Sign up for the paNOW newsletter

Winnipeg Sucks

Aug 12, 2014 | 11:48 AM

There I was in my Rasta-hat with attached dreadlocks, wearing my number 12 Rider game worn away jersey Darian Bell (back up 2009), walking into a place that for the Riders has been pure evil… Winnipeg and to a smaller extent, Investors Field.

The odds were against the Riders, especially after receiver Taj Smith got busted in a Quebec strip club which was a violation of his bail conditions. Smith was benched, which meant the Riders offense would take one step back and attempt to find strength in other moving parts.

People have been slagging the Rider offense, but there is a serious difference between being at the game and watching it on TV. For example, the Riders screwed up, or planned their pre-game entrance so that they came out when the Bombers did. The Riders said no one told them when to go on so the timing was accidental. But it looked like the Riders were throwing down the gauntlet despite claiming that no one had told them when to go on, which considering we were watching the Riders, is probably true.

Winnipeg’s offense is refined by Gary Etcheverry, who masterminded a couple of defenses here that managed to severely confuse opposing teams. His teams don’t line up the way you expect, and they don’t perform the way you expect them to once they are lined up. The game between Etcheverry and George Cortez, Rider offensive coach, was shaping up to be the most intriguing chess match of the year.

What kept the Riders in it, until Cortez found the way to foil the defense, was the Rider defense. John Chick, who was named the defensive player of the week, was a one man army on that line, putting constant pressure on Drew Willy. That was part of the Rider game plan, because they have seen what Willy is like when he played for us and saw some pressure.

Winnipeg was helped by the reffing, which was ridiculous. Even as blatant Rider supporters, I could not believe how the holding on Chick and the d line was not called, but touching a receiver down-field was an indictable offense. I’d hate to concede this Rider fans, but the noise in the Dollarama field is more than in Mosaic Stadium. When you get a number of too many men in the huddle penalties because it is so loud you don’t know if your number has been called or not, well that is something I have not seen to opposing teams at the holiest place in Saskatchewan.

So when the noise is a factor, you have to be able to revert to something the players all get – how to unleash a running game. While Will Ford had a decent first half, the decision to bring Jerome Messam in at running back was inspired.

We had seats about five rows behind the Rider bench, which believe it or not are better than my seats at Mosaic (seven rows) and Messam is built like the proverbial brick house. He runs tall, is extremely muscled which makes his suspect to high hits. But his size and power combined with the Riders sadistic blocking moved the ball and more importantly, ate time off the clock.

The Riders earned that win – it was in extremely hostile territory despite the fact former PA Herald Derek Holtom and I were joined by Andy from Melville. Winnipeg has some weird habits, like every time they get a first down, the announcer goes – and that’s another Winnipeg …and here the crowd roars, first down!

Their announcers make a lot of noise, mostly because they have been told that is one of the best ways for Winnipeg to win. Investors Group field is located on the University of Manitoba campus and getting out of there after the game reminded me of news footage of people in winding lines being examined for exposure to Ebola. There were also no railings on the concourse, which is about 10 feet too short, which means if you get crowded and pushed to the edge of the concourse, you could fall over the edge. This apparently has happened twice since it opened.

The wavy features of Investors help with deflecting the sound, but they also provide gaps that fail to block out the sun. So if you decide to go, bring your shades or you will be unable to see what is on the field. There are two replay screens, but they are relatively small and tend to feature tweets from the bomber organization.

The halftime show was a fish taco eating contest sponsored by Joey’s only and featuring Joey Chestnutt along with a team in blue shirts and green shirts and needless the blue shirt won. I don’t think the green shirt guys were even from Saskatchewan.

There is nothing finer than walking out of Winnipeg in Rider gear and being a winner. The cocky taunts of the bomber fans were reduced to mutters, and I kept quiet to avoid revving people up until I was safely in a vehicle.

If you get a chance, go, but I hope the Riders have learned off this experience in building their new stadium and that won’t be known until they finish it in time for 2017.
So the CFL starts with Winnipeg in Toronto on Tuesday night. Winnipeg beat Toronto in the first game of the season, but Toronto is missing its starting receiving corps. Ricky Ray can cover for such a gap, but not for long, and the Bombers I think are in better shape than the Argos. Bombers to win, but I would rejoice with a loss.

Edmonton goes to Ottawa and Ottawa I am afraid is starting its own unique slide of its own. Edmonton is solid enough to continue the mastery of West over East that has marked this season so far.

Calgary at Hamilton. Hamilton is the only eastern than has consistently put up more resistance to the west than other eastern teams. But Hamilton has its own problems and they start with Zach Callaveros out at quarterback. Calgary has been wasted with its own injury bugs, especially at running back, but they have more depth. Calgary wins this one, maybe not as easy as they beat Ottawa.

Montreal comes here on Sunday and the news Alex Brink is starting is apparently the first step to seeing Jeff Garcia come in at quarterback. Don’t laugh, it will happen. I only hope their medical plan will give enough to ensure Brink can survive the months of rehab he will need after this game.