Bomber fans will know that with the win against BC, the Club hit the 700 win mark, while Mike O’Shea and Wade Miller hit the 100 win mark. Both of these accomplishments deserve much praise!

It was not that long ago that the Bombers had a revolving door at quarterback; could not find Canadian talent; and for the life of them could not win a game. As a season ticket holder myself, people would ask me what the (then new) stadium was like. I always gave the same response, “It is a great place to have a terrible time.”

And then there was a shift in the tide. The Bombers began to clean house and hired President by the name of Wade Miller. While Miller had never been a GM in football, he had been a Bomber before.

A Winnipeg Blue Bomber Hall of Famer, Miller played 11 years for the team. He received CFL East Division All-Star honours in 1997 & 1999 and ranks as the Canadian Football League and Bombers’ all-time leader in special team tackles with 184. Miller also shares the record for most special teams tackles in a season with 37, a mark he achieved in 1999. He was inducted into the Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame in 2011. – Source

I am sure that if Winnipeg was in the USA, someone would have capitalized on the saying, “It’s Miller Time.” So while Miller had never been a CFL GM, he knew a thing or two about football. And as he operated the province’s largest recruitment firm, suffice it to say he knew something about creating a winning culture.

It was likely that combination that led to Miller hiring Bomber’s Head Coach Mike O’Shea. And while O’Shea had a rocky start – as it takes a while to bail a sinking ship – it was the understanding of winning cultures that kept Miller from moving on from O’Shea. Miller knew what he had, and the results would come shortly after.

So while Miller and O’Shea deserve much credit, what did I do to help? What was “my small part.” Well, I sat in the stands and cheered throughout those painful nights; never giving up hope that one day it could be better.

But I went one step further than that. Previously to the O’Shea hiring, every time I got lucky enough to meet a Bomber coach or general manager, I made sure to shake their hand. However this time would be different.

Shortly after the O’Shea hire I was in Polo Park Shopping mall getting my iPhone battery replaced. Low and behold, who do I see in the mall, what I thought to be Mike O’Shea. You have to remember that at that time he as not so recognizable to people in Manitoba…he was new.

I went over, and asked him, “Are you Mike O’Shea?” He told me that he was. I went on to tell him that I was a huge Bomber fan, and had season tickets. I then quickly added, “But I will not be shaking your hand. The last time I did that to a Bomber Head Coach and General Manager we found our team in a real mess.” With that, we both cracked a smile and went our own way.

So, while we know with certainty both Mike O’Shea and Wade Miller deserve a ton of credit for getting the team where they are today, we just do not know what would have happened if I took the time to shake O’Shea’s hand…and maybe we are better for that.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments section wherever you are reading this.

Catch all my articles here.