It was a day for Brady Oliveira to get a well-earned salute — twice over — from the Canadian Football League as a finalist for the Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian Player awards.
And with that also came the accompanying backslaps and fist bumps from teammates and coaches and shout-outs from Winnipeg Blue Bombers faithful everywhere.
The Blue Bombers running back and two-time league rushing champion then proceeded to hand out flowers to all his teammates and coaches for helping guarantee he’ll be in Vancouver as the lone team representative at the annual CFL Player Awards gala during Grey Cup week.
Yet, simmering not below the surface was something else for the 27-year-old Winnipeg product: a growing giddiness in looking forward to the West Final on November 9th at Princess Auto Stadium, mixed with frustration and anger from how the last two Grey Cups have unfolded.
And it says here that’s a potentially dangerous concoction for the Blue Bombers upcoming opponents.
“Aside from all these awards, obviously this is great, but I’m worried about a Grey Cup,” Oliveira told the media after a closed practice session on Thursday. “We know what happened in the last two Grey Cups and I’m sick and tired of going there and losing the final game of the season.
“So, I’ve got more motivation than ever. I know what needs to be done coming up in the playoffs in the West Final. I know what I need to do for us to have a great shot at winning this game and going to the Grey Cup and then ultimately you have one last game, and you need to lay it all on the line.
“We need to go there and get the job done. I need another ring, man. I need another ring.”
First things first, of course, with the Blue Bombers prepping this week to face the winner of this Saturday’s Western Semi-Final in Regina between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and B.C. Lions.
The club has used the days since the win in Montreal on Saturday in the regular-season finale to rest, but also study up on both the Riders and Leos.
Oliveira said the dip in temperature and the knowledge that the Western Final will be played in front of another madhouse on November 9th are reminders that it’s go time with an even thinner margin for error now.
And with that comes the memories of Grey Cup losses in 2022 and 2023 by a combined five points.
“It starts to bubble now,” Oliveira said. “You really try to wash it as fast as you can — obviously, you lose that Grey Cup, and you go into the offseason and it’s still kind of lingering in your head. Then when you start the season, it pops back into your head and you need to flush it and understand that it’s a new season, it’s a new team.
“But as you get into the postseason, oh man, it’s already gotten into my head and the emotions I feel for that… it’s like an anger from getting to the final game and losing. I know the feeling of winning those big games and the joy you feel from that. And then being on the other end and losing is one of the worst feelings in the world.
“It’s been popping back into my head,” he added, “and there’s some sort of anger there. All I’ve got to do now is put that anger onto the field. When I go out there on practice days, keep that in the back of your head to keep pushing you. Everyone’s got bumps and bruises now, but it can get you to get going, it can keep pushing you forward and then on game day have that in the back of your head and run even more angry to make sure no one can stop you and get to that game and win it this year.”
LOOKING GOOD IN BLUE: There’s been a ton of hype over the past few days courtesy Kansas City Chiefs star and Taylor Swift partner Travis Kelce wearing Zach Collaros’ Blue Bombers jersey during his ‘New Heights’ podcast with his brother Jason.
The Kelces and Collaros have a long-standing friendship that dates back to their days at the University of Cincinnati and the jersey — along with a Collaros bobblehead — was sent to both brothers by the football club.
“We talk quite often — me, him, his brother and some other buddies of ours,” Collaros explained after practice on Thursday. “We thought it would be a cool idea to send him some gear. We sent it to the (Kansas City Chiefs) facility for Trav, so he got it. We sent the other box to Jason’s house and if Jason lives the way he did in college it’s understandable that he couldn’t find the package. That’s not a shot at Kyle — sorry, Kylie.
absolutely loving the outfit choice, @tkelce https://t.co/nkKYLL5Eiu
— y – Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) October 30, 2024
“It was something that everybody found out about yesterday morning. Those guys are supportive, of course. We’ve been friends for a long time. I can’t take of them and put them in my (luxury) box here because I don’t have a box but they usually take care of us and do that.
“I was talking to Trav and Jay and I’m like, ‘Yo, we’re going to play the West Final here and if you can during the week it would be cool for the organization if you were like, ‘Hey, we’re supporting the Bombers’ and just wear it and tune into the CFL. I don’t think they read the text correctly, so they wore it. They wear what they want to wear. It’s cool. I like the (Collaros) bobblehead in the back (visible on the shelf behind Kelce).”
ICYMI: Our ‘Handled Internally’ podcast — co-hosted by Darren Cameron and me — was all over the map during the recording this week. It began with Collaros as a guest and then saw future hall of fame tackle Stanley Bryant make a special visit.
Stan & Zach playing until 40? sign us up.
Handled Internally » https://t.co/cV7OyhyZpg#ForTheW | @PlayNowManitoba pic.twitter.com/CkIlLcwCrr
— y – Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) October 31, 2024
HIGH PRAISE: The CFL announced on Wednesday its East and West Division All-CFL Teams with seven Blue Bombers making the West squad.
Here is Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea when asked by CJOB’s Derek Taylor about DE Willie Jefferson, who was named a division all-star for a seventh straight season:
“First and foremost, he’s a great teammate and a great leader. And then you add in his playmaking ability… the least of everything is just his physical stature because there’s so much more to him than just being a tall, athletic guy. He is that, for sure, but I just like his care for his teammates and his desire for team success is pretty cool.
“And then he’s really good and he’s really got a knack for making big plays.”
