Follow CFL

© 2024 CFL. All rights reserved.

Why This Bombers Team Is Special, You Can Just Feel It

By Justin Rowan – Special to The Snap

Justin Rowan (@Cavsanada on Twitter) is a writer for ,  and . Host of The Chase Down on  and also a Winnipeg Blue Bombers Season Ticket Holder.

 

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers return home after a two week road trip which saw them pick up a pair of big time wins.  They now face an unbeaten Edmonton Eskimos squad at Investor’s Group Field 

With a 5-2 record, there’s plenty of reasons to be optimistic about with this Bombers team. In a league where the difference between winning and losing can come down to a single play, the team has found ways to win. But for the fans in Winnipeg, the most exciting aspect may be the team’s strong start on their home field in 2017 following a run of 11-25 previously.

The Bombers dramatic comeback victory against the Alouettes represented a deviation from past heartbreaks at home. Montreal had controlled the game for almost the entire night, despite their inability to convert. The had dominated the game through the air and on the ground and played a more disciplined game than the home team. But the Bombers had found a way to bend and not break defensively and keep themselves within striking range.

Trailing by five with two minutes left and in desperate need for a stop, the crowd was treated to a familiar sight. Stefan Logan broke free for a 31-yard run to extend the Alouettes lead to 12. The air was sucked out of the crowd that had been animated all night. Cries of “not again” and “every time” could be heard from an audience that has grown conditioned to witnessing heartbreak. Being a season ticket holder, I could hear it from my seats.

The crowd began to thin as some looked to beat the traffic. Many still stayed, holding onto hope that their team could make a miracle happen. Those smart individuals were treated to one of the greatest comebacks in CFL history.

For the people around me in the North endzone, Bomber games are more than just a sporting event. You build friendships with the fellow season ticket holders around you and develop your own rituals. While there was a transition period going from the old stadium, after three seasons at Investors Group Field the sense of familiarity is back. The home field feels like home.

When the Bombers score on our end of the field we rush to the wall to catch the linemen that jump up on the wall (you can see us doing it below).

Regardless of the team’s record at home, the hope and belief that anything can happen never dies. If history is going to happen at home, we aren’t going to hear it on our radios in the parking lot.

Since Matt Nichols took over at quarterback, the Bombers have shown an ability to overcome adversity. All three of their wins this season have involved second half comebacks, fueled by their dynamic offense.

Winnipeg has now been involved in three of the four highest-scoring games of the season, winning two of those games. The team has shown a tremendous amount of growth since last season and there is a growing sense within the fan base that they are building towards something special.

Wins like that comeback are essential for both the team and the fans. The Bombers have been trending in the right direction, but haven’t always delivered on their home turf. The fans recognize this and have been starving for a reason to cheer. While some left early on Thursday, the growing belief in this team was evidenced by the many that stayed. After the win, that belief will only continue to grow.

Since opening the 2016 CFL season with three consecutive losses at home, the Bombers haven’t lost back to back home games at IGF. That comeback game was one that the Bombers probably shouldn’t have won, but they found a way to deliver. The team knows it can play at a high level, from here it’s all about chemistry and consistency.  

Now the team faces its biggest challenge of the season as they host the undefeated Edmonton Eskimos. While in some ways it feels as though the Bombers have nothing to lose, it’s hard to deny the growing optimism surrounding the team. The hope isn’t for them to hang around and give the fans a good game, it’s for the team to make a statement and keep their winning streak going.

The team still has a lot of room to grow, but they have enough talent and displayed enough grit to be a roster the city can get behind. In a league where anything can happen, that’s a combination that can produce magic.