Bombers supporters are fan-tastic

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/10/2023 (727 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Anyone who has ever watched Jermarcus Hardrick knows how much he appreciates the fan base in Winnipeg.

The bruising right tackle for the Blue Bombers is often the first to grab a towel, stand on a bench and wave his arms in the air, rallying the thousands in attendance at IG Field. There’s nothing he’s loved more during his time in Winnipeg than jumping into the arms of adoring front-row fans as part of the club’s touchdown celebrations over the years.

It doesn’t stop there. In fact, Hardrick’s close connection to the fans on game day starts the night before, moments after he lays his head on his pillow.

“I have the wildest dreams whenever we have a home game the next day. All I’m thinking about is the drive in and how the fans are going to be,” a smiling Hardrick said following the team’s closed practice Thursday. “Waking up the day of the game knowing the fans have your back, it’s a special feeling. We’re ready to give it all we got, and the fans are there to lead the charge.”

Indeed, the West-Division leading Bombers, now 12-4 with two games remaining before the playoffs, aren’t the only ones who have shown up this season. Bomber fans have come in droves this year, leading the CFL in attendance for a second consecutive season, boasting an average of 30,207 per game.

While the Bombers are looking to clinch the West Division for a third consecutive year with a win over the Edmonton Elks at IG Field Saturday, those working behind the scenes are readying for what’s aiming to be a fourth straight sellout. As of late Thursday, there were fewer than 1,000 tickets available to the 32,343-person stadium.

“That means everything to us, because that’s who we play for,” said Bombers receiver Rasheed Bailey, the emotion in his voice palpable. “I can still hear them when I’m sleeping.”

Bailey said one of the biggest reasons he decided to re-sign with the Bombers, taking a substantial pay cut to remain in Winnipeg, was because of the support he and the teammates receive from the community. He added when he got the chance to speak at the Bombers’ annual gala Wednesday — something he called a life-changing moment — where he shared what it meant to play in the city and the culture that exists inside the locker room.

“To share the story of the reason why we are who we are, that insight on what’s really going on in the locker room, because they need to know that because they are a big part of it,” Bailey said. “They pay their hard-earned money to come to these games. This isn’t a rich city. These are blue-collar, hard-working, lunch-pail type of people. Playing in front of them is a privilege.”

Even when you take the emotion out of it, there are plenty of benefits the Bombers reap from having the “loudest fans in the CFL.” Not only are they a passionate fan base, but also an educated one.

It’s one thing to be able to make noise. But it’s when to make noise that matters most.

“The crowd knows to be quiet and when to be loud,” said Bombers safety Brandon Alexander. “So, their engagement with the game is very strategic and important to what we do.”

The Bombers are 32-3 at IG Field since the start of the 2019 season.

“It forces the opposition to practice silent count,” added head coach Mike O’Shea when asked how the fans play a role on game day. “So, it does change how the opposition has to operate during the week.”

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.

The relationship between the team and its fans is a two-way street. Understanding how important they are and how meaningful their support is, the team has pledged to do whatever it can to give back and show their appreciation.

Part of that is creating a game-day experience that is second-to-none in the CFL. An even bigger part is a commitment to be visible in the community, whether that’s through initiatives and charities, or simply talking with fans before and after games and practices.

“The CFL is chock full of very accessible athletes and always has been a league where the players have time for the fans. It’s been that way for a long, long time and needs to be that way,” said O’Shea. “The sense of community that the players get here, it’s pretty easy for them to be out there.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

Every piece of reporting Jeff 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.