TrueBlue4ever

Football 101 says you build a team from the lines out, no?

How about "Drain the swamp" @ "Fix the roads"?

This is a pretty incredible video even for those who thought they knew the story of Mark McMorris and his injuries. https://olympics.cbc.ca/video/athlete-stories/unbroken-the-snowboard-life-mark-mcmorris/index.html#.Wn_rCe74WL4.facebook

LOVING those Canadian snowboarder jackets, designed to look like cable knit sweaters. http://snowboardcanada.com/first-look-burtons-canadian-olympic-freestyle-snowboard-uniform/

Thought you'd go with "Rocky Mountain High @ Colorado Low" for your game title.

For six months of work.

You are correct. Upon review, it was Gord Patterson. I have edited the original post, thanks for the catch.

A fun debate to pass the time in the off-season (or just another long-winded post from me, but it’s January and the Jets are in a bye week, so what else are you going to do to occupy your time?). After last night's unbelievable finish in the Vikings-Saints game, it immediately brought me back to other incredible game-defining moments in football history. In the NFL, comparisons will be made to "The Immaculate Reception", "The Catch", "The Fumble", "The Music City Miracle", "The Helmet Catch" and so on as one of the greatest, most memorable plays/events in NFL history. And of course it got me thinking about the Bombers and their own history (and one obvious comparison play in particular, which is the genesis of this post) so it got me thinking: What are the greatest "moments" In Blue Bomber history? Some ground rules first: Not game or performance per se, but a singular moment that stands out as a defining part of a team's history, so Matt Dunigan's 713 yard passing game (which is still one of the 2 best games I have ever seen in Bomber history) would not fit this list as there was no one single "moment" or play that stood out in that entire game as opposed to his entire performance. I will ignore my own rule and bend this requirement a bit in a couple of cases, if you want to get technical about it. Sue me. Also, no negative moments in this list. "Greatest" means good stuff, so the 14-12 loss to Baltimore in the East Final (the other best game I have ever seen in Bomber history, BTW) does not get a mention, despite having many memorable "moments" including the Bomber fumble that wasn't for a Baltimore TD, the Baltimore non-fumble that was but was missed by the refs, the 54 yard knife to heart field goal in the last minute, the botched fake field goal, and the crossbar deflection that messed up a TD pass. Neither does the end of the 1972 West Final, where Saskatchewan was trailing the Bombers 12-11 and lined up a last play field goal, missed it and it was punted out of the end zone to avoid the tying single, was punted back in, and back out again before the ‘Rider player was tackled to end the game, BUT the Bombers were flagged for no yards on that second punt, giving Saskatchewan another chance at the field goal which they made to win the game. Also, no moments from any games not involving the Bombers, obviously (so as much as people would like to say it, the Roughriders losing the Grey Cup with their too many men penalty against the Alouettes does not apply, even if it is a wonderful moment for Bomber fans). One final caveat, I have been following the team closely since 1980, so the list will be heavily weighted towards the last 35 years or so and will no doubt neglect the first 50 years of this storied franchise, so please feel free to add any earlier events I have missed. Honourable mentions (and why they didn’t crack the top 10): Greg Battle’s pick-6 INT over the back of an Edmonton player in the 1990 Grey Cup – brilliant play, no doubt, but in a 50-11 blowout you rarely get that “Oh my God can you believe what just happened” kind of vibe that you do with a single moment that turns defeat into victory in a tight game. Plus, I have listed a more defining moment from that season that propelled them to the championship game. Ty Jones strip sacks Dieter Brock and Stan Mikawos recovers the fumble for a touchdown in 1984 Grey Cup – This was in fact the winning score in the game as the Bombers took the lead 20-17, and a huge play in the defining 27 point second quarter of what would be a 47-17 blowout, but the momentum had already shifted (thanks to a David Shaw INT and Tom Clements losing a contact lens which allowed John Hufnagel to come in and settle things down), so reduced points for overall impact in the game. Plus, I have again found what I feel was a more defining “moment” for that championship season that is listed below. Troy Westwood’s 55 yard game winning field goal against the ‘Riders (2003) – still the longest game-winning kick I have ever witnessed live on the last play of the game, total excitement in the stands, and it has been well over a decade and I still remember it vividly, so was pretty wild, but game winning field goals in regular season games are too common to be a “greatest” moment. Juran Bolden’s pick-6 INT to seal the 2001 East Final – Huge play that led to bedlam in the stands, but factors against it include (a) Bob Cameron’s long punt single to put the Bombers up by 8 was another big play just before it, (b) it didn’t change the outcome of the game, just ensured it, and (c) the following week’s result completely negates its impact. Comeback win against Montreal this year (2017), Arland Bruce’s 4 TD game in the Calgary comeback 51-48 OT win (2003), or most any other wild comeback win – Sure, there are some wins that are more memorable than others (and in fact 4 of them make this list, so I do recognize the historical “greatest moment” context of them in extreme cases), but these types of miracle finishes from 17+ points down in the final quarter of a generic regular season game are more common than they seem (a truly amazing comeback happens every 5-7 years or so for a specific team, case in point the Montreal game was 2017, #9 on this list was 2010, Bruce’s game in 2003, #7 on the list in 1998, you get the point), and I don’t even recall the greatest Bomber comeback ever – down 27 points in Hamilton twice in a road game in 1994 before winning 46-44, so they typically do not merit mention. On to the list: 10. Joe Poplawski’s left-footed onside kick as the Bombers storm back with 2 TDs in the final minute to win in Ottawa (1978). – OK, so I said regular season comebacks aren’t really defining moments, and they aren’t. And in fact this comeback wasn’t so massive, with the Bombers down 12 with a minute left. What makes this one so unique was that regular kicker Bernie Ruoff was not sent out but instead they opted for receiver Poplawski, who nobody realized was a great soccer player and who could kick left-footed, so when they approached the ball everyone figured Joe Pop would sky the ball to the left sideline with his right foot (where the Bombers had lined up 10 of their players). Instead, Poplawski approached and kicked left-footed down the right sideline about 15 yards where Gord Patterson was completely alone and uncovered waiting for the ball to land in his arms. It was so effective and unexpected that even Patterson was caught off-guard. He could have caught it and run untouched into the end zone, but he simply fell down after fielding the kick and was tagged down eventually. No matter, Dieter Brock orchestrated the game winning drive in about 30 seconds and the Bombers stole one. Still regarded as the best executed onside kick in Bomber, if not CFL, history. 9. Deon Beasley’s pick-6 INT in overtime to clinch wild comeback against BC (2010) – Down 32-11 in the fourth quarter. Stephen Jyles comes off the bench to win it. 24 points in the 4th quarter. 2 TD’s in the last 2 minutes, no crazy onside kick recovery. Just an inconceivable comeback, and this memorable play in overtime was the capper to a great game. Fun fact, it was the last pass self-proclaimed superstar Casey Printers ever threw in the CFL (I’m not 100% sure that is accurate, but it sounds like it should be a thing) 8. Milt Stegall’s 4th TD catch against BC (2005) – Crosses the hazy line from great moment to great game, fair enough. But it sticks out more than most great milestones (like Dunigan’s 713, Fred Reid’s 260, James Jefferson’s 4 defensive player TD’s, and the like) for a few reasons. One, it was the Bombers’ 75th Anniversary game, so for him so outdo everyone so spectacularly in a game with that pomp and ceremony was something. Two, Milt caught 4 passes all day, and each one went for a TD (he dropped a fifth pass, and the joke was he knew he couldn’t score, so he deliberately dropped it to ensure his 100% average). Three, the last TD was his longest of the day at 101 yards, and he was celebrating it on his own side of midfield as he ran with the ball held high – he and we knew we couldn’t be caught from behind, and watching him sprint for the end zone for the 4th time that day was what made this an “I was there and saw this incredible spectacle” moment. And fourth, on a personal note, that was the same game I arranged for my dad to get a tour of the press box before the game for his 77th birthday, and Bob Irving personally came out before the radio broadcast to talk with him for a few minutes, so that was a great personal moment for me. 7. Troy Kopp leads the Bombers back in the fourth quarter to stun Saskatchewan 36-35 (1998) – I guess the “moment” from this game is the touchdown to Stanley Bryant with 21 seconds left to win it, but to understand why this game is such a “moment” game compared to any other surprise comeback win is the context it occurred in. The 1998 Bombers came into the game at 0-10. That is not a typo. Before the Cleveland Browns, this was the factory of sadness. They had been 4-14 the year before, on the heels of 18 straight playoff appearances and 5 Grey Cup appearances over a 10 year span, so this losing was new and very uncomfortable, especially since the decline was so steep. Trailing arch-rival Saskatchewan 28-10 going into the fourth quarter. Another typical blowout loss, another embarrassment from T.J. Rubley and Jeff Reinbold. More than that, the ‘Riders were rubbing our noses in it. Up 18, they recovered a deliberate onside kick when they aimed the kickoff square at an unsuspecting Wade Miller, drilled it into his sternum and jumped on it first. Miller was in tears on the sideline, inconsolable after that humiliation. The ever-positive Reinbold, to his credit, yelled, “Get over it! It’s one play. You’ve got to put those tears away until the end. We’ve got a game we can still win here”. Cue Troy Kopp. First ever CFL appearance and all he does is manufacture 26 points in fifteen minutes for maybe the most inept Bomber team in history. One score lead to another, and another, and another, and while we all secretly dreaded the “how will they screw this up and stomp on our hearts this time” collapse, the fact was we were so overmatched every game that even a close loss was a success. When Stanley dove across the goal line, the stadium exploded in a raucous roar of pure joy, free of two season’s worth of pent up frustration. Kopp was the king of Winnipeg for the next week. People heard he had no car and wanted to buy him one (a local dealer gave him a free lease for the rest of the year). He needed a place to stay, they offered up their houses or offered to find him an apartment. The joy lasted all of one week until the next blowout, but for one glorious moment, all the pain of a dismal season was lifted. The last “spontaneous” field rush I have been a part of at the conclusion of a football game. OK, so the top 6 are what I would truly consider team defining “moments” in this club’s history, for their sheer importance in the club’s success, rather than just neat memorable moments that make for nice stories. 6. Tom Burgess scampers 35 yards with 20 seconds left to set up the game winning field goal in the 1990 East Final – A largely disregarded moment in Bomber history, but a huge one nonetheless. Tied at 17 with the tenacious Argos in the final half minute of the game, the usually lead-footed Burgess (OK, that’s a bit unfair, but running was not his strength) dropped back to pass at his own 50 before stepping up in the pocket and seeing nothing but a sea of green astroturf in front of him. He ran right up the gut for 35 yards (apparently it was the longest run from scrimmage all season for the Bombers) to the Toronto 25 yard line, and Trevor Kennard kicked the game-winning field goal with no time left on the very next play, sending the Blue and Gold to the 1990 Grey Cup game. It was the first Division Final home win for the Bombers in 28 years (we’ve had 4 in the 28 years since). Probably overlooked because the team was on its way to its 3rd Grey Cup in 7 years, so the “breakthrough” angle of the moment was diminished, but it led them to a Grey Cup win, so historically important. 5. James Murphy’s TD catch between 2 BC defenders to propel the Bombers to the 1984 Grey Cup, their first visit in 19 years – Pre-Milt, the greatest receiver in Bomber history. And this catch is remembered (by Bomber fans, at least – it seems to be largely forgotten by the rest of the CFL) as the turning point in the Western Final in 1984. The Bombers had lost home field advantage to BC in the final week of the season, and had to face the noisiest stadium in the league in the match to decide who would go to the Grey Cup. BC players (most notably loud mouth DE Nick Hebeler) were selling post-game Grey Cup party tickets to their fans IN THE WEEK BEFORE THE WEST FINAL . The Bombers were seeking revenge after Tom Clements was knocked out of the 1983 West Final with a separated shoulder (on what some call a late, dirty hit out of bounds). Yeah, these teams hated each other. And although the Bombers led 10-4 in the second quarter, BC’s offence was so explosive that no lead felt safe. Then Clements lofted a long bomb down to Murphy who was double covered. Somehow, Murphy leapt up over both of BC's defensive backs while running backwards, caught the ball one-handed with his outstretched arm, came down and maintained his balance as they collided with each other, and rolled into the end zone for a touchdown (my mind is a bit hazy today – pretty sure he did score here, but stand to be corrected, either way a ridiculous catch) which put the Bombers ahead to stay. The Bombers were off to the Grey Cup for the first time in 19 years, the monkey was off their backs, and this catch was the big reason why. Fun side note, after the game was done, Bomber OL Doug McIvor saw a dejected Hebeler walking off the field and yelled “Hey Nick, I’ll take two tickets to your Grey Cup party”. Could be ranked higher but for the time it occurred (not a Championship game, but the lead-up game, and it happened in the second quarter, so there was plenty of stuff that could have occurred to make this a non-factor later in the game). 4. Stegall’s record breaking 138th TD (2007) – Milestones, especially career milestones, are funny things when it comes to “greatest moments”. They are certainly memorable, but they don’t carry the same “wow” factor like the Vikings TD, because you know they are coming, it is just a matter of when. And they kind of fit a different category in a club’s history, because it isn’t a breakthrough moment for a team as much as it is individual accomplishment. So it is weird in a way to rank this one, and especially this high, but this was a moment for the ages in Winnipeg sports (like Selanne’s 54th goal). Forget that it was a scripted play to feed him the ball on the one yard line rather than a typical touchdown, forget that it was supposed to be a run that morphed into a pass, forget that the actual TD was one of the least spectacular of his career, forget that the “cooler” TD of that game was his 139th on a classic long bomb behind the defender (with 1:38 left on the clock in a delicious moment of symmetry). It was the culmination of the greatness that was Milt, and one of the greatest achievements in CFL history. No louder moment ever in CanadInns stadium than when he crossed the goal line. 3. Miracle Milt – 100 yard TD in Edmonton on last play to win the game (2006) – What, this is not #1? Isn't this the play that inspired this whole, super long list in the first place? Are you crazy, TB4E? No, yes, and that depends on who you ask. It ranks at #3 and here is why. Yes, it defies logic that this play could even happen. 100 yards to go with 3 seconds left and needing a touchdown to go from losing to winning? Especially after just having given up the lead with 15 seconds to go? Even more stunning is that they ran the same route the play before and the Esks almost got burned, but did nothing to correct their man coverage. Amazing that Geroy Simon would pull off the same play on the last play a few years later from 65 yards out or so against these same Eskimos. Amazing that, even if Stegall had been tackled, Chris Armstrong was right beside him uncovered and could have received a lateral. So this is clearly THE touchdown of Stegall’s storied career and fits all the criteria of the “OMG that was the most amazing moment in football I have ever seen” that this list strives to uncover. It even has a nickname that is all you need to utter and people know what you are talking about without describing the play, so it is that memorable. So why only #3? Because it was regular season. This did not propel the team to a championship (or even a playoff win). Once in a lifetime play, zero consequences in the big picture of a team’s legacy. Had this play happened pre-social media, I don’t think it would generate the buzz it does because of repeated YouTube viewings building its lore. 2. The Immaculate Interception (1988) – Yes, the nickname says it all, but for those of you who do not know: Michael Grey grabs the deflected Matt Dunigan pass for a goal line interception in the last minute and preserves the most unlikely Grey Cup win in Bomber history. Arguably could be #1 because these Bombers were such underdogs. Had the 1984 team not won the Grey Cup to sate the long-suffering fans from their championship drought, I suspect this would top the list. 1. Ken Ploen’s OT touchdown run to win the 1961 Grey Cup – Sudden death in the Championship game for the first time ever, and you win it on this run by your franchise’s most storied QB ever against your most heated rival? What can be more memorable than that? This is the opposite of the Stegall 100 yard TD (which is probably overvalued due to recency bias)– if it occurred in the age of social media and not in the grainy footage era of the 1960’s, it would be more highly regarded through sheer rewatchability. And yes, the 3rd of 4 Grey Cups in a 5 year span tends to take the “we finally climbed the mountain” aspect out of it. But the first OT ever in the Grey Cup is a situation made for a “greatest moment”. Still regarded as one of the greatest CFL Championship game ever. And the fact it happened a decade before I was born and yet I and likely any Bomber fan out there knows of its existence tells you how important it is. So, what did I miss, over or undervalue? What are your memories?

OK, don't tar and feather me, but with Adams out (no surprise, really doubt we'll see him again this year) would anyone consider bringing back, wait for it, Ryan Lankford? Yeah, I went there. But three factors: 1. He was a better kick returner than anyone else on the squad (low bar, yes) and had the ability to break the big one. In a playoff game, defensive and special teams points are magnified. 2. With Adams gone, we have no real deep threat, and if all we do is to tell him to run a straight line all game long so he can't mess up his route running, and we may throw to him once or twice, could we fluke out one home run shot? 3. He also is the back-up punter and can throw a pass better than any other non-QB on the team (and maybe on par with any QB not named Nichols). Could we see some more O'Shea trickery involving him? Is there a better deep threat on this team right now?

Funny, we dominated the Esks pretty well in both games, and yet I think most would prefer the Riders as the easier match-up right now. And a whole lot more fun as a home game. Let's break the decibel record again - no moose delays to water down the kickoff reading this time!

The "LeFevour"of O & S gladly welcomes the return of Nichols to the starting rotation! Back to Happy Honkers and haikus.

I humbly return the mantle of leadership back to you, good sir. Welcome back.

Well friends, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers sauntered into Calgary tonight for the final game of the regular season, secure in the knowledge that it would not be their last game of the year, but still hungry for a win and the home playoff date that would come with it, which would incidentally be the first ever hosted at Investor's Group Field. And with the snowy season upon us, the weather was most inclement tonight in Stampede City, but as Earl Lunsford used to say "Let's grab a grass and growl", or snow, or field turf, or whatever. And growl they did, at least the defence, who were dominant and showing they had something to prove all night long. And when it was all said and done, the Bombers had walked out of McMahon Stadium with an impressive 23-5 win and a guaranteed spot at home four the semi final next week. And what a defensive performance we were witness to tonight, and so it is from there that the Happy Honker award will come. But I would be remiss if we didn't get out a couple of smaller honks along the way. And since it is the last regular season game, well, why not? A big salute to 2017 rushing champion and CFL record holder for receptions in a single season, and Winnipeg native to boot Andrew Harris, who got up off the canvas after last week to pound out some big yards on the ground. And Justin Medlock, the leading scorer in the league again this year, who had a poor year by his lofty standards but still hit 56 field goals for an 80% success rate, and who in the second quarter launched a 52 yard field goal off the left upright that would ave travelled 57 yards, or maybe 67 in better summer weather when the ball wasn't a frozen rock. So give him a honk. And truth be told, the whole defence deserves a honk for their outstanding performance tonight, but there can be only one, which I think is a line from a movie somewhere. And for a while it looked like it would be Brandon Alexander, who picked off an Andrew Buckley pass for his first career interception, and returned it for a touchdown for good measure, to give the Bombers the only lead they would need as it turned out - in fact, Calgary failed to lead at any point in the football game, the first time that has happened in 52 games for that squad. But then another big play occurred, and the play and the player deserve special recognition, Happy Honker recognition, as it turns out. It was late in the second quarter, with the Bombers up 16-0 and in control, but only one big Stampeder play away from them getting back into it, when the defence rose up again, and this time it was Ian Wild, who came off the edge on a blitz to hit Andrew Buckley from behind on a 3rd down gamble, forcing a fumble in the process, and big Tristan Okpalaugo scooped up the loose ball and rumbled all the way back for a touchdown, unlike two weeks ago when he was denied the same result on a goal line tackle in Toronto, and the Bombers put the figurative final nail in the coffin on that play and coasted to victory in the second half. So for that game-clinching play, and certainly for scoring that touchdown he was so bitterly denied two weeks ago, the Happy Honker Award goes to Mr. Okpalaugo! Let's hear it for him, and let's hear it for our local heroes, who will be bringing back playoff football to River City next week!

