BigBlueFanatic

So, I've seen this notion before, especially on the Rider forum,  that we paid too much to sign Medlock to kick winning field goals for the Bombers. Even though we had built in a salary for such an occasion. Even though he's the best kicker in the league at this time. Even though we arguably lost 3-4 games because of kicking last year. Sometimes you have to step up and pay the guy because the guy is going to step up and play for you.....Even though that may win you some games.

Hefney should be retiring as the first defensive back to ever win the Most Outstanding Defensive Player award. The 2011 MODP was going to a member of the Bomber defence, and he deserved the nod over Jovon. JJ was awesome that year as well, as was that entire D, but Hefney was the straw that stirred the drink. If Odell catches that ball, and the voters picked the right dude, Hefney would be remembered in a much, much different light.

Seriously, I wish people would stop blaming the Bombers for this.  I've seen these comments written all over the place saying how they blame the Bombers.  So many people too lazy to click on and read the articles.

Except neither of them screwed up. Adidas did... 

Just on the topic of hopeful vs optimistic...  I'm also very optimistic for this season in light of FA and the draft.  Canadian depth is legitimately transitioning from scouring the league scrap heap to preparing for the tough roster decisions.  It took 2+ seasons of roller coaster hope and frustration, but it's clear that Miller, Walters and Oshea's vision of the franchise is gathering critical mass.  A winning season and it's contract extensions all around ?

Just on the topic of hopeful vs optimistic...  I'm also very optimistic for this season in light of FA and the draft.  Canadian depth is legitimately transitioning from scouring the league scrap heap to preparing for the tough roster decisions.  It took 2+ seasons of roller coaster hope and frustration, but it's clear that Miller, Walters and Oshea's vision of the franchise is gathering critical mass.  A winning season and it's contract extensions all around ?

Better yet, if the team that the Bombers lost to, because a wrong call by the ref, was a better team, they would have beat us all on their own. 
That team? The Calgary Stampeders.
 

The original expression was "Those who can, do...those who UNDERSTAND, teach."
(as in, to teach one must have more than just the ability to do, not that one is incapable of doing)

You're like the Tim Burke of our site.  

I'm not worried about the judgment calls. I don't expect their judgment to be perfect.
What I do expect is that if there's a situation where the application of the rule is black and white i.e. it's either an illegal formation or it's not, you better believe I expect perfection. Those are the type of calls that cost people money, or worse yet, jobs. There are supposed to be checks and balances in place to prevent those mistakes from being made. I don't want any more statements of "oopsie daisy we goofed and cost your team a game" the following Monday. I want the rules applied properly.

I'll never fault a referee who makes a split second mistake.  Did he catch or trap the ball?  Was his foot inbounds or was it touching the line?  Those calls, made in real time, were being made in good faith and so much would depend on the position of the ref and player that no thinking fan would expect every call to be made correctly.  That's just not possible.  But calls like the one that went against us last year against Calgary, when that official called illegal formation, those are the type that really hurt their credibility because there's no way that a professional ref should ever get a call that wrong.
Especially given that after the fact, the best we'll get is a "we made a whoopsie, sorry about that".  In my opinion, they really need to hold themselves more accountable.  That ref should have been named, and the consequences made public.  Not to humiliate him, but to say "There are consequences for incompetence".  Then there should be an explanation made as to how mistakes like that might be prevented in the future.  It's called being accountable and professional.  You want more respect?  Start by showing that you're serious about being the best you can be, not whining about how unfair it is to have to do you job right.

You 100% nailed it.

Must be looking at NI safety now that Leggett is SAM, no way Waggoner displaces Bass or Wild
One of Waggoner, Loffler, Morgan, Sherman rotating at safety
Shologan, Westerman, Goossen, Chung, Harris, Kohlert, Neufeld
Corney and Thomas rotating on the line
No need for Hurl or Bucknor as starters...

I like the way you are thinking. 

The best reasoning I've heard on Waggoner is that his value was higher last year because there were no defensive players of his level in that draft class.  This year there were a few, so he probably drops some just because teams can get a player of his calibre who plays DL and DB.  And then there's Singleton.  So it's not that there was anything wrong with the choice, just now there were more choices.  And we got him a year early.
So from the first 20 picks in the draft, we have Waggoner, Corney, Couture and Loffler to show for it.  That is an excellent haul.  One person's opinion.

He didn't refuse to play SAM.  He said when asked by the media that he's an all-star at weak side HB and the secondary as a unit was likely weaker with him at SAM.  He played SAM in the next game in Toronto and played how he always did. 

Just reading the Ed Tait article... 
“Playing with Jovon (Johnson), Alex Suber, Clint Kent, Joe Lobedahn, Doug Brown, Odell Willis, Jason Vega, Phillip Hunt before he went back to the NFL, Ian Logan, Johnny Sears, Deon Beasley… I’ll never forget the guys we had on that defence. "
That's an impressive group of guys we had on  the D that year...

Loved Hefney, I like seeing guys retire as Bombers when the best times of his career were here. 

I love players that do this after they have left shows where there heart really was when they played the game. 

He played 3 fulls seasons (and a partial fourth) and was a 3 time all-star for us, and helped get us to the Grey Cup.  I think it's a small but classy thing for the Bombers to do, recognizing past players who have made an impact for us.
His own thoughts on why he wanted to do it:
 

Hefney was a beauty while he was here. After Suber and now Hef, you really understand how special that 2011 season/team was for the players... 
Thanks for all you did, Hef.... #SwagSwagSwag

such an unnecessary post.
For all we complain about how guys these days chase the money and have no loyalty, this is a guy who went out of his way to come back and retire wearing our colors and all you want to do is question why he'd do it?
Best of luck to Hefney - one of my favorite Bombers ever.

best of luck in your future endeavours, mr hefney,  one of my fav bombers over the last decade without a doubt