WTFL Wpg. Touch Football League - WTFL

1155 Posts

Wow! Winnipeg's first Tournament in 15 years (excluding TOC/Championship finals)

So who's in?

This is old news for veteran players, but for the more recent afficianados, tournaments offer a potpourri of interesting things.

First off congratulations to the WTFL Exec for having the balls to try and hold one. Lots of work involved. Congrats to the poor refs who will probably do even more work, if past experience serves true. And then the teams that are going to explore new avenues for competition.

There really is no excuse not to play in what seems to be once an "era" event.

Further to congrats to the exec.....

The way touch football is going in Manitoba, needed to be changed. We had 5 years of multi-team players (apparently unique to the world....no one else has that) And, for the record I am "for" multi-team players, but with need of revisiting the policy and stipulations (subject for another thread perhaps?) However, it is/was time for a change. That is, the idea of guys playing on a couple teams to play with friends or help out lower teams, or even reverse that, and help out Elite teams seemed to be a good idea.

Now that being said, that's why this tournament idea is such a good one, and a timely one, that traditionally fosters development. That is, some parts of teams combine to form a "tournament team" And really that is so cool. You get to play with new players, and see how everyone's skills blends together. This short term "affair" is just that,a chanceto experiment, learn, compete and have fun. In my old team's case, also a chance to gain new insight into strategies, and play equal talent. (It should be noted that many of the combination defences used in Manitoba today originated from just such an experience, as the Assassins travelled afar, and played against many National opponents. Eventually those strategies were copied, adapted and are used locally.

Secondly, if you're a team from a different league/province, you get to play some new blood. Apparently Regina is sending an "all-star"team, so that should give the Assassins and the Eagles something to play against!! Additionally, rumour had it that the HEAT were reforming for the weekend. Wouldn't that be fun to see all the former Bisons, puttin it back together for a weekend run!!?? Absolutely.

Back to the initial comment, the tourney allows your team to add players and also play against other competition, to see where you stand vs. some good players.

Other benefits include the comraderie of sticking together for the day as you await your second game, maybe partying that night either at the [proposed) beer garden, or a bar or someone's patio deck, and then playing "hung-over" (and that DOES take a special skill to play well hung-over) The goofiness that often occurs makes for lifelong memories, that far outshine any play on the field. I am sure there are many out there.

Such as:

- Driving your car through the arena entrance directly into the "beer garden" - Saskatoon
- running around in 35 degree heat between games, b/c, (reputedly) they were supplemented with an illegal stimulant.- Mississauga
- bowling for dollars (nuff said)- Winnipeg
- not having a ride home and walking, in the ditch, 6 km back to the hotel. - Regina
- being evicted from the hotel in the middle of the night by police b/c your team mates were too rowdy- Saskatoon.
- meeting your fellow Winnipegers in the restaurant BEFORE the tournament and seeing their QB so consumed that he is eventually kicked out of the restaurant after breaking his drink glass(and others) by stumbling around - Toronto
- leaving one of your star receivers behind because....we just forgot him, and he arrives in a Taxi!!! - Regina
- getting halfway to the field only to have the ex- Bomber's former leading receiver, state, "we have to go back because I forgot my cleats!!!"- Toronto
- winning the 1999 Football Canada "Touch Bowl" - Calgary
- swing dancing with one of the Winnipeg womans team's best players,but, oooops, having her hand slip from yours on a turn, and she ends up sliding 5 metres across the dance floor!:)-Halifax

I am sure there are many other memories,( I have a ton) One of the first and really cool ones, was my first ever tournament at Vincent Massey Beer gardens after playing, chilling out with former Bison QB Bud Harden, Dave Pearson and a few others, either lamenting how close we came or how good we were. Special people!

But best of all, was just the joy of it all. Pure football fun!

So, congratulations to the WTFL exec for having the courage to propose this event. Hey Winnipeg, todays the sign up deadline,...how about getting a team together, so you can start making some memories. And I don't mean the usual league game drole, playing the same teams time and again.

And please don't give the "too busy" excuse. or "going to the lake." This type of tourney comes along once a year. And hopefully thanks to the WTFL exec, we'll have this as an annual event. The tourney isn't about winning and losing, it's about enjoying and experiencing (to this generation of Winnipeg touch players) a very different life experience! :)

And a Cyndy Loper once said in a song," Girls just wanahave fun." Certainly it's not limited to one gender, so.......... what are ya waiting for..get some players and donaros together and give the big Kahuna, Craig Swanston a call. I am sure he'd like nothing better to talk to you tonight as he watches the Blue and Gold from his seats in row 45 section X (is that where you guys sit?)

Oh yeah! Have I missed any more stories?

I won't mention the gal who pased out in our room, and we painted her face, stuck a lampshade on her head and took a picture. Hey who has that picture anyway - Ottawa...

There has to be more stories out there?

50 Posts

WOW! What a great post Darrell.

I don't think I could have said it any better. You touched on all of the highlights of tournament play.

Although this is not a 'road trip' tournament you will have lots of fun playing and watching other teams. We are still working on a "host" bar/restaurant for in between or after games and it will be put in place before the tournament.

The plan of course is to grow this into an annual event and have more local teams and out of town teams in the future.

We are still accepting any interested teams but right now we could still use another team for the B Division. Any team in the WTFL's A or B Divsions will have some well matched competition if they want to sign up.

It is "open" rosters so if your team needs to pick up a few guys we have plenty of players who are interested. Or if you're a QB who wants to get some reps against some different comptetion we can get the other players for you.

You can email me at craig@wtfl.ca or call me at 981-1270 if you are interested.

5 Posts

Well done Darrell....

or Charlie hanging Norm out the window in Regina....

LOL

1155 Posts

Yeah Yeah, Yeah......that was classic.....Yeah, that was incredible,followed by many of the rest of us tying him up on a chair and leaving the room!!!but then Norm probably could be the feature in a chapter or two.....a short but storied career. It was actually 50/50 if Charlie would have let Norm go off the balcony, as he held him by his ankles....That was wild!

Do you remember the Grand Beach tournament when on the patio deck....? Wait this site is PG. At the time Norm took all the mystery out of it, for anyone who cared!!!!

Grand Beach was actually pretty rough, remember that guy thatgot hurt, and had to be taken to hospital,....but there really isn't a lot around there???

Or here's the all time classic, at the Clear Lake Beach tournament, in the middle of the afternoon, a wedding party is having pictures taken, and the bride walks onto the sand field (beach) and asks if they can pose with the teams and the refs!!! I do have that picture as she sent it to Football Manitoba who sent it to me!!! It was the B-52's vs???

That has to be an all-time once in a lifetime event.

How about Billy, who ran the Brandon tournament, and when the Combines purposefully defaulted, Bill kicked them out on the spot, ran the 50 yards to the bank machine and gave them their money back and told them to get out of town, while everyone waited and watched!!

and now we are about to make some new stories.........