Perhaps, but given the weather conditions, not throwing an INT and only one fumble by him with no sacks qualifies as a well-managed game (especially when compared to the gong show that was the Stampeder offence). And yes, he did get away with a bad pass or two, happens every game to a QB.

Back after a two week absence for a personal matter, I break out the gin (finally) in honour of Do or Die, and my dearly departed father, who also liked G & T as his drink of choice, and settle in for the regular season finale...... Still hoping for a Bomber home playoff game......with the weather and Calgary's back-up lineup plan giving us every chance we want....... And early on, Buckley looks like he's prepared to help us, with a quick 2 and out, followed by a pick...... Which Brandon Alexander takes to the house, for a Bomber lead and 7 points, 25% of the total given up by Calgary in the first quarter all year........ Which Buckley then follows up with a failed 3rd down gamble......should have gone with gin weeks ago at this rate........ LeFevour not taking much advantage as the offence has little traction in the snow........ But neither does Calgary, as Messam forgot to put staples in his shoes....slip-slidin' away....... Disaster averted on a bad Goossen snap, as Lefevour moves the Blue forward, yard by yard..... And the special teams containing dangerous Roy Finch.......... Harris starts to pound the ground, and Lefevour uses his legs as the Bombers start to move the chains...... And O'Shea keeps a drive alive with an early challenge.... Which pays off when "ridiculous" Bomber special team POY Justin Medlock (insert massive sarcasm emoticon here for all you Bomber "fans" who dissed this selection of the league leading scorer) clangs in a 52 yarder through the snow and off the post...... Bombers now brimming with confidence...another Messam pittance, another 2 and out...... LeFevour now getting up to speed, Harris running with purpose......3 more for the Lock, 13-0 for the visitors, man this gin is good........... And right back to Messam, who coughs it up, give us another turnover (make it 3) and another FG (make it 3) for more points (yes, 3)............. Starting to look much colder on the Calgary bench than on Winnipeg's side...... Calgary tries another 3rd down gamble, this one pays off on the fake punt...... But not for long, as Ian Wild crushes Buckley, ball on the ground......and into Bomber hands.......... And Okpalaugo will not be caught by Wilder Jr. this time, time to buy stock in Beefeater and Gordon's, the magic elixir of gin has us up 23-0....... At the half, team "heart" laying the snowshoes to team "talent"........ But this is Calgary, so not getting too excited as Buckley seems untracked to start the third...... Until the red zone, when a botched 2nd and 1 run, then another sack on a 3rd down gamble forces a turnover and zero points...... Bombers move a bit before Harris coughs it up......is this the life we can't give Calgary? Apparently not, as another red zone sack forces a Calgary field goal and a Bronx cheer from the hometown icicles in the stands (wow, tough crowd!).... Okpalaugo now teeing off on Buckley....LeFevour playing the "ham and egger" role well, managing the clock well with tight passes and QB sneaks...... And Calgary now looks like they've conceded the game, bringing in 3rd stringer Stanzi despite Buckley moving the chains for the first time all night....... And another pick on a real "rookie"pass, now 6 turnovers, has to be over now, no????.................let's have a sip of gin and debate that....... Flanders' return has opened up the options and taken the focus off Harris, who is pushing hard for the rushing title now........ Suddenly, the Bombers seem much healthier as Harris takes the rushing lead and the clock can't run down fast enough..... Especially after a LeFevour fumble gives the Horsemen a pulse......... But the "What, Me Worry?" defence comes right back with a sack (Okpalaugo again!) or 2 (Jeffcoat), threat neutralized....... Bombers content to kill the clock and rest Harris, before conceding a safety........ Good thing the season series doesn't matter as Calgary now up by one point on the aggregate........... Bombers swarming to the ball on tackles, not always sure, but hitting hard at every opportunity...... And another pick to seal a beautiful defensive effort, before Flanders runs through a bored Calgary D, who just want to get to the heaters.......... While Dom Davis actually gets to play again in Winnipeg blue........ And O'Shea gives Dickinson a lesson in "winning with class" by running on 3rd and long rather than take a chip shot field goal to pile on the points...... After he pissed off the cold fans with a last minute time out............. The clock winds down, tick, tick, tick.......... The Ticketmaster phones come alive, ring, ring, ring........... The Bomber Board likes the sound of home playoff money, cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching........ The last of the gin goes down, glug, glug, glug....... As I thank Do or Die for the subbing opportunity, raise a final toast, and say R.I.P. dad, playoff game in the stands won't be the same without my season ticket partner for the last 35 years..... But only tears of joy tonight............

