WINNIPEG -- While the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have officially ended the Grey Cup drought that has plagued the city’s CFL team for the past 29 years – this one life-long Bombers’ fan and his daughter may have helped them out a bit.
It was after the Bombers’ win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in west finals – sending them to the Grey Cup championship – that Ron Courchaine and his daughter Kaelee decided they had to do something to help their team.
“It dawned on me that I had this 1990 Grey Cup pin,” said Courchaine, adding 1990 was the last time the Bombers had won the Grey Cup. “I thought it would be awesome to place the pin (on the field) as kind of an offering to the football powers that be.”
So Courchaine and his daughter hatched a plan to deliver this pin on to the field where the Blue Bombers would be facing the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“I just told my immediate family and nobody else because I didn't want to jinx this thing,” Courchaine said. “They all told me I was crazy.”
Crazy or not – Courchaine said he had a plan and he was determined to make it work.
He said when he and his daughter got to the McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alta., they were able to walk onto the field, and when no one was looking – Courchaine said he hid the pin in the padding on the Ti-Cats’ goal post.
The pin stayed there for the entire game. Winnipeg knows how that game ended.
After the Bombers’ Grey Cup victory – Courchaine was able to get the pin back with the help of Nadia Daoudi, the girlfriend of Bombers linebacker Thomas Miles, who ran on to the field and retrieved the championship pin.
“All the credit goes to the players, I can’t take any credit for this,” Coruchaine said, adding the pin might have helped in a small way.
“The gods maybe were smiling down on us after a 29-year-drought.”
It was a weekend to remember for Courchaine and his daughter. He said after the game the two got to drink from the Grey Cup with Bombers quarterback Chris Streveler.
“It’s just great CFL stuff that you won’t’ see in any other league,” said Courchaine. “It’s a quirky game and we love it to death.”
Courchaine chronicled his entire journey with the pin and later shared the video on social media. You can watch the pins journey to a championship game below.
