially a 2-7 team you have decided you’re going to ridicule.

One thing about an 18-game schedule: There are no flukes. You are either good or you’re not and right now, B.C. (which has now allowed the fewest points in the CFL this season) and Saskatchewan  might be a lot better than we thought while Winnipeg and Edmonton might not be. Oh, and, by the way, Toronto is just one vile stinking dung pile of a football team.

Check out the Week 11 scores. We watched 2-7 Saskatchewan blast 7-2 Winnipeg, Montreal and Calgary got their revenge and this week, the Toronto media and head coach Jim Barker couldn’t blame Cleo Lemon. No matter how hard they might have tried. Here were the Banjo Bowl Weekend scores:

Calgary 30 at Edmonton 20

Toronto 6 at B.C. 28

Hamilton 13 at Montreal 43

Saskatchewan 45 at Winnipeg 23

The four games played this week proved four things: Toronto needs a coaching change if not a complete overhaul; Swaggerville has run its course and it’s time for Winnipeg to just play football; Hamilton has a solid, but inconsistent football team; and Edmonton proved that what happened last week (that 35-7 win in Calgary) was probably a fluke.

So, in honor of another entertaining Banjo Bowl Weekend in the CFL, here are a few random thoughts on the people, involved in the Bombers 45-23 loss to Saskatchewan.

On Craig Butler, S, Saskatchewan Roughriders: The Riders Canadian safety was sensational. In fact, here’s the player I think is your CFL defensive player of the week. Butler had a monster sack on Buck Pierce that was the turning point in the game. Pierce was never the same again. Then Butler picked off two passes and recovered a fumble. It was a game-changing defensive performance – and on the road, no less.

21 300x193 Random Thoughts on Staggerville Sunday

Darian Durant

On Darian Durant, QB, Saskatchewan Roughriders: The second straight outstanding performance by Durant, a guy I didn’t think had it in him. The Saskatchewan quarterback completed 14-of-27 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns. Granted, it didn’t hurt that the Bombers turned over the football six times, but Durant did exactly what was required to do in order to blow out the Bombers for the second straight week. In two games, back-to-back, against the vaunted Bomber secondary, Durant had seven TD passes.

On Paul LaPolice, Head Coach, Winnipeg Blue Bombers: Let’s just say that even at 7-3, he has some work to do. His team was not ready to play in front of a more-than-sold-out house against their arch-rivals. That’s on the head coach.

On Buck Pierce, QB, Winnipeg Blue Bombers: Sunday’s 45-23 loss to the Roughriders might have been the worst game Buck Pierce ever played. He threw five interceptions. Previously, his worst performance was three INTs. In the end, he completed 20-of-32 passes for 265 yards and no touchdowns. However, he started the game eight-for-eight and you know what they say, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” One wonders how Buck’s head is responding to treatment (if any) today.

On The Winnipeg Blue Bombers Offensive Line: These guys are going to get Buck Pierce killed. Pierce was sacked three times, but he was forced to take off and run three other times and that didn’t help His Royal Grogginess. Meanwhile, the line gave Fred Reid no opportunity to run the football and in the end he finished with nine carries for 40 yards. The Bombers have lost two straight to Saskatchewan and both times the Riders D-Line kicked the crapola out of the Bombers O-Line.

On Jamie Barresi, Offensive Coordinator, Winnipeg Blue Bombers: He has to find some offensive linemen who can block and he has to re-vamp an offence that hasn’t been very good all year. And he has to do it by this coming Sunday in order to compete with the second-place Alouettes, a team that whupped Hamilton 43-13 at Moslon Stadium this past week. Good luck with that.

For the Bombers, there is always next week. And at 7-3, they still have the best record in the CFL. But playing Montreal IN Montreal is a lot tougher than playing Saskatchewan at Canad Inns Stadium. The Bombers will have to fix that offence if they intend to go toe-to-toe with Anthony Calvillo and the Als this Sunday.

If they don’t, a 7-4 record and, suddenly, a tie for first in the East is what awaits them.

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A Remarkable Night in the ‘Peg

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

I won’t call Winnipeg “Swaggerville,” because that seems to be something owned by the members of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. And make no mistake, this little monologue is about Winnipeg, not just about one team.