Glad you could recoup your fortune, and thanks for offering them up to the board. Anything to brighten the mood after all the wrist-slashing around here last week.

Any claimers? Where are they and how much?

Saw this mentioned in the game day thread briefly, thought it deserved it's own thread. Mods can delete if this is repetitive. http://3downnation.com/2017/10/17/bombers-leading-receiver-darvin-adams-remainder-regular-seasom/

Would take BC winning out and the 'Riders losing out the rest of the way to make it happen (assuming no ties). Despite the chaos in Riderville today and the possibility of a season-ending implosion, don't see the BC half of that equation panning out anyway.

Updated original post again.

Well friends, the old observer was a little tied up this weekend, but I was eventually able to catch up on my beloved Bombers thanks to the modern miracle of tape delay, and who were in position with a win today against the British Columbia Lions to nail down a playoff spot and advance to the post-season dance. And even a visit from Mother Nature this morning, who reminded us all here in Winnipeg that the snowy season is not far off, could deter the Blue Bombers from their own appointed rounds, and that is of course landing a spot in the CFL playoff round. And it was a convincing victory, dominated by the defence from start to finish, or almost the finish, with those two late scores which ultimately proved to be of no importance, at least on the final scoreboard. Now normally I would start the Happy Honker Award, which as you all well know goes to that player who did that something a little extra special in the game, with a review of some of the dominant players, and some big plays that I noticed but were not necessarily happy Honker worthy, before revealing the true winner of this week's honour, but not this week. This week I am going to get right down to it, because there is one play and one player that is so obvious to me, that it need not be delayed and considered amongst other plays and players. In fact, the moment this particular play unfolded, I said to myself, "Self, that there is the Happy Honker Award, and nothing, not a triple reverse flea-flicker, not a one-handed interception return the length of the field, not even the return of Bernard Ruoff to kick a 65 yard field goal to win the game, will convince me otherwise". And the reason I can be so certain of this is because I have been waiting to bestow this particular Happy Honker Award since last summer, July 14, 2016 to be specific, when our boys played host to the Edmonton Eskimos. But cruel fate intervened that day and I could not, so I waited, and then on August 3rd of that same year, I once again was ready to anoint the Happy Honker recipient when the Hamilton Tiger Cats came to town, but once again the football Gods decreed that it must not be so, and so patiently I bided my time, and deferred yet a third time on September 10th when the Saskatchewan Roughriders graced us with their presence in our annual banjo bowl contest, and yet again on September 30th of that same year, when it was once again the Eskimos in opposition colours, to the point that I was wondering if this poor soul would ever get the chance. But I vowed that when the moment finally came, and I was convinced deep down in my soul that it would, that I would fulfill my promise and automatically and graciously, and gratefully, for that matter, crown the winner with the Happy Honker Award. By now you must all know that I am referring of course to Blue Bomber defensive back and punt returner Kevin Fogg, who had to put up with the indignity and burden of having not one, not two, not three, but four separate punt return touchdowns, each and every one of them here at Investor's Group Field last season, called back on account of penalties taken by his teammates. So here we were today, when he once again fielded a punt at his 22 yard line, cut sideways before deking out his pursuers with a stutter step, and then raced to the sidelines before turning the corner and outrunning everyone to the orange pylons in the end zone some 88 yards later, and I like everyone else I am sure was scouring the field of play to make sure that no official had littered it with their laundry, and they had not, and so we all rejoiced. So for his great return, and more so for his perseverance in the face of that cloud of four prior called back touchdowns dogging him, I award this week's Happy Honker to Kevin Fogg.

