THE WINNPEG BLUE BOMBERS
A WINNING COMBINATION Blue Bombers’ success on and off the field no accident
lish a core group, so we brought in people like Danny McManus and Ted Goveia to help with scouting,” he recalls. “Above all, I wanted to make the team a place where people wanted to be. That meant doing the little things and taking care of players and coaches.” Predictably, turning the team around was easier said than done. While both fans and media expressed frus- tration over the team’s growing pains — a de- cent 7-11 season in 2014 was followed up by a disappointing 5-13 campaign — Miller and his team remained steadfast in their belief that they were heading in the right direction. “It was just a matter of taking the right steps and following the plan, so we didn’t deviate. Sure, we adjusted along the way, but we knew it would take time to put all the pieces togeth- er,” he says. “You don’t fix things overnight. Ultimately, it comes down to the people.” As it turned out, O’Shea — once one of the most feared middle linebackers in the CFL — proved to be a calm, steadying influence as head coach. Finally, the Blue Bombers hit paydirt in 2016, making the playoffs for the first time in four years on the strength of a solid 11-7 record. Over time, proven coaches like offensive co- ordinator Paul LaPolice and defensive co-ordi- nator Richie Hall were hired, and former Blue Bombers’ quarterback Buck Pierce — who now serves as offensive co-ordinator — was brought in to work with O’Shea.
BY TODD LEWYS
Today, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are the CFL’s two-time defending Grey Cup Champions. A masterfully run organization, they are the envy of the league for their professionalism, stability and great team atmosphere. B ut that wasn’t the case in August 2013 when Wade Miller was named team president and CEO. The Blue Bombers had gone through several lean years, losing more than they won. Coach- es and players came and went. No one — coaches or players — wanted to come to Winnipeg anymore, as the once- proud franchise had lost its way. Thankfully, Miller — who had proven himself as a shrewd businessman before coming to the Blue Bombers — had a vision. He first hired Kyle Walters as general man- ager in late November 2013. Walters then brought in Toronto Argonauts special teams coach Mike O’Shea to serve as head coach a short time later. Those two key positions filled, Miller set about changing the team’s culture. “The vision I had from Day 1 was to estab-
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