WINNIPEG — While preparing to wade into a sea of blue, we were greeted by … Wade!
Wade Miller, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ President and Chief Executive Officer, stopped his golf cart before Saturday’s Labour Day Rematch to lightheartedly chat with two green-clad Saskatchewan Roughriders employees.
“The Bombers’ store is right over there,” Miller told yours truly and Communications Intern Amelie Sarauer as we approached a large group of fans outside Princess Auto Stadium.
“We also have a jersey exchange program if you are interested.”
NOT INTERESTED.
But the exchange, in a different context, was most enjoyable.
A strictly-by-chance conversation with the friendly Blue Bombers boss was a highlight during a day that was especially memorable for a 21-13 Roughriders victory.
Leading up to the game, all interactions with Blue Bombers boosters were free of rancour.
I expected somebody, somewhere, to say or do something nasty. It did happen last year, after all, as I was returning to the press box after a pre-game yak session with a former Regina Leader-Post colleague (Roughriders fan Ashley Robinson) who was at the game.
Without any provocation from a visiting, one gentleman extended a two-word greeting that, in the interests of taste, cannot be recounted in the slightest detail.
Was it my cologne?
This time … nothing!
Oh, sure, there was a passer-by who greeted a rumpled scribe and Karina Peterson (Manager, Game Entertainment and Community) with an eloquent “wrong colours … (shakes head) … wrong colours.”
But that comment was tame and devoid of malice.
Derek Holtom had a comparable experience while being outnumbered in Bomberville.
Born in Saskatoon — and subsequently a resident of Humboldt and Prince Albert — Holtom now lives in Winnipeg (home of the Jets, Goldeyes and Manitoba Moose).
“It’s all good-natured,” he said of the pre-game discourse. “I’ve been able to experience the Labour Day Classic and it’s fun to see it on the other side.”
Holtom was surrounded by friends who, for the most part, are Blue Bombers diehards.
One of them, Kevin Dodge, sported an old-school Bombers cap that “paid homage to Bud Grant” and the “W” that was once displayed on his trademark headgear.
(At least the Bombers had one “W” on Saturday.)
Dodge told me a fun story about growing up as a fan of legendary Blue Bombers quarterback Dieter Brock. As a youngster, a replica jersey bearing Brock’s surname and uniform number (5) was No. 1 on Dodge’s wish list.
So, one fine day, the dream came true.
Within a week, Brock was traded to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for another future Hall of Famer, Tom Clements.
Despite the disappointment, Dodge continued to be an ardent Blue Bombers fan while appreciating the skills of Clements.
A few first downs away, Amelie was chatting with family members and friends, Winnipeggers one and all.
They kindly offered me: (a) Food; (b) My choice of soft drinks; and, (c) Not a word of congratulations on the Roughriders’ fortunes to date.
“I don’t think anyone who is doing this is here to make enemies,” said Kevin Slobogian, who lived in Regina in the early 1990s while employed as an air traffic controller.
“I think people here get each other. It’s just a football game.”
That conversation took place in a parking lot within convenient walking distance from the stadium.
Upon returning to the Blue Bombers’ home facility, we (Karina being the other party in this case) headed to the official pre-game function.
I mean, who would want to miss a watermelon-eating contest?
Everywhere you looked, it was blue, blue, blue (much like the home team’s mood after the game). That did not deter Roughriders fans from taking part in the socializing.
Many of them wore green-and-white jerseys that paid tribute to Ron Lancaster (No. 23), George Reed (34), Dave Ridgway (36), A.J. Ouellette (45), Brendon LaBatte (57), Ray Elgaard (81) and Kian Schaffer-Baker (89).
I looked all over for a fan of legendary Roughriders receiver Joey Walters, with the intent of loudly pointing out for all to absorb that the Blue Bombers really should have kept No. 17 after he made his CFL debut with the Manitoba-based club in July of 1977. (Ya blew it, Winnipeg!)
No such luck. But I still had a nice time.
It was impossible not to stop and chat when one Blue Bombers fan (wearing a No. 85 jersey that honoured Milt Stegall) took a photo of four Regina-based Roughriders supporters.
Ty Deroose, Millennia Deroose, Crystal Chaput and Sherona Zipchian rode a fan bus to Winnipeg for the game. What was the attraction?
“The rivalry,” Zipchian replied.
“The history, too,” Ty Deroose added. “Even if you take this year out of the equation, there’s the history and the rivalry … and the experience.”
It was, from this perspective, an enjoyable experience even before the Roughriders won 21-13 … to improve to 10-2 … while leaving the Blue Bombers at 6-6.
Thank you, Winnipeg, for being so warm and welcoming.
And thanks, especially, for the Joey Walters jersey exchange of August 1977.
