Bombers fall short of season goal

2006 season leaves much to be remembered

STEVE BOHRN STAFF

How will the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of 2006 be remembered? Will it be for their tenacious run defence, which gave up a CFL-low 4.7 yards per rush? Or will they be remembered for winning nine games, four games more than in 2005, while playing under new head coach Doug Berry? Or how about as a team that fought tooth and nail to earn a playoff berth, their first since 2003?

No, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ season will likely be remembered by most as the team that blew a 10-point lead in the final 7:27 to lose a firstround playoff game to the Toronto Argonauts. And for that reason, the 2006 version of the Bombers will likely not be remembered at all.

And that is a shame, because this year’s team had tons of potential, and was full of great players who put forth excellent efforts out on the gridiron. Five members of this year’s Bombers were recently named to the CFL All- Star team. Heading the Bomber allstar list is the CFL’s leading rusher, Charles Roberts. Joining Roberts are Milt Stegall, Doug Brown, Barrin Simpson, and Albert Johnson III. Only the runaway Western division champions the B.C. Lions had more players selected to this year’s team of standouts.

The Bombers’ main struggle this year seemed to be keeping themselves healthy. Quarterback Kevin Glenn, offensive lineman Matt Sheridan, and slot back Milt Stegall were among the many players on the Blue and Gold roster that battled injuries this season. With so many key players missing key games, the Bombers went from a team poised to battle for the best record in the league to a team that stumbled to the third spot in the Eastern division.

As the season began, the Bombers found themselves back in the Eastern division, switching over from the West following the financial collapse of the Ottawa Renegades. At the outset, the Bombers had a scintillating 5-2 start. They were becoming the talk of the CFL for their stifling defence. The Bombers had effectively kept pace with the Montreal Alouettes, who themselves had gotten off to a tremendous start, going undefeated for the first eight weeks of the season. As it so often happens with Montreal, they also went on a streak of the opposite kind, losing five in a row. When Damon Allen brought the Toronto Argonauts back into contention, Winnipeg found themselves in a dog-fight for top spot in the East Division.

But as the injuries started to pile up, the wins started to dwindle. Without the tandem of Kevin Glenn and Milt Stegall for a good portion of the middle of the season, the Bombers were never able to fully capitalize on the woes of their rivals, constantly finding themselves looking up at the Argos and Als in the standings. Despite all the injuries, Winnipeg still found itself in a position to clinch a home playoff game with a win in the regular season finale. But, just as the season had gone, another injury to Glenn led to a Bombers loss.

The loss forced the Bombers into the Rogers Centre for the playoffs, where home-field advantage was certainly a key in the Argonauts ending the Blue Bombers’ season.

Still, the season was full of highlights for the Blue and Gold.

Winnipeg captured the third annual Banjo Bowl at CanadInns stadium, exacting a little piece of revenge on the Roughriders, who had squashed Winnipeg in the Labour Day Classic.

Running back Charles Roberts was a human highlight reel all season. He tore up opposing defences to the tune of a career-best 1,624 yards en route to winning his second CFL rushing title — over 200 more than second-place Joffrey Reynolds of the Calgary Stampeders.

Another highlight was crushing the Edmonton Eskimos 46-10 on Canada day and putting up some unbelievable offensive numbers. Glenn threw for 368 yards on 15 of 24 passing, while Stegall finished the afternoon with two touchdown receptions.

But perhaps this season will be most noted for what a player who quite possibly won’t be back next year, the “turtle man” Milt Stegall. There have been rumors that this will be All-Star slot back Stegall’s last season in the CFL.

At the conclusion of the 2005 season, Stegall appeared ready to announce his retirement before signing a one-year deal with the Blue and Gold, hoping for one last kick at the proverbial can.

After this season, many are predicting the end of his 12-year tenure with the Bombers, during which he became the club’s all-time leader in receptions and touchdown catches. His 136 touchdown receptions leave him one shy of the CFL all-time record.

But you can never underestimate the competitiveness of a professional athlete, and as he proved this year, Stegall is no slouch. Stegall had arguably the most memorable play of the year, his 100-yard game-winning touchdown reception in the dying seconds of the Bombers’ week-six tilt with the Edmonton Eskimos. Only time will tell if Stegall will lace them up for one more season.

The Bombers did show a lot of promise for the years to come. Young stars like defensive lineman Gavin Walls and running back Graeme Bell made their impact and should be even better next season.

So while the tears may be fresh from Nov. 5’s season-ending playoff loss to Toronto, the groundwork has already been laid for next year, as the Bombers continue to provide exciting football for the city of Winnipeg.