CFL Wagering

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers can trace their heritage back to the 1880s. In that year, the Winnipeg Football Club was formed. In 1930, they joined forces with the other teams in the Manitoba Football Region to form the Winnipegs. They were known as the Winnipegs until 1936, when a local sports writer referred to them as “the Blue Bombers of Western football.” The name “Blue Bombers” has stuck and remains to this day.

The Bombers got their first chance at a Grey Cup in 1935. Prior to that year, no western team had even come close to winning Canadian football’s top prize. All Cup winners had come from either Quebec or Ontario. Winnipeg prevailed, 18-12, in an exciting game that featured a second half kickoff return touchdown by Winnipeg’s Fritz Hanson.

Winnipeg has had some of Canadian football’s all-time great play for them. In 1950, quarterback Jack Jacobs joined the team. He would lead them to two Grey Cups, although they would lose both. The revolutionary quarterback is widely credited as one of the first players to popularize the forward pass. His fan-friendly style of play helped increase ticket sales that the Bombers were able to move to Winnipeg Stadium (now known as Canad Inns Stadium).

Milt Stegall joined the Bombers in 1995 after spending three years with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played for them until his retirement from football in February of 2009. He is regarded as arguably the greatest football player in the history of the CFL. He holds the record for career touchdowns (147), career receiving touchdowns (144), and career receiving yards (15,071).

The Blue Bombers have won 10 Grey Cups in their 23 appearances. They have not won a Cup since 1990, however, and have lost in their last four appearances. Most recently, they played in the 2007 Grey Cup against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. It was the first Grey Cup meeting between the two rivals. The Roughriders prevailed in the game, 23-19.