Gates open with jokes, jibes from honorees

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This article was published 07/06/2013 (4573 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday formally honoured the former team greats whose names and likenesses will adorn the four gates that enter Investors Group Field.

Predictably, the four honorees — quarterback Ken Ploen, receivers Joe Poplawski and Milt Stegall and defensive lineman Doug Brown — used the accompanying news conference to poke fun at each other and themselves.

Stegall called Bombers fans the “smartest” anywhere for having the good sense to vote for three offensive players. “They realized it’s a passing game, so they voted for two receivers and a quarterback,” said Stegall, before looking over at Brown and adding, “I don’t know what this other guy’s about. Defence doesn’t matter in the CFL.”

Not to be outdone, Brown used his time at the podium to thank Stegall and the other two honorees for giving him a feeling he hasn’t known in a while.

“They make me feel very young,” Brown told a crowd of about 200 people who gathered outside the stadium for the ceremony.

The Bombers have long-term plans to honour other team greats inside the new stadium.

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The bumps and bruises that go along with training camp continued to mount for the Bombers Thursday morning.

Wide receiver Chris Matthews, the CFL rookie of the year in 2012, left practice early at Investors Group Field with what head coach Tim Burke described as back spasms.

“They took him into the training room. I don’t know if he’ll be out there (for second practice) this afternoon or not,” said Burke.

Burke didn’t seem overly concerned with Matthews’ status, joking, “It’s not a life-threatening injury by any stretch of the imagination.”

Matthews wasn’t the only new addition to the sick bay. Linebacker Henoc Muamba (hamstring), offensive lineman Mark DeWit (back) and wide receiver Isaac Anderson (back, knees) all sat out practice on Thursday.

RB Chris Garrett also sat out the afternoon session with soreness as he has done before.

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Also on Thursday, Burke said he reviewed film of the two fights that broke out during practice on Wednesday and could not single out anyone for supplemental discipline.

Burke said he told players on Wednesday he wanted to see no more fighting and, if there is, he expects defensive players to pull defensive players off the pile and offensive players to do the same for offensive combatants, to avoid escalations like he saw on Wednesday.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca