Play fast and execute

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This article was published 23/11/2019 (2114 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY — It was during Saturday’s final Grey Cup preparation at McMahon Stadium that reality finally hit for Adam Bighill. And an entire week spent trying to convince himself this was just another football game was washed away by a wave of unexpected emotion.

“We stepped on the field and walked through and started thinking about the moment. It almost brought a tear to my eye, said Bighill, the veteran linebacker who serves as the heart and soul of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defence.

As he surveyed the mostly empty facility approximately 24 hours prior to kick-off, Bighill’s mind began to wonder about what a championship victory tonight over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats would look and sound and feel like — not only for himself, but the organization’s long-suffering fans who have been waiting to explode in celebration since 1990.

“I do play this game for the love of the game and how much I enjoy playing this game and what it’s given me. I want to build a legacy for myself. But with that being said, I also play for the fans because I know how much they appreciate it. If you’re in Winnipeg for more than one day, you run into people who tell you how much they appreciate us and what we do and they bleed Blue and Gold. I play for them, too. I want it so bad for them,” said Bighill.

“That’s one of the reasons I re-signed in Winnipeg. I love the atmosphere out there. I love how much they support football. I love the dedication. It would mean the world to me to bring it back home.”

We’re about to find out if that will happen. A long week of hype, of growing anticipation and talking points and juicy storylines has finally led to this.

Coach Mike O’Shea cracked the whip to ensure everyone got their beauty sleep Saturday night with a team-enforced curfew, something that doesn’t exist during the regular-season.

“You’ve got the rest of your lives to party as champions. So put in the work and get to bed early,” O’Shea explained. “Why take a chance on it? It’s too important.”

Not surprisingly, nobody on the team had any issues with it.

“All the inspiration that you need can come from the players that are around you going onto the field. You don’t need to look any further than that. They’re great men who work extremely hard and are doing it for all the right reasons,” said O’Shea.

When asked about game-night routines, Bighill said he and some defensive peers were planning to chow down Saturday night on some Alberta beef.

“A rib steak, medium-rare. Sauteed mushrooms,” said Bighill. Teammate Winston Rose chimed in that they would be at their usual spot at The Keg, which led Bighill to suggest he was angling for a sponsorship deal.

Running back Andrew Harris told reporters that he was a great sleeper who should have no problem getting “a good 10 hours.” On the podium beside him was starting quarterback Zach Collaros, who expected to toss and turn as he normally does.

“I’m a bad sleeper. Have never been a good sleeper,” he said, while turning to Harris and joking that he can dream about being given the ball 25 times today.

“From a game standpoint, you try not to make too much of it. I understand there’s a lot of people here and it’s a big deal, obviously it’s the Grey Cup. But after the first snap it’s just another game. People will be hyped up before the game, there will be a lot of adrenaline. After that first snap, after that first hit, you’ve got to lock into your job, and that’s our focus,” said Collaros.

Harris admits there will be some anxious feelings today, especially as he tries to bring the Cup back to his hometown. He’s already got one on his resume, a 2011 championship over the Bombers when he was playing with the B.C. Lions.

“I didn’t really realize, or appreciate, how difficult it is to get to these games. Obviously to represent my city that I grew up in and knowing how excited everyone is back home and the sense of pride the community has for the team, it’s massive,” Harris said of the opportunity staring him in the face,

“Before the game, I’ll be reflecting about it. It’s definitely a dream come true. It’s all about going out and executing and getting it done.”

Harris and Collaros will be major parts of the offence, while Bighill and Rose are key cogs on defence, which came up huge last Sunday in Regina by denying the Roughriders on two late drives that got down to their one-yard line.

“That was a championship-calibre effort and performance (last week). Now we just have to go out there and do it again,” said Bighill.

They’ll face another stiff test in the Tiger-Cats, led by quarterback Dane Evans and Most Outstanding Player Brandon Banks at receiver.

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“We know what we have in the locker room, and we know what is the ultimate goal. How the season went and just to get here, a lot of people wrote us off. This is a testament to the players, the coaches, to buying in and believing that we can get here,” said Rose.

And leading the way will be Bighill, who hopes Saturday’s brief daydream about the moment will become a reality tonight.

“When it comes down to it, I’m anxious for this game. I’m not nervous. I put in the work. When you put in the work, you build confidence. You go out there and play fast and execute. At this point I’m ready for this game to come,” he said.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg

Mike McIntyre
Reporter

Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.

Every piece of reporting Mike 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.