Sea Bears Superfans: Fan-Favourite “Tracksuit Brothers” Talk Outfit Origins, Leading Fan Environment
By Cameron Johnsen
In their inaugural season, the Winnipeg Sea Bears have quickly captivated one of the most passionate fan bases in the CEBL. With record-setting attendances and a roaring in-game atmosphere, Winnipeg’s faithful have made Canada Life Centre into a true home for the city’s newest professional team.
Two fans in particular have played an unmistakable role in making Sea Bears fans the loudest in the league. Those who have attended a home game this year will have likely noticed two men dressed in matching tracksuits sitting courtside just outside the centre-court logo. The pair have become a fan fascination for rallying the crowd in key moments, competing in quarter-break contests and featuring on the jumbotron to the cheers of a packed arena.
The tentatively self-titled “Tracksuit Brothers” are Phil Payjack and Nick Hurrie, two friends who met seven years ago while working for 24-7 Intouch (now IntouchCX), a Winnipeg-based customer experience company. Although they have both since moved on, the two remain close. Payjack now owns a commercial cleaning business, while Hurrie works as a software developer.
“We left the company but have stayed in touch. As soon as this came up, it was a no-brainer that we’d be coming to all the games together,” said Hurrie.
Payjack and Hurrie were already fans of the game when it was announced in November 2022 that an expansion franchise would be coming to their hometown. Payjack credits the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 championship run for drawing him into the sport, while Hurrie remembers being an avid follower of the Winnipeg Thunder as a child for their short stint in the city from 1992 to 1994.
“I was a huge fan of the Thunder, but my parents couldn’t afford tickets at the time, so I never got to go to a game,” he said.
Now, Hurrie and Payjack are courtside every time their Sea Bears take the court in Winnipeg. The pair say they knew right away they needed a front-row seat.
“It was definitely courtside or bust,” said Payjack. “We got the call that courtside was available and jumped at it.”
As anticipation built for the Sea Bears’ introduction, the two decided they wanted to do more than quietly sit back and enjoy their new first-class seats. They wanted to bring their personalities courtside.
“Nick is similar to myself personality-wise, where if we get an opportunity to be a little extravagant or ‘event-ize’ things – take a regular gathering and turn it into an event – we jump at the opportunity,” said Payjack.
“We wanted to have fun with it knowing it was going to be a great moment for the city,” Hurrie added.
The inspiration struck Payjack while he was watching hockey, months before the Sea Bears season was set to tip off.
“I was watching a Florida Panthers playoff game, and in the first row behind the bench there was a gentleman wearing a Florida Panthers-coloured tracksuit. I saw that and just kind of had a ‘huh’ moment. I hit pause on the TV, sent a picture to Nick, and said, ‘do we need tracksuits?’”
The two quickly agreed that they needed tracksuits. Hurrie began working to find the perfect matching set for the Sea Bears’ inaugural tipoff on May 27.
“I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this, but the first ones were a secret from Phil’s wife,” said Hurrie. “I’ve been procuring all of them – it’s gotten a little out of hand.”
“Sorry, Katrina,” laughed Payjack.
Hurrie did his best to find a set that would arrive in time for the season opener and match the Sea Bears’ team colours. When he found no blue option that could ship quickly enough, the two decided on a pair of green suits to wear at the first game before debuting the blue at the team’s second home game July 12.
“We wore the green ones at the first game, and it went great,” Payjack explained. “We wore the blue ones at game two and someone just made an offhand comment like, ‘Oh, you have a different colour for every game?’”
“We were like, ‘Yeah, yeah we do!’” said Hurrie.
With the pressure on to debut a new tracksuit at every game, the two went on an online ordering spree. They own a matching pair for every home game thus far.
Fans’ interest in the duo developed rapidly. They say that the reality of their popularity set in when they were recognized and stopped by dozens of fans at the Sea Bears’ third home game.
“Nick’s girlfriend Kiera came to that game, and we had 30 to 40 people stop us for high-fives, handshakes and pictures,” Payjack said. “She was a little taken aback.”
“It got a bit of attention, and our problem is that if you give us a bit, we’re maybe going to want a little more,” Hurrie smiled.
As the legend of the “Tracksuit Brothers” grew, Payjack and Hurrie realized that they had become part of the show. They began to recruit the fans in their section to cheer, heckle and celebrate with them. Before they knew it, they were on the jumbotron rallying a roaring crowd.
“We’ve become really good friends with everyone who sits around us. When someone’s going up for a free throw we’ll be asking, ‘Are we booing them? Are we chanting their name?’ We’ll recruit 12 people around us, and the rest of the crowd gets into it until you hear 5,000 people booing one player in one moment,” Payjack said.
Hurrie adds that it took Sea Bears owner and chairman David Asper, who sits just to their right, to spark their confidence to be more vocal on the sideline.
“At the beginning of the first game when the opposing team was shooting free throws, there was relative silence. It really took David standing up and booing for us to say ‘Yeah, let’s get in on this.’”
The pair now take pride in their ability to affect opposing players and make Canada Life Centre a difficult venue for visiting teams to play in.
“You start to see them look over at you and have reactions,” Payjack smiled. “It just fuels the fire.”
He adds that when Saskatchewan’s Justin Wright-Foreman hit the game-winning shot in a narrow defeat of the Sea Bears on June 11, his first order of business was to revisit his trash talk with Winnipeg’s courtside superfans.
“As soon as he drained that three, he came right over to us and let us know. I think that just goes to show how fans can impact the game in one way or another.”
Payjack and Hurrie say that they couldn’t have predicted the engagement they’ve received from fans, but enjoy playing a part in making game time so entertaining.
“It’s been a unique experience that you wouldn’t have been able to draw up,” said Payjack. “It’s starting to evolve into something more than just our two seats.”
“We’re a part of a group, and that group is the people who sit around us and fill this arena. To be able to have fun with everybody is just awesome,” Hurrie added.
When it comes to their plans for growing the “Tracksuit Brothers” persona, the two are looking to play their cards close to the vest.
“We’ll see where it goes. Tune in and find out,” Payjack smiled.
More than their own celebrity or the team’s on-court success, though, the Sea Bears’ “Tracksuit Brothers” are excited to be welcoming the city’s newest pro team with the fan support it deserves.
“I see Winnipeg sports fans being Winnipeg sports fans,” said Payjack. “We’re loud, we’re proud, we cheer on our team and we make other teams feel uncomfortable in our building. I’m proud we’ve been able to bring that to the Sea Bears.”
“I’d be okay just having a team. There’s been a hunger for basketball in this city.” Hurrie continued. “Win or lose, we’re having a good time. The fact that the team is doing so well is amazing, and it’s amazing to be front row to that success.”
With a CEBL-best 7-2 record on their home floor, the Sea Bears owe no small part of their success to the Winnipeg sports faithful’s impassioned return to basketball.
With a home playoff game secured and the chance to clinch the Western Conference’s top seed with one more regular-season win on July 29, the Sea Bears will count on their fan support more than ever. As the team's Fan Appreciation Game, the event will feature additional giveaways, entertainment and pregame celebrations. With a victory over Edmonton or a Calgary loss on Friday, Winnipeg would obtain the first seed and go on to host the winner of the Western Conference play-in game Sunday, August 6 at Canada Life Centre. A second-place finish in the conference would place the Sea Bears as host of the Western Conference play-in game on August 4. General sale of playoff game tickets will begin Friday, July 28 at 10 a.m. For tickets, visit seabears.ca/tickets.
About the CEBL
A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 71 percent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow @CEBLeague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
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