Rich

NFL Pick 'Em Pool Week 8 opens up on Thursday with Carolina at Tampa Bay. Get your picks in before game time: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=games&pid=2&wid=20 Current leader board can be found here: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=leaderboard&pid=2&wid=20 CFL Pick 'Em Pool Week 18 opens with the Bombers visiting the Argonauts. Get your picks in before gametime - Thursday @ 6:30PM: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=games&pid=1&wid=11 Checkout the current leader board here: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=leaderboard&pid=1&wid=11 NHL Pick 'Em Pool Saturday October 26th starts off with the Oilers at the Coyotes. The Jets are also visiting the Stars! Get your picks in before Saturday @ 3PM: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=games&pid=3&wid=33 Checkout the current leader board here: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=leaderboard&pid=3&wid=33

I know JPan has said that he mis-read the tweet so this is probably a moot point, but this kind of thinking will bankrupt the Bombers, and your unwavering support to the Bombers here is misguided. Any business that doesn't care about its customers will lose them in the long run. You think people need the Bombers in the summer? No. There is plenty to do in this town (and out of town with cottages) that peoople don't NEED the Bombers. The so called dedicated fan base is already starting to erode. Fan apathy is already at an all time high .... and that is with people on this board. Imagine how the average fan feels. No business can take their paying customers for granted. To suggest that it is okay for the to do so because "they are the only game in town" is ridiculous, even if someone is being "uncouth". People have limited dollars to spend for the whole year. Are they going to spend it with the Jets, where they get fan satisfaction and fan experience or the Bombers, where lately they have had one blunder after another. I will continue to support the organization, buy my season tickets, but many fans will not. This organization has a lot of good will to win back in the community.

There is no excuse for any customer service to tell you that your business is not important to them, no matter how much flack or bitching they have been putting up with. That is their job - customer - service. Telling you that they will not be sorry if you left is a slap in the face, especially after this season. At the end of the day the Bombers need the paying customer, for the paying customer this is nothing but entertainment, and entertainment dollars can easily go to other places. They don't need the Bombers. The Bombers should be kissing everyone's ass to come back next year. They need to be doing everything possible to bring people back.

At Calvillo's age and the injury he suffered this season, he should retire. He has had an amazing career, one of the best in the CFL ever. But he is done. TIme catches up to all atheletes and it is sad when they can't accept that.

He did use one time out on the play after Foster took a knee. It was the same play where the command centre reviewed a catch. Isn't that a forced timeout when there is an injury, or is that NFL I'm thinking of?

How does a coach not use any of his 2 timeouts when clock time is going to be an issue, especially on the time count play. I'm not going to be happy if Burke is back next play.

NFL Pick 'Em Pool Week 7 opens up tonight!. Get your picks in before game time: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=games&pid=2&wid=19 Current leader board can be found here: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=leaderboard&pid=2&wid=19 CFL Pick 'Em Pool Week 17 opens with the Stampeders visiting the Eskimoes. Get your picks in before gametime - Friday @ 8PM: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=games&pid=1&wid=9 Checkout the current leader board here: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=leaderboard&pid=1&wid=10 NHL Pick 'Em Pool Saturday October 19th starts off with the Canucks at the Penguins. Get your picks in before Saturday @ 12PM: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=games&pid=3&wid=32 Checkout the current leader board here: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=leaderboard&pid=3&wid=32

Interesting question. Based on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_CFL_Draft , I make it that we have: Round One: 1 pick (probably the #2 overall). Round Two: nothing. Round Three: 2 picks (ours and Toronto's). Round Four: 1 pick. Round Five: nothing. Round Six: 2 picks (ours and Edmonton's). Round Seven 1 pick. So we have a total of 7 picks. Only problem is that over half of them are Round Four or lower and I keep hearing that it's not going to be a very deep draft. we have 3 picks in the first 3 rounds and 4 picks in the last 4 rounds.... You think we'll end the year with a better record than Edmonton? Ottawa gets the 1st pick in every round this year.

I edited out the details of bullet #3. Don't need to give the opposition any edge against this team.

but isn't this what has been said for the past several years? I have to hope that a new GM means it will be a reality this time. If not, this team will continue on the path it is now, which is not a good one for the long term stability of the franchise. Or the other side of that argument is that there has been competition for spots on this team, the coaches we have though just can't maximize the returns on that talent. The list of players who have really progressed on this team is really really short, but the list of guys who have seen their play regress is quite lengthy. Agreed but I also think there has been positions where there was little to no competition in camp over the last few years. O-line is one of those areas, especially at the import OLine spot(s). Mack seemed to love bringing in receivers, D-Linemen, and somewhat DBs. And I think he was successful bringing in talent in those positions (receiver is hard to gauge with lack of quality QBs throwing to them) Lack of competition at OLine, kick returner, and some years linebacker (do like some of the additions from this year) have come back to bite us. QBs is a different story. Can't deny he tried with bringing in new options, just haven't had much success. Whether or not that is entirely on the talent brought in or the schemes from the coaches, will never know exactly the cause. I don't think many non-CFL vets would be successful in the offense we ran over the last couple of years, but that also doesn't mean that the QBs brought in were good. They just really weren't given much of a chance to succeed to find out.

but isn't this what has been said for the past several years? I have to hope that a new GM means it will be a reality this time. If not, this team will continue on the path it is now, which is not a good one for the long term stability of the franchise.

I think it suggests that we are going to have people compete for jobs next year and the best players will win. No one is going to be handed a job. And based on the way this team has played, no one should be.

NFL Pick 'Em Pool Week 6 opens up with the Giants at the Bears on Thursday. Get your picks in before game time (7:30 PM): http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=games&pid=2&wid=18 Current leader board has JPan75 and Tony Fresco in the lead with 51: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=leaderboard&pid=2&wid=18 CFL Pick 'Em Pool Week 16 opens with the Lions visiting the Stampeders . Get your picks in before gametime - Friday @ 8PM: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=games&pid=1&wid=9 Checkout the current leader board here: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=leaderboard&pid=1&wid=9 NHL Pick 'Em Pool Saturday October 12th starts off with the Bruins at the Blue Jackets. Get your picks in before Saturday @ 1PM: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=games&pid=3&wid=31 Leader board after the first week has JPan85 in the lead with 8 and a 4 way tie in 2nd with 7 wins. Leader board can be found here: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=leaderboard&pid=3&wid=31

I can only imagine what things would be like if we didn't though. Agreed

They say that the opposite of love isn't hate, but indifference. This is what I'm seeing on this board and I feel it too. I don't even get mad after a Bomber loss anymore, it is now expected and gets a simple shrug of the shoulders. Missed last weekend's game because of a family thing, didn't even care. Didn't even bother taping the game to watch later, what is the point..... Missing the last game of the year as well, going to watch the Jets instead. I shutter to think what the in house attendance will be for that game. I hope the Bombers are paying attention to this, because this apathy is the absolute worst thing that can happen for the franchise. You can ***** and complain about people not being "true fans" all you want, but it is just people being honest with how they feel. And you can't fault them for that. I never understood fans who say they would boycott games to "teach" the club a lesson. At least in those instances people still cared and showed passion. What I'm seeing here is worse. People don't want to teach the club a lesson, they just don't care anymore. I don't think all is lost. The fan base here is a pool of gasoline waiting for a spark to set them off. They need to provide that spark before the gasoline dissipates away. They need to show they are making changes in the off season. They need to clean house, including Burke, If they bring him back and there is more of the same next year, this club is DOA. Realistically, I'd be happy with 6 - 8 wins next year as long as the club is competitive in the games they play. If these blowouts continue where you know by the end of the 2nd quarter that the team has absolutely no chance of winning, there won't be a revolt. People will walk away, and it will take a long time to get those non-hardcore fans back. Picked a bad year to open a new Bomber site.....