Good catch. Sorry about that, thanks for pointing it out. I try to be accurate. Took me a year to not spell "Leggett" with an "a', and I'm surprised you didn't mention the mess I made of the name "Okpalaugo", although in my defence, his name is "Okpalaugo"

I am a bit of a sugar addict. And by bit, I mean hummingbirds marvel at my metabolism.

Almost live.....I turn on the PVR and take in the Bomber game on Saturday evening.....no one tell me the score! Amaretto and Coke the beverage of choice this week....as snowflakes visit 'Peg City on double-header day. Defence looking to atone for last week...with early pressure. Nicholls tests his arm to Adams over the middle.....who takes a vicious hit for his troubles....and looks like he may not be back for a while. Jennings deep ball off a bit....which leads to punt to Fogg......who finds a corner and sprints down the sideline...praying for no flags the entire way. The prayer is answered....first career punt return TD, on his 4th do-over........Joy short-lived as Adams is headed to the locker room. Defence continues to put the heat on Jennings.....who is throwing it away when he isn't getting drilled. Andrew Harris reels off a couple of plays in pursuit of 1,000 x 2.....and allows Medlock to expand the lead to 10 Which holds up for most of the second quarter as the punters get a workout..... Nicholls hard count still fooling teams, as the Leos jump offside twice....... While the secondary gets some licks in on Jennings as the corner blitz gets called a few times......... Feoli-Gudino gets into the act and Medlock adds three more and another single....before BC gets a late drive to squeeze out 3 points just as the half is done.. Third quarter sees more of the same.....if you like stalled offences and hard safety hits.....except Loffler takes out his own teammate and not the opposition... Bombers biggest danger come playoff time may not be the opposition...but their own injuries, as Walker becomes the latest casualty... Ty Long pulls BC to within 8 after a long distance FG......and the city holds its breath, as Andrew Harris loses his helmet, then lowers his head into a hit.... Yet he comes back, undeterred.......while the body count grows with a BC injury....there will be some ice bags passed out tomorrow, hard hitting everywhere... And tempers beginning to flare in the scrums as Bond coaxes an objectionable conduct penalty out of the BC defence on 3rd down...... But Harris turns it over after the BC gift penalty, only to get another do-over when the Lions forget to count to three (plays off after an injury, that is)....... And then the Bombers start throwing punches.....as the game slows to a crawl..... Bombers' special teams' unit quietly gets the job done time after time on punt coverage.......while the d-line makes some noise with another sack.... Forcing a conceded safety....16-6 as we hit the 4th..... Where Jennings tries another long strike downfield.....but his accuracy remains elusive as Fogg picks it off and returns it deep....into Medlock FG territory...... 19-6.....and BC showing no sign that they will mount any offensive threat....especially with Mo Leggett making sure tackles on Chris Rainey...... Jennings finally connects on a TD pass.....except it is to a blue jersey, as TJ Heath jumps the route and scampers 64 yards for the playoff clinching TD..... Crowd rushing off to the Jets' game now......don't miss much......except for two late cosmetic scores by BC to make it artificially close, no big deal....... .....and injuries to Okapalago and Leggett, much bigger deal........ Bombers secure a playoff spot, raise a glass and toast them........now drown your sorrows because of those injuries....going to need more amaretto........

Updated. See original post.