Defensive Back Teague Sherman with members of Blue Bombers Women’s Club. /TREVOR SMITH
The beauty and the beast came to River Heights recently. No not the movie, nor the stage play. The beasts were the Blue Bombers and the beauty was the Winnipeg Football Club’s Women’s Club.
They got together on Tue. Apr. 19 for a night of bowling at Academy Uptown Lanes.
The Women’s Club was formed a couple of years ago as a fan club specifically for female fans who like to get together without feeling intimidated by the usual raucous behavior exhibited by some of its more macho male fans.
Since then they have hosted a few events ranging from a football clinic where the ladies were learning strategy and running drills on the field to a yoga night at Investors Group Field, bingo sessions, tailgate parties and shopping sprees at the Bomber Store.
The bowling competition was coordinated by Hannah Pratt, manager of community relations with the Winnipeg Football Club and emceed by defensive back Matt Bucknor who wasn’t shy behind the microphone.
More than 80 women turned up who were joined by six Bombers to form sixteen teams with the football players alternating between teams.
All teams bowled three games and were joined for at least one game by a player. There were prizes for best individual score, best team score as well as the best dressed Bomber fan.
Most of these women were decked out in their best Bomber regalia, there were quite a lot of blue hairs present, and I don’t mean elderly women.
Shelmerdine and Granny’s Poultry sponsored the event and provided some of the prizes including mostly Bomber gear such as a Drew Willy autographed football.
Backup quarterback Matt Nichols was present and showed off his ball handling skills. As the only American player there he probably had to spend time adjusting to Canadian football with its subtle rule variations and now he’s probably left wondering about the crazy Canadian bowling with its small ball and only five pins.
There were a couple of former U of M Bisons there including Louie Richardson and Teague Sherman.
Sherman told me he spent the previous weekend in Edmonton where he went bowling with his family. That practice must have paid off as I watched him bowl three successive strikes. That would have been a great accomplishment for a baseball player but still not bad for a defensive lineman.
Rory Kolhert and Matthias Goossen were the other Bombers there.
And if you think it gets loud at football games then you should’ve heard these women hooting and hollering.
The next event scheduled is the Chalk Talk, a wine and cheese evening with GM Kyle Walters who’ll refresh your football knowledge.
