THE CORBETT REPORT – Issue 2011-GC

 

The Corbett Report – Issue 2011-GC – November 27, 2011

Winnipeg vs. BC

The Grey Cup

THE OPENING SONG

(Sung to the tune, “Gimme Some Lovin”, by The Spencer Davis Group)

 

Well the temperature is rising Toban snow turns to rain

Crazy people rocking ‘cause it’s Grey Cup time again

Bombers are in baby, here to show what they got

But they better bring their A game ‘cause BC is hot

And I’m so glad Blue made it, so glad we made it

You got to, give Blue some lovin’, givem givem some lovin

On Grey Cup Sunday

Well our defense’s so good, and our offense’s getting by

On Sunday afternoon, Bombers need to come out and fly

Been a hard season, and this game will be tough to

Wait a minute Bomber, this is happening to you

And I’m so glad Blue made it, so glad we made it

You got to, give Blue some lovin’, givem givem some lovin

On Grey Cup Sunday

 

Well our defense’s so good, and our offense’s getting by

On Sunday afternoon, Bombers need to come out and fly

A game of a life time and it’ll all be looking good

Now we’re gonna relax just like everybody should

You got to, give Blue some lovin’, givem givem some lovin

On Grey Cup Sunday

Introduction

 

 

Greetings from Vancouver and welcome to the Grey Cup edition of the Corbett Report.

What an unlikely season that sees us here in Vancouver along with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.  As I sat in the upper deck of Canad Inn Stadium last week and watched the last of the 30,051 Bomber fans file out of the stadium I couldn’t help but feel the collective sigh of relief amid the hoots and hollers of football hysteria that normally accompanies a win at Winnipeg/Canad Inn Stadium.  The Bombers matter in Winnipeg.  No more evidence need be put forth than the run of 8 consecutive sell outs to end the season.  Sure the Jets are back in town but if there was ever any concern that the Bomber brand might lose its luster in all of the NHL hoopla those concerns were alleviated this fall.  Indeed the Bombers matter in Winnipeg.

They’ve mattered for a full 80 years.  Through the longest Grey Cup droughts in CFL history.  Through the Reinbold era, through the Kelly experiment, to fans both young and old.

They mattered to Reta Taylor who was featured in last week’s tribute to the Stadium published by the Winnipeg Free Press.  The 98 year-old woman who attended the very first Bomber game at Winnipeg Stadium in 1953 and virtually every game since only to pass away a mere 7 months before she would have attended the last.  Mrs. Taylor was buried with an autographed Bomber game ball presented to her by Khari Jones.  I’d say it mattered to her.

They mattered this year 16-year-old Matt Smith.  Matt’s from Red Lake and along with his father Don made the trip to Winnipeg 3 times this year to join us in section W.  A five hour drive or a 1 hour Bearskin flight, just to see his beloved Bombers finally defeat the Als.

They mattered this year to the Freaky Green Beetles.  This group of young men from Kenora included Josh (9) and Steven (15) Wolfe, formed a rock band in early 2011 and just happened to be busking at the Kenora Home and Leisure show when Buck Pierce and some of the other Bombers happened to be making one of their 3 trips to Kenora in the off season.  Buck took up a game of catch with the boys.  When the accompanying Bomber management heard the boys play they were signed instantly to a lucrative gig playing for Bomber fans as they entered the stadium at two of their home games.  The boys attended those two games, and then one other and then the Eastern Final.  And now, the Bombers matter to them.

They matter this to Bill and Melanie from BC who made two trips to Bomber games, and commented on the difference in atmosphere between Canad Inn Stadium and a game in BC.  To Paddy who braved the cold of the Alumni section to sit through the Eastern final, to Greg and Randy, Cheryl, Connor, Sandi, Darell, Dennis and Linda.

They matter of course to those of you reading from Section W.  Especially the big Gorilla in row 18 seat 23.  Oooga Booga INDEED!

They matter to the thousands of Bomber fans frantically trying to find a way to BC.  To Rye N Coke and Ryan N Water who undoubtedly will be making an appearance at Touchdown Manitoba on Friday afternoon, to Plunger Head and to Dancing Gabe.

The CFL still matters to millions of Canadians and the Grey Cup, still holds as a special day on our National sporting calendar.  So that is why, this weekend will be so special.  Because the fans to which the Blue Bombers mean so much have been rewarded with the opportunity to finally break the 20 year Grey Cup drought and see the Grey Cup back in Winnipeg.

 

The Standings

 

West Division
	GP	W	L	T	PTS	F	A	HOME	AWAY	DIV	STREAK
y – BC	18	11	7	0	22	511	385	6 – 3 – 0	5 – 4 – 0	8 – 2 – 0	W2
x – Edmonton	18	11	7	0	22	427	401	6 – 3 – 0	5 – 4 – 0	6 – 4 – 0	W1
x – Calgary	18	11	7	0	22	511	476	5 – 4 – 0	6 – 3 – 0	6 – 4 – 0	W3
Saskatchewan	18	5	13	0	10	346	482	3 – 6 – 0	2 – 7 – 0	0 – 10 – 0	L1
East Division
	GP	W	L	T	PTS	F	A	HOME	AWAY	DIV	STREAK
y – Winnipeg	18	10	8	0	20	432	432	5 – 4 – 0	5 – 4 – 0	7 – 3 – 0	L2
x – Montreal	18	10	8	0	20	515	468	6 – 3 – 0	4 – 5 – 0	6 – 4 – 0	L3
x – Hamilton	18	8	10	0	16	481	478	6 – 3 – 0	2 – 7 – 0	4 – 6 – 0	L2
Toronto	18	6	12	0	12	397	498	4 – 5 – 0	2 – 7 – 0	3 – 7 – 0	W2

Interesting observation:  The Lions outscored the Bombers this year by 79 points.  For the math-challenged that’s almost 9 points a game.  What’s interesting as well to note, is that the Lions (not the Bombers) allowed the fewest points in the season.  (As Cheryl pointed out though, that’s obviously because they played more games against the wimpy western teams).

