That’s legendary Bud Grant and his likeness outside the home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Thursday. We can talk about past greats and all things CFL when the legendary live Lions chat returns to theprovince.com at 1 p.m. Saturday (PNG)
A visit to see the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Thursday seemed to involve time travel. It was like whipping back into the past in a time machine. And it was neither windy nor wintry either.
Outside the Bombers’ terrific new Investors Group Field stood none other than the greatest coach in franchise history, Harry Peter (Bud) Grant. There really can’t be much dispute about that statement now really; the man won a franchise best 160 games.
Grant was on hand for the unveiling of a fantastic statue of his likeness, and was in fine form as he looked at himself.
“Shouldn’t have gotten rid of that trench coat in the garage sale,” he said. “Usually, when you get a statue you like this, you’re dead.” The 86-year-old legend can still leave them laughing.
The working stiffs then had to march inside to see what Grant and others have left behind.
The contrast was pretty stark, and not because the Bombers are 6-10 and on the verge of watching the playoffs from the outside for the third straight season. The culture being developed by first-year coach Mike O’Shea sure seems to an outsider to be vastly different from the carefree expressionism of a retired legend.
O’Shea has a complete grip on the message generated for the Bombers with a media policy that would drive Winnipeg beat colleagues crazy if they hadn’t become accustomed to how it rolls.
Assistant coaches like Gary Etcheverry, Marcel Bellefeuille and Buck Pierce, good guys all, aren’t allowed near the wretches. Nick Moore can shake the hand of a Vancouver visitor but as an injured player cannot do more and actually speak. Moore didn’t play the last time he faced his former team and won’t be in the lineup Saturday, meaning it may never be learned what he thought about leaving the Lions.
O’Shea had no problem taking questions but admitted he would benefit from a talk to Grant.
“I’d like to hear about all the things he thought were mistakes,” said O’Shea. Winnipeg is 4-13 in its new home. There were just 22,320 fans at the Bombers’ last home game. Helping out the local scribes might be a good first topic.