Hall is gone no matter what, so would you be happy with picking Neufeld with our 2nd round pick. Getting the 4th is a bonus. I don't know anything about Neufeld, but our OLine does need depth, and he should be more ready to step in then anyone we would pick in next years draft. The one thing I don't like is that Neufeld is from Regina ... so does he just go back when his contract is up...

Alex Hall and a 2nd round pick traded to Saskatchewan for Patrick Neufeld (OL) and a 4th round pick

This will be Week 1 of the MBB NHL Pick 'Em Pool. This will be a weekly event where the Saturday games are picked, Entries must be in before game time of the first game. This week that is Saturday October 5 @ 6PM. I will start folding reminders and summaries for this into the existing weekly Pick 'Em Pool thread for the NHL and CFL pools, but wanted to get this out in its own thread to kick off Week 1. Get your picks in here: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=games&pid=3&wid=30

Or you can look at it as an interest free (not sure if it is actually interest free) loan from Asper so they can get a press box done earlier so they can host a Grey Cup and have a chance of getting some extra revenue from hosting a Grey Cup to pull them out of this mess. I do believe this closed board has to go. They are running this organization into the ground, and quite honestly the way they mismanaged the stadium construction is absolutely ridiculous. But how is that going to happen, who do they really answer to? I'm also not a fan of the government getting in to decide how the board is run. What alternative is there in this situation? They've already borrowed from the bank for the other stadium upgrades. Unlikely a financial institution is going to kick in more with their debt load.

NFL Pick'Em Pool Week 5 kicks off Thursday night with the Bills visiting the Browns. Get your picks in for the week before game time (7:30 PM) here. http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=games&pid=2&wid=17 Check out the current leaderboard here: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=leaderboard&pid=2&wid=17 CFL Pick'Em Pool Week 15 of the CFL schedule kicks off on Friday at 6PM with the Hamilton visiting Toronto. So far 100% of entrants are picking Toronto. Ripe for an upset? Make your picks here: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=games&pid=1&wid=8 Check out the current leaderboard here: http://www.morningbigblue.com/community/index.php?app=pickems&do=leaderboard&pid=1&wid=8

Not sure why Collaros would sign with Toronto for backup money when he could be a starter somewhere else. Ray already makes a boat load. They are limited on what they can offer Collaros

It isn't Buck's fault the organization couldn't replace him or find better. He never held the gun to their heads to keep him. He didn't hold the organization back, it was management. Can't blame the guy to keep the pay cheque as long as they were willing to pay it. To me, the cheering last night just goes to show how much this fan base is dying to cheer for something. There is no hope for this team for this season. The fan base is taking what they can get.

Tell us how you really feel

Don't disagree for the most part, and Jokinen has been a bust, but some of the problems with this team have been consistent over the last couple of years and some of them go beyond talent. Most surround inconsistent play. They show flashes of what they can do for a game or over a couple of periods, and then they fizzle making the same mental mistakes and let downs. The question becomes ... is that an indication of coaching or a young team. Jury is out on that. And that is why he got the "bridge" extension to find out. Is it a guarantee that he will be fired if they don't make the playoffs, probably not as you are right, it is a tougher division and conference. But if he can't push them past those same inconsistencies, or they regress, I think he is gone. I like Noel. He is a great interview, always entertaining quotes, but over the last year, there are times I wondered if he is the right man for the job.

I don't think he has, but Gary likes Noel. They (can't remember if it was Gary specifically, but "they" as in TSN 1290) have insuniated that this is likely the make it or break it year for Noel. They've re-signed the core players, Cheveldayoff has been given the nod of approval, the team almost made the playoffs last year, so if they don't make it in this year, you have to wonder if Noel isn't the one to go. The extension basically screams that he has this year to show what he can do with the team, and if not, next year is basically his severance pay. So, lame duck not yet, but if the team doesn't perform this year, he is probably gone.