INSIDE THE Xs AND Os

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/07/2010 (5540 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VEGAS LINE:

Stampeders by six points.

BLUE VS. STAMPS:

Since 1945: The Stamps are 94-89-0 vs. the Bombers, including a 7-0 run at home dating back to 2002. Calgary is 2-0 at home in 2010; Bombers are 0-1 on the road.

ROSTER UPDATE:

The Bombers have added safety Ian Logan, DB Alex Suber, LB Chris Smith and LB Merrill Johnson to the active roster. Coming off are LB Marcellus Bowman (hand), LB Shawn Gallant (knee), LB Derrick Doggett (released), DB Donald Brown Jr. (numbers) and punter Mike Renaud (knee).

Changes to the starting lineup see Suber starting over Clint Kent at DB, with Courtney Smith lining up at weak-side linebacker for Bowman. Alexis Serna will handle the punting for Renaud.

ODELL RETURNS:

Bomber defensive end Odell Willis accompanied the club to Calgary and was on the field Friday afternoon. He missed three days for “personal reasons” and denied speculation from around the CFL that he had work-visa/immigration problems.

“Is that what you heard? You gotta check your sources,” Willis told a media scrum. “I was taking care of a personal issue, but where the immigration comes from, I don’t know. When you find out, let me know. I’m glad to be back with my family, taking care of my business. The personal problem is done. I’m ready to play football.”

REVENGE? NAH…:

This will mark the first game between the Bombers and Stamps since last September’s blockbuster trade that sent Romby Bryant and Arjei Franklin to Calgary for Odell Willis, Titus Ryan and Jabari Arthur.

But it’s been so long since the deal — and such a significant front-office makeover in Winnipeg — that Bryant and Franklin have little venom left against their old team.

“Me and Romby were just talking about that,” Franklin said. “There’s probably only a handful of guys that I played with that are still there. It’s kinda like playing against one of your brothers: There’s pride on the line, you want to win for bragging rights, but it’s not like I’m going out there and saying, ‘I can’t wait to stick it to Winnipeg.’ We want to get a win, just the same as against any other team. I’ll be honest with you: I was a proud Blue Bomber. But it’s been so long… they’ve moved on and so have I. This is how the CFL works, it’s part of the business. Now we just go out to play another game.”

FYI:

Calgary RB Joffrey Reynolds has averaged 5.1 yards per carry in 12 career games against the Bombers, his lowest total among all CFL teams… Reynolds needs 406 yards to pass Kelvin Anderson (8,292 yards) and become the Stamps’ all-time leading rusher… In the Bombers’ two victories, they have recorded 11 sacks; in their two losses they have just two… Winnipeg players Buck Pierce, Steven Jyles and Fred Reid have accounted for eight of the 29 runs of 20 or more yards this season.

–Tait