With a Labour Day Classic whuppin' still very much on the Blue Bombers minds, the back end of the annual border war between Saskatchewan and Manitoba will take place Sunday in River City.
The Banjo Bowl this year finds the Bombers akin to a rather battered old banjo, many of the strings have snapped, the neck is a little warped and the thing clearly isn't in tune. The Riders on the other hand, at least when it comes to playing the Bombers appear to have a banjo as though made by Stradivarius.
Such was the pain of last weeks' 52-0 drubbing of the Bombers, a display which has left some in Winnipeg wondering if their home side has just decided to throw in the towel for the year, having already cost head coach Paul LaPolice his job, the Bombers did his replacement Tim Burke no favours with a woeful display of football.
With no offensive points generated and a defensive squad that may as well have been carrying white flags onto the field, the Riders ran, passed and kicked their way to a total humiliation.
About the only good thing about last weeks horror at Mosaic is that it at least provides the coaching staff with some strong motivational material, endless hours of film study will have left the Bombers anxious we imagine to atone for some of the mess they left behind in Regina last week.
Saskatchewan of course will be riding high coming into Winnipeg, clearly with the Bombers on their heels this year, the time may never be better for a Banjo sweep, something that would do wonders for the Riders confidence, which suffered through most of August as they found new ways to lose games.
There was no such worry last weekend at home and while we imagine the Bombers won't get shut out, the task ahead for them this weekend is still very much an uphill thing, whether they have found some resolve after last weeks embarrassment will probably give the home folks some idea as to where their team really is at this point.
Even if the Blue win the anger of the home base is clear, they aren't on board with a few of the Bomber decisions of this year and aren't afraid to share their thoughts. Another blow out loss and the demands to blow up the team will just get amplified ten fold as a season where there was much anticipation goes sideways in a very bad fashion.
Game Time Noon CT, 1 PM ET, 10 AM ET CanadInn Stadium (TSN)
Saskatchewan 25 at Winnipeg 24 (30,077)
Pre Game
CFL Video Preview
Globe and Mail-- Banjo Bowl to provide Bombers a chance for redemption
National Post-- Roughriders should expect Blue Bombers to play with desperation...
Winnipeg Sun-- Bombers should give Roughriders a fight
Winnipeg Free Press-- Burke expects emotion, enthusiasm
Regina Leader Post-- Darian Durant, Odell Willis ready for crowd noise at Banjo Bowl
Team Backgrounders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Post Game
CFL.ca-- Game Review
CFL.ca-- Video Highlights
Globe and Mail-- DeAngelis kicks 40 yarder on last play as Riders edge Bombers in Banjo Bowl
National Post-- Roughriders beat Blue Bombers with last second field goal
Winnipeg Sun-- Bombers find another way to lose
Winnipeg Free Press-- Bombers laughingstock of CFL, and that's not funny
Regina Leader Post-- Bomber charity rescues Riders
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