Mark Stephen
CFL.ca
As teams make their final trips to the soon-to-be vacated Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, you can be sure that there will be some nostalgic moments.
With the final regular season game slated for Oct. 29, tonight’s game against the Blue Bombers will be the final time the Calgary Stampeders step foot in the 58-year old stadium.
The Stamps have their own unique slice of history of Canad Inns.
They played in the first two of the three Grey Cups staged in the facility. In 1991, the Stamps won the stats battle but not the scoreboard battle. That year they lost the Arctic Bowl 36-21 to Toronto.
In 1991, the Stamps lost to the Argos in the 79th Grey Cup, and then seven years later, the Stamps came out on top of a memorable duel with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 86th Grey Cup, winning 26-24.
Kicker Mark McLoughlin, pounded through a game-winning field goal on the final play of the game, giving the Stampeders their fourth Grey Cup championship.
The coach of both of those Calgary teams was Wally Buono. He returned eight years later to win a title in Winnipeg, as boss of the BC Lions.
However, the Stampeders of 2011 want to write a little slice of history of their own.
After a nail-biting 34-32 win over the Lions last week at Empire Field, one thing the Stampeders will be seeking tonight is offensive consistency
“Everyone has a good defence this year,” noted Calgary GM/Coach John Hufnagel.
“It’s going to be hard to play offensive football for 60 minutes. You have to keep your poise and your confidence and score when you have the chance.”
Calgary will be bolstered by a couple of returning players for tonight’s matchup. Speedy receiver Ken-Yon Rambo is back after a one-game absence and the sturdy offensive lineman Dimitri Tsoumpas will make his 2011 debut.
The right guard had been battling a hamstring injury.
“It’s been about four weeks and it’s getting frustrating standing and watching,” said Tsoumpas who is suddenly the senior statesman on the Stampeders offensive line.
“Fresh legs or not, I still don’t have any games under the belt, so that’s kind of in question.”
The return of the two veterans will send a pair of younger players to the sidelines.
Rookie offensive lineman J’Micheal Deane had filled in admirably for Tsoumpas, while receiver/returner Landon Talley will draw the short straw as well.
Heading into Winnipeg, the Stamps know they’re facing one of the top defences in the league.
Defensive coordinator Tim Burke, a former defensive assistant with the Stamps, has built the Bombers into an aggressive unit.
“They have an excellent pass rush and front four,” said Hufnagel.
“Their linebacking core is very solid. At the back end, their defensive backs play aggressive man-to-man coverage. It’s going to be a tall chore for us offensively.”
While the Stamps have respect for the Winnipeg defence, the respect is mutual. Winnipeg’s Doug Brown knows his team’s gaudy defensive stats will be put to the test.
“Definitely, in my opinion, the most explosive offence we have seen,” noted the league co-sacks leader.
“Both of their running backs are capable of taking it to the house. They’ve got, probably, one of the best receiving corps in the CFL. Then you take the double-pronged threat of Henry Burris. But if you want to be known as one of the best defences you have to cut your teeth against teams like Calgary and that’s what we hope to do.”
Both teams are coming off short weeks, meaning conditioning and depth could be tested. One significant difference, however, is that Calgary’s game was on the road while Winnipeg was at home.
Regardless, it will be one more chapter for the Stamps – one last chapter – to add to the lore of Canad Inns Stadium.
