Enlarge Image

Chad Simpson (CP)

Enlarge Image

Johnny Sears

Enlarge Image

Glenn January

IF you had done nothing else this 2012 CFL season but bet money on every home team so far, you would be reaping a bountiful reward right now.

With Winnipeg's 23-22 victory over Edmonton Thursday night at Canad Inns Stadium, the home teams this season were a combined 15-2 heading into last night's action and have won 14 of the last 15 games.

You would expect home teams to win more often than they lose -- that's true in all pro sports. But the rate at which CFL home teams have won this year is so starkly unusual -- they were just 6-10 through the first 16 games last year. So what's up?

Blue Bombers offensive tackle Glenn January says that's not a hard question to answer in Winnipeg, where an announced sellout Thursday night was off the decibel charts in the second half as it began to appear the Bombers might win their first game of the season.

"That trend of home teams winning this year is tenfold in this place," January said . "They're the best fans in the league -- they're loud, they know when to yell, they're passionate. There was a point in the game when (running back) Chad Simpson and I were sitting on the bench and I said, 'Does this sound like 30,000 to you?' And he said... well, I can't really repeat what he said. But he was startled to know there was only 30,000 fans in the stands."

Pierre-Luc Labbe, who as a linebacker was on the field Thursday when the fans were at their loudest in shouting down the Edmonton offence, called the experience "unreal."

"It was amazing -- for real. We had troubles even communicating on defence and making calls. And for their offence, it's just a mess. It was impossible for them to communicate or get the plays to each other. It was a special experience for me. It was even louder than the East Final (last season), I thought."

The Bombers hope this league-wide trend continues -- they play their next three games at home, starting next Friday against the Montreal Alouettes.

The Bombers were 5-4 at home last season.

-- -- --

The Steven Jyles vs. Johnny Sears subplot in the lead-up to Thursday night's game, which saw the Edmonton quarterback and Bombers defensive back exchange words over what Jyles felt was dirty play by Sears -- before Jyles apologized -- didn't amount to much when the game got going.

Sears had a knockdown of a Jyles pass and recorded three tackles, but the real story was told on the scoreboard as Jyles' last-minute fumble allowed Winnipeg a narrow victory.

Asked Thursday night how his dispute with Jyles turned out, Sears just smiled. "It turned out good -- for me," he laughed. "I got a few breakups, but it was a team win and it felt good."

It came in the nick of time for the 0-4 Bombers, Sears said. "We had to win, you know what I'm saying. It was looking kind of ugly, from all angles."

-- -- --

Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice revealed Friday that Chris Matthews, who made a 40-yard touchdown catch on the final play of the first half, was actually the secondary receiver on the play... RB Chad Simpson had 122 all-purpse yards, 73 on the ground and 49 through the air... Winnipeg took 11 penalties for 95 yards, including a Paul Swiston hold that negated a 66-yard catch-and-run by SB Clarence Denmark...With four more turnovers on Thursday, Winnipeg has now turned the ball over a league-worst 19 times through five games. The next closest is Calgary with 11 turnovers... Winnipeg is also a league-worst minus-7 in giveaways-takeaways. Saskatchewan, which has just one turnover through their first four games, leads the league in that category at plus-8.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 28, 2012 C2