Blue not cursed, says vet Denmark

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/10/2015 (4001 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FOR many in the Winnipeg Blue Bombers locker-room, the story being written for the 2015 campaign is a familiar one.

At 4-10, the Bombers have all but exited the playoff picture and unless they can win their four remaining games — combined with a little help from their West Division foes — it will be yet another disappointing season.

Like the start of every new season, this year began with optimism, a feeling built on a strong training camp that saw an upgrade in personnel in a number of different areas on both sides of the ball.

And it’s that last part that seems the toughest to swallow for veterans such as receiver Clarence Denmark, who has seen so many come and go over the years. For him, this season was supposed to be different.

“That’s what stings the most, when you feel like you can play with the teams that you’re on the field with and sometimes, you know, you’re not going to make all the plays but it comes down to mistakes, the little mistakes that you make end up coming back to bite you in the end,” he said.

Mistakes have been aplenty — and costly — this season for the Bombers. Whether it’s been missed calls by an official as seen in a loss to the Calgary Stampeders two weeks ago, or a less-than-stellar performances from special teams, as was the case Saturday when kicker Lirim Hajrullahu missed four consecutive field goals in a 24-23 loss to the Eskimos, the Bombers always seem to end up on the wrong end of a decision.

When asked whether he feels the team is just low on luck, Denmark stuck to the same script he’s been using all along.

“It’s not a cursed thing, it’s just about executing. We come out and we execute our jobs, the wins will come our way,” said Denmark, turning his focus to Saturday’s game against the B.C. Lions. “It’s frustrating, but like I always say, what we have to do is our jobs. What we have to do is come out and prepare for the next game. Nobody knows the future and nobody knows what will happen.”

INJURY UPDATE: Offensive lineman Patrick Neufeld (upper-body) wasn’t dressed for practice and defensive back Demond Washington (undisclosed injury) was also absent from the field Tuesday. O’Shea said he expected both to be back soon and able to take on the Lions this week, noting Washington could be back as soon as today.

FRESH MEAT: The Bombers added five new players to their practice roster Tuesday, including defensive linemen Jamarkus McFarland (6-2, 305, Oklahoma), Leon Mackey (6-5,260, Texas Tech) and Roy Philon (6-3, 291, Louisville), reciever Desmond Lawrence (5-10, 181, North Carolina A&T) and running back/returner Jeff Scott (5-7, 167, Ole Miss).

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Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton joined the Free Press newsroom in 2015, reporting on the sports and investigative beats until he left the Free Press in July 2026.

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