Winnipeg Blue Bombers

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Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Division	East Division
Founded	1930
Home field	Canad Inns Stadium
Based in	Winnipeg, Manitoba
Colours	Blue and Gold
League	Canadian Football League
Head coach	Doug Berry
General manager	Brendan Taman
Mascots	Buzz and Boomer
Grey Cups	10 (1935 1939 1941 1958 1959 1961 1962 1984 1988 1990)

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian Football League team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

1 Team facts
2 Franchise history
3 Coaches
4 Players of note
5 Trivia
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Team facts

Founded: 1930

Helmet design: Gold background, with a blue "W", lightning bolt and football

Uniform colours: Blue, Gold and White.

Stadium: Osborne Stadium (1935-1952), Canad Inns Stadium (known as Winnipeg Stadium from 1953-2002) (1953-present)

Local Radio: CJOB 680 (Am radio) 99.5 (Cable FM)

Eastern Division championships: 6 — 1987, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2001

Western Division championships: 13 — 1936, 1939,1941, 1947, 1950, 1952, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1972

Grey Cup finals appearances: 22 — 1935 (won), 1937 (lost), 1938 (lost) 1939 (won), 1941 (won), 1945 (lost), 1946 (lost), 1947 (lost), 1950 (lost), 1953 (lost), 1957 (lost), 1958 (won), 1959 (won), 1961 (won), 1962 (won), 1965 (lost), 1984 (won), 1988 (won), 1990 (won), 1992 (lost), 1993 ( lost), 2001 (lost)

Grey Cup wins: 10 — 1935, 1939, 1941, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1984, 1988, 1990

Main Rivals: Saskatchewan Roughriders (see Labour Day Classic and Banjo Bowl).

2006 Regular Season Record: 9 wins, 9 losses, 0 ties.

[edit] Franchise history

The Winnipeg Rugby Football Club was formed in 1880. In 1930 the Winnipeg Rugby Football Club became known as the Winnipegs, and in 1933 the Winnipegs and another team called the St. John's merged to form the 'Pegs. In 1936 the 'Pegs became the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and joined the newly created Western Interprovincial Football Union (one of the CFL's forerunners).

Canad Inns Stadium

During the Blue Bombers' early years the team played at Osborne Stadium, a small stadium near the Manitoba Legislative Buildings. The fast passing-dominated play of Bombers quarterback Jack Jacobs dramatically increased attendance at Blue Bombers games and precipitated the need for a new, larger stadium. Winnipeg Stadium was built in the western part of Winnipeg and the Blue Bombers began play there in 1953. The Blue Bombers continue to play at the stadium, though it has gone through significant changes over the years and is now known as Canad Inns Stadium.

Despite the fact that Winnipeg is a western Canadian city, the Blue Bombers have played many seasons (1987 to 1994 and 1997 to 2001) in the Eastern Division in order to keep the number of teams in each division somewhat equal, with six switches total since 1987. With the suspension of the Ottawa Renegades team for the 2006 season, the Blue Bombers returned to the Eastern Division for at least the 2006 season.

[edit] Coaches

Doug Berry 2006-present
Jim Daley 2004-2005
Dave Ritchie 1999-2004
Jeff Reinebold 1997-1998
Urban Bowman 1992 (served as interim Head Coach for Cal Murphy)
Darryl Rogers 1991
Mike Riley 1987-1990
Cal Murphy 1983-1986, 1993-1997
Ray Jauch 1978-1982
Bud Riley 1974-1977
Jim Spavital 1970-1973
Joe Zaleski 1967-1969
Bud Grant 1957-1966
Al Sherman 1954-1956
George Trafton 1951-1953
Frank Larson 1949-1950
Jack West 1946-1948
Bert Warwick 1945
Reg Threlfall 1938-1943
Bob Fritz 1935-1937
Greg Kabat 1934
Carl Cronin 1932-1933
Pete Barnes 1931 (co-coached)
Jack Millidge 1931 (co-coached)
Fred Ritter 1930

[edit] Players of note

[edit] Canadian Football Hall of Famers

Bennett, Paul - Inducted as a Player in 2002.
Brock, Ralph "Dieter" - Inducted as a Player in 1995.
Browne, Less - Inducted as a Player in 2002.
Casey, Tom "Citation" - Inducted as a Player in 1964.
Chipman, Arthur - Inducted as a Builder in 1969.
Clements, Tom - Inducted as a Player in 1994.
Cronin, Carl - Inducted as a Player in 1967.
Currie, Andrew - Inducted as a Builder in 1974.
Dunigan, Matt - Inducted as a Player in 2006.
Frank, Bill - Inducted as a Player in 2001.
Grant, Harry Peter "Bud" - Inducted as a Builder in 1983.
Grant, Tommy - Inducted as a Player in 1995.
Halter, G. Sydney - Inducted as a Builder in 1966.
Hannibal, Frank - Inducted as a Builder in 1963.
Hanson, Fritz - Inducted as a Player in 1963.
Helton, John - Inducted as a Player in 1985.
Huffman, Dick - Inducted as a Player in 1987.
Hughes, W.P. Billy - Inducted as a Builder in 1974.
Jacobs, Jack - Inducted as a Player in 1963.
James, Eddie - Inducted as a Player in 1963.
James, Gerry - Inducted as a Player in 1981.
Kabat, Greg - Inducted as a Player in 1996.
Lear, Les - Inducted as a Player in 1974.
Lewis, Leo "Lincoln Locomotive" - Inducted as a Player in 1973.
Lunsford, Earl - Inducted as a Player in 1983.
McChance, Chester "Ches" - Inducted as a Player in 1976.
Murphy, Cal - Inducted as a Builder in 2004.
Murphy, James - Inducted as a Player in 2000.
Ploen, Ken - Inducted as a Player in 1975.
Poplawski, Joe - Inducted as a Player in 1998.
Rebholz, Russ "The Wisconsin Wraith" - Inducted as a Player in 1963.
Rigney, Frank Joseph - Inducted as a Player in 1984.
Ryan, Joseph B. - Inducted as a Builder in 1968.
Slocomb, Karl - Inducted as a Builder in 1989.
Stevenson, Art - Inducted as a Player in 1969.
Tinsley, Robert Porter "Buddy" - Inducted as a Player in 1982.
Walby, Chris - Inducted as a Player in 2003.
Warwick, Bert - Inducted as a Builder in 1964.

[edit] All-Time 75th Anniversary Team

[edit] Current squad

As of February 27, 2007

0 - Ike Charlton, LB
1 - Charles Roberts, RB
2 - Ryan Dinwiddie, QB
3 - Anthony Malbrough, DB
5 - Kevin Glenn, QB
7 - Troy Westwood, K/P
8 - Greg Bearman, S
9 - Corey Jenkins, LB
10 - Jazzman Williams, DB
15 - Davin Bush, DB
20 - Kai Parham, LB
22 - Shawn Gallant, S
23 - Kyries Hebert, LB
24 - Gabriel Fulbright, CB
25 - Robert Bean, CB
26 - Graeme Bell, FB
27 - Kelly Malveaux, DB
29 - Chris Martin, LB
31 - Ian Logan, S
34 - Henri Childs, RB
39 - John Sullivan, S
42 - Neil McKinlay, LB
44 - Tom Canada, DE
50 - Chris Cvetkovic, LS
51 - Barrin Simpson, LB
53 - Dominic Picard, C
54 - Matt Sheridan, G
55 - Aaron Fiacconi, C
56 - Stevie Baggs, DE
57 - Jermese Jones, T
59 - Val St. Germain, G
60 - Ibrahim Khan, C
64 - Dan Goodspeed, T
66 - Alexandre Gauthier, T
69 - Eric Wilson, DT
77 - Jon Oosterhuis, DT
80 - Quentin McCord, SB
81 - Adam Eckert, SB
82 - Kwame Cavil, WR
83 - Derick Armstrong, WR
84 - Chris Brazzell, WR
85 - Milt Stegall, SB
86 - Arjei Franklin, WR
87 - Albert Johnson III, WR
88 - Jamie Stoddard, SB
90 - Adrian Baird, DE
91 - Shawn Mayne, DE
94 - Ron Warner, DE
96 - Dante Booker, DL
97 - Doug Brown, DT
98 - Gavin Walls, DE
** - Andrew Greene, T

Includes free agents likely to re-sign

[edit] Not to be forgotten

Juran Bolden
Bob Cameron
Chuck Ealey
Rod Hill
Khari Jones
Bob Molle
Willard Reaves
Mike Sellers
Dan Wicklum
Joe Fleming
Gerald Wilcox
Alfred Jackson
Daved Benefield
Robert Gordon
Brian Herosian
James Murphy
Robert Mimbs
Sean Salisbury
Tony Johns
Trevor Kennerd
James West
Tim Jesse

[edit] Team members successful elsewhere

Ed Schultz, talk show host

[edit] Trivia

The Blue Bombers got their name when Vince Leah, a reporter for a Winnipeg paper, referred to them as "the Blue Bombers of Western football", combining the nickname of boxer Joe Louis ("The Brown Bomber"), with a colour from the team's uniforms (blue and gold).
Labatt Blue, a widely-known beer in Canada, was named after the Blue Bombers.[1]
The Bombers are the only team that has won every award (see Category:Canadian Football League trophies and awards for list of trophies) in the CFL, excluding the Rogers Fans' Choice Award which has only been presented 3 times.