deepsixemtoboyd

Dude, I wasn’t referring to you. But sorry, as that was definitely unclear: my bad. I was actually thankful for your post! It’s some of the other posts about our offensive coordinator that I find… Well, offensive. 🙂

I find it interesting and - to be honest - annoying that there are still people on this site bitchin’ about Lapo AFTER we won the fackin’ Grey Cup. The guy is working with his third starting quarterback and ONLY managed to direct an offense that averaged 29.3 points per game while on the road for all 3 games! In addition, I have noticed that the folks who seem to have a greater level of expertise – people like Stegall, Orlando Steinauer, the defenders on Hamilton – seem to convey a lot of respect for Lapo. Simoni Lawrence specifically singled him out as being a “very creative“ and difficult to cope with offensive coordinator. So, for the love of gawd, people, even if we can’t agree that some of you who are the heaviest critics of Lapo seem to lack any modicum of common sense, can we at least agree to uphold a moratorium on Lapo bashing for one week following our winning of the Grey cup?

Yeah, but 11 is still so much more than four. So sweet…#2013

In all sincerity, I did like the gif above. Made me smile. K' now for the essay... Firstly, I am thrilled that we are in the Grey Cup. Been 8 long years. I've cheered the Bombers faithfully since age 8 in '77. Since then we've won it all 3 times. Each time was positively beautiful. I've also suffered faithfully through the recent 0-5 Cup run. Been hard to be so close that many times and not close the deal. So, let me say again, I am elated that we're going to the Big Dance for another shot and although some will put me in a "Osh haters" box because I advocate for examining his track record - I'm actually extremely happy for him and his post-season success this year. But...not because I am an "Osh lover" (I guess that's the opposite of a "hater"?) but because I am a hard core Blue Bomber fan and he is our coach and I want them to win, above all else. That all said, here's why I "care" (JCon) and don't think it is a "dumb question" (MC) to wonder aloud about whether Collaros sees the field if Streveler doesn't get hurt: Our coach has shown a debilitating and consistent tendency to stick with his starter even when it is painfully obvious that it doesn't make sense to do so. He did it in '15 with Willy, he did it in last year's Western final with Nichols, and he did it with Streveler in the second last game in Calgary this year, where our starter was both ineffective and injured. He even set up Nichols (and the ensuing controversy with fans/media) when he re-inserted the struggling pivot into a game in '18 on a day when the starter clearly didn't have it and Streveler had given fans hope coming off the bench. So, while I want to believe that the coach was planning to let Collaros start because it was painfully obvious that we weren't going to get it done with Streveler (and getting it done is, after all, the point), I don't think that that can reasonably be considered a foregone conclusion. And the reason that that matters is if he wasn't going to try out Collaros, then unfortunately the outstanding events of the last 3 weeks would have more to do with good fortune (i.e. that Strev was hurt enough to sit out a game but not so hurt as to be lost for the season) than growth in our head coach's decision-making ability in this critical area. In summary, it matters because it would bode very well for MOS' head coaching future if he was planning to start Collaros in the final reg season game regardless of Streveler's health. If, on the other hand, he only started him because he had no choice, that bodes less well. And for those of you who will now crucify me for being a "downer" on the eve of the big party for even entertaining this discussion, well...I think we're probably just pretty different people. For me, part of the fun of being a fan and a forum member is discussing such questions. If that's not your thing, well, then maybe you really oughten to have read all this far, eh? But if you did read this far, maybe it's because you were actually somewhat interested, engaged, provoked etc...and isn't that the point? Go Bombers!

see below

Well, I guess I thought it was an interesting question. Guess I was wrong. Another possibility is that some folks are a tad defensive. Yeah, I like the second theory better.

Just wonderin...

Hmm... The Bombers just won their second playoff game in a row on the road. The elements in those victories include a starting quarterback who’s been here six weeks and is the third starting QB that the OC has had to work with. Yet they scored 35 points last week against the defending champs and 20 this week in the most hostile barn in the land, for a total of 55 in two games and a birth in the Cup. Leaves a guy to wonder what it would take for the Lapo haters to settle down?

Gotta say, don't see what's funny about domestic violence.

OK, that is some interesting research. However, please don’t confuse us with the facts. Especially when those facts don’t fit our victim narrative. They call us “fans“ for a reason; it is short for “fanatics“. 🙂

It’s too early to draw any firm conclusions about whether we keep Zack C. around next year or not. That said IMO, if he wins anything… We keep him around to compete with the other guys. And even if he doesn’t win anything but shows reasonably well… Heck, just based on what he showed yesterday I think we probably keep him around to compete with the other guys. If he absolutely craps the bed, well, that’s another question. I would certainly say that - for me – it’s absolutely no slam dunk that Nichols or Streveler are a better option than Zach C. Neither of those guys have won anything meaningful and - in Matty’s case – he’s been around, what? About 8 or 9 years now in the league? Zach, on the other hand, has taken a team to the big game and also shown a MVP type ceiling, albeit in the past. But, again, neither of the other two guys have ever shown that yet so…

Man, are we a bunch of ******* losers, or what?

Be sure nice to score here and punch ‘em in the mouth.

Yes

Yeah, whereas all the other OCs have been so successful in keeping their quarterbacks healthy… Your Lapo fixation really knows no bounds, does it?