On Friday night, we witnessed what was almost a perfect storm.

Buck Pierce 11 200x300 A Remarkable Night in the Peg

Buck Pierce in front of 30,033 fans (photo by Shawn Coates)

Over on Maroons Road, the Blue Bombers drew 30,033 spectators to watch the home football side beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 30-27 and improve to 7-1 on the season.

Meanwhile, down at the East End of Portage Ave., the Winnipeg Goldeyes drew 8,065 fans to Shaw Park to watch the Local 9 whip their arch-rivals, the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, 9-5, to wrap up the American Association’s North Division pennant.

However, while it was definitely an evening of celebration at both venues, it was also one of the most remarkable nights in Winnipeg sports history. On one night, there were 38,098 Winnipeg sports fans watching two professional teams at exactly the same time. And both games were also on TV.

Now that’s not the largest pair of crowds ever to watch two pro sports teams in Winnipeg on the same day. Back in the 1990s, the Bombers and Jets often combined to surpass the 40,000 mark on the same day. But this might have been the largest double crowd for two teams playing at exactly the same time and it was first time anyone could remember that two Winnipeg teams drew more fans than there were actual permanent seats available for them to sit in — at exactly the same time with both teams on TV.

The Bombers added 500 temporary seats — and sold them all  in a few hours — to get from 29,533 seats to 30,033. The Goldeyes, meanwhile, sold tickets on the grass berm and probably a few standing room spots to surpass the 7,481 permanent seats at their beautiful little downtown ball park.

Rick Forney 200x300 A Remarkable Night in the Peg

Goldeyes manager Rick Forney

There is nothing like a winner to grab peoples’ interest and when you have two winners, folks will obviously respond. With Friday night’s 9-5 win, the Goldeyes swept a four-game series from Fargo this week to improve to 58-38 — 20 games over .500 for the first time since 2003. It was also the first time the Fish had clinched a division title since 2003.

It was also a night to celebrate Rick Forney’s outstanding season as manager of the Goldeyes. In his sixth year as the Goldeyes’ skipper, he built a winner by bringing in (a) an commplished group of veteran leaders and (b) the four best rookies in the American Association and as a result, he won a championship and was named 2011 Manager of the Year.

As well, the Goldeyes reversed a trend this season. After dropping in attendance every year from 2004-2010, the Goldeyes turned things around. Last year, the team drew 271,399 fans and then missed the playoffs. This year, the Fish have drawn 286,885 spectators and the team has at least two playoff games remaining. Getting back to 300,000 is s possibility.

aceWalker 192x300 A Remarkable Night in the Peg

Ace Walker (Photo by Shawn Coates)

“It’s been awesome to be part of this,” said Ace Walker who joined Chris Salamida as the second Goldeyes pitcher to pick up his 10th win of the season this week. “Last year, at the end, was really an emotional time for me (he threw a one-hitter in the final game of the year and thought it would be his final game with the Goldeyes). I don’t think baseball will ever be out of my blood. I think I’ll always want to play. But last year, I thought maybe I was done. Then Rick (manager Forney) really impressed me with the people he was bringing in and when he asked me to play, I really wanted to be part of it. I’m glad I came back.”

Meanwhile, the 7-1 Bombers have four home games remaining and all 30,033 seats available for the Banjo Bowl on Sept. 11, have been sold. That means the Bombers are on pace to set a post-1999 franchise attendance record (1999 was when the available seating at Canad Inns Stadium was actually lowered for the Pan Am Games) in the final year of the Old Dump on Maroons. Next year, the Bombers will move into a brand new 33,000-seat stadium on the campus of the U of M and they’ll do it with a good team playing great football. In fact, after Montreal’s loss to Calgary on Sunday, the Bombers are now four points up on the Alouettes in the CFL East.

The D 200x300 A Remarkable Night in the Peg

The Awesome Bombers D (photo by Shawn Coates)

The Bombers are 7-1 now and with all things being fair and equal, they could very well finish somewhere between 13-5 and 16-2, depending on how well they play down the stretch. This is a team with a remarkable defence that actually got a little help from Buck Pierce and the offence on Friday night.

