Home not so sweet

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This article was published 02/07/2015 (3753 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It is difficult to overstate how monumental that opening week win was for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Regina Saturday, winning as the Bombers did not only on the road but also in the most hostile venue in the entire CFL, Mosaic Stadium.

The Bombers have struggled as a franchise both at Mosaic — Saturday’s victory was Winnipeg’s first in Regina since 2004 — and in West Division stadiums more generally. Consider: since 2008, the Bombers now have a combined two wins in Edmonton, Calgary and Regina.

The good part is those two wins came in Winnipeg’s last two games: Saturday in Regina to open the 2015 season and last November in Calgary to close out the 2014 season. That’s progress — big progress for a team once again playing in the West Division — and it’s something the Bombers can build on as they attempt to end a 25-year championship drought.

But — and, if you’re a fan of this confounding Bombers franchise, there’s always a but — here’s the thing: the larger problem with this Bombers team the past few seasons hasn’t been their inability to win on the road, but rather their inability to win at home.

Consider: Winnipeg was 4-5 on the road last season, but just 3-6 at home. A year earlier, the Bombers were 2-7 on the road, but just 1-8 at home.

The Bombers are just 4-14 since they moved into their shiny new stadium, Investors Group Field, in 2013.

So yeah, the Bombers have now proven they can win at Mosaic. But can they win at IGF, beginning with their 2015 home opener tonight against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats? The answer to that question will go a long way to determining whether the final game the Bombers play at home this season comes on the last Sunday in November in the Grey Cup.

“That’s the next milestone we need to reach,” says Bombers defensive tackle Bryant Turner. “Last week was big for us, winning like we did in Regina for the first time since 2004.

“But this is our home field and it needs to feel like that. Our fans deserve it, they have our backs no matter what. And it’s extremely important for the rest of our season. This is our first home game and we want to make a statement to the rest of the league: ‘Wow, these guys are playing great, especially at home.’

“This is a huge game for us.”

Bombers slotback Nick Moore caused a stir prior to Saturday night’s game when he confronted Riders players as they came out for pre-game introductions and went nose to nose with Riders defensive lineman Tearrius George, informing him: “It’s our house tonight.”

Moore backed up the tough talk with the game-winning touchdown at Mosaic, but he agreed Wednesday that the larger challenge for Winnipeg this season is proving IGF is also “our house.”

“To be a playoff team and a Grey Cup contender, you have to protect home. Especially with the Grey Cup being in Winnipeg this year, you want to do whatever you can to get in that first-place spot so you’ve got that first- round bye and home-field advantage.”

Bombers middle linebacker Sam Hurl, who played for the Riders the last two seasons, said Winnipeg fans have been more than holding up their end of the equation in the stands and it’s time for the team to step up their game on the field.

“It’s a very difficult place to play in for the opposing teams,” said Hurl. “The fans are extremely loud, everybody is getting after it and the place is just going nuts. It’s hard. Last year, our offence definitely struggled with the noise level — we were offside a bunch of times.

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“It was unreal how loud it gets. And I’m excited to now be a part of it with the Bombers.”

Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea recited a litany of advantages his team gets from their rabid fan base and a new stadium that was designed, in part, to maximize the noise that gets reflected back on the field of play.

“It’s a fantastic facility and the fan base is unbelievable,” said O’Shea. “Last year, the fan base made it very difficult for teams to come here and play. They were responsible for offsides on the offence, time counts, procedure penalties.

“We need to do a better job of not only capitalizing on how tough it is to play here, but also rewarding them.”

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