TBURGESS

It wasn't just their offense. BC's defense held the Riders to 6 first downs, 2 in the first half.

BC sure beat up on the Riders last night. Looked way better than we did against them in all 3 phases.

Hurl may be 'assignment sound', but knowing where to go and getting there in time are two very different things. So are getting there in time and being able to make the play. Hurl's a gap filler because he isn't capable of being anything more than a gap filler. Hardly a great attribute for a MLB anyway.

Saying he's average isn't taking away his right to try. It's simply pointing out the obvious.

I never it isn't a team game. I never said that the only way to judge a QB is by their record. It is one of things I look at. BTW: Are you really trying to put Nichols in the same company as some of the Bombers great QB's? At best it's too soon. At worst, in your own words, it's ridiculous.

What's ridiculous about expecting to win a playoff game or even the Grey Cup? That's what everyone works for every single year. You're making stuff up. I don't expect that from you. I didn't say win or the seasons a failure. I didn't call Nichols a loser. I called him an average QB at best because he's not a top 4 QB. You really think he is? Nichols had a career season last year. It was his first and only winning season so far. If he can recreate it or get better, then I may change my opinion on him. It depends on if the wins are because he played really well or if they are due to turnovers like most of our wins last year. Jacobs is before my time, but he did win playoff games in more than one year and was in 2 Grey Cups. Jonas is the only one on your list that didn't at least win playoff game and he only had 1 winning season in Winnipeg. He was a great guy to talk to... a gunslinger who threw more Int's than TD's. I liked him, but I wouldn't call him a great QB, just one who had one great season. Brock took us to the playoffs 8 times. After his first time, I don't remember, but I likely wondered if he could do it again. Jones took us to the playoffs 2000-2003, winning 3 playoff games.

The Don was one of the best coaches in CFL history. He'd tell you as much if you asked him. Would have loved to have him as the Bomber coach. RIP

It's a QB driven league and Nichols isn't a top 4 QB, which make him average at best. I get that most folks around here are just happy we finally made the playoffs last year and assume that were going to win at least as many games this year as we did last. Personally, I think the bar should be raised from just making the playoffs to winning a playoff game or two.

He got us to the playoffs. I'll be satisfied if/when he wins a playoff game or 2, gets us to the Grey Cup and wins it.

I'm not sold on Nichols yet either. Last year was the first time in his 5 year CFL career when he looked like a starting QB. He was invisible for major parts of a lot of games. He was was the 3rd luckiest QB in terms of catchable INT's vs real INT's. Our Turnover ratio gave him the ball back 59 times, the best in the league by far. Our redzone problems meant we ended up leading the league in FG's, not TD's. It will be really interesting to see if Nichols can keep up last year's level of play, if he improves or if he goes back to the way he was before last year.

Lankford as a DI Receiver/Returner would make a lot of sense to me, especially if Fogg isn't ready to go to start the season. (I see Fogg as a DI DB/Returner.)

I could see Jeffcoat getting a DI spot allowing him to backup both Westerman and Okpalaugo. Thomas, Butcher and/or Ekakitie should be able to hold down one DT spot and backup the other. That leaves Johnson as a PR guy and allows us to use an import MLB.

We challenged it and lost the challenge and a timeout. My guess is that there wasn't any more than the one angle so they went with the call on the field.

I'm not known for my blue colored glasses, but it certainly looks like the Riders were within 5 yards meaning no fumble and Bomber ball 15 yards up the field.

June 10 - BC Lions Released: QB Keith Price (I) DL Harold Brantley (I) DL Edward Godin (N) OL Vincent Brown (I) OL Quinn Horton (N) OL Evan Telford (N) WR Mitchell Hillis (N) WR Montario Hunter (I) WR Deon Long (I) DB Adrian James (I) DB Justin Thomas (I) LB Nehemie Kankolongo (N)

I was a huge Knight fan back in the day. Ralph Dieter Brock had a great arm and could put the ball anywhere he needed to, but Knight was the better QB until he tore his rotator cuff.

I thought it was the Baylor Basher.

It would be to me. Anything to end the current drought.

That made me laugh out loud. Your cursed Mike. Cursed. Please, please don't get a Loffler jersey.

Bill Frank and it's not even close. Minnick was great but IIRC he was always injured.

Like I said 24 hours ago:

Cummings and Shologan came in with big expectations last year. "Everyone" was talking about how they were going to fix our D line problems. O'Shea even got upset at a reporter who dared to ask if he expected them to do the same on the Bombers as they'd done before and he said of course we do. They didn't live up to those expectations. Is that because 2 players suddenly got worse or because they were being used differently in their old defenses or maybe because they were playing different roles in Halls defense. Does it automatically mean that our new big name FA's are going to do the same? Nope. It doesn't mean that they will automatically live up to "everyone's" exceptions either. Don't be dim. Lots of teams made mistakes in the off season and I point out what I think the mistakes are no matter if they are made by the Bombers or someone else. BTW: I don't think that signing either Okpalaugo or Nevis are mistakes. I just don't see them as the big upgrade that you do.

Cummings came to the Bombers off a season where he had 24 tackles, 8 sacks. Folks expected him to do the same as he did on Toronto's D, but on Halls D he got 16 tackles, 3 sacks. Nevis comes to the Bombers off a season where he had 29 tackles, 5 sacks. 5 more tackles, 3 less sacks than Cummings when he came to the Bombers. Most folks around here expect him do do about the same or better than he did last year on Hamilton's D. I'll believe it if I see it. Shologan came to the Bombers off a season where he had 24 tackles, 7 sacks. On Halls D he got 22 tackles and 2 sacks. He's replaced by 2 guys with zero stats. (Thomas is still going to rotate)

It's still Hall's defence after all. I expect the DL to look much the same as last year. We got rid of the 2 high priced FA's we brought in to fix the DL last year and replaced them with 2 high priced FA's to fix the DL this year. Cummings and Nevis are a wash IMO. Both had good stats coming to the Bombers. Okpalaugo's a definite upgrade. Shologan's being replaced with a draft pick from this year and one from last. I expect that to be a downgrade especially at the beginning of the year. I agree about Calgary and BC and about our special teams, but we had one of the worst defenses in the league last year, except for the turnovers.

My take at the moment: East Hamilton - Gotta assume they won't have the huge injury problems they had last year. Ottawa - Losing Burris, Jackson, Kenneh, Williams will hurt them. Might even fall farther. Montreal - Fixed their 2 biggest problems, Popp as HC and QB. Will go as far as Durant takes them. Toronto - Love Trestman, but they got started too late which cost them in FA. Will go as far as Ray takes them. West Calgary - Won't win as many as last year, but still the best team in the league. BC - Don't bet against Wally B. Jennings has a full year as a starter and will get better this year a few less TO's = a few more W's. Edmonton - Went 5-1 to end the season last year, 1-1 in the playoffs. Walker wasn't their only play maker. Winnipeg - Doubt the gaudy turnover stats are repeatable so we'll have to find new ways to win and we stood pat in the offseason. Regina - More wins, but not enough to get out of the basement.