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[Old Driving Park]

#21

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Historic Football Fields of Wi...

Last post by Stats Junkie - March 15, 2026, 07:51:59 PM

Old Driving Park

The first documented field used for football in Winnipeg was Old Driving Park. From the earliest mentions of football in newspapers in the early 1880s until the end of the 1900-01 season, this was where most football games were played.

Old Driving Park was sometimes mentioned as the Driving Park, the cricket grounds or simply as the field on Broadway behind the courthouse and gaol (jail). It was located on the site of what is now called Memorial Park.


Map dated 1884

In 1898, the land was gifted to the University of Manitoba to become the permanent site for the fledgling university. Due to uncertainty regarding development plans, football relocated to another site for the 1898-99 season before returning the following season. During its final season at Old Driving Park, this location was referred to as the Varsity field a couple of times.

Organized football really started in the fall of 1887 with the first season of scheduled games taking place in 1888-89. Football finally gained traction with the formation of the Manitoba Rugby Football Union for the 1892-93 season. MRFU teams that called Old Driving Park home were:

Winnipeg (Rugby) Football Club – the original football team in Winnipeg
St.John's Rugby Football Club – consisted of alumni, faculty, students and other persons associated with St.John's College
Osborne Football Club – servicemen stationed at Fort Osborne
Royal Canadian Dragoons – Canada's mounted military
Wesley Rugby Football Club – alumni, faculty, students and other persons associated with Wesley College.

Note: from 1888-89 until 1902-03, football in Manitoba was split into two sessions. The autumn session was played late September until early November while the spring session was played mid April until mid May.

#22

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Condell's Max-Pro(tection)

Last post by dd - March 15, 2026, 07:49:27 PM

How many remember Condell's Ti-Cats in '19 and '21?  Besides his pass-mostly style, he developed this crazy "max-pro" scheme and he used it a whackton in both seasons.  By max-pro, I mean extra hoggies ("jumbo"), RBs, TEs and even RECs being in the box on pass plays to buy the QB max time to hit some crazy deep/long route.

Condell would often leave 6, 7, 8, 9 and even once 10 guys in the box.  The remaining guys (or guy!) who actually went out had to get open on double/triple/quadruple move routes.  A favorite was the entire-field crosser corner, where a WR would be on a go route on one side, then cross the entire field to the other.

It really worked well with speed guys like Speedy B and Tim White.

Aside: As I've said before, Condell used it in-season and it was impenetrable (look at our in-season HAM games).  But in the GC's he went straight 5, or 5+1.  I think that's part of the reason why HAM lost both.

So my question is: will Condell scheme up similar max-pro ideas here?  We're no stranger to it.  Buck used a lot of jumbo with 6 & 7 OL, to pretty good success.  Hogan wasn't much of a jumbo fan and that may have hurt us in '25.  Will we see some box 8, send 3?  Or has the max-pro ship sailed, with the CFL not seeing much of it anymore, beyond 6 or 7 in the box?

I'm trying to remember what he did in OTT, and i don't recall much max pro there.  However, they were so bad, maybe Condell couldn't do everything he wanted.

I remember Tim White having big games under Condell's offense, I am hoping he regains that form here, as Condell knows White and I expect him to be a key piece in our offensive game plan

#23

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Cfl draft

Last post by Jesse - March 15, 2026, 06:54:32 PM

3 Down, has the Bombers taking (DB) Jett ELad 6'0"202 with our 1st pick. (TE) Ruban Jones 6'3" 242 with our 2nd. pick, and (WR) Nate Demontagnac 6'3" 195 with 3rd pick. Can't see it. I think we need to go OL/DL first. 

3 down's mock drafts might as well be picking guys out of a hat. But like others have said, I hope we don't lock onto any position and draft people who can get onto the field in year 1.

#24

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Cfl draft

Last post by Throw Long Bannatyne - March 15, 2026, 06:04:58 PM

I think that's should be part of the plan for round 3. We can't add 6 new draft choices to the AR this year. If there is a player that is returning to college for another season, then maybe we draft that type of player.

However I'm all for a flyer to be take in round 3.

Didn't they change the rules for players returning to college last year? I know the Bombers sent a few players down that path and they never returned.

#25

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Cfl draft

Last post by Pigskin - March 15, 2026, 05:48:19 PM

3 Down, has the Bombers taking (DB) Jett ELad 6'0"202 with our 1st pick. (TE) Ruban Jones 6'3" 242 with our 2nd. pick, and (WR) Nate Demontagnac 6'3" 195 with 3rd pick. Can't see it. I think we need to go OL/DL first. 

#26

Offside Forum / Re: Winnipeg Jets Discussion -...

Last post by Pigskin - March 15, 2026, 03:53:52 PM

Canucks 48 points
Flames 59
Hawks 61
Jets 64
Blues 64
Rangers 64.

Stars and Rangers the hottest teams both on a 4 game winning streak.

#27

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Cfl draft

Last post by Blue In BC - March 15, 2026, 03:49:10 PM

Best. Player. Available.

Yes, OL pipe needs filling.

But we have depth just about everywhere else.

So we go after the guy that will make the most difference in camp.

After round 3, flyers... scoop up anyone with NFL aspirations.

I think that's should be part of the plan for round 3. We can't add 6 new draft choices to the AR this year. If there is a player that is returning to college for another season, then maybe we draft that type of player.

However I'm all for a flyer to be take in round 3.

#28

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Blue Bombers add quarterba...

Last post by Blue In BC - March 15, 2026, 03:47:11 PM

We have a UFLP MVP in the wings, we have a number of potentials on our neg list.  Every year, a new wunderkind shows up on some team.  Hopefully this year it is us. 

Sidebar, having Perkins here will give us a very good yardstick to compare the leagues.

Yes Perkins could be the answer and I'm optimistic he becomes the # 2 QB. I think I've also mentioned that I think Thorne is the new # 3 QB.

Hard to say if a neg list player ever ends up in Canada so we can't gauge anything on them quite yet.

#29

Offside Forum / Re: Winnipeg Jets Discussion -...

Last post by Pigskin - March 15, 2026, 03:12:31 PM

Helle was outstanding. The Jets played a pretty solid game against a very good team. Fetts hitting the post with a empty net, sums up his year.

#30

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Blue Bombers add quarterba...

Last post by theaardvark - March 15, 2026, 03:10:44 PM

Well it's a good theory. We've been trying to do that since Brown left. Most of us never thought that Streveler was the heir apparent.

So what do we have today in the wings? That's the giant question we can't answer at the moment. There is a certain level of optimism about the newbies.

There aren't really any CFL free agent QB's that fit the role beyond emergency band-aid solutions.

Time for the recruitment team to have success with those brought in. History has not been good at finding QB's for the Bombers.

The reality is that we won't know what we have until Collaros misses games due to injury. Our back ups don't get much playing time.

We have a UFLP MVP in the wings, we have a number of potentials on our neg list.  Every year, a new wunderkind shows up on some team.  Hopefully this year it is us. 

Sidebar, having Perkins here will give us a very good yardstick to compare the leagues.