The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will play in their fourth consecutive Grey Cup game on Sunday when they face the Montreal Alouettes. The Bombers won in 2019 and again in 2021 but lost last year in heartbreaking fashion to the Toronto Argonauts.
That loss might be old news to many but one Bombers player knows the outcome will not be repeated.
“I remember sitting on the field in Saskatchewan, watching Toronto celebrate. That’s not happening this Sunday and I’m going to make sure of that,” receiver Rasheed Bailey told 3DownNation.
Pressed on whether he was guaranteeing a victory, Bailey would not go that far.
“That’s not a guarantee,” he said. “I’m putting myself in a position to give more. I’ve given more this year. I’ve become a leader. I’ve stepped up. That’s a huge difference for us (this year as compared to last year).”
The 30-year-old might have had a bigger impact off the field than on, as he posted his lowest numbers since his rookie year, catching 46 passes for 508 yards and six touchdowns in 2023. All of those numbers were down from a career season in 2022 that saw him set highs in catches (63), yards (729) and touchdowns (nine). He re-signed with the Bombers in February after briefly testing free agency.
Bailey said that money was not a motivating factor in returning to Winnipeg, but more so what the city and league mean to him.
“This league has changed my life. I’m not rich from it but I’m spiritually rich from it,” he said. “The people I’ve met, you can’t replicate something like that. That is why this league is special.”
“It’s a community. You don’t really understand (until you come up here) that people really do love this game. When you get a chance to see that side of people, walking through the mall (in Winnipeg) and they know exactly who you are, that is a feeling I’ll never forget.”
While he might not have guaranteed victory, Bailey does know that what he and his teammates have accomplished over the past four seasons will resonate long after his playing days are over.
“I do know that (what we have done) is special. You can’t replicate what we’ve done these last few years.”
Bailey and his Winnipeg Blue Bombers teammates can add to their growing legacies when they take on the Montreal Alouettes in the 110th Grey Cup on Sunday, Nov. 19 at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton. Kickoff is slated for 6:00 p.m. EST.
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