Hockey fans in this town will remember Thomson from his days as the coach of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Winnipeg South Blues. Worth noting: that Notre Dame lineup featured Rod Brind’Amour, Curtis Joseph, Scott Pellerin, Joby Messier, Jason Herter and Dwayne Norris – all of whom played in the NHL. It is considered by many as the greatest play in CFL history. Evans has never outright earned the No. It was clear in those days that the East was much more powerful, outscoring their opponents 236–29 in these games. O’Shea said he has spoken with Medlock, who has begun a career outside of football, but wasn’t providing a whole lot of details. Note: Under provisions of the CFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the CFL Player’s Association, North American players are now designated as Nationals (N) or Americans (A) while players from outside North America are designated as Globals (G). Robinson worked for companies such as Coca-Cola (Director of Regional Sales), AT&T, and Tim Hortons (Owner/Operator) and is currently owner of a Chicken Chef restaurant location in Winnipeg. The sergeant running it found out I was dating his sister in high school. Good to hear so much football talk on CJOB’s ‘Annual Winter Special’ this past week that featured the legendary Bob Irving conducting interviews with Bombers President and CEO Wade Miller, head coach Mike O’Shea, GM Kyle Walters, running back Andrew Harris, quarterback Zach Collaros, linebacker Adam Bighill and defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat. Terms Of Use Privacy Policy, Private Curb Side Concert with Drew Wolitarsky, Break the Silence on Violence Against Women, Presented by Pinnacle" href="https://www.bluebombersace.com">, Presented by IG Wealth Management" href="https://www.bluebombers.com/all-time-roster-presented-ig-wealth-management/">, Presented by Payworks" href="https://www.bluebombers.com/historical-trivia-presented-payworks/">, Presented by Jim Beam" href="https://www.bluebombers.com/private-curb-side-concert-drew-wolitarsky/">, Presented by Servco Canada" href="https://www.bluebombers.com/exclusive-content/#top10">, Raffle License | Winnipeg Football Club LGCA 1482-RF-35299. He played for Hamilton in 2016 and Winnipeg from 2017 to 2019, helping the Blue Bombers win the Grey Cup in the final year. [10] On February 18, 2009, Milt Stegall did retire from the CFL which formally ended the Milt Stegall era. Hometown player Harris became the first player ever to win the Grey Cup MVP and Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian.[17]. With Milt Stegall's early-season knee surgery and drop in production, it was once again speculated that Milt Stegall would retire. The return of Mike Kelly opened a new Cal Murphy era, and the board hoped to bring back Murphy's success. The new paradigm was tested in the 2010 season in which the team finished 4–14 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. ... who was Calgary’s quarterbacks coach from 2016-2019. This week’s good read comes courtesy Jim Morris of CFL.ca and focuses on Bombers defensive coordinator Richie Hall and is an excellent way to end Black History Month. [14] The shake up of the top brass in 2013 also led to Kyle Walters having to take over the acting GM duties, which were made officially his on November 26, 2013 when he was named the General Manager. This was the "Guaranteed Win day" that the club had been promoting all week, as well as the first win of the season, in week 11. During Grant's tenure as head coach, the Bombers welcomed the likes of Ken Ploen, Leo Lewis, Ernie Pitts, and Ed Kotowich to the team. In 1951, Jack Jacobs became the first professional football quarterback to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season with 3,248. The Blues lineup, meanwhile, featured 10 17-year-olds. Other returning players who were free agents going into the 2008 season, including star DE Tom Canada, OL's Dan Goodspeed, and Matt Sheridan, signed for less money from the Bombers than other teams were prepared to pay them, in hopes of a Grey Cup run in '08. I’m not satisfied with where I’m at. Winnipeg Stadium was built in the West End of the city near Polo Park, and the Blue Bombers began play there in 1953. It was announced on January 31, 2008, that Milt Stegall would return for one more year for the 2008 season. With the offensive core of Stegall and Roberts still intact, Glenn led the Bombers back to respectability in 2006. This arrangement also lasted only one season, as Winnipeg returned to the East again for the 1997 season after the Ottawa Rough Riders ceased operations. Robinson, meanwhile, was a star at Tarleton State and has been called a ‘freakish athlete’ – he played both corner and receiver in college – and parlayed that into interest from the NFL before signing with the Bombers. Now 95, Levy was sensational in telling stories during the call – all part of the CFL’s promotion of its’ new Grey Cup portal and the release of Grey Cup games from the 1970s now available. [8][9] In 1958, the Blue Bombers joined the newly-formed Canadian Football League and have competed there since. Winnipeg was up 5–0 before many fans had even reached their seats. After a four-year career as a receiver, then at the time called an offensive end, he accepted the position of head coach of the Bombers in 1957. And when he passed away suddenly in 2015 at the age of 52, it brought so many that had known him to tears. On July 20, 2006, trailing the Edmonton Eskimos on the road 22–19, and facing third and long on their own 10-yard line with 4 seconds left in the game, Milt Stegall caught a 100-yard TD pass from Kevin Glenn as time expired to win the game 25–22. [22], The Blue Bombers played their first home game at IG Field (then known as Investor's Group Field) on June 27, 2013, losing 38–33 to the Montreal Alouettes.[23]. To read the full story, click here. During the East division final win over the Toronto Argonauts, quarterback Kevin Glenn broke his arm and Winnipeg was left with an inexperienced rookie to take his place for the championship game. I got into the Army Air Corps but when I took the test to enlist, I couldn’t pass the eye test. “He always made you feel like you were the most important person in the world when you were with him and he was just so comfortable to talk to… you could talk to him about anything. Hockey fans in this town will remember Thomson from his days as the coach of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Winnipeg South Blues. Paul LaPolice was introduced as the 28th head coach in Blue Bombers history on February 5, 2010. 1 QB job in his pro career. 1. The two became close friends when Coates took a job as an information officer with the Winnipeg School Division #1. The team bounced back in the early 1970s with the likes of quarterback Don Jonas, running-back Mack Herron, wide receivers Jim Thorpe, and Bob LaRose. “Coatesy was one of those guys that when you met him, you connected with him right away. [21] In June 2012, it was announced that the stadium would not open until the 2013 season. He took a $50,000 pay cut, and started the season 159 yards away from breaking Allen Pitts' all-time receiving yards record. Milt Stegall joined the Bombers in 1995 after a three-year career returning kicks and seeing spot duty at receiver with the Cincinnati Bengals. That season, the Bombers became one of the first teams to have three receivers with at least 1,000 yards in a season: Goodlow with 1,494, Joe Poplawski with 1,271, and Rick House with 1,102. That’s what has always propelled me. In a dramatic win over the Roughriders at home in 1998, forgotten backup QB Troy Kopp led the second-half over-20-point comeback. The new stadium and facilities would have been completed for the 2012 CFL season, with the retail development finished in 2013. Of these appearances, Winnipeg won only twice, in 1939 over the Ottawa Rough Riders and again in their 1941 rematch. 2. “Each province will have to agree to the CFL plan and we’re working with the players right now to finalize that,” Miller said. “…There are a lot of moving parts to this, a lot of people putting in a lot of energy to make this happen and we’ll get it figured out.”. I definitely want to take it to a higher level and I train with that in mind and I put in the work to make sure I have a fantastic season ahead.”. Later, when he landed his gig with the Blue Bombers, Coates gave his own season tickets to Thomson so that he could enjoy the games with his wife Joan and four sons – Caelan, Riley and twins Quinn and Brody, both of whom have severe autism. In 1935, before an exhibition game against North Dakota State (NDSU), Winnipeg Tribune sports writer Vince Leah decided to borrow from Grantland Rice, who labelled Joe Louis as "The Brown Bomber". “We’ve got our schedule out and over the next few months we’ll be working with public health authorities across the country to get our players back on the field and get fans back in stadiums. Winnipeg Blue Bombers Quarterbacks Coach, Buck Pierce, during practice August 20, 2019. There’s been no definitive diagnosis on what caused Brody to collapse. The Bombers competed in six Grey Cup games during Grant's tenure, winning four (1958, 1959, 1961, and 1962). “He became like a brother to me,” said Thomson of Coates. The 2007 season was rumoured to be Stegall's last, as he was 37 years old and had been