Game Day: 5 Storylines

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/09/2011 (5455 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The eighth annual Banjo Bowl goes Sunday. Here are five things to consider:

1. Flip the script

We underestimated the impact Ken Miller’s return would have on the Riders at the Labour Day Classic. Clearly, there is something to his style that gets those in Green revved up, and the Bombers just so happened to bear witness to this phenomenon at the worst possible time. Miller’s magic looked good last Sunday, but some wonder if the emotional lift will be able to cross provincial borders a week later.

“When you make a coaching change like that, players are always going to step up to the challenge,” Bombers defensive back Jovon Johnson said.

“It’s not like we’re playing against Bill Belichick or anything like that. It was more so what we didn’t do than what they actually did to us.”

2. Cool and the gang

The importance of keeping passions in check was answered in the Labour Day Classic when two Bombers — receiver Cory Watson and defensive back Brandon Stewart — were kicked out of the game. Despite that — and the staggering 16 penalties for 178 yards — the players don’t really feel like they lost any composure, instead choosing frustration as the reason for their undisciplined play. Semantics, yes, and with a charged up home crowd, the fine line of emotion will be put to the test again.

3. Read and react

When a young team flies so high as the Bombers have and then suffers a bad loss, the reaction from outside observers is to watch the body language the next time out. Count the head coach in this group: “What I want to know is how (will) we respond,” head coach Paul LaPolice said.

Throughout the week of practice the team has been focused bunch, but what earns attention in this space is how the club responds on the field Sunday — especially if things don’t start fast and go the Bombers way early. For more on this, please read point No. 2 on this list again and factor in the pressure of home expectations.

4. Fantuz watch

So much has been made of what the return of Andy Fantuz will do for the Riders’ fortunes and no doubt he will be a popular topic of conversation both in the stadium and on the TSN telecast. But can the play match the hype? The last time there was this much anticipation about a visiting receiver was a few weeks ago, when Hamilton’s Dave Stala rolled into town. His stat line: One catch for 20 yards.

5. Crowd control

Warm forecast, packed stadium — should be quite the atmosphere Sunday.

If you are going to the game, why not head down early? No doubt the Rider Priders will find pockets of the parking lot to party in before kickoff and that’s always fun to gawk at. It’s kind of like going to the zoo. Bring the kids.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca