9°c A few clouds
19°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Bomber fans to pick banner honourees
The new Bomber stadium under construction. (FILE)
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have turned over the task of customizing the exterior of new Investors Group Field to their fans.
The club revealed Tuesday that they will pay tribute to four former Bomber greats with two-storey-high signs marking each of the four main gates at the new stadium going up on the grounds of the University of Manitoba.
Jeffrey Bannon, the Bombers manager of brand development, said internal discussions to pick which former Bomber greats would get honoured produced such a long list of good choices that the club decided to simply turn the process over to fans.
Fans will be able to vote from a list of 20 nominees that will be posted later today on the Bombers website.
"As we were going through who should be on the list of four, we found that everyone seemed to have a different list," explained Bannon. "It became a great water cooler discussions and so we finally decided we don’t have the right to decide -- let’s let the fans decide.
"We made a list of 10 and decided, no, not good enough. So then it was 12, 14 and finally we decided on a list of 20 names people can choose from."
Bannon said the banners -- which will measure about 20-feet by 8-feet and feature likenesses of each player along with the Investors Group logo and gate number -- will be permanent installations at each gate and will come to represent familiar landmarks for fans to meet up on gameday.
"People will be like, ‘I’ll meet you at Milt (Stegall) or I’ll meet you at Joe (Poplawski). It will be a great place for fans to stop."
Bannon said he got the idea from a visit to the new MetLife Stadium in New York, where each of the gates is branded by a corporate sponsor. "They didn’t pay homage to their history because it’s kind of tough since both the Giants and Jets play there," explained Bannon. "But it’s different here and we have the opportunity to pay homage to such great alumni. We have tons of hall-of-famers that we can pay tribute to."
Fans can vote for up to four players at a time and as often as once a day. Only former players made the list of nominees, and former coaches like Bud Grant and Cal Murphy are conspicuous by their absence.
The 20 nominees are: Greg Battle, Dieter Brock, Doug Brown, Bob Cameron, Tom Clements, Matt Dunigan, Rod Hill, Rick House, Jack Jacobs, Gerry James, Khari Jones, Tyrone Jones, Leo Lewis, James Murphy, Ken Ploen, Joe Poplawski, Willard Reaves, Charlie Roberts, Milt Stegall and Chris Walby.
The Bombers announced the contest on the same day they also announced that their cheerleading team this coming season is going to be coed and involved in a lot more than just dancing and shaking pom-poms.
Borrowing a page from what the University of Manitoba Bisons are already doing and what college football teams in the United States have long done, the new Bombers cheer team is going to include males and females and feature a wide range of athletic stunts, stacks and throws to compliment the dancing that will also still continue on the field during games.
The Bombers have hired some cheer coaches from the Bisons with national and international experience to help guide the transformation.
The club announced it will hold open tryouts for the new cheer team on Apr. 22 at McPhillips Street Station Upper Deck Sports Bar. The tryouts begin at noon and participants must be at least 18 years-old.
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
More Latest News
(1 of 50 articles for this week)
Duffy expense controversy sent back to closed-door Senate committee
05/21/2013 10:02 PM 0
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Rainfall warning issued for southern Manitoba
- A new mom's booze-fuelled hell
- Apple trick on Ellen falls short for city woman
- Male facing charges after gun fired in Exchange District
- Justin Bieber's pet monkey becomes property of Germany after singer misses deadline
- Gay Archie character to kiss partner in Pop Tate's
- Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris evacuated after suicide inside the landmark church
- Power restored to Linden Woods after goose collides with lines
- Seattle man dribbling soccer ball to Brazil killed by car on Oregon Coast
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Rainfall warning issued for southern Manitoba
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- US woman credits 'mother's instincts' in chase of 4-year-old daughter's abductor
- Seattle man dribbling soccer ball to Brazil killed by car on Oregon Coast
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Driver crashes into tree near golf course
- Arrests made after raids on local head shops
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- News of city's $17-million winner leaks out on FB
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Susan Griffiths dies in Switzerland
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Police make grow-op bust
- MP Bruinooge says Bill 18 could infringe on religious freedoms
- Bethania CEO put on leave during investigation
- Elijah Harper: The humble man who said no
- Two charged in golf course burglary
- Power restored to Linden Woods after goose collides with lines
- Man breaks world record by riding Ferris wheel at Chicago's Navy Pier for more than 48 hours
- Doc's memoir portrays ERs as frantic, funny, frightening ... but never dull
- WAG's 100 Masters exhibit drawing more than art aficionados
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Marsh Madness: Photographers Fred Greenslade and Joe Bryksa capture spring migration's grandeur at Delta Marsh
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Province removing red tape in alcohol sales
- Animals are animals, new ads say
- Skin picking gets status as distinct disorder, should help sufferers access help
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Manitoba's changing spiritual landscape
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Dogs can experience separation anxiety and depression just like humans
- Paul McCartney to play Winnipeg Aug. 12
- Ontario steps in to help save ELA
- Saskatchewan professor wants to test the health benefits of nose-picking
- 'Revenge of the redheads': Ginger-haired Montrealers gather in celebration
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Retail sales in province see 2 per cent increase in February
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.