Bomber game 30 years ago

[kelownabomberfan]

I was just on the phone with a guy who played linebacker for the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1985, and he was telling me about a game in Winnipeg in 1985, August 8th to be exact, that he was playing in. The Bombers won it 58-15. He said the Roughies just got crushed, and the Bomber defence just destroyed them.

During the game, he said to the Ottawa defence in the huddle "hey at least it isn't raining" at which point the skies opened and lightning hit one of the goalposts, and the game had to be suspended, like the Argo-Hamilton game yesterday. Does anyone remember this game? I don't, because for some reason I am pretty sure I wasn't there, even though it would have been in the days when we had season tickets.

Anyway, pretty funny to hear first-hand what it was like playing against the Bombers in those days, and getting destroyed in our barn. He said every team feared playing Winnipeg at home in those days.

[holoman]

I only started watching CFL 2  or 3 years after this, and I would have been 5 at the time.  Unfortunately I don't recall this game.

[Rod Black]

I recall mid eighties. Must be 84, June 22 or 23. We were playing against BC sucks, with Dewalt and Fernandez, I think. A huge thunder and lighting storm that suspended the game, and flooded the sidelines. The concourse was also flooded and we were walking through all kinds of water, above the ankles to get beer. I think they gave the following years season ticket drive as, "Feel the Thunder" or something like that. Anyone recall the game and subsequent marketing campaign?

[kelownabomberfan]

I recall mid eighties. Must be 84, June 22 or 23. We were playing against BC sucks, with Dewalt and Fernandez, I think. A huge thunder and lighting storm that suspended the game, and flooded the sidelines. The concourse was also flooded and we were walking through all kinds of water, above the ankles to get beer. I think they gave the following years season ticket drive as, "Feel the Thunder" or something like that. Anyone recall the game and subsequent marketing campaign?

I was definitely at a game in the early 1980's between Winnipeg and BC where it rained and play was suspended. I think it was 1982. Vic Rapp was coaching the Lions. I remember we always called him Vic Crapp because of course, we hated the Lions. I loved those BC Sucks chants. So true in so many ways. The Bombers won the game, just checked - it was August 8th, 1982.

The moral of the story is, don't play on August 8th in Winnipeg if you don't want to be rained on.

[mbrg]

I recall mid eighties. Must be 84, June 22 or 23. We were playing against BC sucks, with Dewalt and Fernandez, I think. A huge thunder and lighting storm that suspended the game, and flooded the sidelines. The concourse was also flooded and we were walking through all kinds of water, above the ankles to get beer. I think they gave the following years season ticket drive as, "Feel the Thunder" or something like that. Anyone recall the game and subsequent marketing campaign?

 

That was 1984.  They used a photo of the lightning as the background for the '85 poster with the guys lifting the cup in the foreground.  Players on the sidelines were trying to body surf in the puddles - it didn't matter, everyone was drenched.

 

It was pre-cell phone days; the stadium announcer listed some southern Manitoba towns that needed to call/go home.  When we got there we found the north and south sides of the fence around the backyard pool missing.  You could see exactly where the tornado went thru the yard.  The east and west sides were mostly intact.  The slide landed about a mile and a half away.  And 30 feet away from the west side of the fence, the house sat entirely untouched, other than a few dozen shingles that needed replacing.

 

Along with 713, that's one of the two Bomber games that will stay with me until some form of dementia sets in.

[kelownabomberfan]

https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/schedule/1984/06/21/bc-at-wpg/

 

Was this the game?

[Rod Black]

https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/schedule/1984/06/21/bc-at-wpg/

 

Was this the game?

That's it. That's what Mbrg is talking about, I'm sure.

[B-F-F-C]

That was the game where some fans ran on the field and slid belly first on the puddles that formed on the field and sidelines.

[iso_55]

That game was July of 1984 against the Lions. There was a waterfall coming out of the stands down the stairs & a new Lake Winnipeg formed on the sidelines. After the game resumes, one of the Bombers caught a pass & was pushed into the water & hydroplaned across on his stomach with his legs & arms out. That was frigging awesome.

[FrostyWinnipeg]

Was it Rick House who almost drowned at one point or some announcer said. Lightning never hit the posts tho.

[Rod Black]

I remember the fan belly sliding, the waterfall from the upper deck, and Rick house face first. And a Lion receiver stopped from a reception because he didn't want to run into the water and maybe get his little feet wet. The water, was well onto the field of play, and over the sidelines.

[Jaxon]

I recall the rain, the puddles, the body sliding antics, but I don't recall lightning hitting the goal posts.   I rarely missed a game in the '80's.  Great time to be a Bomber Fan!

[KptKrunch]

I remember the fan belly sliding, the waterfall from the upper deck, and Rick house face first. And a Lion receiver stopped from a reception because he didn't want to run into the water and maybe get his little feet wet. The water, was well onto the field of play, and over the sidelines.

IIRC - wasn't that a preseason game? I wasn't there but I heard it on the radio. House almost drowned because when he was tackled his face mask got rammed into the mud and stuck there. He couldn't get it out and of course was in a puddle. We laugh now and he probably does too but I'll bet you anything Rick wasn't laughing those few seconds where he couldn't breathe (and you can bet he wanted to it's not like he was standing around doing nothing I'm sure his body was screaming for oxygen).

 

I don't recall that 58 to 14 game - that was the year before I left Winnipeg and I was working a lot of weekends then so I most likely was working when that game was played. I remember the 58 to 2 game we had over the Alouettes (or was it the Concord then?) when they brought in Billy 'Whiteshoes" Johnson, VInce Ferragamo and James Scott from the NFL - Richard Crump and William Miller had 100 yards each in that game. 

[iso_55]

Was it Rick House who almost drowned at one point or some announcer said. Lightning never hit the posts tho.

Yeah, Buddy Tinsley jumped out of the stands & pulled Rick's head out of the water just in time. 

[iso_55]

 

I remember the fan belly sliding, the waterfall from the upper deck, and Rick house face first. And a Lion receiver stopped from a reception because he didn't want to run into the water and maybe get his little feet wet. The water, was well onto the field of play, and over the sidelines.

IIRC - wasn't that a preseason game? I wasn't there but I heard it on the radio. House almost drowned because when he was tackled his face mask got rammed into the mud and stuck there. He couldn't get it out and of course was in a puddle. We laugh now and he probably does too but I'll bet you anything Rick wasn't laughing those few seconds where he couldn't breathe (and you can bet he wanted to it's not like he was standing around doing nothing I'm sure his body was screaming for oxygen).

 

I don't recall that 58 to 14 game - that was the year before I left Winnipeg and I was working a lot of weekends then so I most likely was working when that game was played. I remember the 58 to 2 game we had over the Alouettes (or was it the Concord then?) when they brought in Billy 'Whiteshoes" Johnson, VInce Ferragamo and James Scott from the NFL - Richard Crump and William Miller had 100 yards each in that game. 

 

Holy ****. The tall tales just get bigger as the years go by. What you describe never happened to House. I was at that game & it was a huge thunderstorm but no lightning hit the goalpost & no player almost drowned. This near drowning of Rick House you described would have been reported by the media that night & been all over the news across North America (even without social media). It would've gone down in Bomber lore as the 1950 GC incident with Buddy Tinsley did. This is the first time I ever heard of it. 

[SPuDS]

I remember the fan belly sliding, the waterfall from the upper deck, and Rick house face first. And a Lion receiver stopped from a reception because he didn't want to run into the water and maybe get his little feet wet. The water, was well onto the field of play, and over the sidelines.

IIRC - wasn't that a preseason game? I wasn't there but I heard it on the radio. House almost drowned because when he was tackled his face mask got rammed into the mud and stuck there. He couldn't get it out and of course was in a puddle. We laugh now and he probably does too but I'll bet you anything Rick wasn't laughing those few seconds where he couldn't breathe (and you can bet he wanted to it's not like he was standing around doing nothing I'm sure his body was screaming for oxygen).

 

I don't recall that 58 to 14 game - that was the year before I left Winnipeg and I was working a lot of weekends then so I most likely was working when that game was played. I remember the 58 to 2 game we had over the Alouettes (or was it the Concord then?) when they brought in Billy 'Whiteshoes" Johnson, VInce Ferragamo and James Scott from the NFL - Richard Crump and William Miller had 100 yards each in that game.

Holy ****. The tall tales just get bigger as the years go by. What you describe never happened to House. I was at that game & it was a huge thunderstorm but no lightning hit the goalpost & no player almost drowned. This near drowning of Rick House you described would have been reported by the media that night & been all over the news across North America (even without social media). It would've gone down in Bomber lore as the 1950 GC incident with Buddy Tinsley did. This is the first time I ever heard of it.

