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CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Bombers prominent among Top 50 candidates

September 21, 2006 - Canadian Football League (CFL)
Winnipeg Blue Bombers News Release


TORONTO, ONT. - TSN and the Canadian Football League announced today the launch of TSN Top 50 CFL Players, an unprecedented initiative that celebrates the rich and storied history of the CFL by counting down the Top 50 CFL players from the league's modern era.

The list will be unveiled in November during Grey Cup Week.

An independent voting panel consisting of media representatives, former players, coaches, broadcasters and football executives has been selected to identify the Top 50 CFL players from a list of 185 nominees, all of whom toiled in the post WWII CFL era (since 1945). Among the candidates are 119 players inducted to the CFL Hall of Fame and 66 others who have been identified following a comprehensive three-month research and consultation process.

A total of 38 current and former Winnipeg Blue Bombers are included on the list of 185 eligible players.

The complete list of all 185 CFL Top 50 candidates, as well as the identity of the independent voting panelists can be found online at http://www.tsn.ca/cfltop50.

The campaign was unveiled today at a media conference in Toronto attended by CFL Commissioner Tom Wright together with TSN President Phil King along with past and present CFL greats Damon Allen, Less Browne, Mike 'Pinball' Clemons, Tony Gabriel, Ellison Kelly, Joe Krol, Angelo Mosca and Nick Volpe.

Commenting on the initiative, King said: "TSN is a long-standing partner of the Canadian Football League and we appreciate fully the storied history of the League and what it means to Canadians. The TSN Top 50 Players campaign is our way of generating debate while recognizing the very best CFL greats who have helped shape this great game."

"The CFL is delighted TSN has taken the initiative to identify the Top 50 players of all time," said Wright. "TSN has been a valued partner of the CFL for 21 years, profiling the game and its players. Moreover, it has given fans a chance to not only look at the present stars of the game, but of yesteryear, too. We must always remember the past because of its connection to the present and the future, and certainly the 185 players who have been nominated as candidates for the Top 50 reflect that. The nominees who are participating in the launch represent various decades and periods of the CFL and we salute them as stars and ambassadors."

Members of the voting panel have been instructed to judge and compare players based on the totality of their on-field contributions - be it at different positions or in different team roles. As part of the voting process, voters must include at least one quarterback, two running backs, four receivers, five offensive linemen, one punter (or punter/kicker), one kicker (or kicker/punter), four defensive linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs. This adds up to a total of 26 players representing each CFL position. There are no restrictions on the remaining 24 choices.

Current and former Blue Bomber players on the list include:

LB Greg Battle
S Paul Bennett
QB Dieter Brock
DB Less Browne
P Bob Cameron
DB Eric Carter
RB/DB Tom Casey
QB Tom Clements
QB Matt Dunigan
DL Joe Fleming
OL Bill Frank
RB/REC Tommy Grant
OL/DL Herb Gray
DL John Helton
OL/DL Dick Huffman
QB Jack Jacobs
RB Gerry James
LB Tyrone Jones
RB Leo Lewis
QB Danny McManus
WR James Murphy
DB Ray Odums
K Paul Osbaldiston
DL Elfrid Payton
REC/DB Ernie Pitts
QB Ken Ploen
REC Joe Poplawski
RB Dave Raimey
RB Willard Reaves
OL Frank Rigney
RB Charles Roberts
REC Tom Scott
DB David Shaw
REC Milt Stegall
DB Dick Thornton
OL/DL Buddy Tinsley
OL Chris Walby
LB James West

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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