Captain Blue

Things I learned today: a) Gary wants Walters hired, big time. I am struggling to believe he actually loves Walters so much that he would write about this for that reason. Probably makes his job easier because if Walters fails, Gary can write about how the team shouldn't have hired internally. Gary is unable to name any other GM candidates other than ones that actually already are GMs. Man if we really miss out on hiring this Buono guy we're screwed! c) Gary does not believe hiring an external GM will give them enough time to actually build a team. For this reason, we need to promote Walters so that he can sign a coach and trade for a QB the exact minute after Toronto's season ends. The exact minute, you hear me? Because if not, we're going to take a few days to find a GM and then all the players will already be gone. By mid-December. d) Gary is still not very good at his job.

Seriously though I could just copy and paste every comment I always make about Sun articles...just ignore them, they're all crap [EDIT: In fairness, Penton is probably the most knowledgeable Bomber guy now, but I still refuse to read the Sun.]

Will Burke also be sitting this one out then?

I thought he was really good in the limited time I saw him in TC, definitely think he's worth another look next season.

Meh...Madani may or may not be right. Anytime he reports something I'm usually skeptical and so I'll remain skeptical here too. We are going to hear a **** ton of rumours over the next month or so as every possible reporter will want to get his/her name on a Bomber report to stir things up.

As a welcome back gift to Ottawa, the Bombers should voluntarily donate some players.

My reaction today went something like this: We won? /checks WE WON! /hmmm We won? Is this a good thing? As long as it doesn't end up as the supporting evidence to keep Burke I'm okay with it. But this win doesn't change that the coaches, and many players, have to be on the way out. I would honestly rather take the losses than have us pile up some late season wins and have people believe we are on the right track with this current team. The good news is I have no concerns that the Bombers could actually pull off a win streak.

well clearly the smart thing to do is not say anything. Oh please, then we'd find something else to attack him on. Perhaps his lack of confidence in answering a question. Or why he would clearly ignore a question directly posed to him from the media. Burke does plenty of stupid things and deserves criticism for all of them. This is not one of them. This is Troy Westwood-level criticism right here.

I clearly don't agree with Burke but I don't think he deserves **** for this one. Anything he said would be ripped here. "I've been crap, definitely deserve to be canned" would get him crucified too. Burke will and should be fired after this year.

The worst type of fan is an apathetic one. That is what I am right now. If the Bombers were anywhere close to decent I would watch them. Right now school and other things take priority, and giving up valuable time to watch them not do anything is not my preferred strategy.

Oh no! Now instead of losing every game for the rest of the year, we might lose every game for the rest of the year! Correct.

So any NI who started some games at tackle is a "starting NI tackle?" There's no variability in quality? Paul Swiston is therefore a NI starting tackle now. That's about the level of player we're getting, so don't get your hopes up too high. Neufeld has much to prove. The only reason this trade isn't a total fleecing is because we dumped a 14 pick for a 15 one when there will be a full draft pool, but there's no way we should have had to give up 2 rounds in that swap. Neufeld isn't a top 6 OL for the Riders and had very little chance of making their team next season regardless of Ottawa. Should have been no need to sweeten the pot, and if it was insisted upon, play hardball. Neufeld started 13 of 17 games in 2012 and the West-Semi...Pretty different from Paul Swiston's situation. He occasionally breaks into our terrible starting line.

when you're trading rental players you are doing it with an eye to rebuilding, if you're rebuilding you don't give up the better draft picks. Hall for this guy fine but having to add the 2nd round pick, which will be a high 2nd round pick is just unacceptable. Neufeld needs to turn into a damned good player for this trade to be worth it but right now one of the best DEs in the league and a 2nd round pick for a backup offensive lineman and a 4th round pick is not a good trade. You have all the leverage here you should not be the one giving up the better draft pick. Highly unlikely the Bombers had much leverage. Whole league knew Hall is going to the NFL.

One more thing: Walters strikes me as someone who "gets it." Despite what will be the typical "still trying to win" tagline from the Bombers, Walters realized that he'd rather be 2-16 with Neufeld added than 2-16 and losing Hall for nothing.

Apparently I'm in the minority but I think Walters did pretty darn good for this one. Hall was a goner - and the rest of the league knew it. Giving up the second rounder sucks, but they clearly think this linemen is at least decent. Walters got value (Neufeld) for very little (essentially a second round pick).

This might be the worst Bomber idea I've ever heard. That is not hyperbole. Meet your new organization... CEO: Gary Lawless GM: Duane Forde HC: Matt Dunigan, who after four games will get fired then replaced by Greg Marshall, who will then after his four games be replaced by Khari Jones. Now since Jones is still loved, he'll get five games before getting canned. Then we'll replace him with Tim Burke, because everyone knows he just didn't get a fair shake from Mack and is secretly a brilliant head coach in waiting. --- I'm aware that a fan board wouldn't have this type of control. The lesson here is still that it would be nothing more than an utter trainwreck. To put it bluntly, fans are dumb and make bad decisions. Listen to any radio call-in show and imagine their ideas on this team. I can see them bickering at the board meeting now..."We need to hire the first guy that promises to bring in Casey Printers at QB..." This idea better burn to death immediately.

Bam. Mere seconds after I posted a reply to iso.

Yeah, he sure had a lot to say when he got hired, didn't he? Now he's become invisible. At the very least he should come out of the shadows after that debacle last night. New person, same debate. Why do you guys need media statements issued after everything? Of course he had a lot to say when he got hired. He had just fired a GM and promoted a new one. If he doesn't say anything, people complain that he's hiding, not fulfilling his role, etc... If he does say something, what exactly is he supposed to say? "Yes Bomber fans, I thought we sucked too?" How exactly does that benefit the organization at all? And look out if he dare say anything positive, because then the media will turn their faux-outrage up another 80%. Miller's job is to hire the right people and then get the heck out of the way. He will have to engage the media at various points throughout his tenure; providing bi-weekly updates is not required.

Perhaps we can have the CFL mandate Ottawa take at least a third of this roster...then we can at least have an equal counterpart next season.

Oh for ****'s sake if this is true then there is no way in hell I can believe Miller and/or Walters will fix this team. Hopefully this is just 'till the end of the season.

Funniest thing I've read all day.

Leader??? are you ever using the term loosely! Leaders don't throw their employees under the bus in public! At this point Burke has thrown so many people under the bus that the wheels are no longer touching the ground. He's not a leader at all.

Looks spiffy.

I don't think we need a game thread but I think a post game thread would be a great idea. The post game talk used to go in the game thread, now it seems quiet around here after games- particularly if you miss the game and want to read some comments. Don't think it'd a big though. We all know how to create threads if we really want one.

So many things wrong with the article that. I don't think Lawless even attempts to put thought into them anymore.