Blue-urns

When the head coach doesn't believe in his players you get what we saw last year, a team that had no heart, no desire and an amazing ability to just give up you know why? Because the head coach had given up before the game even started. Look how different it is with O'Shea? He believes in the players, he lets them go out and make plays to win football games, he never uses excuses. Ravaged by injuries and getting really deep into the depth chart.... doesn't matter the coach thinks they should all be able to start so it's just next guy up make some plays. That trickles down through the entire team. Any one who doubts just how bad Burke was as head coach after seeing what O'Shea has managed to do is just flat out not paying attention. There haven't been THAT many changes to the roster you can pin it all on that.

You don't think a head coach who throws his players under the bus at every turn, who basically said that the talent level on the team isn't good enough to win, isn't a cancer in the room?  You don't think that stuff doesn't bring the team down.
 
Have you ever had a boss that everyone hated that when he walked into the room everyone shut up and was immediately on edge?    I was never in the locker room, so I can't say this is how it was, but based on what I saw of his interviews, how he composed himself, how he spoke, and what he said, I would have a very hard time respecting what he did and said as a player.
 
And that is the worst kind of cancer to bring to any team, because it permeates from the top down.

I agree. First impulse is to say JJ, but at least he did his job some of the time.
 
Burke was an apathetic quasi-nice guy who lacked energy and commitment to his team...a Cancer doesn't have to actively subvert , it can be more subtle, like a coach who doesn't trust or lead his charges.

Tim Burke?

We just need to wrap up the QB when given the chance.  That was the biggest struggle with Reilly.  If they had brought him down when they actually made contact or had contain then that game is much closer.

lol... Dwight Anderson just got traded to Toronto for pretty much nothing... Suber will bring back a 7th round pick at best.
 
Worth more to us to keep him.

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.

Man, I am all aboard the no-division train.  In a thirty-something team league, it makes sense to reduce travel costs, create rivalries, find a somewhat fair way to give the best teams playoff spots.  In a 9 team league? Nah.  We play every team, regardless of division, so frequently that I end up hating them all at the end of the year anyways.  My rivalry is with every single team.  Sure I feel more strong hatred towards the Riders but its not like I'm sitting here thinking that Hamilton is a team I wouldn't mind losing to.  I hate them all.
 
I don't think there's a need to decrease the ratio at all.  There will be a temporary adjustment period, as we are seeing now, but in the end this will only lead to more opportunities for Canadians, which should increase CIS football development and then hopefully the professional product years later.  The ratio is just like any other football strategy.  Teams that manage it well will succeed.  Those who don't, won't.  Its hard on everyone this year, anyways.

It is the depth that has taken a hit on most teams, and that depth is felt most when injuries hit.
 
Personally, I like that teams are being forced to play Canadian in new ways.  Mother is the necessity of invention.   Canadian athletes aren't necessarily worse then their American counter parts, they just haven't had the same opportunities, training, and competition.
 
Give these Canadian kids a chance to play against higher competition and watch them grow into gamers.

teams are stubbornly trying to play 4+ NIs on the OL still, they gotta look at using more in non traditional places. Teams are bringing in too much good american defensive line talent the OL are getting outmatched. 

Calvillo's gone and the Allouettes aren't the same team? Who could have predicted that?

What's that smell?.... it's familiar but I haven't noticed it's pungent aroma around here in a while... DESPERATION!

Seriously? The NFL is all bent out of shape about a couple of dope smokers while it's coddling the likes of ******* Ray Rice?

Unbelievable.

Just been into i video and hudl video software for coaches while on summer break. Made a little O video of the first 5 weeks, hope to have a D one up by Thursday. Know some of you wont like the music but hope you enjoy
 

 
 

MCGUFFIE HYPE TRAIN
 
Honestly, I'd like to see him go in for Romby Bryant if Aaron Kelly isn't ready.

All of them!

I vote to judge the man on his own merits instead of those of his sperm donor.

Louie Richardson. Mike Cornell. Teague Sherman. Matt Bucknor.
 
41 tackles
2 sacks
3 forced fumbles
2 tackles for losses
3 pass knockdowns
 
That's what those 4 guys have brought to the table this season after careers that totaled 82 games dressed and 51 tackles as their only stats registered in a defensive setting. 4 guys who were all undrafted. I'm not about to proclaim any of them to be 2014 CFL All Stars, but these 4 guys are taking a considerable amount of defensive reps this season and while they're not lighting the league on fire, they're proving to be contributing members to one of the league's toughest defenses. Some may suggest this is just Gary Etcheverry being Gary Etcheverry, but I think it has a lot to do with Mike O'Shea and Kyle Walters. These are guys who want that lunch bucket mentality. I truly think O'Shea means it when he believes his roster consists of 44 starters on a weekly basis. Guys like Richardson and Cornell are getting opportunities that they would have never got before. Even players like Kyle Norris and Derek Jones are seeing reps in our defense. Jake Thomas has been a contributing member. And the funny thing about it? It's working.
 
Is this going to give pause to the line of thinking that Canadians are not viable solutions in certain areas of the lineup? If this keeps up, is the league going to use the Winnipeg franchise as a model to support the idea that maybe our (the league, not Winnipeg) Canadian talent is not as weak as some suggest? And maybe all these guys need are a chance to prove it? Will we see more undrafted players getting the opportunity to show what they've got for meaningful offensive or defensive reps?
 
Whatever it is, I love it. How can you not cheer for these guys.
 
 

It's the coaching system and culture of the team.

Leggett covers ground so well its night and day difference from him and Cauchy.

should've bought out pavelec, but other than that I'm fine with what he's done with the team.

His drafting has been really good, that will do more to ensure the long term success of the team than anything else. Just gotta be patient. They said that from the get go, they weren't going to be big players in FA, they were going to build from within, well that takes like 5 years to really pay off. 

This - people are getting way ahead of themselves. There's lots of "Paredes" and "LIrims' in the NFL - lots of them. Though you never know both could go one day - I do know Lirim would need to be this consistent for about three or four years before the NFL would take serious notice. 

It was the perfect road game. Control the clock, defense steps up and doesn't give the home crowd any reason to cheer. Just suck the life out of the Lions and win without ever really having any doubts about the outcome. 

This is, IMO, the most refreshing thing about Willy - he actually progresses through his reads and spreads the ball around.