Bombers gunning for top spot in the East

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/10/2011 (5158 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PUTTING the ‘win’ back in Winnipeg.

It’s what head coach Paul LaPolice and general manager Joe Mack aspired to instil inside the Bombers locker-room when they took over prior to last season.

Is the makeover complete? Well, it depends on your perspective.

No one can argue that after a brutal 4-14 experience in 2010 the culture is certainly starting to change within the Blue and Gold. The club started with a 7-1 record and for the most part has proven to be one of the tougher outs along the CFL landscape. Winnipeg (9-6) is challenging for first place in the East division with the Montreal Alouettes (10-5), with Saturday’s matchup at Canad Inns Stadium going a long way in determining who will claim top spot.

Off the field, every home game is now an event. The club has another sellout for the Als game — the sixth straight packed house this season. More good vibes come from the anticipation of moving into a new stadium for 2012.

There is a lot to celebrate about the Bombers, definitely, which is why this meeting against Montreal rates as one of the more important games for the organization in recent memory.

Used to be these kinds of moments would cause some around the Bombers to run and hide; the weight of the circumstance forcing players to their knees.

Not now. Talk about winning is no longer taboo.

“We want to be the champs — that’s what everybody came in here to be,” offensive lineman Brendon LaBatte said Wednesday. “We’re not there yet; first place is still open in the East and that’s what we’re shooting for.”

It comes down to this for Winnipeg: Losing to Montreal and not finishing in first place (settling for second place and a home semifinal date with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats) will either be viewed as a disappointment based on the early events of this year or a triumph when measured against last year’s laughable showing.

Depends on how you see things.

“I try to look at a season as a whole,” LaPolice said. “They don’t look at (how) we started off 2-2 last year. We ended up 4-14. They just say, ‘What was your record at the end of the year and where did you finish?’ “

This winning renovation isn’t just limited to attitude or putting something in the water.

As you make your way through the Bombers complex towards the locker-room, there are framed reminders of past success within the organization. Ten pictures, all with a different year marking each Grey Cup the organization has won over the 80-plus seasons, serves as a reminder to players and coaches of what the ultimate goal is when they come to work each day.

“The first thing Mr. Mack did was he put those in glass frames. Gold frames. We think that’s important — they have to know that we’re here to win championships,” the coach said.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @wazoowazny

Rookie list

The league put out its list of eligible players for the most outstanding rookie award Wednesday. Twelve Bombers are on the list, including WR Clarence Denmark (697 yards receiving, four touchdowns) and DE Kenny Mainor (seven sacks). Hamilton leads all clubs with 16 rookies, a group that includes WR Chris Williams (1,012 yards, six touchdowns).

Davis fined

The CFL fined Eskimos linebacker Rod Davis an undisclosed amount for his hit on Bombers quarterback Buck Pierce. The league determined Davis led with his helmet when he tackled Pierce in the final seconds of Saturday’s 24-10 Edmonton win. Davis was not flagged on the play, but Winnipeg contacted the CFL office to review the hit afterwards.