When someone in sports says something dumb and tweaks the other team, it’s called ‘trash talking’ and ’bulletin board material.’Here’s bulletin board material for every municipal infrastructure planner, courtesy of the May 26, 2013 edition of the Winnipeg Free Press — a column by former Blue Bomber defensive lineman Doug Brown:

“If you’ve ever wondered what effect a first-rate facility and environment can have on a professional football franchise, 2013 will be the year we all find out.”

So it’s hard to get in and out of Investors Group Field, the designers and constructors, in their infinite wisdom, built it with an outdoor press box (in Winnipeg), the facility’s neighbors aren’t happy with the noise levels and traffic, the total cost of the stadium has skyrocketed from the original $110 million to $190 million – and, according to this Winnipeg alt-news website, beyond that – and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are 1-4. They had a couple thousand empty seats as they stumbled, bumbled, and fumbled their way to a 37-24 loss to Calgary. The new stadium was promoted as a major drawing card that would ensure good attendance for many years, based on the novelty effect alone. Instead, it’s a ‘meh’ factor three games into its existence.

So, using the logic of the Freep writer and ex-jock, either the Blue Bombers aren’t a professional football franchise, the city, province and Bombers spent more than $200 million on a facility that isn’t first rate, or … ?

Things to think about as the new Rider stadium discussion continues in the ‘monorail, Monorail, MONORAIL!’ phase.