Making headlines

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This article was published 28/01/2015 (4191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The opening of training camp is still months away but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have been in the news lately.

The club made headlines last week when a proposed Heritage Classic hockey game at Investors Group Field had to be scuttled because the Bombers, Winnipeg Jets and NHL could not come to terms on a date.

Add to that the high-profile signings of a new centre and new defensive co-ordinator in the last couple weeks, an ongoing season-ticket and Grey Cup ticket-selling campaign and the looming start of free agency Feb. 10, and Bombers CEO Wade Miller has had a lot on his plate lately.

Miller sat down with Free Press football writer Paul Wiecek Tuesday to discuss his thoughts on recent events. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation:

WIECEK: Can you explain to me why a Heritage game in February would have worked for the Bombers but a date in December didn’t? Why did that month or so make such a big difference for you?

MILLER: The Grey Cup (in late November) is an important part of our long-range plan and we need to make sure that’s the focus of this city and our focus as well.

WIECEK: I understand that and I think most people in Winnipeg do, too. But what I’m trying to understand is why you felt a date in February wouldn’t have interfered with your Grey Cup but a date in December did? Would that month or so have really made that much difference to your ticket sales and sponsorships?

MILLER: There were multiple thoughts that went into that. The Grey Cup was one component. Another was when you look at the weather… Historically, it’s much warmer in February. When you go back and check the records… the date (the Jets, NHL and Bombers had initially agreed on in February) was minus-single digits with the wind chill over the last five years.

WIECEK: All right, let’s move on: How are your Grey Cup ticket sales so far?

MILLER: Very strong. They’re obviously only available to season-ticket holders right now… and they’re moving along strong. And a lot of people are taking the three-year option where they can reduce the cost of their Grey Cup ticket by committing to their season tickets for three years.

WIECEK: And what about season-ticket renewals?

MILLER: Very strong again. Much different than last year. It’s great to see and very positive.

WIECEK: So when you say different than last year, you mean the renewals are better?

MILLER: Yes. And I think that’s team performance and the fact we’re hosting the Grey Cup.

WIECEK: Do you think hosting the Grey Cup will help drive season-ticket sales this year?

MILLER: It will help with some additional new season tickets, I believe. You find people buying season tickets from out of province just to get good seats for the Grey Cup.

WIECEK: When you look at B.C.’s inability to sell out last year’s Grey Cup, does that set off alarm bells for you?

MILLER: I think that was more of a regional issue that the game was just there three years earlier in 2011. We’re going to host the Grey Cup on the Prairies and people know what that means in Winnipeg — what a great event the game will be and the festival as well.

WIECEK: Is there any doubt in your mind you will sell this game out?

MILLER: There’s always some doubt that you’re going to sell it out. But I feel confident we’re going to do it… Across the country, people want to come see this new stadium and be a part of history seeing the first Grey Cup at Investors Group Field.

WIECEK: Does your team need to be a viable playoff contender late into the season to help those Grey Cup sales along?

MILLER: Every bit helps but we have the expectation of winning the Grey Cup every year, whether we’re hosting the Grey Cup or playing somewhere else.

WIECEK: Three of the last four cities that hosted the Grey Cup also won it. And two of those — Toronto in 2012 and Saskatchewan in 2013 — threw the kitchen sink at free agency to make sure they were competitive in the year they hosted. Can fans expect your club to be exceptionally aggressive when free agency opens in a couple weeks?

MILLER: We’re sticking with our plan as an organization to win next year and be sustainable long term. We will be very active and aggressive in free agency like we were last year. (GM) Kyle (Walters) and his scouts have a good plan going into next month.

WIECEK: I get that. But the question is if there’s an added urgency because you’re hosting the Grey Cup this year?

MILLER: There’s an added urgency every year to win the Grey Cup. Would it be great to win it at home? Of course it would be. But it’d be great to win it the next year, too, wherever that game is.

WIECEK: Where do you need to get better, do you think?

MILLER: I leave that to the guys who spend every day watching film. We know the areas we need to improve on and you can see we’ve taken steps already in certain areas and we’ll continue to do that in free agency and drafting Canadians as well.

WIECEK: You made your first $4.5-million loan payment last month. Can people conclude from that the long-term financial plan for the team and repaying the stadium loan is working and viable?

MILLER: Absolutely. It was the first step in showing our long-range plan is sustainable. We made our payment like we were supposed to (and) on time. And we look forward to doing that for years to come.

WIECEK: You know it was awfully cold on Grey Cup Sunday in Winnipeg in 2014?

MILLER: And it was awfully warm the following weekend on the Saturday and Sunday. It was extremely warm the next week, almost around freezing. And look at the temperatures this week. We can’t control the weather but CFL fans are hardy. They’ll invest in this. It will be a great experience for everybody.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @PaulWiecek