Ted Wyman: Argos’ Harris expects Bombers fans to be heard during Grey Cup in Regina
Toronto running back Andrew Harris expects the Blue Bombers to have a virtual home-field advantage during Sunday's Grey Cup game in Regina.
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In an interesting development for one of the oldest and most fierce rivalries in the Canadian Football League, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be the home team and will occupy the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ locker room for the Grey Cup this week.
The Bombers not only get the satisfaction of preparing to take on the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL’s championship game, but they’ll do so using the stalls of their enemies at Mosaic Stadium.
“That will be cool,” Bombers’ running back Brady Oliveira said. “I’ve heard they’ve got great facilities out there so it will be cool to use their facilities throughout the week.
“Last year (in Hamilton) we were the away team and had the visitors locker room. It doesn’t matter. But it will be cool to check out what they’ve got in their locker room. I’ve heard it’s pretty nice stuff in there.”
Oliveira was being diplomatic but no doubt there’s a sweet feeling about the Bombers calling the facilities at Mosaic Stadium their own, while the Roughriders sit at home after missing the playoffs.
The Bombers and Riders play rivalry games in Regina (Labour Day Classic) and Winnipeg (Banjo Bowl) each season. The games are always sold out and both stadiums feature plenty of visiting fans.
There should be a plethora or Winnipeg fans descending on Regina this week. After all, it’s just a six-hour drive down the Trans-Canada Highway.
“It’ll be a home playoff game for them,” said Argos running back Andrew Harris, a Winnipegger, who spent six seasons with the Bombers.
“Even when we went to Saskatchewan when I was playing there, 30 per cent of the fans would be from Winnipeg. So I’m assuming it will be a big bulk of Winnipeg fans, but we’re up to the challenge.”
The Bombers have a 26-2 record in the regular season and playoffs at home over the last three seasons, so a “home playoff game” in Regina could be pretty significant.
While the Bombers are the two-time defending Grey Cup champions and are immensely popular in Winnipeg, the Argos don’t have the same kind of following in Toronto.
It’s hard enough for the Argos to attract fans to their own stadium — they often draw fewer than 10,000 — and it’s hard to imagine there will a huge amount of fans travelling to the Prairies in November.
The Bombers, who benefitted greatly from the noise their home crowd made in Sunday’s West final win over the B.C. Lions, could find themselves in a similar environment in the Grey Cup.
“I would love it if people will drive the five hours down the road to come to the game and make it a home crowd,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said.
Of course, there will be many Roughriders fans in the crowd at Mosaic Stadium and it’s hard to say where their allegiances will lie.
Surely, some would rather poke out their own eyes than cheer for the Bombers.
You get the sense that some Bombers fans may want to remind the Riders’ supporters of how the last few seasons have gone. Trash talk will abound at the Grey Cup festival.
But you won’t hear that kind of thing from the Bombers players.
They might enjoy sticking it to the Roughriders and their fans, but they’re not going to talk about it.
It’s the same way they approach the next game. It’s OK to be confident, but you have to be respectful of your situation and your opposition.
“We’ve always got to stay humble,” Bombers receiver Nic Demski said.
“We’ve always got to respect our opponents. We prepared a bunch for the game (against B.C.), and they took us down, really, to the last second.
“Yes, we’re going back this year. But the work’s not done, yet. We’ve got to stay humble, keep preparing and keep getting better and cherish these moments.”
The Bombers have never played in a Grey Cup in Saskatchewan before.
Regina previously hosted the championship game in 1995, 2003 and 2013. The Roughriders made many dreams come true but winning at home in 2013.
The Bombers have also not played the Argos in a Grey Cup since 1950 and they have never beaten Toronto. The two teams have met six times, with Toronto winning in 1937, 1938, 1945, 1946, 1947 and 1950.
It’s hard to imagine that history mattering much to a Bombers team that is coached by O’Shea, who rarely looks back or forward, but rather just focuses intently on the task at hand.
In O’Shea’s mind, the Bombers are looking to win a championship. The fact that it could be three in a row for the organization is unimportant.
“We’re going to a Grey Cup … that’s all it means,” O’Shea said after the win over B.C.
“I try not to confuse the issue. It’s not one or two or three. It’s this one. We get to practice another week. The game will figure itself out later in the week.”
Maybe when it’s all over and if the Bombers are good and fortunate enough to win, they’ll look back at how cool it was to hoist the Grey Cup on the field at Mosaic Stadium and then drink from it in the Roughriders’ locker room.
Until then, they’ll be all business.
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