This Bud is for the Wild: Legendary Bombers coach backing Minnesota

St. Paul, Minn. — He called Winnipeg home for 14 years, but there’s no question who legendary Blue Bombers’ head coach Bud Grant is rooting for in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Remember I’ve been down here for 50 years,” Grant said. ” So any allegiance I had, the Wild have taken them over.”

Grant lives in nearby Bloomington, Minnesota.

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As a head coach he won four Grey Cups with the Bombers in the 1950’s and 60’s, and an NFL Championship with the Minnesota Vikings in 1969, but he also played baseball, pro basketball and he even laced-up the skates.

“I grew up playing hockey in northern Wisconsin,” he said. “I’ve been around hockey people when I was in Winnipeg. Remember our offices were in the arena there, so I used to watch hockey and curling.”

These days the 91-year-old spends his time hunting and fishing. He is officially retired but he still has an office with the Vikings and can usually be found there a couple days a week.

“I’m around,” Grant said. “Not that they need my help that’s for sure.”

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Grant has a lifetime of memorabilia all around his home of 60 years. He calls himself an accumulator, not a collector.

But lately he’s parted with many of his souvenirs, giving the most precious items to his family and dispersing the rest through garage sales.

“I’ve got people coming from Winnipeg,” Grant said. “And we get quite a circus going here.”