FROM BEHIND ENEMY LINES Hey Bombers, get fired up or get fired

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/09/2012 (4803 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

REGINA — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers just might be bad enough to win.

They look so hopeless, so devoid of direction, that they could actually throw a scare into the Saskatchewan Roughriders in today’s Banjo Bowl.

If that sounds contradictory or downright goofy, well, such is the nature of the Bombers-Roughriders rivalry. History has demonstrated that a wounded team can be the most dangerous.

In 1995, for example, Saskatchewan eviscerated Winnipeg 56-4 in the Labour Day Classic on Taylor Field. The margin of victory was the largest since the Regina Rugby Club’s inception in 1910.

Undeterred by a 52-point loss, the Bombers won the rematch with the Riders the following week, posting a 25-24 home-field victory.

Fast forward to 2012. The Roughriders have again defeated the visiting Bombers by a 52-point disparity, recording a shutout in the process. In the aftermath of that humiliating loss, the Blue Bombers have been roundly raked by the critics.

Embattled general manager Joe Mack, in particular, is under fire during an all-out big Mack attack. Carpet-bombing-variety criticism has created some collateral damage, though, as an assortment of fans and media mongrels have taken turns deriding the Bombers.

If there is even a modicum of pride in the Bombers’ locker-room, considerable motivation should be derived by the torrent of negativity.

A loss under any circumstances is unpalatable enough in Canadian professional football. But a 52-point defeat? Nobody associated with the Bombers wants to experience such an embarrassment again — especially at home.

Professional athletes — even those who are employed by a 2-7 team — are proud individuals. They don’t want to be punching bags, or a punchline.

Hence, there is every incentive to avoid another meltdown.

For the Roughriders, could a letdown be part of the equation? Could a 52-point beatdown foster complacency or overconfidence? Roughriders head coach Corey Chamblin does not expect those questions to be answered in the affirmative.

“I think we have something to prove, too,” said Chamblin, whose team snapped a five-game losing streak on Sunday to improve its record to 4-5. “I know they’re dealing with some things over there, but it’s not like we’re 11-and-0. We’re fighting for our lives to get back in the hunt in the West.”

Some of the Bombers are fighting for their careers and reputations after Sunday’s shellacking. It would not be at all surprising to see the air of desperation, arising from last weekend’s devastation, serve as a catalyst for at least a momentary resurgence.

And, again, we point to history while underlining how the pendulum can swing when the Roughriders and Bombers collide.

In 1986, for example, the Bombers handed the Roughriders the worst loss in team history — a 56-0 shellacking. It was a “devastating damn thing,” Jack Gotta, who was then the Green and White’s head coach, said at the time.

“I’m glad we didn’t leave town tonight,” Gotta went on to say. “There would probably be an air crash.”

A timely air show took place when the teams met again seven weeks later in the Labour Day Classic. With 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Joe Paopao hit Ray Elgaard with a 56-yard touchdown pass to give Saskatchewan a 34-30 victory.

Saskatchewan’s aerial attack was even more potent in the 1991 Classic. Kent Austin threw for 461 yards and four TDs to pilot the Roughriders to a 56-23 victory. Yet, the Bombers were able to win the following week’s rematch, prevailing 49-41 in overtime.

Moral of story: An explosion of 50-plus points by Saskatchewan or Winnipeg does not necessarily foreshadow a comparable outcome in the return engagement.

In fact, the Roughriders’ explosion of last Sunday offered proof that the improbable can happen. Saskatchewan scored 52 points after eking out 35 in its previous three games combined. The offence had gone south as the Roughriders’ losing streak swelled to five.

How did the fans and media respond to the Riders’ slide? By roundly dissecting the local heroes. By questioning virtually every aspect of the team. By repeatedly telling the Roughriders how horrible they really were, via every imaginable forum.

Something kicked in at that point. Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant had seen and heard enough. He called a players-only meeting that established the tone for a fruitful week of preparation. A 52-0 victory ensued.

Now it is the Bombers’ turn to be in a position where they feel compelled to make amends, while placating the home crowd. After nearly a week of unrelenting criticism, the Bombers would undoubtedly love to counter the critics with a performance that is at least credible.

As Durant put it on Friday: “Those guys are going to be fired up.”

The alternative is to be fired.

— Regina Leader-Post