The Bombers

 

Coming into the game the Bombers are 6.5 point underdogs.  A well deserved position I might say.  After starting the season with 7 wins in 8 games the Bombers struggled in the second half winning only 7 of their last 10 and in that stretch losing to such powerhouses as the 6 – 12 Argos and 52 – 13 Riders.  After courting a summer romance, Swaggerville has long since returned to school.  The Offense? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm….let’s just say if you’re looking for them on the stat sheets, start at the bottom, it’ll be quicker to find them.

Say this about the Bombers though; they’re a resilient bunch.  Overcoming the death of Richard Harris in July, bouncing back from the Banjo Bow fiasco with a gutsy 25 – 23 win over the Alouettes, and coming back last weekend with a defensive effort that had one reminiscing of 1988.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, 1988, The Bomber’s seemed down and out.  Drawing barely 12,000 fans to their playoff game the team, led by Sean (the Nip) Salisbury, seemed destined to another quick exit to the sidelines.  The team had scored only 407 points all year and allowed 458.  They limped into the playoffs on a 3 game losing streak.   Their trip to the Grey Cup game seemed destined to be an embarrassment.  Management solicited the league to change the rules so that only the coin toss would be performed.  The game need not be played.  The result was a foregone conclusion.

BC, lead by Matt Dunigan was an offensive powerhouse.  They beat the Bombers 45-24 in the last game of the season.  After an inconsistent start to the season they entered the playoffs having won 5 of their last 6 games.  In the playoffs they outscored their opponents in the two games they played by a combined score of 79-37.

So there it was for all to witness in Ottawa in 1988, surely the mighty Lions would maul the Blue and Gold.  It’d be over by the end of the 1^st quarter.  No one however, thought to give the script to the Bombers.  The offense played down to their form.  Going 2 and out over and over.  The defense however had come to play holding the Lions again and again.  It came down to the final few minutes.  With BC on the Bomber’s 7 yard line Dunigan seemed poised to drive the Bombers in for the winning score.  Then came what’s come to be known in Bomberland as the “Immaculate Interception” Michael Gray intercepted Dunigan in the end zone.  The impossible had happened and the Bombers brought the Cup back to Winnipeg.  The final: Winnipeg 21 – BC 19.

You see, apparently you do have the play the game.  You can’t just main in a Grey Cup victory.

 

The Lions

After starting the season 0-5 (including 2 losses to the Bombers) the Lions finished the year with an 11 – 7 record.  Offensively, Travis Lulay has matured into arguably the best QB in the league.  Defensively, they lead the league in fewest points allowed and were second (to the Bombers) in fewest yards allowed.  As for kicking, veteran Paul McCallum leads the league in field goals and is a key offensive weapon for the Lions.

Yep.  Pretty hard to find a reason not to like the Lions.  EXCEPT!!!!! What’s with those uniforms? Bright Orange???? Really?

The Match Up

 

Quarterbacks

 

Lulay vs. Pierce.  No contest here.  Buck’s gritty and will do damage with his rushing when it’s needed, but you can’t suggest a Bomber advantage here.  Lulay, soon to be league MVP, out passed Piece by 1,500 yards.  Advantage BC.

Receivers

 

Edwards, Carr, and Denmark are a good group, but with Geroy Simon leading the way….Advantage BC

Rushing

 

Chris Garrett……190 yards rushing vs. Hamilton.  Need I say more…..Advantage Bombers.

Special teams

 

They have Paul McCallum.  Bombers don’t…..Advantage BC

Defensive Line

 

Doug Brown’s final game!  Odell Willis and the crew lead the league in QB sacks.  Advantage Bombers

Defensive Secondary

 

Jovan Johnson and Jonathon Hefney had 14 interceptions between them.  The top Lion? Ryan Philips with 4! Advantage Bombers

Coaching

 

Wally Buono vs. Paul LaPolice.  Just a tad bit of experience there.  Advantage BC

Keys to the Game

For Winnipeg to win:

• Keep it close for the first half.  Trailing by 10 or less at the half and the comeback kids still have a chance
• Run, Run, Run.  Garrett wants to be MVP….make it so #19
• Sack Lulay , early, often and mercilessly
• DON’T TURN THE BALL OVER

For BC to win:

• Ignite the passion of the BC fans (Really? Is there such a thing?)
• Geroy Simon – 200 yards receiving
• Score first
• Pressure Pierce

The Prediction

 

Last game

Corbett Report:            Bombers 23 Ti-Cats 11

Actual:                         Bombers 19 Ti-Cats 3

Season results: 7 – 3

This week

So if you go back to the Match-UP section, take the number of BC Advantages, multiply that by the number of victories they had during the season and divide that by 2 and then do the same thing for the Bombers you’d arrive a scientific prediction of the score.

However, abandoning any semblance of journalistic integrity or objectivity, I prefer to simply learn from history and indeed, see history repeat.

Bombers 21 Lions 19

 

GO BLUE

 

Closing notes

 

Thanks to all of the subscribers to the Corbett Report.  I hope you’ve enjoyed the season as much as I have.  Until 2012……stay warm and stay Blue!