Tardy Bombers just plane ‘dumb’

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This article was published 18/09/2011 (5317 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MONTREAL — Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice was not a happy man as he touched down in Montreal Saturday afternoon in advance of his club’s CFL contest against the Montreal Alouettes this afternoon at Percival Molson Stadium.

LaPolice was clearly agitated when he was asked about the four Bombers players who missed the team flight from Winnipeg on Saturday morning — defensive backs Deon Beasley and Jerry-Ralph Jules and defensive linemen Fernand Kashama and starter Kenny Mainor.

Beasley Tweeted that he missed the flight because he had no photo identification on him at the airport, while the official team line on the other three was that they missed the plane because of “car trouble.”

“We’ll fine them. It’s dumb, but what are you going to do,” said LaPolice. “Sometimes it’s like coaching junior high, but we’ll have to overcome it and they can go. It’s not smart, but they’re already on a flight and they will be out later.”

The four were expected to arrive in Montreal Saturday evening. Game time today is noon central time. LaPolice said he didn’t anticipate making any lineup changes today because of the late arrivals.

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It’s not their receivers, it’s their quarterback, Anthony Calvillo.

That was the message from Bombers defensive back Jovon Johnson here Saturday when he was asked if the prospect of facing the Alouettes receiving corps here Sunday was keeping him up at night. The Als have the most potent passing attack in the CFL, with receiver Jamel Richardson, in particular, leading the league in receiving in excess of 200 yards over his closest competitor.

“They pose the same threats as everyone else in the league,” Johnson said of the Als aerial corps. “They’re no better than anyone else. They just have a better quarterback… Considering their size and their quarterback, they pose a different challenge. But we look forward to it. They’re a good team, but you have to stop their quarterback first and foremost. Get pressure on him because he makes the show go.”

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Bombers quarterback Buck Pierce described what sounds like a little extra motivation that he had going for him this week as he tried to respond from a rib injury to get back into the starting lineup here today.

“Being a competitor, I’m excited about this game. I did everything in my power to make sure I was part of this football game. That’s all I can ask for.”

Pierce will start in today’s battle for first place in the East Division and he says he’s excited to see how his club stacks up against an Als team that has been the class of the CFL for the better part of a decade.

“We wanted to be in this position all year,” said Pierce. “It’s time to really find out how good we are and how we can better ourselves.”

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Former Blue Bomber Perry Floyd has something extra to prove today.

The Bombers cut Floyd after just five games this season and he promptly got picked up by the Alouettes, who have been using him as a pretty effective kick return specialist. Floyd is averaging a very respectable 10.2 yards on punts and holding down fifth in the league in kickoff return yardage.

All of that would be an improvement in Winnipeg’s current return game, which has struggled mightily all season and in particular the past month.

Funny how that worked out. “Everything happens for a reason,” Floyd said Saturday following the Als walk-through at Olympic Stadium. “When it happened (getting cut by the Bombers), I didn’t think it would happen that soon. I thought I might have gotten another week or two to show something.”

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Montreal defensive end Anwar Stewart seems to be one of the few opposing players in the CFL who doesn’t have a problem with the Bombers self-styled ‘Swaggerville’ defence.

And that’s one of the things he likes about it — the way it rankles other teams.

“I think it’s fun,” said Stewart. “I think it gives the CFL a little chitter-chatter back and forth, a little gossip. We’re just like women — we like to gossip too. It gives people something to talk about. It’s all good.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca