Bob Irving
CFL.ca
Buck Pierce had no idea what he was getting into when he signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers early in 2010. And I mean that in a good way.
Pierce understood he would be a bigger fish in a smaller pond than was the case in Vancouver with the B.C. Lions. But it wasn’t until he actually arrived and got settled in the Keystone province that he realized how relevant football is in Manitoba and how recognizable the quarterback of the team becomes.
There is no place to hide; anonymity is a non-starter in this town. Not that Pierce was seeking to become a hermit. Far from it. The 29-year old graduate of New Mexico State University has an amiable, easy going, humble manner that reeks of the kind of quiet charisma that is a perfect fit for this part of the world.
Pierce found out very quickly what kind of a rock star status awaits a successful Blue Bomber quarterback when he came flying out of the gate in the first two games of 2010, passing for 657 yards, five touchdowns and just one interception.
Pierce had quickly become the toast of the town.
Unfortunately, injuries limited Pierce to just three more appearances over the rest of the season.
But the link to the Winnipeg football crowd had been started and when Pierce decided to spend the winter in Winnipeg and totally immerse himself in the community, his connection to Southern Manitoba only strengthened. Pierce willingly became a leading ambassador for the club.
Blue bomber Vice-President of Marketing, Jerry Maslowsky, says, “Buck’s work in the off-season, particularly in the rural communities, has helped the club reconnect and attract fans from all over the province and into Ontario. He has that approachability, that magic that only a few athletes have.”
Pierce staged football camps during the winter, travelling as far as Thompson, Manitoba with offensive lineman Glenn January to spread the Blue Bomber brand.
He has become a spokesperson for the Manitoba Wildlife Federation, is the Bombers chief ambassador for the “Recycle Everywhere” program, has worked with Purolator on their “Tackle Hunger” campaign, and along with running back Fred Reid, he has joined forced with MTS and the United Way of Winnipeg to provide 100 tickets per game for disadvantaged youth in the Winnipeg area.
If that wasn’t enough, Pierce has struck an endorsement deal with a local car company and he has his own weekly hour-long radio show on CJOB.
Maslowsky calls him, “along with Doug Brown, the most sought after Blue Bomber since Khari Jones was in his prime in 2001 and 2002.”
This is not to suggest that Pierce has developed too many off-field ‘distractions’. He simply believes that immersing himself in the community and being fan friendly is part of his responsibility as a high-profile athlete.
Make no mistake; there is never any question that football comes first. Proof of that came this week when Pierce brushed aside comments by his agent who suggested in a newspaper interview that the Bombers should be prepared to reward Pierce for his strong play in helping the Bombers get off to a 6-1 start.
“That kind of talk can be disruptive and detract from out team’s focus,” said Pierce. “We’ll leave the contract stuff until the off-season.”
Pierce was part of a Grey Cup Championship team in 2006 with the B.C. Lions. But he was a backup during that game. Buck Pierce has found a home in Winnipeg, he plans to be here for a long time, and his overwhelming goal is to be a part of breaking that long Blue Bomber Grey Cup drought that dates all the way back to 1990.
One can only imagine the kind of stature Pierce will achieve if that happens.
