Why this Winnipeg Blue Bomber fan has refused to wear pants for 17 years

The hardest thing about not wearing pants for 17 years is shoveling the driveway.

That's according to Chris Matthew, a Winnipeg resident and Blue Bomber fan who knows it from experience.

Nearly two decades ago, Matthew told some friends he wouldn't put on pants until the Bombers won the Grey Cup. That was in 2001, during a nice November, with the Bombersexpected to defeat the Calgary Stampedersand take home the Cup less than a week later.

They didn't.

"They were 14-4, and they were playing 8-10 Calgary. I thought it was a no-brainer. Apparently I'm theno-brainer," Matthew said Wednesday.

"Seventeen more years, I'm still waiting."

Since his original promise, Matthew has been as good as his word. In 17 years, he guesses he's been forced to wear pantsabout a dozen times when circumstance compelled him to do so funerals of people who didn't know about his no-pants thing, for instance. At other fancy occasions, he wears his kilt.

"Nobody I know in my circle of friends even bats an eye anymore," Matthew. "I do get odd looks in grocery stores and on the street and things."

When he does have to shovel the driveway, he wears long johns underneath his shorts. Other than that chilly task, he said he doesn't miss anything at all about wearing pants.

"Nothing. Really, nothing," he said. "Not a thing."

After the Bombers were again downed by the Calgary Stampeders22-14 in this year's West Division Final, he was consigned to another year without pants.

To Matthew, the losswas disappointingbut not surprising.

"It's almost like I've become numb or used to it. It's just like, well, you know, they'll find a way to do this again," he said. "And I mean, I don't want to belittle the team or anything like that. I know they're not doing it just so I have to wear shorts for the rest of my life.

He's not convinced his pants-free lifestyle is jinxing the team, but he's not ruling out the possibility of being convinced.

"I really don't think so. But if they came up to me and made an overture and said, would you do it so we could win, I might consider it."

With files from Ismaila Alfa and John Sauder