Nichols more upset with loss than fans’ booing

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This article was published 21/08/2018 (2575 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ON Friday night, a battered Matt Nichols took issue with home fans booing his return to the game — a 44-21 loss to the Ottawa Redblacks — after missing six plays late in the fourth quarter to have an injured elbow examined.

Four days later, during the Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback’s first media availability following his much-discussed post-game venting, Nichols was ready to turn the heat down and move the conversation to other topics.

“I was over it 10 minutes after the game was over,” said Nichols after practice at Investors Group Field Tuesday. “I hope everyone else can be over it now. It’s not the first time I’ve been booed, I know it won’t the be last time. That’s not something that weighs on my mind and affects me in any way.”

In the heat of the moment Friday, however, Nichols admitted being booed “was pretty hard for me tonight.”

The blowout loss was a sobering result for all of the Blue Bombers, who were completely manhandled by the Redblacks and slipped to 5-4 overall.

Nichols admitted his frustration came out and he didn’t anticipate the response it would generate.

“The specific question definitely wasn’t posed to me — I definitely misinterpreted one,” said Nichols. “I think it was more about physically how I was. I was thinking more about the booing that happened. So in that instance, I did interpret a question wrong but at the same time, what I said is what I said. It’s crazy, I feel like it’s been completely blown out of proportion for the amount of coverage it’s gotten.

“I had people from all around the league, organizations, teammates, everyone messaging me. I think that everyone thought it bothered me more than it did. I was more upset about the game that we had just lost.”

Nichols also insisted he had no issue with being sent in to finish the game. He was replaced by Chris Streveler with 6:40 remaining in the fourth quarter and returned with 4:15 left on the clock.

“In my mind, I felt physically able to go and be out there,” said Nichols. “At that point, we were going to lose that game but I want to be out there when we’re winning games and out there with the guys when we’re losing the game. I wanted to finish the game with them.”

Head coach Mike O’Shea defended his decision to send Nichols back out.

“If you know me, I would never think anything’s out of reach,” said O’Shea. “When you go 1:40 and score two touchdowns with an onside kick in between, you believe anything’s possible. And when you’re working on making sure the team’s mindset is right for the entire season, not just the last four minutes of a game, you’re working on something you believe you need to work on, and that’s the way we think collectively.”

Nichols finished the game by completing 23 of 35 passes for 291 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Those numbers weren’t bad but it was clear the Redblacks had completely outclassed the Blue Bombers in most aspects of the game.

Did he regret any of his comments?

“For sure not,” said Nichols. “I don’t want to go into more detail than that. I don’t regret anything I said.”

The comments were a non-story for O’Shea.

“That’s driven by the media,” said O’Shea. “There’s comments made and it’s probably easy to make news out of that. I don’t think much of it, really. There’s a lot of frustration after a game, and Matt said what he said. I don’t think his remarks were that bad. But people can take it however they want to take it.”

Linebacker Adam Bighill, the spiritual leader of Winnipeg’s defence, said he understood the emotional outpouring from Winnipeg fans but he also backed his teammate.

“It’s not up to (me) how fans should feel,” said Bighill. “I’ve always felt if I’m a fan, I’m always gonna be over-appreciative of my team. You’re a fan but you understand things don’t always go the way we want them to go but we’re obviously working that way.

“Here’s the thing — anyone outside of this building doesn’t know the work we put in and Matt is a guy that puts in a lot of work. He’s a pro among pros and he does more than most guys would think to do, because he wants to be that prepared, he wants to be that successful. I understand why he felt a bit disrespected.”

Bighill preferred to look at the big picture.

“I totally understand (the fans’ frustration) but at the same time people, in general and not related to Matt’s situation, if there isn’t success on a play or a drive, obviously the quarterback or a certain player is going to take the focus of the heat,” said Bighill. “How does a guy in Section 125, Row 6, Seat 11, know that the offensive line or running back didn’t pick up his assignment and therefore the quarterback didn’t have time to throw his read and couldn’t make a good decision and had to try to do something else?”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @sawa14