Bombers getting it done at IGF

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/08/2017 (2964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers haven’t gotten it done at home in a long time — six years to be exact.

2011 was the last year the Blue and Gold had a winning record at home. Last year’s team — despite finishing the season 11-7 and making the playoffs — also had their struggles playing in front of the home crowd as they went 4-5 in the blue uniforms. The team’s inconsistent play on their homefield since moving to Investors Group Field is well documented. Heading into this season, the Bombers haven’t given fans much to cheer about in the new stadium. Their record after the first four years at IGF was a disappointing 11-25.

Now there’s still a long way to go in the 2017 season, but this year’s team could finally be the one to is on pace to put an end to that trend. This year’s edition of the Bombers are 3-1 when they play on Chancellor Matheson Road.

Veteran wide receiver Clarence Denmark is the only player remaining on the team from the 2011 season where they went 5-4 at Canad Inns Stadium. He says the a big reason for the team’s success at home this year is due to this year’s team having a better mentality than the teams from prior seasons.

“I think it’s just the want to (win). All the guys have been putting it together and have a high confidence level this year. We’re expecting to win a lot of games now, instead of just going in seeing what happens. That’s the attitude that comes down from the coaches, the staff and all the players,” said the 31-year old Denmark.

Bomber fans have taken notice of the new attitude of the team. Last Thursday, 30,554 fans came out to watch the home team hand the Edmonton Eskimos their first loss of the season. It was the biggest crowd of the season and the largest attendance at IGF for a non-Saskatchewan opponent since a week 4 matchup with the Eskimos in 2014 that had 30,976 fans on hand. Denmark said the atmosphere last week was the best he’s seen “in a long time”.

“I feel like it’s a great stadium to play in. When it’s rocking like that, it’s a good environment to play football. You feel good about what you do for a living. You just go out there with all that support it gives you the extra energy to just come out and play,” said Denmark, who has two touchdowns on the year.

Offensive lineman Jermarcus Hardrick, who’s known for his trademark “Hardrick Hop” into the arms of fans in the endzone after the Bombers score a touchdown, said the atmosphere on Thursday was one of the best he’s seen since he made his CFL debut three years ago. He said it reminded him of his college days at the University of Nebraska when over 86,000 fans would pack Memorial Stadium to create “The Sea of Red” to watch the Cornhuskers battle a rival school such as Texas or Ohio State.

“You can hear the whispers from the guys in the locker room that if we keep winning, that will be every game at IGF. It’s already a big advantage for us (playing there) but if (the atmosphere) is like that, it’s an even bigger advantage,” said Hardrick, who joined the Blue Bombers prior to last season.

Hardrick says a rowdy crowd has a huge impact on the game and can make life difficult for the opposing offence. He says when you’re on the field and the crowd is at the loudest, you can be screaming at your teammate from only a couple inches away and they won’t hear word.

“There’s so much to think about in a game. You can’t even hear yourself think or the guy next to you. Sometimes the field looks like it’s moving. It’s just adds another element to the game that makes it harder (for opponents),” said Hardrick.

There’s still 10 weeks left in the season and lots can still change in the standings. If the Bombers, who are currently 6-2 and in third place in the West, can move up into one of the top two spots in the division, they would become the first team in franchise history to host a playoff game at IGF. But despite four-game winning streak, the team isn’t getting ahead of themselves.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Thursdays

Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.

Sign up for Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

“We don’t really think about that,” said Denmark, who played in the 2011 East Division final against Hamilton, the last time the team played a home playoff game.” We always think about just winning that next game. But yeah, that’s the overall goal. When you sit back from a distance, that’s the overall goal.”

Hardrick said the team hasn’t even talked about being the ones to make history and play a playoff game at IGF. But if it does happen, he expects the crowd to be just like last Thursday — maybe even better.

“All we can do is worry about one week at a time. But a playoff game at home sounding like that — I’d like our chances,” said Hardrick.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31

Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.