Banjo Bowl

The Banjo Bowl is the annual rematch game between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) after the Labour Day Classic.

While the traditional Labour Day Classic game is always played on the Sunday before Labour Day at Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field in Regina, Saskatchewan, there is usually a rematch on the following weekend between these two rival prairie teams at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The "Banjo Bowl" moniker was coined by Blue Bombers board member David Asper in early 2004, inspired by an infamous comment made by Bombers placekicker Troy Westwood in the week prior to a 2003 Western Division Semi-final game between the two teams. Westwood was quoted in the media as saying that people from Regina were "a bunch of banjo-pickin' inbreds." He later apologized half-heartedly for those comments, saying that "the vast majority of the people in Saskatchewan have no idea how to play the banjo." [cite news|last=Jones|first=Terry|title=Labour Pains|publisher=Calgary Sun|date=September 2, 2007|page=S11|url=http://calsun.canoe.ca/Sports/Football/2007/09/02/4464824-sun.html|accessdate=2007-09-02] This further fueled the Winnipeg–Saskatchewan football rivalry and has made the rematch game even more of an event. The game is sponsored by the National Post, which donates $10,000 to a charity on behalf of the winning team. As of September 2008, Winnipeg has won three times, while Saskatchewan has won twice.

As on Labour Day weekend when many Winnipeg fans visit Regina to support the Bombers, many Saskatchewan fans visit Winnipeg the following weekend to support the 'Riders. Many come, tongue-in-cheek, with banjos.

Results

*September 12, 2004: Winnipeg 27 – Saskatchewan 24
*September 10, 2005: Winnipeg 17 – Saskatchewan 19
*September 10, 2006: Winnipeg 27 – Saskatchewan 23
*September 9, 2007: Winnipeg 34 – Saskatchewan 15 [Cite web| url=http://www.cfl.ca/index.php?module=sked&func=review&sked_id=246| title=Sunday Sep. 9, 2007: Saskatchewan @ Winnipeg Recap| publisher=CFL.ca]
*September 7, 2008: Winnipeg 31 - Saskatchewan 34

References

*cite web | url = http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Winnipeg/2006/09/09/1818545-sun.html | accessdate = 2006-12-02 | title = Evolution of the Banjo Bowl | author = Kirk Penton | publisher = Winnipeg Sun | date = 2006-09-09