contemplating retirement for the previous two seasons. Love this quote from Adam Bighill when asked by Bob about what’s left for Adam Bighill after being named the league’s top defensive player twice, a CFL All-Star five times and a two-time Grey Cup champion: “It’s all about continuing to write your legacy,” said Bighill. I just wanted something of remembrance, whether it was a scholarship or something on the wall… something with his name attached to it and I’m so glad we were able to come up with this as a tribute to him.”, More notes and quotes in our weekly collection we call ‘1st & 10’…. The team was a powerhouse during this period, being one of the best teams in the league from 2001 until 2003. “When he died it was unbelievable. The 2007 Grey Cup game was played between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the first time the two teams met for the championship. Despite his rookie mistakes, Dinwiddie showed promise going into the 2008 season. The deal included refurbishing the existing Bison Stadium for practice and training, as well as upgrading, expanding, and building new sports and fitness facilities. Casher originally landed on Calgary’s practice squad in September 2018 after attending training camp with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers earlier that year. Scouting –, Assistant General Manager / Director of Player Personnel –, Director of Football Operations – Matt Gulakow, Assistant Equipment Manager – Jared Cronk, Official statistics of the WIFU, CFC and CFL, 1950 to 2007, Winnipeg Blue Bomber Media Guides 2006 and 2007, This page was last edited on 21 February 2021, at 19:06. Robinson holds a Bachelor of Art in Economics from Tulane University, and after finishing his professional football career, he has remained an avid Blue Bombers supporter and an active member in the Winnipeg community. Here’s what Bombers Assistant GM Danny McManus said of him at the time: “He was a quarterback in school. Back-up quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie — in his first CFL start — did not fare well and threw one touchdown pass, fumbled once and threw three interceptions to Saskatchewan cornerback James Johnson. “Me, being a black man going out there and competing in the world, I have to do something special that separates myself from my competitor. He played in the Bombers' final six games of the 1995 season, racking up 469 receiving yards. The game resumed the next morning with the Bombers winning 28–27. Although, Evans went 10-2 as a starter in relief of an injured Masoli as part of the most dominant regular season in franchise history with the Ticats producing a 15-3 record the last time football was played north of the border. The 2011 season featured an almost completely unchanged team (save for a few losses to the NFL and a few gains from the draft). Then, just prior to the start of the 1987 season, the Montreal Alouettes folded. In 1983, Cal Murphy was hired to be the new head coach of the Blue Bombers. The departure of Brendan Taman on January 13, 2009, was another sign that this era was coming to an end and a new one was beginning. for Joe Smith on September 2, 2008. This would serve as the home for the Blue Bombers, as well as the U of M Bisons. Share . It was crushing. “But we need to be patient and it’s a little bit of a waiting game right now. The revenue the Bombers were getting from their newfound popularity was enough to convince them to move from the small, outdated Osborne Stadium to the new Winnipeg Stadium (later known as Canad Inns Stadium). However, they lost to the favoured BC Lions by a score of 34–23. In 1956, Blue Bombers fans named Labatt's Pilsener Lager, which had a blue label, Labatt Blue, in honour of their team. Thomson is a huge fan of Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea and marvelled at how he ran a practice and the buy-in he’s had from his players over the years. During the 2019 season, an injury to Matt Nichols and a suspension to Andrew Harris seemed to end their season. 4. So, since they could not trade Canada, they sent over Corey Mace and a first-round pick for Moreno. “Then we’ll go to the different public health authorities to review return to play and be able to come to training camp. Mike Kelly was chosen to replace him. Wide receivers coach Tee Martin and inside linebackers coach Brian Niedermeyer have expiring contracts on Jan. 31. However, the Bombers came up short in the Western Final against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Blue Bombers finished last place in their first season back in the West, with a 7–11 record. “The same holds true when players are in the position where they may have to make a decision, why not afford them as much time as possible.”