Bombers ‘rise up… and battle’ cold weather

Posted: 2:08 PM CDT Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers got a taste of the weather that awaits them in Edmonton this weekend as the Bombers staged their final full practice at a chilly Canad Inns Stadium on Thursday, in advance of facing the Eskimos at Commonwealth Stadium Saturday evening.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/10/2011 (5164 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An unforgiving cold wind blew across the Stadium turf during practice Thursday — perhaps approximating conditions Saturday evening in Edmonton, where Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to drop to a low of 1 C.

Bring it on, said Bombers starting quarterback Buck Pierce.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bomber defensive back Alex Suber hits the practice field at Canad Inns Stadium, ready to face the cool wind blowing Thursday. — WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipeg Blue Bomber defensive back Alex Suber hits the practice field at Canad Inns Stadium, ready to face the cool wind blowing Thursday.

“It was howling today,” said Pierce. “You knew it was coming. I was telling some of the guys, it’s only going to get colder. It’s not going to get warmer. I think the warm days are behind us. This is right for this time of year. This is the CFL. This is the stuff I watched on TV growing up. Watching the CFL, it was always cold and snow on the ground, everybody bundled up on the sidelines.

“This is the fun time of year, though. It gets cold and you rise up against it and go out there and battle.”

The Bombers expect to have one of those battles Saturday in what is a first-place contest of sorts. Winnipeg heads into this weekend tied with the Montreal Alouettes for first place in the CFL’s East Division at 9-5, while the Eskimos come into the weekend tied for first place in the West Division with the BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders at 8-6.

The Bombers and Eskimos have met once before this season, on Aug. 5 in Winnipeg. Winnipeg won 28-16.

The Bombers were just two players short of a full contingent at practice Thursday. Defensive lineman Rodney Fritz continues to sit with a sore hamstring, while defensive end Kenny Mainor remains back home in the U.S. following the death of his grandmother.

Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice said Fritz definitely won’t play this week, and Mainor is unlikely to play.

The Bombers are scheduled to travel on Friday morning to Edmonton, where they will stage a light workout Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Bombers announced Thursday that they are extending their office hours this month in advance of the deadline on Oct. 24 for current season ticket holders to put down their non-refundable $50 deposit per seat on their 2012 season tickets.