When the Winnipeg Jets play their home opener on Oct. 9, they could be following a pro baseball championship and a pro football team that is oh, say, 11-3 (as a conservative sports pundit, I still can’t call them winners against Montreal … yet). No wonder Winnipeggers are excited about sports these days.

In fact, any suggestion that there is not a Sports Renaissance in this city is coming from people who think the earth is flat.

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LaPolice Can Relax (A LIttle). Seems like Swaggerville Works

Posted on August 14, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

All of last week, Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice was a little worried about Swaggerville. There was just something about the karma.

It’s fine if fans want to start something like “Swaggerville.” That’s fun. But when it starts with the players — and it actually started back in 2009 — bad things can happen. LaPolice was worried that his hard-working, humble football team might start believing in their own headlines.

lions jpg 1302980cl 3 LaPolice Can Relax (A LIttle). Seems like Swaggerville Works

Another Frightened QB

Maybe these young, talented kids on defense saw themselves as unbeatable. He had no reason to worry about his offensive veterans, guys such as Buck Pierce, Terrence Edwards, Fred Reid or that steadily improving offensive line. These guys were old pros. But that hard-hitting, ball-hawking, fast, aggressive, young defense might wake up one morning thinking they were invincible. That’s about the time bad things happen.

So this week, LaPolice made sure his team got the message. Stay humble, work hard at practice and do not, under any circumstances, take the B.C. Lions lightly on Saturday night.

Turns out, he had nothing to worry about.

The Bombers proved how good they really were on Saturday. Playing without starting defensive tackles Doug Brown and Dorian Smith, the Bombers used Jason Vega, Don Oramasionwu, Bryant Turner and Deji Oduwole in those two spots up front and demolished the B.C. Lions offence en route to a 30-17 win at Empire Field.

With the victory the Bombers improved to 6-1, first in the East with the bye week coming this week. It’s the first time the Bombers have been 6-1 since 1984 and the first time they’ve been 3-0 on the road since 1982.

It was an impressive performance and once again, LaPolice’s defense drove the Bombers bandwagon. B.C. quarterback Travis Lulay had no time to throw and when he did release his passes, the Bombers defensive secondary shut down the receivers. Before the game ended, Lulay was replaced by Jarious Jackson who had even less success than the starter.

In the end, the Bombers ball-hawking defense forced one interception and four fumbles (special teams were sensational, too) and while the team’s offence wasn’t spectacular, it was good enough to ride the D’s coat-tails to its sixth win in seven games. That’s impressive.

This defense is amazing. In fact, the first seven games of the 2011 Bomber season have belonged, solely, to the defense. It leads the league in fewest points allowed (18.6 per game), fewest yards allowed (277.6 per game), most sacks (25), most interceptions (11) and most turnovers (26) created and it is primarily responsible for the team’s 6-1 record. There are those who would suggest a little “swagger” never hurt anybody.

As an old timer, I have to admit I have not seen a defense this good in Winnipeg since the days of Tyrone Jones, Rod Hill, James West. Paul Randolph, Michael Gray and Greg Battle. Jonathan Hefney, Jovon Johnson, Kenny Mainor, Joe Lobendahn, Marcellus Bowman, Clint Kent, Ian Logan, Alex Suber and Odell Willis are right up there with the Bombers greats.

At 6-1, they have every right to enjoy Swaggerville. At least ,until they have to prove they can demolish Henry Burris and Anthony Calvillo, like they’ve demolished Kevin Glenn, Cleo Lemon, Ricky Ray, Travis Lulay, Quinton Porter, Dalton Bell and Jarious Jackson.

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With Any Offense At All, Bombers are 3-0. As it is….

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

It was quite an interesting night at Canad Inns Stadium on Thursday night. Interesting in the same sense that a four-hour concert of Sub-Saharan African Music Traditions is interesting.

It was interesting, certainly, but just not particularly entertaining.

The Bombers were beaten 21-20 by the Calgary Stampeders on a sleepy night when the Bomber defense deserved a much better fate.

The Bombers held Smilin’ Hank Burris to just 183 yards passing (a pittance) and only 14 points, and yet the offense not only couldn’t score in a womens’ prison with a handful of pardons, it also gave up a pick six to Keon Raymond.

