Look east: Riders up next, but Montreal the real measuring stick

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/08/2011 (5395 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Today, as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers begin on-field preparations for back-to-back meetings with the lowly Saskatchewan Roughriders — starting with the Labour Day Classic in Regina Sunday afternoon — be mindful of how some of the attention drifts east.

That’s where the measuring stick is.

That’s where the lines are drawn.

Apologies to the Riders (the only linear connection between the Prairie rivals these days involve personnel and the long wait times in beer lines at the venues), but the top-ranked Bombers have bigger things on their agenda, thanks to a sudden 2011 season rewrite. With seven wins in eight tries, Winnipeg has moved into elite status rather quickly and with that upgrade comes a whole new set of cares.

Ones that, indirectly at least, don’t concern Saskatchewan.

The Bombers tackle the two-time defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes Sept. 18 at Molson Stadium. That meeting, according to those who still can’t wrap their heads around what is happening in Winnipeg, is the matchup to wait on before investing in more Big Blue stock.

Winnipeg looks good, the persistent resistance acknowledges, but they haven’t played Montreal yet. While the anticipation for that game is clear — blast those schedule makers for not being able to predict the future — what’s also coming into light is a dramatic change in attitude around the Bombers.

“It’s a confident group right now,” centre Obby Khan said last week.

That statement perfectly sums up this season and provides an excellent starting point to what’s on tap for the Blue and Gold.

It’s one thing to take the field, hope to play well, and ultimately win the game but the rising expectation of continued success — the high wire the Bombers are walking these days — is a different trial altogether, a pressure that comes from various outside forces which could impact the operation down the road.

Thanks to the sizzling first-place start, it’s simply a case of greater expectations: The Bombers no longer just hope to win; they are now supposed to win — say the fans, say the media, say everyone.

Most view the Alouettes in the same light. They usually win. We expect them to win. Granted, their body of work is much more vast than that of Winnipeg (eight trips to the Grey Cup in 11 seasons is more impressive than no titles in 20 years), but instant euphoria was never one for the history books.

Yes, Montreal is 5-3 this season, scuffling a bit on the defensive side and going through occasional hiccups on offence, but when was the last time you thought they had no chance to win a game?

The same feeling is happening in Winnipeg.

“We’re getting close to that, where we’re expecting to win, I think,” safety Ian Logan said. “But I have this sneaking suspicion that until we beat Montreal, people are still going to question us. It seems that way. I understand it; they don’t want to give us that respect until we beat everybody.

“It’s amazing the difference from last year, though,” Logan adds. “The confidence we have now is intense. Everything is more intense, it seems.”

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The extremes inside a Bombers game — from the full house volume celebrating a home side advantage to the immediate grumbles of dissatisfaction from stretches of poor play — have never been more apparent. Flying high leads to harder falls, and all the scrutiny in between makes for a scale of fan emotion that can be traced to a new positive value put on the club the rest of this season and beyond.

This week (and the next), the message from the Bombers (7-1) will be all about focusing on Saskatchewan (1-7) and how they can’t overlook the vulnerable Riders. There might be a wounded animal reference and there will certainly be a warning on how this is not the time to be peering into the schedule.

They can say all that until they’re Blue in the face. It doesn’t change the fact Winnipeg is widely favoured to claim these next two meetings against Saskatchewan, with a date against Montreal the measuring stick on the horizon.

Expect to draw a line between the two clubs from that point forward.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca