2011 Bombers eerily reminiscent of 1990 squad
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 9:29 pm
Fans shouldn't be planning the victory parade just yet. While the Lions are heading into GC firing on all cylinders and then some this story about the 1990 Bombers who in BC Place won 50 - 11 over the Tracy Ham led Eskimos. Interesting parallels between some very good players then and now.
I doubt this game indoors is going to be a cake walk for either team.
http://www.canada.com/sports/football/c ... story.html
By Paul Wiecek, Winnipeg Free Press November 22, 2011
The first part of the story is the set up where the writer says this about the Bombers only to reveal after that this was the description of the 1990 Bombers where the author says:
I doubt this game indoors is going to be a cake walk for either team.
http://www.canada.com/sports/football/c ... story.html
By Paul Wiecek, Winnipeg Free Press November 22, 2011
The first part of the story is the set up where the writer says this about the Bombers only to reveal after that this was the description of the 1990 Bombers where the author says:
His parallels are:Stop me if any of this sounds familiar: A football team with an unbelievable defence but a so-so offence overcomes its own imbalances - and the collected wisdom of the brain trust that passes for the sporting media in this country - to finish first in the CFL East Division.
Their quarterback is both lovable and tough-as-nails - and the guys would go through walls for him - but he puts up very modest numbers and could best be described as a blue-collar guy.
The defence is near the top of the league in many major categories and the secondary is phenomenal. The offence is near the bottom in many major categories but gets by on opportunism and a couple of big-play guys.
Basically, they're a lopsided team trying to prove that not only does defence win championships, if the defence is good enough it can almost single-handedly win a championship.
They host the East Division final, despite having lost two of their final three regular-season games. The contest is played on frigid and frozen turf, it's a defensive struggle and they win the low-scoring game to advance to play the following weekend in the Grey Cup at BC Place in Vancouver.
They are big underdogs heading into the big game - and not many are giving them much of a chance against a much more well-rounded opponent led by a talented young quarterback who puts up a lot of points on the scoreboard and has proven himself to be the most valuable player in the league.
So what's the party trick? The trick, as most diehard Bombers fans know, is that everything you just read was a description of the 1990 Winnipeg team.
The parallels to that 1990 team and the one that advanced to this year's Grey Cup with a win over Hamilton on Sunday couldn't be more striking. Substitute quarterback Tom Burgess for Buck Pierce. Substitute big-play guys Perry Tuttle and James Murphy for Clarence Denmark and Terrence Edwards. Robert Mimbs is Chris Garrett. Less Browne is Jonathan Hefney. Greg Battle, that year's outstanding defensive player, is Jovon Johnson, this year's outstanding defensive player nominee.
While there are some who might balk at the mere suggestion, Mike Riley becomes Paul LaPolice. And before you get all superior, consider this: Riley was named coach of the year in 1990 for his job with that squad - and it says here that is precisely the same honour LaPolice is going to win for his job with this team.
