If you have been a football fan for any amount of time, you have heard of a ‘game-ball.’ The idea behind a game-ball is that provides recognition for someone whose contribution went a long way in the team winning. Often a game-ball handed out by a coach, or a captain. Sometimes television personalities or sports writers will give out game-balls in their segments or articles.

I am going to be doing something a bit different. Yes, I will hand out a game-ball after each Winnipeg Blue Bomber game, but I will also hand out a jock (all figuratively of course).

The ‘jock,’ is going to go to someone who stunk it up! Maybe it was on one play, or through the course of the game. The idea of the jock, is that it will be the opposite of the game-ball.

Game-Ball For Winnipeg:

There are many players that could receive a game-ball for Winnipeg.

You could pick many players from the defence, or even the whole Winnipeg defence. You could give the game ball to Liegghio (which would tick-off Walby) as he had a kickoff average of 61.8 yards, and went 3-3 on field goals. (He was Winnipeg’s leading scorer again). There were also some receivers who made a couple of really nice catches (Schoen, Ellingson, Wolitarsky). Yet, they did not produce enough to receive the game ball (possibly a victim of the play calling).

You could probably give the game-ball to Adam Bighill every game. He can, and he does, do it all. Drop back into coverage? No problem. Blitz the line of scrimmage? Yep. Lay some heavy hits? Did I hear Bomber Woman yell “Savage”?

You could give the game ball to every Bomber involved in what I called the craziest play of the game, found in Truth Bombs.

In the third quarter with 3:41 on the clock, Toronto was threatening to score. Toronto quarterback Bethel-Thompson throws a pass to Banks. It is almost caught but Banks lost control when hit by Rose. Adam Bighill gets in on the action and deflects the ball, on purpose! Malcolm Thompson, for the Bombers, catches the ball, runs for a few yards, sees he will be tackled, and laterals to Nick Taylor who runs for 42 yards! He is then pushed out of bounds by Toronto quarterback Bethel-Thompson.

However, I will give the game-ball to only one guy involved in that play – Winston Rose. Rose needed to have himself a game and he did! It was not just on that play that made Rose stand out. On the eighth play of the game, Rose intercepted McLeod Bethel-Thompson and scored a touchdown! Rose also had a knockdown and a couple of tackles.

For bouncing back after a sub-par start to the season, Rose, you get my game-ball.

Game-Balls for Toronto:

I do not usually like to give a game-ball out to the other side. Unlike the “Truth Bombs” segment, this article is usually more slanted.

Yet, I am compelled to give a co-game-ball to Toronto’s McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Andrew Harris. McLeod Bethel-Thompson had horrible start to the game!

His first play was a handoff to Harris. The second play was a 5 yard pass to Phillips. Then came and incomplete pass to Banks. Next, and interception by Rose for a touchdown.

His next series was a Harris 2 yard run; incomplete pass to Phillips as Bighill knocked it down; and a punt.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson’s third series was handoff; handoff, interception.

By the end of the first quarter Winnipeg would be up 14-0. Touchdowns scored off of possessions gained  from interceptions.

At that point I expected McLeod Bethel-Thompson to fold like Dunbar being hit by Bighill.

Yes, after the first quarter I fully expected another Toronto blowout like the previous week where they lost 44-3.

However, once those interceptions were behind him, McLeod Bethel-Thompson would have a final stat line of 27/37, tossing for 317 yards, throwing for 2 touchdowns, and no more interceptions.

What seriously aided McLeod Bethel-Thompson, was the play of Andrew Harris. Harris had 22 carries for 111 yards. Once they started feeding Harris the ball, the passing game really opened up.

For making the game far closer than it should have been, McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Andrew Harris you get a co-game-ball.

Honorary Game-Ball:

All the Bomber fans that made the trip to Toronto. You can check out some of their pictures and videos in this Twitter thread:

Jock: ???

Remember the purpose of the ‘jock,’ is to be a humorous take. As the season goes on, and tempers get going in the rivalry games, it might get a bit more serious.

So who gets the jock? Well for the second week in a row I was going to give it to a kicker.

Seriously, Bede missing the point after could have taken home the prize. Yet, for a second week in a row, someone beat out the kicker! And for a second week the kicker was beat out by an off-field performance.

Brandon Banks get the jock for his sideline antics! Seriously. He got into it with Trevon Tate, after Banks fumbled the ball. I do not know who said what, or who spoke first, but Banks was at the center of it and would not drop it. TSN reporters speculated that it looked like Banks even threw a water bottle at his teammate while they were on the sideline.

All of this resulted in GM Pinball Clemons to coming down to the sideline to settle it down. The usually happy and smiling Pinball was not smiling. In fact the Grey Cup Fun Police (a group of guys who give out tickets for lack of revelry) put Pinball on notice.

The altercation was so intense and carried on so long that Head Coach Dinwiddee had this to say after the game, “Maybe some guys gotta go home.”

And while we may not know who the other guys are, we know for certain Dinwiddee was talking about Banks. Here’s more regarding the Banks altercation.

Banks, for once again putting yourself over your team, you get the jock.   

What did I get right? What did you disagree with? Let me know in the comments.

Written by a Bomber fan, for the Bomber fans

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