We demand better, and we demand better now
by: Ernie “This Is The” Pitts
The atmosphere was sickening.
As the boos rained down on a stuggling – as always – Michael Bishop, Saskatchewan Roughriders fans wearing fruit as headgear cackled with glee. By the mid-point of the fourth quarter, only the melonheads and a few diehard Bombers fans remained in the stands to watch the Riders deliver the final kicks to the bloodied and broken home team.
The final score? Irrelevant.
What matters is that loyal Bombers fans were jeered out of their own stadium after a truly shameful performance by their team. We were forced to slink out of our facility while a bunch of green-clad fools pillaged the place like barbarians sacking Rome.
Green flags flew high in above the field where James West caused internal bleeding and James Murphy collected jock straps. Stupid Pilsner cowboy hats outnumbered Bombers headgear in the stands. Chants of “Here we go, Riders!” rang throughout bleachers that used to hear nothing but calls of “Stegall! Stegall!”
We left with our tails between our legs while they laughed at us. We scurried to our cars to listen to words of absolution from Saint Bob Irving, but we heard nothing because Saint Bob had been muzzled by hours of sponsor plugs crammed into too short a broadcast. Bomber Nation looked to Saint Bob and said, “Help us,” and Saint Bob replied, “Take your car to Maaco.”
There will be no salvation from Saint Bob or anyone else. Tyrone Jones is dead. Joe Poplawski sells insurance. Trevor Kennerd wants to be a politician. Tom Clements lives in another country. Ken Ploen is old.
We are on our own.
As I write this the Stadium burns, set ablaze with gas siphoned out of combines left idling in Canada’s wheat belt when their owners banded together to invade Winnipeg. I can smell it, and it smells like old hot dogs, stale popcorn and defeat. All the warm, overpriced beer in the Stadium won’t put out the flames – nor should we try to end the blaze.
I say let it burn. Let it burn so we can rebuild it.
The Winnipeg Football Club has let down its fans and shamed its name. It has broken the faith, and it must be punished. Whoever steered the ship here must be held accountable. Every hand that touched the tiller must be cut off. These people must be hunted down, fired and replaced.
The state of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is no longer acceptable. Changes are now mandatory. No transition period will be allowed, and no excuses will be tolerated. We’ve heard 20 years of excuses, and we will hear no more.
We will not stop booing and we will not be patient. Doing so would be admitting that it’s OK for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to lose – which it is not. We remain the vigilant who guard the legacy of the franchise while its stewards drink and scratch their crotches in the Blue and Gold Lounge.
We demand better, and we demand better now.
We are Angry Bomber Fans, and we will no longer accept this shit.
