Winnipeg Free Press

This is to the individuals who supported us no matter what the final outcome may be…

To the ones who drove five-and-a-half hours to show their support at the Labour Day Classic.

To the ones who sat out in the cold, the rain and even the blazing heat to cheer us on.

To the ones who showed up at practice.

To the ones who made the trip to Toronto for the final game.

To the ones who sent us off at the airport with great expectations, and still greeted our landing flight to cheer us on after the final score.

Although I couldn’t give you the ultimate “thank you” in the form of the Grey Cup, it has been a great year and this is my way of saying “thank you” to all the great fans of Winnipeg that make every year worth while.

Never has any city seen better fans, more committed fans, or fans with more spirit! You are definitely the best!

GOD bless
Milt Stegall

There is really not much to be said about what we need to do.

It’s plain and simple: Win one more game and we are the 2007 Grey Cup champs.

Now many skeptics out there, including local and national media, most CFL fans, and even a few people in this wonderful city we call Winnipeg, never gave us a chance of getting to this point, but I know a lot of our fans are happy and satisfied that we got this far.

But our goal from the start of this season was not to make the Grey Cup, but to WIN the Grey Cup. Like I always say, this is not horse shoes or track and field where getting close or coming in second is rewarded.

The only team in the CFL remembered following each year is the team that won the last game, which happens to be the Grey Cup.

Now the task at hand will be a very difficult one, and we understand that people are saying that the task just got a little bit more difficult knowing that the MVP of the league will not be able to participate. But his understudy is more than capable of taking over.

We are not asking Ryan to fill Kevin shoes, but just asking him to make sure his own shoes are tied up tightly.

THE GAMES TO REMEMBER ARE WON IN NOVEMBER. See you in Toronto.

PS - Special thanks to all the gracious fans who showed up to greet us at the airport. Much love

GOD bless
Milt Stegall

Is The Turtle Man talking about getting high?

Now I have never done any type of drugs in my life, but I’ve heard people talk about how certain drugs make them feel, and I guess that is what they mean by being high.

The high I felt Sunday afternoon was a high that I don’t think any drug — man-made or otherwise — could match. It was a high that has no negative side effects. It did not call for me to break into Chase’s piggy bank, because it was free of cost, and once it tapered off I still had the memories from the high.

I’m sure some are wondering what is this high of which I speak and how can I experience it?

Well, the only way you could have experience this high was if you were on our sideline during the game, or if you were one of the 23,000 screaming fans at the stadium on Sunday.

Someone even told me that the west side may have been louder and crazier then the east side. I guess DANCING GABE has finally accomplish his goal.

I know there were certain and very important circumstances that prevented some fans from attending the game, and I know some may have watched it on TV or even listen to it on CJOB (Bob Irving you owe me), but the only way to get the true effects from this classic game was to be there.

Now I wish I could fly all our fans out to Toronto with us, but all my private jets are in the shop, they needed oil changes and the tires rotating… but they may be ready the next time we need to fly.

GOD bless
Milt Stegall

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, once again it’s that time of year… that time we all long for.

That time when we find out if all the blood, sweat, and tears that we took our bodies and minds through, was all worth it.

Now the road we must take to get to our final destination has been littered with some self-inflicted detours. We bascially came to the fork in the road… and decided to go straight.

Now as long as we take on one detour at a time, and not think about future detours, our journey can be accomplish, and we must also realize that if we can’t overcome the first detour, we won’t have a opporunity at future detours.

On Sunday we will be playing Montreal for the fourth time this year, and because we beat them in the first three contests, some critics are skeptical about whether we can win for a fourth time.

Now I think everyone realizes that to beat a team just one time is a very difficult task, and the fact that we beat them three times is a great feat.

But those games came about in the regular season, and regardless of the outcome of those three games, they have no impact on a game played in the playoffs…  because the playoffs are a totally different season.

To my surprise this game has not been sold out yet. Now I know, come game time, we will have 30,000 screaming fans, but you better hurry and get your tickets because when they’re gone, they’re gone.

GOD bless
Milt Stegall

Last Friday’s win was a solid victory, as well as a much needed one.

And as much as I think everyone loves to relish the victory, I think it is just as important to put it behind us and focus on the task at hand. And that task just happens to be the hottest team in the CFL, the Toronto Argonauts.

Now our performance vs. Calgary, as I said, was solid. No slight to the Stampeders, but I don’t think that type of performance will cut it against Pinball and the boys because of the way they have been playing.

I hope we realize what this game means. It’s plain and simple — win and the East is ours; lose and we are counting on help from someone else, as well as needing to win our last game (against Montreal) to take the East.

Now regardless of how we get to our final destination, it really does not matter, but as everyone knows the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, and the first scenario I describe is basically a stright line.

Hopefully everyone realizes the opportunity we have in front of us and we take full advantage of it, because you never know when the situation will come about again.

See you in T.O.

GOD bless,
Milt Stegall

Did that game really happen or was it just a dream? I’m sure some of you are trying to figure out what’s going on.

Well, maybe for one day we were all living in the TWILIGHT ZONE, and everything that happen on Sunday the 14th really didn’t happen… or did it?

One must analyze many factors when trying to figure out this predicament.

First of all we must take into consideration the type of television each individual might have been viewing. Now these new plasma televisions have not been around long enough for us to really know what type of effect they may have on our eyes. Just the other day someone told me while viewing their plasma TV they thought they were watching Friends, and it turned out to actually be watching The Jerry Springer Show.

Is that fictional? I don’t know because it was told on Sunday the 14th.

Now there are many other factors that may come into play when making your decision… such as, if you where glasses, contacts, or have had laser surgery, what part of town you live in, how many kids you have, and if you drink Coca-Cola or Pepsi.

Each individual must break down their personal situation and weigh all the factors before they decide about SUNDAY THE 14TH.

See you on Friday.

GOD bless
MILT STEGALL

It seems as if I have written this blog I’m about to write over and over again.

And it goes as such:

Bombers come out in the first quarter playing like they forgot how to tie their shoe strings, which in turns causes them to trip over themselves.

The second quarter comes along and both teams pretty much remain stagnant in their performance, as well as the score.

Here comes the third quarter and for the first few minutes things remain the same, but all of a sudden the alarm finally goes off, or in the case of Derick (Big Country) Armstrong, the rooster crows, and finally we take the bull by the horns and swing the momentum in our direction.

This continues on into the fourth quarter, when we score enough points to put us back into the thick of things. But something crazy happens, just as we are about to finally take the lead, the time runs out.

Now I have come up with a couple of options to remedy this problem. The first would be starting the game from the end and going backward like the movie Pulp Fiction. And the second would be to add a fifth quarter to game, like we did in my freshman year of high school, for all the for players who did not get a chance to play in the first 60 minutes.

Well, since neither one of these solutions is possible, we better start playing better at the start of the contest.

P.S.- I’m sorry for the questions that were submitted too late for me to answer
I will do another question and answer session later.

GOD bless
Milt Stegall

First I want to comment on our wonderful victory versus Hamilton. All I keep hearing is that we played down to Hamilton’s level. Or that when you play a team with a record like Hamilton you guys should demolish them.

Well as old saying goes, “a win is a win.” What I think people fail to understand is that beating any team three out of four times is very diffuclt no matter what the records may be. Now I guarantee you if we win the remainder of our games in that same fashion, I don’t think anyone will be complaining. Now on to the questions that were asked (the comments on my last post):

1. On a typical Saturday I will wake up around seven get myself going and wake my son up around eight-thirty. Chase and I usually start our day by doing one hundred push-ups and sit-ups, just kidding, its only fifty. I usually let my wife sleep in because she does so much during the time I am up in Winnipeg. Chase and I head downstairs for some breakfast, his favorites are pancakes and bananas. After breakfast, Chase will watch a little tv then we will both go wake up Darlene. Once Darlene is dressed and ready to go its usually off to the park, the mall, or Chase’s favorite place, Monkey Joes. That’s our place of business. After lunch we head back home to put Chase down for his nap, and Darlene and I relax. Once Chase wakes up we play with him a little while longer then at six o’clock we head off to church. After church we usually go out to dinner; Darlene’ favorite spot is Houstons. After dinner it’s back to the crib, we read to Chase, put him down for the night, then Darlene and I spend some time together, before we go to sleep.

2.We do employ the fullback double tight end formation, and sometimes is works and sometimes it does not work, as seen in Toronto. Now the fact that we have not been able to run the ball with the same success as in the past may be because teams are really focusing in on stopping it, because in the past when Blink gets going our offence usually follows. Since only one Mike Sellers exists, our philosophy is take what the defense gives us.

3. Over a third of my life has been spent in the Peg. Not only do I plan on visiting Winnipeg once my career is over, I may even go out on the edge and visit this wonderful city in the winter. Did I just say that? Not only has this city been great, but more importantly the people have been super.

4. Boxers. Is this Doug Brown?

I know everyone is tired of talking about last weekend’s loss, so I won’t. I am going to do something different this week. A lot of fans approach me and ask me questions about football issues and non-football issues. Sometimes I’m able to answer their questions and other times not. Well now I am going to let you, the fans, ask me anything you wish to ask and I will answer to the best of my knowledge. I’m not sure how many questions will be asked, but I will answer up to ten questions, picking the ones I think are the most interesting. Talk to you soon.

GOD bless

Well no one in our locker room was surprise by the outcome of the game Saturday night in Hamilton.

And I’m not bragging or thinking we are the best team in the CFL.

But when you are trying to become an elite team and you are playing against a team that is struggling, and starting a quarterback who I believe WILL be a great quarterback in the CFL, but who has not played in a game in the CFL or for that matter a meaningful game in a year and a half, you should go into the contest expecting to win.

Now I know someone is thinking: “You guys should go into every game expecting to win.” And we do.

But say, for example, you play the lottery and for some crazy reason you are able to obtain four out of the five numbers needed to win. Now I’m not saying you are a guaranteed winner, but your chances just got a lot better knowing you only need to pick one correct number, and that is how we felt.

Over all I did not consider this one to be our most complete game of the year.

We did some good things throughout the contest, but I also think the Ticats basically put 14 points in our hands. But being in the right place at the right time is also part of being successful.

After completing almost two thirds of the season I would say we are in a pretty good place right now, but the last third and the post-season we be the true test.

Stay tuned.

GOD bless
Milt Stegall