. They wouldn’t let me do it for a couple of months, so I didn’t go in until December of 1943. After scoring another touchdown on a Greg Kabat catch in the endzone, Winnipeg went into halftime up 12–4. He replaced Doug Stokes behind the bench in 1987-88 – Stokes had left to become head coach of the Dauphin Kings – and guided the Blues to a 32-16 record before capturing the Turnbull Cup with a 12-2 run in the playoffs. [20], On May 2, 2012, the Blue Bombers announced that because of constructions delays, the stadium would not be ready until September, thus forcing the team to play four or five home games at Canad Inns Stadium to start the season. 3. As a country and we’ve seen in Manitoba we’ve stomped out this second wave. In the game, the Bombers squandered a 13-point, third quarter lead en route to a heartbreaking 27–24 loss, with Saskatchewan kicker Jack Abendschan converting a short field goal attempt on the last play of the game to send the 'Riders to the 1972 Grey Cup against Hamilton. This project, once completed, would be the premiere sports training facility in Canada. Milt Stegall became an all-star in 1997, his first full year with the team, and scored what seemed like at least one long touchdown in every game. However, Kelly was fired by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Board of Directors on December 17, 2009, after one year of employment. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division.They play their home games at IG Field after many years of playing at the since demolished Canad Inns Stadium.. The other new board member is Garth Waddell, the Vice President of Exchange Income Corporation. This was Winnipeg's first Grey Cup in 22 years, and also their last win and appearance in the championship game as the Western representative until the 107th Grey Cup victory. “He’s started a job and right now he’s pretty happy with it,” said O’Shea. It was a rainy day at Hamilton Amateur Athletic Association Grounds, with 6,405 fans in attendance. Bud Grant joined the team in 1953 after a two-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, as one of numerous NFL players lured to Canada during the first part of the decade for then-better salaries. Almost immediately, Murphy set the tone for his career with the Bombers by trading popular QB Dieter Brock at midseason (because of Brock's desire to play in the USFL) to Hamilton in exchange for QB Tom Clements. “A few days ago he ate a full basket raspberries and they’re looking at sending him home, we’re hoping, within the next two months.”. He was always helping people, even if he didn’t know them. [18][19] On December 13, 2013, it was reported that Asper and Creswin Properties would no longer be included in the stadium project, which would continue with funding from the City of Winnipeg, Province of Manitoba, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Initially, the league planned to keep Winnipeg in the East, at least for the short term, due in part to the ongoing competitive dominance of the West. Memories can fade a little bit, but this guy meant more to a lot of people and I know that he gave his heart and soul to the Bombers. In that same year, the Blue Bombers, Calgary Bronks, and Regina Roughriders formed the Western Interprovincial Football Union as the highest level of play in Western Canada. One of the picks was shown in the instant replay to have hit the ground before it was caught. Then, after a Hamilton rouge, Winnipeg's RB/KR Fritz Hanson caught a punt, and after a few moves and a few missed tackles, was on his way to a 78-yard touchdown return, making the score 18–10. The team holds the record for most Grey Cup appearances of any team (25) and were the first club not located in Ontario or Quebec to win a championship. His name was among those during the CFL’s negotiation list reveal last fall. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. With the East Division suddenly down to three teams compared to five in the West, the league moved the Blue Bombers to the East to balance the divisions. The team finished first in the Western Conference in 1972, the first time it had done so since 1962. “I wasn’t even 18 years old,” Levy recalled. Introducing our series on everyone's favorite topic: the tortured history of Bears quarterbacks. And, finally, I had the chance to listen in on a CFL-sponsored Zoom call this week with iconic coach Marv Levy, whose first head coaching gig as a professional came with the Montreal Alouettes in 1973. The next year he bested that mark with 34. 