The Pony Express

With apologies to my good buddy Mukesh from Toronto - Holy Cow! Maybe I should go into sports gambling. While I can’t seem to make up much ground on Big Dave’s just-for-fun-pool I have nailed a prediction for two weeks in a row here.

September 12^th - Next up is a rejuvenated Bomber team.  The key matchup:  A sometime potent Calgary offense goes up against a sometime potent Winnipeg defense.  Who will prevail?  Whoever brings their ‘A’ game of course.

Maybe mark that ‘A’ game with a ‘+’ as well for the Stampeder offense last Friday night as the wicked north wind blew and the sleet came down in waves.  The cowboys seemed to be moving on all cylinders and steamrolled a Blue Bomber squad that remembered to bring their long underwear but left their hearts back home.

I was planning to get this article out of the way this weekend before tackling the many things around the homestead that need done before winter hits for good but my fingers didn’t thaw out until sometime Sunday.  That was the third home game this year that featured less than spectacular spectating conditions and it showed in the stands.  I don’t give a hoot about what the front office says, there was maybe 11,000 fans there.  But the fans that did show up were die-hards, the best kind!  As the little lady and I approached our seats I happened across a well bundled-up lad with rosy cheeks (artificially accelerated by a Molson product in each hand) but wearing sandals and socks on his shivering feet.  I stared in agastment (I know, Word is saying that’s not really a word, but its’ how I felt) and he loosened one index finger from the side of a can, pointed it at me and said “Shut up about the footwear mister, when I left Winnipeg this morning it was plus 24C!”.  We laughed and laughed.  The oddly clad Bomber fan was joined by two of his mates and they were able to at least enjoy the first quarter before they silently stood up and shuffled off to parts unknown seeing they were amongst a rowdy crowd of Stamps fans.  Thanks for coming out guys, better luck next time.

Which was pretty much what Mr. Higgins and company were saying to Mr. Berry and crew.  “Thanks for coming out guys, better luck next time”.  It was pretty much decided by halftime which coincidentally was the same time my little lady’s tolerance for cold weather ended.  We packed up our blanket headed for the truck somewhere out there in that storm.

It sounded for all intents and purposes like the second half went pretty much as per the first half script, with the exception of the lone bright spot for Winnipeg, that being Charles Roberts couple-o-yards dive for their only major of the game.  But it’s doubtful even this accomplishment made Roberts happy.  What was being billed as the Battle for the Belt (mostly by Roberts himself) leading into this game was a completely one-sided affair with Joffrey Reynolds racking up a total of 162 yards on the ground to Roberts 23.  Ouch.

Full marks to the defense for shutting down the dangerous Blink, as well as covering Milt Stegall better than the snow did.  #85 was denied a TD, let alone three, as his quest for all-time CFL TD scoring supremacy wound its way through Cowtown.  Milt will get it this year, hopefully in front of his Bomber faithful where it is well deserved.

The Stampeders played very well.  The attitude was there for a beating and the killer instinct that had not lately reared its ugly but necessary head returned.  We have a few tough games in store with the Boatmen and the Leos.  It will be interesting to see if that desire to win prevails against two teams seemingly more dangerous that the Bombers were this time round.