"Still really proud of the team" - local super-fans enjoy Grey Cup despite loss

We didn’t get the three-peat that was envisioned, but a local Bombers super-fans say attending the Grey Cup was still an awesome experience. 

Steinbach’s Steve Smith says he arrived in Regina late Saturday evening and Sunday was a full day of festivities.  

“We got to the tailgate yesterday at about 2 P.M. and it was awesome, we got the band playing, I met a bunch of people that I knew past and present and then getting into the stadium was great too, meeting other Bombers' fan, even from Calgary. It is a celebration of the game and that is just huge.” 

Regarding the game itself, Smith adds “The calamity of errors there in the fourth quarter where they generally clamp it down, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher to say the least. Nothing to hang their heads about, just came up a bit short and that is professional sports.” 

Meanwhile, Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen was also in attendance with his family. He notes he was expecting to return to Manitoba in a more triumphant manner, but he is proud of the team nonetheless. 

In addition, Goertzen says the experience was great. He notes there was something for everyone in Regina throughout the weekend, and the game itself was special. 

“When you got to the Grey Cup, you see Canadians from across the country, they are wearing their different team's jerseys, it is not just the fans of the teams that are playing that show up. There are people that come to the Grey Cup almost every year no matter who's playing. It really is a great Canadian event so regardless of the outcome of the game which we would have liked to be different, it is still a lot of fun.” 

Losing by one point is always going to sting, but Goertzen notes we also have to remember just how spoiled we have been over the last few years. 

“We have been really fortunate for the ride they have taken us on. You’ve got to remember, we haven't felt this sort of end-of-season loss since 2018. We have won since then, and there was that one season that didn't go off. We have gone on a pretty good ride and, obviously, we would have liked them to win yesterday but I'm still really proud of the team and looking forward to next year.”