Missed flight, not fight

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/09/2011 (5332 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MONTREAL — In the end, every Winnipeg Blue Bombers player who needed to be in Montreal for game time Sunday afternoon was there.

It just took four of them a bit longer to get there.

So why did four Bombers players — defenders Deon Beasley, Jerry-Ralph Jules, Fernand Kashama and Kenny Mainor — miss the team flight to Montreal on Saturday morning? And what happens now?

Beasley was refused at the airport because he didn’t have photo identification and Mainor said after Sunday’s 25-23 victory over the Montreal Alouettes that he, Kashama and Jules had car trouble on the way to the airport.

“I had a little car trouble,” said Mainor, “just a little car trouble, that’s all. It’s alright… That’s small stuff. We overlooked that and got past that small, minor setback and we finished what we needed to do.”

Mainor had one defensive tackle, Beasley had two special-teams tackles and Jules had one special-teams tackle. Kashama did not record a tackle.

Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice — who was obviously angry about the episode on Saturday, telling reporters it was like coaching “junior high” and that the players involved would be fined — had calmed considerably in the glow of Sunday’s win over the Alouettes.

“Three out of four guys had problems with a car and one guy was at the airport and didn’t have his ID,” LaPolice told reporters after the game. “I don’t want to think this team was totally out to lunch. It’s just one car didn’t get out there.”

Bombers lose big fan

THE Bombers lost a big fan and inspiration on Sunday with the news that 23-year-old Winnipegger Earl Cook had died of cancer.

Cook had lost a leg to cancer and LaPolice had “signed him” during training camp to an unofficial “million-dollar contract.” Cook was a regular visitor to Bombers practice and their locker-room and gave motivational talks to the players.

“Our players loved him because he was so funny and he was a fighter and he talked about fighting every day and how he’s fought (cancer) for four years. Our players really liked having him around,” said Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice. “It’s a big loss.”

Edwards exceptional

A 47-yard touchdown run by Bombers running back Fred Reid and a 92-yard catch-and-run by slotback Cory Watson perhaps overshadowed what was another exceptional game by veteran Bombers slotback Terrence Edwards.

Edwards hauled in a 37-yard grab in the first quarter that helped set up Reid’s big run. And then, after leaving the game midway through the third quarter with cramps, returned to haul in a 39-yard touchdown pass from Buck Pierce on the final play of the third quarter to give Winnipeg a 25-14 lead.

It was Edwards’ eighth touchdown catch of the season and he finished the game with three catches for 82 yards.

“It was an East opponent this weekend and we have to stay on top of those opponents to get where we want to be going,” Edwards said after the game.

“We just put in our mind that we were going to come out and play the way we know we can, after the last couple weeks when we didn’t play so well.”

— Paul Wiecek