Root

Lapo wasn't exactly the best game clock manager in football. Nor was his replacement Tim Burke. It looks like O'Shea has joined the club.

Rubbish like Gary Etcheverry and Greg Marshall are still lurking around the periphery of the CFL. So is Jim Daly for that matter. None of them are the answer. Hall seems rather mechanical and ultra-focused on not being burned for 80+ yard plays. He seems to lack the defensive creativity that confuses opposing QBs and OCs. But the players love him so I guess that's the standard by which he's being judged, unfortunately.

I guess Walters is forced to say Waggoner is better than Gagnon or Vailancourt because it was his decision. Maybe he was influenced into that idiotic move by working with Joe Mack? Who knows?

Upsetting that the bombers were blind to the idea of going after Trev Harris - they were locked and loaded on a 1-2 punch of Willy & Nichols, Willy has been a walking injury project last couple years and Nichols has had trouble eking out much respect in Edmonton - especially with a backdrop of Reilly, Franklin and the running man. The most telling aspect of the blindness is the bombers, stocked with a well below average to slightly below average o-line (depending on who you ask) have two guys who are basically drop back passers w/ limited mobility. In a league with hi-quality defenders, speedy defensive ends and linebackers almost as fast as running backs that's not a winning formula. Willy occasionally scampers for 5 to 12 yards when he can't read open WRs while Nichols has a propensity to roll out of the pocket a bit more but he's still a statue compared to the league's running men. (ie. Jonathan Jennings, Collaros, Masoli, Reilly, Franklin, BL Mitchell, etc.) Even a 41 yr old guy like Burris can out leg both our guys = not to mention Trev Harris, Darian Durrant, Lulay, Kevin Glenn, etc. Only guy I'd say has less mobility than our 2 guys is 37 yr old Ricky Ray - but Ray has amazing pocket presence and knows how to outsmart a bull-rusher or even a speedy perimeter man. Not having the ability to scamper for needed first downs puts our team at an incredible disadvantage. Teams can focus more on medium coverage and also stay with checked off RBs.

Walters got caught with his pants down on the Goosen pick - but he really looks dismal in the Waggoner deal. The goofiest thing is Walters still maintains he got better value in Waggoner by turning in his #2 overall pick. He's obviously protecting his desk fort with that absurd statement.

The worst part of this seemingly never-ending debate about bad players, coaches and management is watching a so-called no-mind like Marcel Desjardins turn around a brand new franchise in a year and a half - to the point they almost won the Grey Cup (Hank was no match for Mike Reilly and Chris Jones is slightly superior to Rick Campbell). Even look at what Wally Buono has done to that awful Jeff Tedford coached team in BC - and how a general manager with no real resume of coaching (Popp) is suddenly superior to a season CFL coach in O'Shea. It goes without saying Popp by himself is far superior to the Miller/Walters management group. Not even close on that one! Even newbies like Dave Dickenson and Jason Maas are finding their coaching form faster than our guy.

Not a good thing to hear - if true!

Huff is 66 or 67 - don't think he'd want to embarrass himself with some of the weak assistants he'd be burdened with in Wpg - plus an average pocket-passer with limited escapability (Willy) and those two munchkin WRs. Huff is nearing the end of his storied coaching/mgmt. career. This would be a step down in my opinion. Also don't know if he could coach up under-performing guys like Bryant, Waggoner, Neufeld, Goosen, Green, Posey, Johnson, etc. Miller knows exactly how much time he has to repair the damage. If crowds continue to dwindle, merchandise sales slack off and corporations aren't as eager to get involved with a loser he'll run out of cash within 2 or 3 years - and then face a dreaded meeting with the new premier Brian Pallister. Pallister might not want to continue writing welfare cheques to the bombers, tacking them onto the provincial deficit.

One thing that really bothers me is when we cut a guy like Nick Moore, even Jovon Johnson they end up playing well in another city. Whats up with that? Even Heffney put on some mileage - well after everyone here thought his under-carriage was all rusted out! Another guy - Justin Sorensen - couldn't crack the practice roster here - now he's the starting centre on the defending Grey Cup champions. I think part of the reason Moore recessed in Wpg. is he was battling for errant balls from a harassed and harried QB - putting himself in awkward contortions, subject to getting brained and legs cut from under him. Wonder what history holds for guys like Dressler, Smith and Harris - once they realize they're battling for jump balls far more than necessary? O, and one more guy who's under-performing. Stanley Bryant was nothing if not dominant in Calgary. In Blue he's barely holding his own.

Didn't they cut Rupert B? Also, Trent Corney looks good when a QB is holding onto the ball and he's able to make his way around the perimeter - not so good when he has to defeat a solid 6'5", 315lb. OT directly. Corney is definitely NOT a bull-rusher - in fact - do the bombers have any bull-rushers this year? The under-sized vet DT they cut prior to training camp comes to mind but he's not here either.

Bob Irving brought up the point about the bomber d-line being too small and under-powered. He mentioned Westerman is under-sized, Shologan and Cummings aren't exactly beasts, etc. But Doug Brown sluffed off the idea - saying its more important to have fit guys who can endure an entire game than monsters who start gasping for air at half-time. Oppositions are sure finding ways to keep Westerman quiet - and Green seemed to be spectating much of the Calgary game.

The current management group will never euthanize MOS after only 3 or 4 games - the carnage would have to be massive to make that move before Labour Day, if not the entire season. O'Shea is starting to eerily sound like Tim Burke with a better haircut.

Way to go Matty Ice!

Nice block and clumsy but effective runback - almost a TD. A & W Drive-in - Andrew & Drew