INSIDE THE Xs AND Os

Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Friday, Jul. 10, 2009

VEGAS LINE: Stampeders by 6.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/07/2009 (5935 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VEGAS LINE: Stampeders by 6.

THE FORECAST:

JEFF MCINTOSH / THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Receiver Ken-Yon Rambo returns to the Stamps lineup after missing Week 1. — JEFF MCINTOSH / THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES Receiver Ken-Yon Rambo returns to the Stamps lineup after missing Week 1.

Straight from Environment Canada: Today — Cloudy. 30 per cent chance of showers in the morning. Wind west 20 km/h. Temperature steady near 17. Friday night: Clearing in the evening. Wind northwest 20 km/h becoming light late in the evening. Low 8.

TICKET COUNT:

As of Thursday afternoon, the total for the home opener/Milt Stegall Night had reached 27,004. Capacity at Canad Inns is 29,533.

STAMPS VS. BOMBERS:

Winnipeg is 88-93 all-time vs. Calgary; Winnipeg is 4-6 in its last 10 against the Stamps but 6-4 in their last 10 meetings at Canad Inns Stadium.

BLUE ROSTER UPDATE:

Out this week are DT Doug Brown (meningitis); LB Joe Lobendahn (shoulder); DE Riall Johnson (hamstring). Coming aboard are CB James Johnson, DB Steven Holness and DT Tyrone Williams.

The Stamps will welcome back receiver Ken-Yon Rambo and O-linemen Jeff Pilon and Jesse Newman. One late scratch sees centre Rob Lazeo (elbow) replaced by Tim O’Neill.

MORE HOMEGROWN HELP:

The Bombers and Stamps hooked up to complete a minor trade on Thursday, with Winnipeg acquiring long-snapper/defensive tackle Pat MacDonald (6-foot-2, 265, Alberta) for a 2012 conditional draft pick. MacDonald gives the Bombers depth along the D-line with Doug Brown, Donald Oramasionwu, Shawn Mayne and Riall Johnson. MacDonald was cut last month by the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.

ANGRY MAN:

Bomber head coach Mike Kelly lost it for a spell in the team’s day-before ‘mock game’ practice, at one point yelling at somebody on the sidelines to ‘Shut the (bleep) up!’ Most teams refer to their pre-game workout as a walk-through and it often features players wearing goofy hats and clowning around. Not so with the new Bomber boss.

"I want it to be perfect. I want everything to be perfect," said Kelly. "I am not a proponent of the day before ‘let’s go mess around day’ that I know has permeated through the league for a number of years. We played a mock game and I expect these guys to be locked into what we’re doing and execute."

FROM THE O-LINE TO THE SILVER SCREEN:

Bomber left tackle Steve Morley spent part of this off-season working as an actor in the remake of Ice Castles, the figure skating movie from the 1970s. Morley was set up by his friend Sara Dunsworth, who played the character of the same name in the Trailer Park Boys. Morley was cast as a TV cameraman in the remake, scheduled for release next year.

"She called me up one day and asked me if I wanted to do some background acting. So I wore my suit, combed my hair all back and I guess they liked me," said Morley with a laugh.

"You never know what could happen; it’s a start for me, I guess. Geez, it’s a pretty easy gig and you never know what’s going to happen in football."

— Tait