The Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ 2010 Canadian Football League campaign has begun. That means the Loonie Season has returned to Winnipeg.
You might have thought LeBron James’ uncomfortable and embarrassing news conference on ESPN (TSN or ESPN North in Canada) was crazy, but the way the two local newspapers in Winnipeg lead the cheers for the local football side — as long as the football side does what the newspapers want — is a non-stop source of comic relief.
On Sunday, the Winnipeg Sun told us (and this is the lead to the story) “The special teams saviour is on his way back to town.” Huh? Seems Derrick Doggett has returned to the Bombers after being released by the Pittsburgh Steelers and now, all is well. Derrick Doggett?
Yep, that’s it. One player will change the entire special teams performance of the Blue Bombers, a performance that has been pretty shaky so far this season.
So, hey, thank goodness Derrick Doggett is back. Obviously the Cup is on its way.
Yeah right, after two games in an 18-game season, let’s start telling people that the Bombers are another step closer to a Grey Cup championship because a special teams player has returned. That’s just stupid.
Wha…? Huh? It’s not? The big paper has been giving us that kind of stuff since February? The things you miss when you aren’t paying attention.
In fact, the folks at the Winnipeg Free Press were so certain that the Bombers were the best team in the league after they drilled 0-2 Hamilton 49-29 in the season opener, that they had to dial it back a bit on Saturday morning.
Honest to goodness, the Free Press wrote this headline after the Bombers lost on Friday: “Cup parade put on hold.” Cup parade? The only people in the city who had anointed the Bombers as potential Grey Cup champions were the sports writers at the Winnipeg Free Press (other writers at the Free Press will tell you that). Now they’re backing off?
The cheerleading over there is a joke. Not even head coach Paul LaPolice has suggested – not even a teeny, tiny bit – that the Bombers are contenders for anything. He’s been clear, “Let’s just see what happens and hopefully this team can compete.”
Cup parade? That’s almost the stupidest thing I’ve ever read in a newspaper. Even in a bad one.
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