6. He was exceptionally talented as a broadcaster, a photographer and a writer. The CFL’s return to play plan will need to be green-lighted by the six provinces home to teams and by the federal government to allow American and international players across the border. You’d hear all these stories about the people who crossed paths with them and how he helped them.”. They play their home games at IG Field after many years of playing at the since demolished Canad Inns Stadium.[4]. Up to that point, the team had been called the "Winnipegs". Most of all, he had that ability to truly listen to people. Levy was born 17 years later in Chicago. Joe and Travis Daley, it’s worth noting, made the memorial but didn’t take a dime. The CFL returned to Ottawa in 2014 with the establishment of the Redblacks. It was his one season calling the shots before Stokes returned. On June 10, 1930, they amalgamated with all the other teams in the Manitoba Rugby Football Union to create the Winnipeg Winnipegs Rugby Football Club, adopting the colours green and white. Here’s the Robinson bio from the press release: Frank Robinson became a member of the board in February of 2021 and also serves on the Blue Bomber Alumni Board of Directors. 1. Thomson, 64 and now retired after more than three decades as a teacher, first approached the club in 2019 with the idea of honouring Coates in some manner. Grant went on to coach the team for the next 10 years before becoming the head coach of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. Murphy was named coach of the year in both 1983 and 1984. The frenzy around CFL free agency has essentially ended and teams have now turned to signing American free agents who have been through NFL camps. The Bombers traded for Zach Collaros right before the trade deadline, who joined his third team for the year. Johnson was later declared the game MVP. ... Bay Toronto Utah Vancouver Washington DC Winnipeg Wisconsin ... Argonauts Blue Bombers EDM-CFL Lions I want to go back to back, I think that would be a fun experience and great for the city and great for this organization. I have to do something that separates myself from other people, whoever they are.” At the end of the Cal Murphy era, Mike Kelly was the offensive coordinator and was passed over for the top job in favour of Jeff Reinebold. [11] The team success hinged on a league-leading defence dubbed Swaggerville, which led them to their first division title in 10 years. Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Bombers won four games in 1997, and just three in 1998. The following season, Winnipeg returned to the West Division following the establishment of the Ottawa Renegades. From 1936 to 1949, the Bombers won the right to compete for the Grey Cup in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, and 1945. Thomson wanted to pay for the memorial with some of the money he won in the CFL’s ‘Predict the Pick’ contest prior to the 2019 CFL Draft, where he successfully nailed where six of the first eight players were selected. Jeff Reinebold was hired to replace Murphy as the team coach, and despite a huge amount of hype, and championship promises going into the 1997 season, he proved to be one of the least successful head coaches in team history. He replaced Doug Stokes behind the bench in 1987-88 – Stokes had left to become head coach of the Dauphin Kings – and guided the Blues to a 32-16 record before capturing the Turnbull Cup with a 12-2 run in the playoffs. Under Jauch, the Bombers became one of the stronger teams in the West, but usually behind Jauch's former team, the powerhouse Edmonton Eskimos coached by Hugh Campbell. Since their establishment, the Blue Bombers have won the league's Grey Cup championship 11 times, most recently in 2019 when they defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33–12 in the 107th Grey Cup. This from the Department of Shameless Plugs… Bob and I did our own Zoom call and touched on a few free-agent topics as well. [15], Mike O'Shea was hired by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on December 4, 2013, to become the team's 30th Head Coach in team history. The season included many highlights, but none as exciting at what is simply known as "The Play". The Blue Bombers were founded in 1930 as the Winnipeg Football Club, which has always been the organization's legal name. [5], The first football team in Winnipeg was formed in 1879, and was called the Winnipeg Rugby Football Club. Trading Brock turned out to be a wise decision, with Clements leading the Bombers to crushing victory in the 1984 Grey Cup, coincidentally over the Brock-led Tiger-Cats. The Blue Bombers reversed their standings from last place in the east in 2010 to finishing in first place in the East division with a 10–8 record.
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