Winnipeg Loyalty

On Saturday I went to my first Winnipeg Blue Bombers game of the season. I almost forgot how much fun it is to see a game! Not only for the sport itself but also because of  the high energy that the fans bring.

However this time I didn't come to watch the game, but instead with the mission to find a good story within the stands. This assignment is for my Journalism class. I had to find a story (or a lead) that connects to the game. This is what I found.

The Canad Inns Stadium is blanketed with blue and gold jerseys. Horns hoot, bells jingle and fans holler, while Bomber players on the field strive to catch up on points. This thunderous atmosphere pumps adrenaline into both the players and the fans.

“This is my first Bomber game” says Alex Beaumont, a University of Manitoba student. “I was not expecting it to be this busy or loud, it’s very, very loud” she chuckled.

As she sits in the front row on the steel bleachers Alex says “I could definitely see my friends coming to hangout here on a weekend, I think that would be really fun.”

Amidst the jingles and horns Alex smiles and says “I wasn’t expecting the canon being shot off when we made a touchdown, I think that’s really cool.”  She then looks around at the enthusiastic Bomber fans surrounding her and says, “But I would probably wear some bomber gear next time.”

Cheering a few rows up from Alex is a Bomber fan covered in the Bomber’s official team colours; blue and gold. “This is my first time dressing up actually” says Scott Wesley while brushing away his Bomber coloured wig from his face.  “I’ve already gotten a lot of complements” he laughs.

“I love football; it’s my second favorite sport. My first favorite is hockey. Go Jets Go!” he says. “I always dress up for hockey. When you dress up it builds up the energy of everyone else.” He then raises his orange plastic horn to his mouth, releasing a low bellow of support.

“The thing about Winnipeg is that we support our players” he says, “I remember Dancing Gabe when the Jets were originally here.” He points to Gabe clapping in the stands beneath. “He does all the sports; hockey, football and baseball” he says, “I would go to the old Jets games and watch him dance all the time.”

Gabe Langlois, also known as Dancing Gabe says “I’ve been going to the Bombers since 1984, I come to every game. Without peeling his eyes off of the field he says “The Bombers are my all-time favorite team.”

On September 29th, 2012, the Canad Inns Stadium was filled with 27 169 ticket holders who watched the Winnipeg Blue Bombers face the Toronto Argonauts. The Blue Bombers were defeated by the Argonauts by 29-10. This places the Blue Bombers in a 3-10 standing and the Argonauts in a 7-6 standing in this season’s Canadian Football League.

Photo: (me [Samara], Megan Funnel and Scott Wesley)

This was my first time writing a news style article. I really enjoyed the experience of interviewing people although it was challenging to keep thinking of questions and being comfortable to walk up to complete strangers and ask to interview them (I felt like a creepy stalker or something). I also found it difficult to keep my writing short and concise without the use of a lot of details or narration. Overall, I really liked it, but I think I need to keep interviewing so that I become more comfortable with it.