It’s the battle of the billboards as Banjo Bowl kick-off approaches

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This article was published 03/09/2011 (5470 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Banjo Bowl kick-off is still more than a week away, but the battle for football supremacy has already started on billboards in Winnipeg and Regina.

The Roughriders fired the first salvo a couple of weeks ago when they rented ad space on northbound Route 90 — just a Hail Mary away from Canad Inns Stadium — featuring a green-clad fan holding his hand over his heart accompanied by the website, therideroath.ca

The site features a video of Riders fans of all ages pledging allegiance to the team.

The Bombers fired back with a billboard on the way into Regina that said, “We love our Saskatchewan neighbours. They’re just a little backwards.”

Below it listed the teams’ respective records — 1-7 for the Roughriders and 7-1 for the Bombers.

The first game in the back-to-back set takes place in Regina on Sunday. The return engagement is seven days later in Winnipeg.

Peter George, CEO of McKim Cringan George, a Winnipeg-based advertising agency that works for the Bombers, said responding to the Rider Oath was a must for the inhabitants of Swaggerville this season. In previous years, not so much.

“We’ve always thought about it but we haven’t had much to brag about on the field,” he said.

The Bombers’ billboard riffs off the origins of the Banjo Bowl eight years ago, when then-kicker Troy Westwood had some not-so-complimentary things to say about the alleged propensity of Saskatchewan residents to procreate with members of their own family and their ability, or lack thereof, to play the banjo.

“It had to be something that the players, coaches and staff were comfortable with. We had some Swaggerville options and some less-kind ideas but this one reflects the reality (of the teams’ records,)” he said.

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“We’re poking fun at the fact that for the first time in years, we have a better record than they do. We have more to celebrate.”

Both Darren Cameron and Ryan Whippler, the directors of communications for the Bombers and Roughriders, respectively, said the billboard battle is all in good fun.

“These are two historic franchises with great fan bases across both provinces and we hope this just intensifies an already strong and friendly rivalry,” Cameron said. “We are very much looking forward to taking the trip west this weekend and hosting them next weekend in the Banjo Bowl. They are two electric games with some of the best football atmospheres throughout the whole CFL season.”

Whippler said the Roughriders have been taking out billboards in opposing cities in advance of away games since 2002. Originally, the idea was to promote the team’s website with expatriates, but they proved to be so popular, its marketing department kept churning them out.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca