REGINA — The Labour Day Classic in Regina — more specifically, old Taylor Field or new Mosaic Stadium — is not a place, or a game, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have historically used to find or build any kind of confidence.
It’s been quite the opposite, actually.
This place was a graveyard for Blue Bomber teams for eons, after all, including a run between 2005-15 when the dudes decked out in blue and gold lost 11 consecutive Labour Day Classics. This is a weekend the Blue Bombers have often struggled just to survive regardless of their record or that of the Riders and on those seemingly rare occasions when the stars align right, exited with a victory.
Funny thing about all that as the Blue Bombers have rolled into enemy territory today on a three-game win streak and a recent 5-2 run which has helped put the 0-4 stumble out of the starting blocks into the rear-view mirror.
And it’s also helped form a very real ‘that which doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger’ vibe growing with this squad.
“We had that bad start, but there just this deep belief in each other, man,” said receiver Drew Wolitarsky. “I know so many of these guys on this team — and, yes we have a lot of new guys — but I feel like a lot of conversations I’ve had with the vets have all been on, ‘Just keep doing what we do. Keep consistent. Keep bringing that positive energy. Keep bringing that juice.’ Some weeks it was tough, but we needed to keep bringing that positivity and be the same.
“We win that game against B.C. a few weeks ago and it’s like, ‘OK, that’s the first place team in the West right now.’ We go to B.C. and win and then last week, for us to be down late in the game, and then find it… I mean, I wasn’t even playing but those guys just dug deep mentally. It was, ‘We’ve got to f’in find it’ and then with that last drive we get the touchdown to Kenny (Lawler).
“It was ugly but when push came to shove we found a way to win. That was the old Bomber mentality we had to find again.”
The theme to the first 11 weeks of the season has been about survival and overcoming injuries that came in bunches to different position groups, from the receivers to the defensive line and now the offensive line — outlined in our Game Preview.
Yet, perhaps it’s having slogged through all that adversity already which has hardened this group and, again, has given it so much confidence heading into this Labour Day Classic/Banjo Bowl doubleheader with first place in the West Division up for grabs.
“We’ve already faced so much, seen so much. We’ve already seen so many different scenarios and outcomes,” said running back Brady Oliveira. “We’ve faced so much adversity and it’s about learning to attack it head on. It’s having that mindset to come in here, stay close together, keep working and find ways to improve this thing. It’s about knocking over what’s ever in front of us and getting through these hurdles. That’s what we’ve done and we’ve grown from it.
“I believe in my heart that as we go down the stretch here and get later into the season it will help us because we’ve seen so many different things already as a team.”
Two other storylines to keep an eye on today:
-First, Zach Collaros is close to making CFL history as the winningest QB in Labour Day history. He is 6-1 in Labour Day games in his career with Toronto, Hamilton, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg and a seventh win would move him past CFL legends like Bernie Faloney, Danny McManus and Darian Durant. (Bo Levi Mitchell also has six Labour Day weekend wins, FYI).
“I’ve been lucky to be part of some really good teams and some good offences on this day, on Labour Day,” Collaros said Saturday at the team’s media availability at Mosaic Stadium. “There’s certainly a lot of excitement in the air and a lot that goes into this, a lot of adrenaline pumping.
“Labour Day is probably everybody’s favourite day in this league and it’s going to be a lot of fun. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of four great organizations on this day that this game means a lot to — none greater than the organization I’m with now. Its going to be high energy, the stands are going to be loud and that’s what you want.”
-And, second, the Blue Bombers have 15 players who will be suiting up for their first Labour Day Classic today. Then there’s defensive end Willie Jefferson, who has been here, done that, before and thoroughly enjoys playing the heel in enemy territory.
“It’s a persona that sometimes you have to take,” said Jefferson. “When people see me, especially when I was here, I was the out-going, loving, fun guy — especially when I was off the field. When I was on the field I was always having fun with my teammates.
“When I came to Winnipeg it was the same thing — just to bring that fun, that love of the game, that passion to the Winnipeg fans. Now, coming into enemy territory here at Mosaic where I’ve had fun times — I embrace being that villain. Somebody’s got to do it; you can’t always be the good guy. So, when we come here — or when we go anywhere — if taking on that bad-guy role, that villain role, is something we have to take on to get the mindset right in the locker room, we’re all about that.
“Nobody ever said you had to be a hero to play defence. You always want to be the bad guy when you’re on the defensive side of the ball.”
