saskbluefan

Harris.

The great thing about 5-1 is we don't really have to be killer the rest of the way to still have a huge season. Win only 2 out of 5 against Sask and Cal, 1 out of 3 against BC and Edm, and 3 out of 4 against the East and you have an 11 win season. Maybe a home playoff game. Way beyond the most optimistic of expectations. If we win 3 against Sask/Cal or 2 against BC/Edm and now you have 12 wins and you are amongst the best Bomber seasons ever. Let's repeat that to put it in perspective. This years Bombers team, following a 3 and 15 season, has a fairly reasonable chance of having one of the best regular seasons in team history.

The whole "are the Bombers for real" question reminds me of the of the debate about the Riders last year heading into the Banjo Bowl. The answer to the question depends largely n how you define "for real". The Riders were 8-1 at the time and their fans and media were insisting it was a legit 8-1. But if so, that would have projected them to be 16-2. In other words the best CFL team in a generation. They lost to the Bombers and kept losing for a while. But then they overcame the adversity and won the Grey Cup. As for the 2014 Bombers we are on pace for a 15-3 season. No doubt some people here think that will happen but others might be willing to bet their homes and first born against it. Impersonally suspect some adversity is ahead. The sked is pretty tough and the Bombers haven't exactly dominated some of these games. But the key is not to roll to a 15-3 season. The key is to overcome when there are set backs. What happens then will answer the truly relevant "for real" or not questions. For now, enjoy the ride.

Yes. The industry of sports figured out how to monetize television broadcasts, led by the NFL. It's worth more to have the skyrocketing rights fees and eyeballs for advertising than the couple thousand people (which could be less or more depending on the city) who might choose to go to a game if they can't watch it on TV. IMO, several teams are missing an opportunity to get more butts in seats. Bombers are a prime example. Those corner endzone seats that never sell should go for $10-$15. Get people in the building, get them buying concessions and merchandise, maybe even provide a good enough experience that someone comes back in a more expensive seat. Better to sell that seat for $10 than have it sit empty for 9 games. It's not that simple. If you sell Section 101 and 102 for $10 you can't sell Section 104 for $86. And that section is mostly full. Imagine those seats sitting empty at $86, while the corners were full at $10? That would cost a lot of dough spread over 10 games. They could finesse their price structure a bit. Maybe make the very corner P4s into P5s or something like that. They should probably entirely switch the price points on P5s and P6s too. Anyway, the idea isn't to sell the most tickets you can. It's to create the most revenue. Giving away or practically giving away your product hasn't proven to be a long term successful strategy in pro sports.

Back to Grigsby

The "decades" pat aside I agree with you. I just think it's going to take a while. The 3-0 start obscured that a bit. I would be thrilled with a cross over spot this year. Next year, a little bit better. Then, hopefully a long long run of contention.

Because most other provinces/cities don't have the cash to do that plan. I agree the BC Plan worked awesome but it also cost a buttload more money than either Winnipeg or Hamilton spent/are spending.weren't most the stands/seats left over from the winter olympics also? That played a role, also winnipeg had a stadium to play at so winnipeg is kind of irrelevant here.I don't know, all I know is that the government here spent $500 million on the stadium upgrade, with nary a comment or complaint from anyone, or even any discussion. It just "happened". A few socialists complained after the fact, but it never even was mentioned during the election last year. Imagine if the Manitoba government just decided to spend $500 million on a new arena for the Jets? Every old crank and nut in Winnipeg would be crying the blues and the issue would be debated endlessly. Here, no one even batted an eye. Once you've hosted an Olympics you've set the bar pretty high for "wasting money on sports". It's hard to shock anybody after that. Not that I don't love the Olympics.

Harris

Somebody had to pay the price. If they play poorly again next week Kyle Bolton is as good as out of here.

Lawless actually worked for For the Argos when Matthews was there. So he probably knows the deal with him. And just because Matthews was an even bigger ******* doesn't mean Chris Jones isn't bad for the league too.

Rural fans and Saskatonians attend even weekday games in Regina. Fans from Brandon can't handle the TransCanada on a weeknight? Pretty soft.

I wouldn't say that at all. And the only reason you would say that is because of preseason expectations. We're into the season now, we've won and we've looked very strong doing it. Throw the predictions out the window, we're in a battle now. Well the main reason I said it is because the previous two pages were spent discussing the cross over and what we need to do to get it. But yeah the predictions too. I'm not ready to throw them out quite yet. Maybe I'll be proven wrong but if Edmonton and Winnipeg are fighting it out for first place after week 13 or so I will be surprised. Time will tell.

It's funny how two undefeated teams are meeting in a battle for first place and everybody realistically knows the real stakes are deciding which one of the teams has the edge for the crossover berth.

You know what they say, the 5th string QB is always the most popular guy in town.

Chevon Walker

Plus Bolton is on the PR. That was 4 import RBs.

Things change so fast. I think most of us had written this year off as rebuilding and were sort of hoping we would look like we had turned a corner and maybe we would win 7 games at the most. Now, the night after one of the most thrilling victories of the post Taman era (just my way of lumping the Kelly and Mack eras together) we are bitching about two or three positions. Not scolding, just observing. The truth as I see it is we still have lots of holes and some talent deficiencies that may take another year of so to repair. Honestly, I think 7-11 and missing the playoffs is still a real possibility. So I am enjoying every minute of this. And ripping Dunn after a win in which he scored a TD is not on my Saturday to-do list. That can wait a year or so till we are truly expecting to be able to beat a Calgary or Saskatchewan in a West Final. Eg. Matt Bucknor is our wide side corner. He gets beat sometimes? No ****. He's Matt Bucknor. Every game he doesn't get beat for 3 TDs and we pull out a win is getting away with one. It's going to take these guys more then one off season to get 7 starting Canadians better than him.

In those days I went to almost every game. But my Grandma had gone away to visit my cousins for a week or so and left me use of her K Car. Thusly I had to pick her up at the bus station when she got home. Right in the middle of that game.

I doubt President of the Nomads is a paying gig.

Anthony Allen

Not good. Scott Radley ‏@radleyatthespec 41m BREAKING: #Ticats will not be playing July 26 or 31 games at Tim Hortons Field because it will not be ready, city says.

Can we win the Grey Cup if he only throws for 287?

Not to be a Donald Downer but the ticketmaster map offers a different story. 29000 would represent 3000 or so sold in 24 hours. But you never know.

Grigsby

Wally is occasionally wrong. But not often.