Holding out hope for the Blue and Gold
Critics all wrong when calling Bombers worst
Dan Bockstael
For a team that most critics picked to finish last in the Canadian Football League (CFL), the boys in blue sure don’t look that bad. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers officially stand at 3-6 with their next contest coming against the 0-8 Hamilton Tiger-Cats. With two games coming up against Saskatchewan — who are possibly playing the worst football in the CFL right now — the Blue and Gold could potentially find themselves with an even record before the end of September, and a perfectly good chance at making the playoffs.
Even though the season is halfway through, I still can’t figure out the basis for anybody to pick the Bombers for last. That’s the CFL for you. Anything can happen, and nobody really cares enough to put serious thought into what they write about it. I won’t claim to be impartial or any different from the rest for that matter, but really, did they think Danny McManus suddenly grew 10 years younger? Even if he did, that would still make him 30, he’d still be past his prime, and Hamilton would still be terrible.
Hold on, maybe I’m wrong. Damon Allen really is 42 and still managed to tear apart the Blue Bomber defence. Personally, I didn’t care. There’s something about overachieving, over-the-hill, out-of-shape quarterbacks that gives the CFL its indescribable charm, allowing me to come to terms with defeat at the hands of Allen and the fact that McManus is still being paid to play football.
Does anybody remember the turmoil that was 2004 for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers? Even with the loss of semi-longtime coach Dave Ritchie and occasionally revered quarterback Khari Jones, along with a dismal defensive unit that enjoyed using wide receivers to plug its holes, we still managed seven wins — better than can be said for Calgary or Ottawa.
I may just be an optimist, but it seemed to me that last year’s late addition of Stampeder standouts Wes Lysack (a former Bison) and Joe Fleming, along with newcomers Willie Fells, Stanford Samuels and Omar Evans, combined with the merciful release of the touchdown-factory that was Ricky Bell, might have made us a little bit better. Somehow, that didn’t translate into the predictions.
If any of you have actually been out to see a game this season, chances are you saw some of the spark that has allowed for my high hopes. After a disappointing loss to Edmonton and a heartbreaker to Calgary that saw Kamau Peterson literally drop the ball on certain victory, quarterback Kevin Glenn returned from injury and the Bombers caught offensive fire on their home turf.
The Big Blue has averaged over 44 points a game in their last three at CanadInns Stadium. This can largely be attributed to the retooling of the offensive line (which has brought about the rejuvenation of Charles Roberts) and the dynamic receiving corps, which has finally stabilized and hit its stride under Glenn.
Congratulations should go to Brendan Taman for pulling the trigger on the worst trade in recent Hamilton Tiger-Cats history — acquiring wideout Chris Brazzell, who had two touchdowns and 135 yards in his second game as a Bomber, for the aforementioned butterfingered Peterson — possibly saving his job in the process.
While the near future looks bright for the Blue and the Gold, the true test will come in October as they face the impressive and thus-far undefeated B.C. Lions on two occasions, and the Argonauts once more before coming back to Winnipeg, where they will end the season against Calgary in a game that could very well decide the final Western Division playoff spot.
