Published Sep 27, 2025 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 23\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Phillip Bruneau walked through the gates at the home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday for what he fears will be one of the last times.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive columns by Ryan Stelter, Paul Friesen, Ted Wyman, Scott Billeck, Lorrie Goldstein, Warren Kinsella and others. Plus newsletters: Gimme Stelter for your beat on the city, The Exit Row for all your Jets news and On the Rocks for curling.Unlimited online access to Winnipeg Sun and 15 news sites with one account.Winnipeg Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive columns by Ryan Stelter, Paul Friesen, Ted Wyman, Scott Billeck, Lorrie Goldstein, Warren Kinsella and others. Plus newsletters: Gimme Stelter for your beat on the city, The Exit Row for all your Jets news and On the Rocks for curling.Unlimited online access to Winnipeg Sun and 15 news sites with one account.Winnipeg Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Account<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n A 10-year season-ticket holder, the 40-year-old was wearing black instead of a blue jersey, and not because he was pulling for the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Bruneau was protesting the rule changes planned by the CFL over the next two years, changes that will erase two unique aspects of the Canadian game: shortening the field by 10 yards and moving the goal posts to the back of the end zones.<\/p>\n \u201cThe CFL is its own game,\u201d Bruneau told the Winnipeg Sun. \u201cThe history and tradition of the rules as they are. And every rule it seems that they made is just being more like the NFL. I never had a problem with the rules. Every rule change is just making it less like the Canadian game.\u201d<\/p>\n Bruneau was one of the fans who signed an online petition calling on CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston and the league governors to at least pause their plans and consult with the people who pay the freight.<\/p>\n The Winnipeg Sun’s Daily Headline News<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Fans against the move were also encouraged to wear black to games this weekend and next, sending a message while continuing to support their teams.<\/p>\n Bruneau is so disappointed, he planned to go one step further.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s the death of the CFL,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m going to cancel my season tickets because of these rules. I\u2019ve been a season-ticket holder for over 10 years. And I will not put another dime into the CFL after these rule changes. I\u2019m going to call them next week and just cancel.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a Bomber for life, and I\u2019m cancelling my tickets.\u201d<\/p>\n And if the team begs him to remain on board?<\/p>\n \u201cThey have to put back the rules. It\u2019s not the CFL anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n At another gate, Rylan Feakes hadn\u2019t decided to go that far, yet.<\/p>\n But the 19-year-old was no less passionate about the game being Americanized.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a unique game,\u201d Feakes said. \u201cEspecially in a year that\u2019s so rah-rah Canada, and they\u2019re doing this. I don\u2019t care if it\u2019s two years down the line. I want to put a stop to it.\u201d<\/p>\n Feakes also showed up in black. To hammer home his message, he had an image of the Canadian flag taped onto the front of his black ball cap.<\/p>\n Where he spoke from, though, was the centre of his chest.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not just for me,\u201d Feakes said. \u201cMy family\u2019s been CFL and Bomber fans since the \u201950s. This is for my late uncle, my grandfather and everyone else. They loved the Canadian game. And now it\u2019s my job to protect it. What the league\u2019s doing is disgraceful.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I just hope that Mr. Johnston and the board of governors will come to their wits and save our game.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Asked where a 19-year-old finds such a passion for the game, Feakes was succinct.<\/p>\n \u201cIt comes from the heart.\u201d<\/p>\n The petition was started by a group calling itself Concerned Fans of Canadian Football.<\/p>\n Former Hamilton resident Matthew Campbell, who remains a die-hard CFL fan now living in Houston, was behind it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re at 4,900 and still growing strong,\u201d Campbell reported on Saturday.<\/p>\n The planned changes, announced on Monday, drew a backlash from high-profile players and coaches, too, led by star Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke of the B.C. Lions, who called them \u201cgarbage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019re moving towards is not the Canadian football game that I grew up loving,\u201d Rourke said. \u201cWe\u2019re getting away from that. And frankly that makes me pretty pissed off.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Bombers head coach Mike O\u2019Shea, a Canadian and Hall of Fame player, praised Rourke for speaking out.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we\u2019re going to be altering the game and removing uniquely Canadian items from the game, I would never be in favour of that,\u201d O\u2019Shea said. \u201cBecause it\u2019s ours. Uniquely ours.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Shea was among those who questioned the lack of transparency. Neither coaches nor players were consulted.<\/p>\n Bombers running back Brady Oliveira, a Winnipegger who won awards for top Canadian player and top player overall last season, was puzzled.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t think there needed to be any rule changes,\u201d Oliveira said. \u201cGetting rid of the 55-yard line, I don\u2019t know why that\u2019s even a thing. Why did they shorten it by 10 yards?\u201d<\/p>\n Winnipeg special teams coordinator Mike Miller said watching Monday\u2019s announcement made him feel ill.<\/p>\n \u201cA little sickening,\u201d Miller said. \u201cJust felt it in my stomach\u2026 like I ate something bad.\u201d<\/p>\n paul.friesen@kleinmedia.ca<\/p>\n X: @friesensunmedia Article content<\/p>\n Share this article in your social network<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Breadcrumb Trail Links SportsFootballCFLWinnipeg Blue Bombers Get the latest from Paul Friesen straight to your inbox Sign Up…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":176197,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-176196","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cfl","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-canadian-football-league","11":"tag-canadianfootballleague","12":"tag-cfl","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176196\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/176197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Bomber](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/ws20211024kk57.jpg\")
“In brighter times: Fans in blue and gold cheer during the 2021 Banjo Bowl in Winnipeg \u2014 a reminder of the passion and pride many now feel is under threat as the CFL moves toward major rule changes.” Photo by KEVIN KING \/Winnipeg SunArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Winnipeg](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/19.6.0\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-wsun-new.svg\"){kind=logo}
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