Loud ‘n proud

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This article was published 03/09/2022 (1099 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

REGINA — For a team that prides itself in having the CFL’s loudest fans, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are about to get a taste of their own medicine.

More than 33,000 will take in the Labour Day Classic between the Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders Sunday at Mosaic Stadium, with the vast majority of those fans wearing Roughriders green. It’s the first sold-out game of the CFL season and along with promising to be a physical affair, a raucous crowd will surely be present.

“It’s a hostile environment and the fans play a big role in this game,” said Bombers receiver Nic Demski Saturday afternoon. “That’s what you look forward to playing football.”

Regina can certainly deliver the noise. A test to determine just how loud the Labour Day crowd can get was conducted in 2017, with the sound levels reaching as high as 104 decibels.

The Bombers did their own test a week later at the sold-out Banjo Bowl in Winnipeg and registered the crowd at 108 decibels. Hence why they’ve dubbed IG Field the “home of the CFL’s loudest fans” — a claim they’ve emblazoned on the cement walls near both team’s benches.

To put those numbers into perspective, the average person talks at about 50-60 decibels, a lawnmower hums at around 85 and a chainsaw comes in at about 105.

“It’s what you make of it,” Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros said. “It’s the moments when things are kind of going a little bit haywire that you really have to lock in and trust your process and trust your preparation. We expect a loud environment Sunday and we’re ready for it.”

The Bombers have been planning all week, pumping in artificial crowd noise at practice in an attempt to replicate the atmosphere on Sunday. It’s preparation solely for the offence, as Roughriders fans will be trying their best to deafen the Bombers while they’re on the attack, while keeping quiet when Saskatchewan has the ball.

The biggest issue, of course, will be trying to communicate without being able to hear one another. Collaros said the best way to combat that is by using different ways to relay information that go beyond the traditional verbal cues.

“It will be more hand signals and things like that,” added Collaros. “We’ll have to really be able to control what we can from a cadence standpoint. I thought we’ve had a good week of practice at it, but it’s always something to be seen when we first go out there.”

Another way to limit the crowd’s impact is to be effective on offence early, putting together consistent drives that end with points. Winnipeg managed that last year by scoring the game’s first touchdown and keeping the Roughriders off the scoreboard in three of four quarters, including the entire second half en route to a 23-8 victory.

“If you execute play after play and you’re efficient in whatever down it is, that could be a method to take the crowd out a little bit,” Collaros said. “But they’re an excited fan base here. They do a really good job the entire game and we expect that to be for four quarters.”

The Bombers, who lead the West Division with a record of 10-1, have strived in tough environments over the last few years. Their resilience under pressure is among the things Roughriders quarterback Cody Fajardo respects about the reigning back-to-back Grey Cup champions.

“What’s difficult against them is they never seem to hit the panic button,” Fajardo said. “They just kind of understand that there’s no sense hitting the panic button. If we do happen to get a lead early, we’ve got to put our foot on the gas and not let them get back into it. And if they’re playing with a lead, they try to bury people, so it’s very difficult to go against them and their record speaks to that.”

The crowd noise isn’t the only tall task the Bombers offence will be forced to compete with. The Roughriders also have arguably the best defensive line in the league, bolstered by a talented group of linebackers.

Saskatchewan leads the CFL with 34 quarterback sacks, so any miscue at the line of scrimmage could be costly. It helps the Bombers have a sturdy offensive line, making it a must-see battle on Sunday.

“If you get after them, you’ve got to stay on them,” said Roughriders defensive end Pete Robertson, who is tied for the CFL lead in sacks, with eight. “They’re a team that can battle through adversity easily and they’ve shown that throughout the years, especially this year. Teams have had them down and you thought the other teams were gonna win but these guys figure out a way to pull it off. To be a complete team that’s what you need to do. That’s what they do.”

INJURY UPDATE: The Bombers have made five roster changes for Sunday.

Safety Malcolm Thompson returns to action after missing the last five games with a calf injury, with receiver Brendan O’Leary-Orange (ankle) also back for the first time since Week 5. Defensive lineman Cedric Wilcots II draws into the lineup, as well as defensive backs Evan Holm and Redha Kramdi.

To make room, out are defensive backs Demerio Houston and Patrice Rene, both of whom have been added to the six-game injury list after suffering ailments against Calgary last week. Jamal Parker will move over to the field-side corner to free up Winston Rose to replace Houston on the boundary side in the secondary.

Linebacker Malik Clements was added to the one-game injury list. Jesse Briggs is slated to take his starting role at weakside.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton