bombers notebook

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/06/2012 (5187 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THEY’RE healthy, happy and ready to finally get busy.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers veterans reported to training camp on Saturday and immediately underwent a battery of physical tests to determine their fitness for the upcoming CFL season.

The verdict was exactly what you’d expect — this club is as healthy as they’re going to be this season.

Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice reported everyone passed their physicals with the lone exception of safety Brady Browne, who’s being bothered by a hamstring injury he suffered during off-season training.

“Brady we’re going to give a little bit of time,” LaPolice told reporters Saturday afternoon, “because he pulled a hamstring in training. We may (place him on the disabled list) for a little bit and then see how he is. But everyone else is good.”

The relatively clean bill of health will come as a relief to Bombers management, who surely did not want a repeat of last year’s physicals, when popular non-import fullback Jon Oosterhuis was released minutes before the first team meetings after he failed his physical.

The abrupt release and its timing did not sit well with some of Oosterhuis’s teammates, including now retired defensive tackle Doug Brown.

LAPOLICE was asked what he would talk to his players about Saturday night when he gathered them altogether for the first time this season.

“It’s just going to be the big message of we’re starting over. We’re not entitled, this is a no-entitlement organization and we’re going to control our own destiny — those are the two biggest points I will talk to them about.

“Because a lot of people made a lot of changes in the East (Division), but that’s out of our control. We can control what we can control and if we do, we’ve got a great chance of being a good team.”

ROOKIE defensive back Demond Washington finally arrived in training camp on Saturday.

Washington was supposed to have reported back on Wednesday for the start of rookie camp.

“He needed some paperwork and he couldn’t get the paperwork to get over the border right away,” LaPolice said. “We didn’t want to bring him up until he got all his paperwork.”

Veteran defensive backs Jovon Johnson and Jonathan Hefney — who have both been excused to deal with family matters — are expected to be in camp in the next “day or two” said LaPolice.

THERE’S a chance of rain in the forecast, but LaPolice is still hoping fans will set a record for attendance this morning at the first full day of practice of the 2012 training camp.

About 4,500 fans showed up for the first full day of training camp last year and the club has come up with a bunch of promotions today — including a bake sale by the coaches’ wives — to get fans out to Canad Inns Stadium.

So what is Tina LaPolice baking up for fans? “I don’t know what she baked, but I know there’s cookies and stuff all over our house as people dropped it off,” LaPolice said. “I had to tiptoe and not eat anything myself.”

Practice is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.-12:50 p.m..

RECEIVER Cory Watson was asked what he is hoping to accomplish in 2012 after a breakout second season with the Bombers in 2011.

“Last year was a really good year and I hope to build on it,” said Watson, who had 69 catches for 793 yards in 2011.

Watson also agreed, however, the offence as a whole is going to have to get better this season after struggling to find the endzone in a 2011 season that saw a dominating defence drag Winnipeg to the Grey Cup game almost on its own.

“We had a lot to do with our shortcomings last year, so we know we have a lot of work to put in,” Watson said.

Fellow receiver Terrence Edwards said the hard knocks of football have taught him to focus on team goals every new season — and let the individual goals take care of themselves.

“As a receiver, you always want to crack 1,000 yards,” said Edwards, “but I’ve been cracking 1,000 yards since I’ve been here and sometimes it helped us to the Grey Cup and sometimes it didn’t. So personal goals are good, but team goals are more what I’m worried about.”

— Paul Wiecek