Rich

I honestly don't know what their qualifications are, but I also doubt the situation they were hired in mirrors Buchko's.  In your original post, you asked why the hatred for Buchko, and I tried to answer that.  A lot of it stems from his hiring being right after the long term deal with CJOB.  Following that with his incorrect declaration of the stadium being ready on time.  
 
He started off on a bad foot and he has yet to put a good one down.  It is Buchko's missteps and errors (or at least those made under his watch) that make people question his qualifications.  Have any of the other people you mentioned gotten the same "negative" publicity?  Made the same mistakes?   I don't the follow the other teams as closely, so I can't answer that question completely.
 
Do I think all the criticism directed his way is valid?  No.  
 
Do I think some of it is?  Definitely.
 
If Mack is not the guy, he should have been fired in the off season.   Is anyone shocked that we have the record we do with little to no changes from last season?  I'm not.  I was hoping for the best, but I didn't really expect all that much.  Mack promised to fix the QB problem, yet Buck was still the starter at the beginning of the season.  
 
If someone reporting to me isn't fixing or doing something they promised me they would, then I'm after them until it gets done.  Now I don't what discussions happened between the two of them in the off season, and maybe this firing now is the result of that.
 
I'm not advocating firing Buchko at this point.  I think he needs to be given time to hire his own guy and put his own operating structure in place, but in my mind, he has certainly used some of his strikes already.
 
The bottom line is that there is something inherently wrong with the Bombers management structure and the way they do things.  From Lyle Bauer underfunding Taman in the early/mid 2000's to hiring Mike Kelly and going to Joe Mack and Buchko's missteps, the delayed stadium to the opening day logistical nightmare , this organization has been mired in futility for going on a decade now, and they really don't seem to have a clue as to what they are doing.  Especially when you compare the way they are run to the way True North runs the Jets.  
 
Is this Buchko?  Is this the environment he has been given to work in and stems from the board?   I don't know, time will tell.   Maybe Nasty Nate has been right all these years and the Bomber board has to go.

The Bombers can't stay silent on this, vacations or not.  The longer this goes without official comment, the worse this is going to get.
 
At this point, even if they put their support behind Mack publicly, people are going to believe he is a lame duck. 
 
Whoever leaked this has painted the club into a horrible corner.

Despite everything that has been said in this thread, I am going to respond to this anyway.
 
If you really want to know the reason to some of those questions you ask, I will give you some links to read:
 
http://www.troyhunt.com/2013/01/the-impending-crisis-that-is-windows-xp.html
 
http://theie8countdown.com/
 
In all honesty, I expect you to read to about the second paragraph of that first web page and stop reading.  Most people don't care about all that crap.
 
If you take my shots at IE personally because it happens to be the browser you are used to, then you have my sincerest apology for hurting your sensibilities.  In truth, my shots are not directed at you, but at Microsoft because for years they perpetuated a browser that did not conform to industry agreed upon standards and force everyone who made a website to create it and make it run in at least 2 ways, 1 for most browsers and 1 for Internet Explorer. And while their current version of IE works, they have millions and millions of people out there using old versions in which their technology has made it impossible for people running XP to upgrade to their current browser (even though those same people can run current versions of other browsers).  So my frustration is that their negligence causes me to invest hours of my time to make things work for people.
 
So you want me to "fix" this stuff?   Well I want Microsoft to fix their mess.  
 
Why can you access those other sites, well most of them were created some years ago when things were different on the Web.  Technology moves on, browsers like Chrome update themselves automatically so they don't run into this problem, but the whole web community is still stuck with the old legacy IE browsers.  And while OB's new look works for you, as I've told you before, the only way I can "fix" this site to work properly for you on XP is to change the entire visual skin of the site. The new skin they chose happens to work on IE.   Why am I reluctant to change the skin to make the site work for IE/XP?  Well, I will tell you...
 
If you read through the first link I have above, they suggest that over the next couple of years, people on XP and IE8 are going to start running into problems like you are seeing here more and more.  Why?  because more and more people are finally getting off of those old platforms and it will no longer make sense financially for websites to continue to invest in all the extra time and effort to make them work on the older browsers.
 
That link above also makes mention that after April of next year, Microsoft will no longer support Windows XP.  So browser (and this site's) issues aside, anyone using XP after that point in time is putting their digital lives and information in jeopardy by continuing to use it. Spammers and hackers are chomping at the bit for this date, because it will be a free for all for them.  This is the last paragraph of that link:
 
 
So if this article is right, then this site not working for you is just the beginning of the problems you are going to see.   And while you make this claim:
 
 
There are already sites out there that won't work for you, you just don't happen to use them.  Expect more to come.
 
Look, I get that you want a site to just work when you come to it and it is frustrating as hell when it doesn't.  But I don't make a cent off of this site, in fact it costs me a bunch of money to pay for web hosting and this software to run it.  I don't have a team of developers to fix everything like commercial sites that actually generate income have.  It is just me, and I have a full time job and life on top of this.  
 
I'm not asking for money, or anyone's sympathy.  I got into this with my eyes open, knowing what I was getting into, and the day that I can no longer dedicate time to improving and fixing things on it, is the day I'll pass it on to someone who wants to take on the burden, but for now we are going to have to go at the pace that I can put into it.  And if that means that you need to suffer through a few jokes about how much I hate IE because of the misery it causes me, well I'm afraid you will just have to deal.

Many sites have an "About" link at the top of the page where they explain who they are and what their company/website is all about.  Maybe add that ("About MBB") and include the story behind the name there?  

I do want to let the site settle a bit and let the bugs as well as features that people like or dislike come out.  We also want to find that balance to remain reactive to what people would like and refine the site as we go forward.
 
I am going to put up a poll with some of the new suggestions people have come up with.  Some of these seem to be split among people (for example there are people who like the color scheme and those who would like it changed to blue and gold), so I thought I would set this up to gauge what the overall reaction is of the member base.
 
Some changes are also easier to do then others, so I'll try to be reactive to what people want, but can't always make promises.  Also things like adding a new logo and changing the color scheme of the site need photoshop changes to do it, which I totally suck at,  So we will probably be recruiting some help if these are highly desired.
 
I tried to pull this list from the existing topics, if there is any other feature you'd like up for a "vote", post it here.
 
You should be able to choose more then one option and change your picks after you submit them (in case we add another option that you would also look).  Let me know if you can't.

I do want to let the site settle a bit and let the bugs as well as features that people like or dislike come out.  We also want to find that balance to remain reactive to what people would like and refine the site as we go forward.
 
I am going to put up a poll with some of the new suggestions people have come up with.  Some of these seem to be split among people (for example there are people who like the color scheme and those who would like it changed to blue and gold), so I thought I would set this up to gauge what the overall reaction is of the member base.
 
Some changes are also easier to do then others, so I'll try to be reactive to what people want, but can't always make promises.  Also things like adding a new logo and changing the color scheme of the site need photoshop changes to do it, which I totally suck at,  So we will probably be recruiting some help if these are highly desired.
 
I tried to pull this list from the existing topics, if there is any other feature you'd like up for a "vote", post it here.
 
You should be able to choose more then one option and change your picks after you submit them (in case we add another option that you would also look).  Let me know if you can't.

Here are my biased observations from the afternoon session:
 
QBs: I am not a Buck Pierce fan so take of this what you will but he did not look very good today. He was overthrowing quite a bit and didn't look quite right. He's usually better than this in TC though so I wouldn't read too far into it anyway. I really like Max Hall. He looks far more polished than any QB I can remember bringing in at their first TC. He's accurate, looks poised under pressure and has a good enough arm to get by. He had a pick in the last throw I saw him make but other than that, he looked real good. I really, really want Goltz to succeed because he seems like he has all the tools but he looks very middle of the road to me so far. He hit Simpson with a beautiful long bomb in a drill but then he throws behind a guy on the very next play. He's still rather raw it seems so I'll give him more time but it does feel like he's already lagging behind Hall, even if he is still getting backup reps. I'm not sure any better way of saying this but Clement looks downright awful. His arm is pretty weak, he doesn't hit receivers in stride and he made some atrocious reads in scrimmage today. I will concede that he looks comfortable at the line of scrimmage and seems to be a leadership type but I am really not impressed.
 
RBs: Garrett was not in pads for this session, don't know why. Simpson really does look tremendous. In one-on-ones he was up against Henoc twice and completely burnt him on both occasions. I really don't take a ton of stock into rushing drills in practice because the D can only do so much so even if he looked good in the first day of TC, I tempered my expectations because the defenders weren't going to hit him but today he looked elusive, was catching the ball well and I was just very impressed. Will Ford had a massive run through a huge hole that went for a TD in scrimmage that would have been an easy TD even in a game where there was hitting. He is a real blur. I'm not sure where to discuss Fitzgerald so I'll put him here. In one-on-ones, he absolutely broke Wendell Brown's ankles (not the hardest guy to beat but it was still pretty sick). The whole O went pretty nuts after that one. 
 
Receivers: I absolutely love both Doug Pierce and Isaac Anderson. Anderson runs crisp routes, has great speed and insane hands. I know Edwards isn't going to lose his job due to injury but I wouldn't really be opposed to it. This guy is THAT good in my eyes right now. Pierce uses his size incredibly well and though he is slight, looks like a real good fit at the WR position. I know they both can't start and at most only one will make the active roster to start the season but they will both do good things for us if given the chance. I think Kurt Adams has almost finished his stay with us. For a guy who has been with the team for parts of three seasons, you would think he would get better than 3rd team reps but I guess our receiving core is deep and I personally haven't seen anything that separates him from the pack. Matthews is exactly who we expect him to be and Watson also looks great. I'm not too enthused by Poblah since to me he has always been a sensational practice player and that hasn't translated to any in-season success and this TC he hasn't really stood out at all but it's still early I suppose. In one-on-ones, the DBs were definitely getting the better of the WRs but to me it was mostly poor throws by each of the quarterbacks. Anderson was the best one out there though and made some real slick catches. The Rifles guy Carter doesn't look out of place at all which is nice. I've never had much to say about Etienne good or bad but it's pretty obvious that he is lightyears ahead of where he has been in seasons past. He has sure hands and good speed and is not noticeably small out there. As for the other new guys, I am aware it sounds like a broken record but Massey won't make this team as a receiver as he seems to have trouble catching the ball clean. I figure he has to impress greatly returning to have a shot. McCree and Kennedy sort of blend in to me. They really don't stand out in any way other than Kennedy's speed.
 
OL: Not much to say about them other than Swiston was earning the praise of DelMonaco during OL drills. Sorenson was steady on shotgun snaps aside from one horrendous one to Goltz. I'm a little higher on our OL than most and I figure they will build on the success they were having at the end of last season but in drills, the DL was generally getting the better of the OL. Not sure if that's a statement about the DL or the OL or both but it's just my observation. The pressure was generally coming from the left side fwiw. I do like the looks of this giant new guy Simmons but it's hard to get excited about a new import OL when so many like him have gone and gone.
 
DL: It's hard to tell who is doing well because from my angle, it was tough to see numbers but the best pressure from the new guys seemed to be from Dexter Davis. Gilmore and Turner will be more than solid this year and the push up the middle was impressive from both of these guys. No one else was particularly noticeable. 
 
LB: I absolutely love Terrell Parker for the WILL position. This guy can flat out cover. RBs, receivers, whatever. He has great speed and he absolutely deserves the spot if he wins it. I'm not nearly as worried about the WILL position as I was a few weeks earlier. Even then, Ian Wild also looks real good. He was getting good pressure on the QBs and although he is a lot smaller than I thought he would be, he's fast and I'm high on him as well. Henoc was getting burnt bad by Simpson but he's a tough cover for anyone. I'm not concerned. McGee was at SAM but I highly doubt that lasts. Wendell Brown is as good as gone. He's not impressing in the least.
 
DBs: The DBs were all fairly good. In one-on-ones, they were all playing far more physically than I've ever seen in drills like this. I don't want to say that Coach Burke's words fired them up but it's a possibility. Hefney in particular was playing real tight on everyone. In scrimmage a Kennedy was sorta being mauled by Hefney and called it PI and they were jawing back and forth afterwards. It's that kind of stuff I really like to see. Pendleton and Markett both had picks (I think one was Hall and one was Buck) and those are the two new DBs that have shown the most. I really hope that at least one of them makes the active roster. I know people have been saying that Jovon looks stronger and better than last TC but I just don't see it. If he were a new guy on the roster this year, he wouldn't stand out one bit. Cauchy looks good. Far better than Logan ever did at least and I figure that with his better cover skills, it will have a ripple effect on the rest of the secondary. 
 
P: There was a 20 minute drill on punting and punt coverage and only Pavlopolous and Hutchison were punting. I have no clue why Cameron or Renaud didn't do anything but it was probably just to judge which one of those other two would get cut first. Pavlopolous was frankly awful. His first punt was a beauty but he essentially shanked the rest. I like Hutchison a lot more but to me it seems like he always gives a half punt and doesn't extend his leg all the way. I figure it comes down to not being used to playing this style of football but I can't deny that his leg is huge and in terms of pure leg strength, his is probably the best.
 
This was a lot longer than anticipated but meh, I like to hear myself type.

We weren't quite sure what to expect when we decided to open MorningBigBlue.com. We are very pleased to say that the response has been beyond our expectations. A big thank you to everyone who has come and contributed to make this place the success that it is.
After being open for only a week, I am proud to say that we have grown to 100 registered users and 950 posts in 55 threads.
With such an overwhelming response, we decided to invest in better software for the site. We found a package (special thank to Brandon for the suggestion) that not only provides the majority of the features asked for, but will allows us, with your help, to grow into a Winnipeg Blue Bomber Community rather then just a message board.
We hope that you will agree after giving the new site a spin that this software brings us from "amateur" to a professional, full blown site.
Some of the features we can now offer:
- A more aesthetically pleasing theme that allows for easier post differentiation, makes new posts easier to find, better search capabilities and and an overall cleaner, more professional design
- Easier site navigation
- More then 10 posts listed per page
- A fully integrated chat room
- Quick Reply box
- Preview of posts when hovering over topics
- The ability to collapse and hide the Twitter feed
- Ability to "Like" posts
- Ability to hide signature lines
- Administrators and moderators are now easier to find
- Ability to login with your Facebook or Twitter account (or continue using you board credentials if you prefer)
- A member blog section where any member of our community can create their own articles. Tired of the Winnipeg media's slant on the Bombers? Write your own article to refute them.
- A mobile version of the site (which you can easily switch on or off from your mobile devices)
- You still have the ability to ignore people!
And so much more.
The conversion seems to have mostly worked. A large number of your avatars did not convert properly. My apologies for the inconvenience. Please let me know if you encounter any issues with the new site.
As always, your feedback is important to us as we strive to make this the premiere Winnipeg Blue Bomber and CFL fan site around. We expect a few bumps as the new software gets broken in. Let us know of any issues you find, or suggestions for continued improvement.
I've also decided to go by my real name on this site from now on.
Rich (aka JimmyFresco)

We weren't quite sure what to expect when we decided to open MorningBigBlue.com. We are very pleased to say that the response has been beyond our expectations. A big thank you to everyone who has come and contributed to make this place the success that it is.
After being open for only a week, I am proud to say that we have grown to 100 registered users and 950 posts in 55 threads.
With such an overwhelming response, we decided to invest in better software for the site. We found a package (special thank to Brandon for the suggestion) that not only provides the majority of the features asked for, but will allows us, with your help, to grow into a Winnipeg Blue Bomber Community rather then just a message board.
We hope that you will agree after giving the new site a spin that this software brings us from "amateur" to a professional, full blown site.
Some of the features we can now offer:
- A more aesthetically pleasing theme that allows for easier post differentiation, makes new posts easier to find, better search capabilities and and an overall cleaner, more professional design
- Easier site navigation
- More then 10 posts listed per page
- A fully integrated chat room
- Quick Reply box
- Preview of posts when hovering over topics
- The ability to collapse and hide the Twitter feed
- Ability to "Like" posts
- Ability to hide signature lines
- Administrators and moderators are now easier to find
- Ability to login with your Facebook or Twitter account (or continue using you board credentials if you prefer)
- A member blog section where any member of our community can create their own articles. Tired of the Winnipeg media's slant on the Bombers? Write your own article to refute them.
- A mobile version of the site (which you can easily switch on or off from your mobile devices)
- You still have the ability to ignore people!
And so much more.
The conversion seems to have mostly worked. A large number of your avatars did not convert properly. My apologies for the inconvenience. Please let me know if you encounter any issues with the new site.
As always, your feedback is important to us as we strive to make this the premiere Winnipeg Blue Bomber and CFL fan site around. We expect a few bumps as the new software gets broken in. Let us know of any issues you find, or suggestions for continued improvement.
I've also decided to go by my real name on this site from now on.
Rich (aka JimmyFresco)

We weren't quite sure what to expect when we decided to open MorningBigBlue.com. We are very pleased to say that the response has been beyond our expectations. A big thank you to everyone who has come and contributed to make this place the success that it is.
After being open for only a week, I am proud to say that we have grown to 100 registered users and 950 posts in 55 threads.
With such an overwhelming response, we decided to invest in better software for the site. We found a package (special thank to Brandon for the suggestion) that not only provides the majority of the features asked for, but will allows us, with your help, to grow into a Winnipeg Blue Bomber Community rather then just a message board.
We hope that you will agree after giving the new site a spin that this software brings us from "amateur" to a professional, full blown site.
Some of the features we can now offer:
- A more aesthetically pleasing theme that allows for easier post differentiation, makes new posts easier to find, better search capabilities and and an overall cleaner, more professional design
- Easier site navigation
- More then 10 posts listed per page
- A fully integrated chat room
- Quick Reply box
- Preview of posts when hovering over topics
- The ability to collapse and hide the Twitter feed
- Ability to "Like" posts
- Ability to hide signature lines
- Administrators and moderators are now easier to find
- Ability to login with your Facebook or Twitter account (or continue using you board credentials if you prefer)
- A member blog section where any member of our community can create their own articles. Tired of the Winnipeg media's slant on the Bombers? Write your own article to refute them.
- A mobile version of the site (which you can easily switch on or off from your mobile devices)
- You still have the ability to ignore people!
And so much more.
The conversion seems to have mostly worked. A large number of your avatars did not convert properly. My apologies for the inconvenience. Please let me know if you encounter any issues with the new site.
As always, your feedback is important to us as we strive to make this the premiere Winnipeg Blue Bomber and CFL fan site around. We expect a few bumps as the new software gets broken in. Let us know of any issues you find, or suggestions for continued improvement.
I've also decided to go by my real name on this site from now on.
Rich (aka JimmyFresco)