Ive heard this story as well.. Wish i could find a source for it but its not the first time ive read of it..

[iso_55]

 

 

 

I remember the fan belly sliding, the waterfall from the upper deck, and Rick house face first. And a Lion receiver stopped from a reception because he didn't want to run into the water and maybe get his little feet wet. The water, was well onto the field of play, and over the sidelines.

IIRC - wasn't that a preseason game? I wasn't there but I heard it on the radio. House almost drowned because when he was tackled his face mask got rammed into the mud and stuck there. He couldn't get it out and of course was in a puddle. We laugh now and he probably does too but I'll bet you anything Rick wasn't laughing those few seconds where he couldn't breathe (and you can bet he wanted to it's not like he was standing around doing nothing I'm sure his body was screaming for oxygen).

 

I don't recall that 58 to 14 game - that was the year before I left Winnipeg and I was working a lot of weekends then so I most likely was working when that game was played. I remember the 58 to 2 game we had over the Alouettes (or was it the Concord then?) when they brought in Billy 'Whiteshoes" Johnson, VInce Ferragamo and James Scott from the NFL - Richard Crump and William Miller had 100 yards each in that game.

Holy ****. The tall tales just get bigger as the years go by. What you describe never happened to House. I was at that game & it was a huge thunderstorm but no lightning hit the goalpost & no player almost drowned. This near drowning of Rick House you described would have been reported by the media that night & been all over the news across North America (even without social media). It would've gone down in Bomber lore as the 1950 GC incident with Buddy Tinsley did. This is the first time I ever heard of it.

Ive heard this story as well.. Wish i could find a source for it but its not the first time ive read of it..

 

You can bet if it was true it would've been a lot bigger than just a story. It'd be LEGENDARY!!

[TBURGESS]

House was tackled and had folks on top of him so he couldn't get his head above water for several seconds. Could have drowned. Could be a tale that gets bigger every time it's told.

[mbrg]

Was it Rick House who almost drowned at one point or some announcer said. Lightning never hit the posts tho.

 

Not at that game, but KBF was talking about a different one.

 

House was tackled and had folks on top of him so he couldn't get his head above water for several seconds. Could have drowned. Could be a tale that gets bigger every time it's told.

 

That sounds like a much saner and more likely version of what happened.

[kelownabomberfan]

yeah I was talking about a game in 1985.  And I have the first-hand account of a player who was on the field at the time who saw lightning hit a goal-post.

[Fan Boy]

The big rain game was an exhibition game. I remember that because I had 2 season tickets at the time and couldn't convince anyone to go to just an ex game with threatening weather. It was BC and their players were standing on the bench because the water was as high as the bottom of the bench (just the fascia not the actual seat). You couldn't see the sideline hash marks at all. The best part is that the Red River Ex was on at the time all around the stadium and I watched people on the swings melt in the seats as the rain got heavier and heavier. What crowd was there was huddled under the stadium hoods (can't think of the proper term). There is no way a goal post got hit with lightning because if it did there would have been a stampede. People were running from the rain they would have ran screaming if there had been a lightning strike. I was happy in my poncho and would have noticed the lightning. When you go to the game alone you drink a lot less and remember a lot more of the game. 

[iso_55]

yeah I was talking about a game in 1985.  And I have the first-hand account of a player who was on the field at the time who saw lightning hit a goal-post.

Went to every game that season. No lightning strike. 

[blueandgoldguy]

As a youngster, I remember going with my dad to a game in October 1985 against the Lions.  Sold out stadium with 32,000 in the stands.  Bombers one a close game by a TD.  

 

At that time Swervin Feryn Fernandez was the best receiver in the CFL, and would have probably been the best receiver in CFL history had  he spent his entire career in Canada.  You could always count on at least one deep ball completion to Fernandez each game and this one was no different as Dewalt hooked up with him in the third or fourth quarter.

 

I seem to remember a play late in the game where the Bombers were pinned deep in their zone on third down, and Cameron, uncharacteristically, hit a poor punt to give the Lions good field position inside the Bomber 50.  On that drive, and possibly another, I think the Bombers defense held strong limiting the Lions a field goal or no points ultimately winning the game.

 

Great game, great atmosphere and some great memories.