For the third straight week, the Bombers defense played as if it was the best unit in the CFL. And on Thursday night, they did it without rock-solid Alex Suber who was injured on the first play of the game.

The Bombers offense was downright dreadful on Thursday. This is a team that needs to head back to the drawing board. To make things worse, starting quarterback Buck Pierce was injured in the first half and while Joey Elliott played as well as anyone could ever have expected – coming off the bench against a very good Calgary defense – he was no match for a Stamps team that not only plays tough, it doesn’t give up very many yards.

In fairness to Elliott, he did give the Bombers a chance to win on the final series of downs, but Justin Palardy missed a tough 44-yard field goal against the wind and the Bombers were toast. A 21-20 loss is not a blowout and Winnipeg’s defense showed it could play with Smilin’ Hank and all of that Calgary speed, but Winnipeg’s Paul LaPolice-style offense is absolutely terrible. Dull, predictable – well, often not predictable because it does things on second down that no predictable coach would ever do (Why is it, when the Bombers have second and eight, they almost always throw a four-yard pass? Duh?) — the Bombers offense is weak, slow and stone-handed.

Right now, the Bombers are still in the midst of the easy part of their schedule. They go to 1-1 Toronto next Saturday afternoon, play 0-2 B.C. at home on Thursday the 28th, get Edmonton on Aug. 5 at home, then go to B.C. on the 13th and come back to face Hamilton on the 26th (after the bye week). They are definitely capable of winning all five of those games.

But unless the offense figures things out, they won’t have much left in the defensive tank once they have to go to Saskatchewan on Labour Day. You can’t win consistently  in professional football with only your defense and special teams playing up to snuff.

If this offense doesn’t play better soon, it could be a long season.

 

 

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Bombers Kids Look Good in Pre-Season Loss

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Sometimes the kids will surprise you.

Thursday night at rickety old Canad Inns Stadium, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers young players did a great job in the fourth quarter as the Bombers came back from a 23-9 deficit after three quarters and tied the only pre-season game in Winnipeg at 23-23, before losing 30-23 on a 73-yard touchdown run by Chad Kackert. The young Kackert had five carries for 107 yards to lead the Argos.

The highlight of the night, however, took place on TV. With mic’d up quarterbacks and coaches on TSN, it was a tremendously entertaining evening. All games should be presented that way.

As it is, the Bombers finished the pre-season 0-2, but remember, pre-season is just practice. The big news was that quarterback Buck Pierce started and looked pretty good over a quarter and a half. He didn’t get the ball into the end zone, but he put up some impressive numbers and if he stays healthy the Bombers will win more than four games this season.

NOTEBOOK: People close to the new NHL franchise in Winnipeg, say Manitoba Falcons, not Winnipeg Jets, appears to be the front-runner for the team’s name. We should learn the name before Friday night’s draft. At least one would hope. Otherwise, when a player is drafted it would be appropriate to hand the kid a white T-shirt with the words “Coming Soon” printed on it… Friday night Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will make his first selection in the 2011 NHL draft. He’ll pick seventh and will likely try to get a scorer. After all, the Atlanta Thrashers did not have a 30-goal scorer last season… Claude Noel is a great choice as the team’s first head coach. He did a nice job with an average Manitoba Moose club last year… My new book, “Quiet Hero: The Ken Ploen Story,” will be released this coming Wednesday, June 29. Thanks to Ken, Roy Rosmus and Landon McCormick for all their help… In the opening match of their four game series with Argentina, the National Women’s Volleyball Team won 3-0 in straight sets on Thursday night at the University of Manitoba’s Investors Group Athletic Centre. Too bad the city has virtually forgotten that our women’s national volleyball team still trains and plays here. We might be too big and too hockey-centric to play host to a national volleyball team anymore… The Winnipeg Goldeyes open a three-game series with the Lincoln SaltDogs at Shaw Park Friday Night. I’ll be live with Jamie Bettens on Shaw TV beginning at 7 p.m… The Manitoba Junior Hockey League released its 2011-12 schedule yesterday. The regular season will open on Friday night, September 16 with the Blues at Selkirk, Dauphin at Steinbach and Waywayseecappo at OCN. The final games will be played Sunday, Feb. 26 with Selkirk at Steinbach and Winkler at the Saints…

 

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