This is an excellent post. And it gets at the very heart of the problem. Which is Michael O’Shea. It also gets at the heart of the solution. Which is to treat pro sports, well...like pro sports. Just win, baby. Win or you’re gone. That goes for quarterback and, above all, especially for the position of head coach. Oshea has repeatedly, consistently demonstrated stubbornness, rigidity, and/or flat out stupidity. Call it what you want, but the **** he pulled last week is consistent with his historic leadership style. Leaving Streveler in gets to the core of the Winnipeg problem. Loyalty and mediocrity and/or just unbelievably crappy judgment (remember the 62 yard field goal attempt vs 3rd and 4 gamble in playoffs, anyone? and that’s after his kicker told him his very top range in the dome was 56 yards?) over appropriate risk management and the possibility of excellence. Hey, maybe Mike will surprise me and get us a birth in the Grey cup game…which would represent actual progress. Miracles do happen. If he does that, he absolutely gets another year. If he doesn’t and I am the fake GM, his ass is absolutely gone.

Oshea on why he doesn't go for 2 like the other team: "Well, they're just doing that to try to get you to chase the points early...No, we've got our formula and we'll stick with that." Yeah, how'd that work out for ya, Mike?

This. Once again, O'Shea demos his dumbness. So, his QB is hurt. Clearly hurt. And as a thrower, he's been unable to make reads quickly and - even when totally healthy - hasn't averaged more than about 150 passing all year, right? And - yeah - we're at a point in the game where we gotta "get big chunks of yardage in a hurry", to quote Suitor. So, you know what...let's do it anyway, cuz...cuz, well, that's just what we do as the bomber brass. Yeah, let's just leave an obviously very hurt, poor-throwing, "happy feet" QB in and see what happens. And then - lo and behold - after the game-ending sack on our seriously lamed pivot, O'Shea pulls his "disappointed dad", "aw shucks", dumbass face out. As if to say, "Oh, shoot. That's kinda disappointing." Yeah, it is. It is kinda f(*&^ing disappointing, indeed. But not for the reason you think, dumbass. Dumbass O'Shea.

Well, you’re getting pretty nuanced there. But since you’re going there…🤓 It’s a timing thing; corners are going to break off coverage once it is clear – and that’s an intuitive thing – that the quarterback has moved too far to be able to get into a throwing motion and that occurs a split second or two BEFORE they cross the line of scrimmage. And that is what occurred here. QB was given a severely unfair advantage; he was allowed to break the rules at which point you can no longer blame the corner… Just my opinion. We may have to agree to disagree.

Certainly agree with you about how TSN handles controversial replays that will show the incompetence of the league. However, can’t agree that the corner needs to continue to cover receiver once the quarterback has breached the line of scrimmage. Having played corner many moons ago, you’re always in a tough position once the QB has broken contain, which VA jr. had… But the job becomes impossible when the officials are incompetent and allow him to throw the ball when he’s clearly passed the line of scrimmage.

Oh, I would guess that the dog would be about on par with Osh in these areas. Seriously, most successful head coaches have demonstrated that they are capable of coordinating an offence or defence successfully in a prior gig. A good number of them continue to multitask, coordinating a major area while serving as head coach at the same time. Osh has nothing like this on his resume, ergo he is incapable of providing direction in these critical areas or at critical points of a game when direction is needed. And - no - coordinating the special teams for Toronto for a few years is not on par. His lack of experience in these areas might go someway to explaining the lost look that inevitably appears on his face and as well as his tendency to go mute when the bombers are getting their asses kicked or falling apart ((you know, at the exact time of the game when other more accomplished head coaches actually kick into action and get active with teaching or redirecting or re-energizing their troops). Yep, the more I think about it the more i agree that the lab and Osh are pretty similar… Both fiercely loyal, neither too flashy, and both simply not sharp enough to be in charge of a successful football franchise.

Did you read my last post? O’Shea’s record indicates that he is not better than Dave Richie. Them’s just the facts. And, despite that, Richie STILL got a much shorter leash. And even the indisputably great Cal Murphy was removed only six years after his last Cup win. And that’s really the core issue. Why should the current coach get such an extraordinarily long leash compared to any predecessor in any era on any CFL team? Are all other franchises who’ve existed in the history of the CFL simply nuts with the way they’ve gone about their business? Or is the current edition of the blue and gold leadership – “the Canadian mafia“ - simply too cozy and therefore out of step with the way a pro sports franchise is run? That’s a rhetorical question, of course. 😀 It is the latter. OK, nice chatting with you. Gotta go to work.

Besides, to this point, O’Shea hasn’t even matched Dave Richie. Dave took us to a 14-4 season and to the Grey Cup. He also won multiple playoff games in convincing fashion.

Wow, you’re really parsing this, eh? A “couple of decades” takes us to 1999. Cal Murphy finished in 1996. That’s 23 years ago. Again, I ask, why so eager to protect O’Shea? He’s not good enough to be compared to the greats in our history? It’s OK to compose rhetorical flourishes that talk about “the best in decades“ but 2.3 decades is… ‘No, now you’ve gone too far!?’

I’m not sure on what basis O’Shea earns these accolades. The best in a couple of decades?? What has he accomplished, actually? Compare him to Cal Murphy. Murphy took the Blue to winning the Grey Cup in his second year. He did it again four years later and again two years after that. That is success that should buy you a long leash, and it did. Cal was here until the end of the ‘96 in one capacity or another, a total run of some 14 years. Again, though, that’s with three cups captured, five appearances in the big game, and multiple trips to the divisional final. And even for Cal the rope eventually ran out, just 3years after his last Grey Cup appearance in 93. As blue and gold pointed out on the weekend, I think you will be hard-pressed to find any coach in the entire history of the CFL who has lasted into a 7th year without winning a division and – if the bombers stumble again in round one – with just one playoff win! Yes, as do or die says, the lack of adjustments are frustrating…but the coach bears responsibility for that pattern too. They are his hires. And if he doesn’t know enough about O or D himself to make those adjustments just what the hell is he doing here? 5 years with this type of defense?? Would’ve never, EVER happened under Cal Murphy.