Quick breath and back to the grind

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/06/2011 (5248 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After spending the better part of the last month gazing at their own navels, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have shifted their focus this week to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The schedule could not be tighter. The Bombers only set their regular-season roster just last Saturday and then gave players the day off Sunday so that they could spend a day trying — without success, in many cases — to find an affordable apartment in town.

That left just three practices this week at Canad Inns Stadium — and a walk-through at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton on Thursday — to get ready for their regular-season opener this Friday against the Tiger-Cats.

That’s not much time and the Bombers’ brain trust concedes the task in front of them in Hamilton is a formidable one.

“They’re a good football team with a veteran quarterback and good defensive players,” said Paul LaPolice, referencing Hamilton pivot and former Bombers starter Kevin Glenn. “I think they’re a talented team.”

The Hamilton offence should be more balanced this season with the high-profile, off-season signing of running back Avon Cobourne, who helped lead the Montreal Alouettes to the last two Grey Cups.

And the Ticats have already showed some of that expected spark in an eyebrow-raising 57-20 thrashing of the two-time defending Grey Cup champion Alouettes in a pre-season game last week.

Bombers defensive back Brandon Stewart — who won a starting job away from Deon Beasley during training camp — said Glenn has a lot of weapons at his disposal.

“They’ve got playmakers all over the field,” said Stewart. “It’s about us. We know it’s about us. We have to focus on what we have to do to do our jobs.”

Stewart — who is just 25 but already in his fifth CFL season — says he’s just happy to finally start playing some meaningful football games, particularly now that he will head into his first regular season as a CFL starter.

“I’ve had some ups and downs in my career,” said Stewart. “But Winnipeg gave me a second chance and I’m just trying to run with it.”

A Seattle native out of Eastern Arizona junior college, Stewart played in just six games in his first three seasons in the CFL before the Bombers finally gave him his big chance last season. He made 32 tackles in 17 games and came into camp this spring and simply outplayed incumbent Beasley for a starting cornerback job.

LaPolice should have more insight than usual into the Hamilton offence this week to share with Stewart and the rest of his secondary.

The Bombers head coach was offensive co-ordinator for the Bombers in 2002 and 2003 when Khari Jones was the Bombers quarterback. Jones is entering his first season as Hamilton’s offensive co-ordinator on Friday and LaPolice says there’s already things he’s seen in the Hamilton film that brought back memories.

“(Defensive) coach (Tim) Burke said, ‘This is their favourite play.’ And I’m like, ‘Yep, that’s what we used to call the time when we were here in 2002 and 2003,’ ” said LaPolice.

“I know Khari will put those guys in position to fly around and do things they’re comfortable with and they like and have fun. That’s what he did as a player, he had good instincts and knew who to get it to. I’m sure (receivers) Arland Bruce and Dave Stala are going to get a bunch of balls.”

LaPolice said he had fond memories of his time with Jones.

“Those were some fun times,” he recalled. “He was a good guy to work with. It was really great for me to have him as my quarterback when I became the co-ordinator. There’s mutual respect on both sides.”

Asked if he might have preferred to open the 2011 season at home instead of on the road, LaPolice was unequivocal. “I just want to play,” the coach said. “We’ll play in a parking lot.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca