Kind of surprised they didn't go with Walby, but all around this is a good group of legends. Can wait to see the gates in person.

http://www.bluebombers.com/article/fans ... main-gates

FANS SELECT BLUE BOMBER GREATS FOR MAIN GATES

Rare opportunity for fans to meet all four Hall of Famers on June 6, 2013

The fans have spoken and have chosen their favourite Blue Bomber living legends to grace the four main gates at Investors Group Field. After a steep online competition, they include Milt Stegall, Ken Ploen, Doug Brown, and Joe Poplawski.

“All four are true ambassadors and well deserve this honour,” said Garth Buchko, President and CEO of the Winnipeg Football Club. “To this day, they continue to bleed Blue and Gold which is why they remain so beloved by our fans.”

After narrowing the choices to 40 names, fans logged on to www.bluebombers.com and voted for who they thought should adorn the massive signs at each of the four main gates.

“Not only will these iconic gates take on lives of their own as popular meeting places,” said Buchko, “but they will also be constant reminders of our rich past and the heritage that drives us forward.”

Milt Stegall (Gate 1, sponsored by the MLCC) was an all-star receiver for the Blue Bombers from 1995-2008 and held several major CFL records upon his retirement including most career receiving yards. He currently holds the records for career receiving touchdowns and most touchdowns scored.

Ken Ploen (Gate 2, sponsored by CJOB 680) led the Blue Bombers to six Grey Cup appearances as quarterback, including four victories. In the 49th Grey Cup in 1961, Ploen scored one of the most memorable touchdowns in professional football history, eluding numerous defenders on an 18-yard run into the end zone during overtime to win.

Doug Brown (Gate 3, sponsored by Budweiser) was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian in his first year in the league in 2001 and finished his career ranked second on the team’s all-time tackles list with 429 and his 52 sacks is third-best in team history.

Joe Poplawski (Gate 4, sponsored by Advance) was a five-time All-Star who helped the Blue Bombers capture the 72nd Grey Cup in 1984 by hauling in five passes for 101 yards and a touchdown in the championship game. At the age of 29, he ended his career with 8,341 receiving yards on 549 receptions and 48 touchdowns.

Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans are invited to ‘Come Meet the Greats’ at the unveiling of the gates:

DATE: Thursday, June 6, 2013

TIME: 12:00 noon for the unveiling

5:00 – 7:00 p.m. for the Meet & Greet

PLACE: The Bomber Store, Investors Group Field

To celebrate the occasion, special edition merchandise, signed by all four legends, will be available to purchase during the in-store Meet & Greet.

Investors Group Field will also feature Blue Bomber alumni on eight smaller gates and 16 directional signs. These will be unveiled on opening day.

Not saying there aren't guys I'd put there before Brown, but Brown is definitely worthy of it.

Not to single you out on the subject but I think a man who won 4 Grey Cups in 10 years as Bomber head coach should be on one of the gates instead of Brown

Brown was a great player but Grant was the greatest coach the Bombers ever had & yes, agreed... he should be recognized.

Grant was also a heck of a player. Although he mainly played as a receiver they sometimes put him in on defense. And in one playoff game he set a record that still stands:

Most Interceptions Made, Playoff Game

5 Bud Grant Wpg Oct 28/53 vs Ssk

I think they should put up a statue of the guy.

I don't think you can really argue with the selections. There will always be someone left out when you are picking 4 guys from the history of the franchise. Personally, Poplawski was way down the list, but in talking to my parents about that, people who were in their prime in the late 70s and early 80s, they completely disagree with me.

Chris Walby should definitely be one of the 4. It should be Stegall, Pleon, Walby and then one other person.

I think the first 3, (Stegall, Pleon & Walby.), are kind of no brainers.

The fourth one though is debatable.

As long as I have been alive the Bombers have won Grey Cups with superior defence. So I think it would make sense for at least one of the 4 to be a defencive player. Who is the greatest defencive player to ever play for the Bombers? Greg Battle? Doug Brown? Rod Hill? Juran Bolden? On defence there is no clear cut winner, like there is on the offence, but I definitely think there should be at least one representative on defence on the gates.

I don't think you can really argue with the selections. There will always be someone left out when you are picking 4 guys from the history of the franchise. Personally, Poplawski was way down the list, but in talking to my parents about that, people who were in their prime in the late 70s and early 80s, they completely disagree with me.

Joe Pop was a stud receiver, believe me. Your parents are right.

Chris Walby should definitely be one of the 4. It should be Stegall, Pleon, Walby and then one other person.

I think the first 3, (Stegall, Pleon & Walby.), are kind of no brainers.

The fourth one though is debatable.

