Admiration from across the nation

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/10/2011 (5262 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The big decision for Winnipeg sports fans on Saturday was what shade of blue to wear. Would it be old school Bombers blue? Or the new Jets polar hue?

Both teams were getting it on right here in Winnipeg, making it a day to scream for touchdowns and sacks during an afternoon delight and then goals and smacks as part of an enchanted evening.

Not in Toronto, not in Vancouver, not in Resolute Bay, not in Halifax, in fact, nowhere in Canada, was it cracking like it was in our Peg City Saturday.

Without question, Winnipeg was the hottest sports city in the country with a sellout crowd of over 30,000 watching the Blue Bombers in the afternoon and then a rafter-dusting 15,004 at the MTS Centre later in the night watching the Jets.

Fans were calling it a Double Dip and lots had tickets to both ends with a plan for parkas and toques in the afternoon before stuffing them in the trunk and strolling into the comfort of the downtown rink.

Traffic was a nightmare from the stadium on down to the rink with the usual 15 minute ride taking more than an hour.

But who cared?

With talk radio buzzing a post-game show from the football match and a pre-game show for the hockey tilt there was lots to listen to and think on while idling down Portage Avenue.

It all had a decidedly big league feel to it, which shouldn’t surprise us, because that’s what we are now.

If you dig sports, whether watching these games from home or lucky enough to have stubs to one or both outings, this was a day and a bit for Winnipeggers.

The Bombers game was a battle for first place with the Montreal Alouettes and the Jets, well, it was the first Saturday night NHL game in this city in over 15 years.

A year ago the Bombers were 4-14 stiffs while the Jets were still a dream on the desks of a bunch of sworn-to-secrecy True North staffers.

Today? The Bombers are playoff bound with a new stadium racing towards a spring completion date. The Jets are back and NHL hockey lives and breathes in Manitoba once again.

We may not be Chicago or Montreal but one can’t question the sporting joie de vivre percolating on the Prairie. And didn’t you hear? The Riders suck — making all this even more delicious.

The action didn’t disappoint either as the Bombers stomped back with 16 unanswered fourth quarter points to take a 26-25 win against the Montreal Alouettes and gain a tie for first place in the East.

With two games left on the schedule the Blue and Gold control their destiny and if they hold serve will host the Eastern Final putting them just one win away from a trip to the Grey Cup.

They were faced with a huge game laced with consequence and they delivered. As improbable as this all seemed when the Bombers got together last spring to begin the season, they have staked a claim as the best in the East.

The puck buffet served up by the Jets was just as satisfying as the team fell down early by a pair of goals and then pasted the visiting Carolina Hurricanes with five straight goals to grab a 5-3 win, the second of this resurrection season.

The hockey crowd, most often the first star this year, was unreal in terms of passion and performance as they shook the house all night long. But the players were not to be outdone as the young Jets lived up to their potential and danced with abandon. Often they’ve been painful to watch as their exuberance leads to errors, but it all fell into place on this night and it was something to see.

Canada’s new national sports magazine, Sportsnet, featured three articles on the Jets this week, including the cover piece. Fans in both Toronto and Ottawa saluted our town and its team during mid-week games.

There’s lots to notice in Winnipeg right now and the whole country is doing so.

The secret is out Winnipeg — you rock.