As long as I have been alive the Bombers have won Grey Cups with superior defence. So I think it would make sense for at least one of the 4 to be a defencive player. Who is the greatest defencive player to ever play for the Bombers? Greg Battle? Doug Brown? Rod Hill? Juran Bolden? On defence there is no clear cut winner, like there is on the offence, but I definitely think there should be at least one representative on defence on the gates.

Just so you know, it's Ken Ploen, not Pleon.

I don't think you can really argue with the selections. There will always be someone left out when you are picking 4 guys from the history of the franchise. Personally, Poplawski was way down the list, but in talking to my parents about that, people who were in their prime in the late 70s and early 80s, they completely disagree with me.

Joe Pop was a stud receiver, believe me. Your parents are right.

I agree. My first Bomber jersey was a Joe Pop.

yeah I think it should have been Bud Grant, if only because he is still alive and maybe (?) could have attended this gate event.  Plus, he freaking deserves it and is a big part of building the old Bomber mythology of being the best team in the league year in and year out.  Imagine the line of wheelchairs, strollers and oxygen tanks lined up down the concourse to shake Bud's hand at his gate....

That's just cruel KBF... .

Tough decision, too many to choose from. Definitely felt Walby deserved to be included. Maybe instead of Brown or Ploen, as he's already got the road next to the stadium named after him.

The Bombers should do what the Stamps do... They have a Wall of Fame where a couple of players & a builder every year or so are put on the wall in the stadium... The Esks do the same thing & it's classy & a big deal for the players selected. They have a dinner & make a weekend of it by flying former players into town & are honoured at a Stamps game by being driven into the stadium in convertibles. It really is a lot of fun & you can see how the players love it. A couple of years ago, Allen Pitts & Doug Flutie made it to the Wall Of fame & it was so cool. Also, under the grandstands in the two concourses on the east & west side there are huge posters of players being honoured. It'd be a great way for the Bombers to recognize great players from the past. I like the idea of a statue in front of the stadium. But that would have to be for the greatest player who ever played for the team... And who votes for that??

IMO Bud Grant, Cal Murphy, Deiter Brock and Chris Walby are more deserving of this type of honour, but I suppose Doug Brown is right, this is more of a popularity contest and DB's retiring is still fresh in people's minds. Overall pretty happy with who ended up being chosen, so many great names to choose from, and opinions will differ on who the four should have been. Personally would have gone with 2 "builders" and 2 players, but that's just me.

https://twitter.com/WinnipegGordo/status/342663480324796416/photo/1

_{It's on obvious recency bias but that happens.}

 

_{To find the happy medium give him the gate that backs on a to a field that no one will use for a while anyways,}

https://twitter.com/WinnipegGordo/status/342663480324796416/photo/1

 

Dumb question: are those replicas? Or smaller versions that are going elsewhere? Because I thought the real ones were supposed to be huge. And it would seem silly to have to change the signs every time the advertisers changed.

https://twitter.com/WinnipegGordo/status/342663480324796416/photo/1

 

Oh great they put all the gates in one place.  Typical WBB mismanagement

http://www.bluebombers.com/photo_gallery/gallery/id/9771

Hard to argue with these pics, so many greats.  Need more gates

I told ya Joe Pop was a stud receiver!

Should have been Walby.

 

Bud Grant deserves a statute.

Man, Doug Brown looks like he could still play... #JustSayin

check out Ploen giving the ol' huck 'n buck! love it!

 

My avy here is #27 Dave "The Knife" Raimey. One of the greatest running backs to ever play for the Bombers. Played four full seasons for the Bombers from 1965 to 1968 before being traded to the Argos for qb Wally Gabler in August of 1969. His ability to  cut & change directions gave him the nickname of The Knife. As in he could cut thru a CFL defense like a knife cuts thru butter. My all time favourite CFL player of all time. He was such a great athlete that he was an All Canadian running back for the Bombers. He became an All Canadian corner in Toronto after a serious knee injury in 1970 caused him to switch positions in 1970 after Leon McQuay was recruited by then head coach Leo Cahill. He'd be on the list for Bomber greats for sure but when he left for the Argos it was under bad circumstances as he had enough of playing for bad teams here. In 1968 & 69 he & Ken Nielsen were the only offensive weapons we had as a team. Unfortunately, Raimey has much closer ties to the Argos than Bombers. To me, he'll always be that great running back in Blue & Gold juking & jiving, making players miss all over the field & then exploding to the goal line for a touchdown! Argo or Bomber, that will always be my memory of the man.

Dave Raimey made "the sweep" a Bomber fixture.

I get the whole "we need to pay our debt back" thing but couldn't these be exempt from the game plan of plastering ads all over everything? The ads are bigger than the pictures of the players for god sakes.

***** if the team can't cover their mortgage, ***** if they do something to pay the bills.......it's really not that big of a deal. Gotta make as much money as you can, while you can...