Tracker

I did not suggest that only experienced coaches ought to be hired- that would depend on who is available at the moment and what the team they are asked to take over. There are examples of rookie coaches/Gms doing well, but I would bet that their success rate is way lower than veterans who have had success elsewhere. The Bombers when Sleepy Joe left were in as bad a state as any CFL team in the past. Logic would indicate that bringing in relatively inexperienced (or totally inexperienced, in the case of O'Shea) head coach and GM was a guarantee that the team would struggle, and it has. The thinking that "Gee, we made the playoffs, so that's good enough" gets old real fast- ask the Stampeders. Walters and O'Shea should be as nervous as long-tailed cats in a room full of rocking chairs in 2018.

By your logic, Toronto should never have hired either Popp or Trestman and the Lions should have passed on Buono because their previous HC jobs did not end well.

Boooooo....

I am of the opinion that if we'd had a seasoned head coach or a seasoned GM, our wandering in the wilderness would have been shorter, and we're still not at the edge of the promised land yet. Walters and O'Shea deserve one more year, but that's it, with the caveat that if, O'Shea decides to hang onto Hall, then it's time to roll the tumbrel up.

For your side, pretty good. I would like to state for the record that all of the playoffs games were great drama if not great footyball.

Where is the "WTF" button ?

Maybe the Bobby Orr syndrome is kicking in. Orr decided to pack it in when he realized he had to choose between being able to play with his kids and walk with them or play hockey. Orr was class all the way and if I remember correctly, he even gave money back to the Red Wings when he chose to retire.

Are you seriously blaming him for the gong show that was going on in Montreal, or fault him for firing a subordinate coach for coming into a morning meeting drinking? If you want to compare him to other coaches, perhaps you should consider how many Grey Cups he has won compared to Jones, O'Shea , Dickinson, Maas etc. Higgins has been the recipient of some bad organizational politics and may or may not be a great coach, but there is reason to believe he is a good one.

Reported today on 3downnation that DesJardins stated that negotiations with Harris are proceeding well, so there's that.

Tom Higgins.

No excuse for all the back-stabbing going on with the Stamps, but 3downnation is reporting that Bo-Levi played all year with shoulder and elbow problems in his right arm. Considering that, he didn't look bad apart from his decision making.

I suggest that we will be stuck with O'Shea (at least) for another year, and Walters probably beyond that, but I do not know how much more rope Miller will be able to give them.

Knox was not brought in to be a special teams player, and he looks to have hit his potential and we need to find someone better who can push to be a starter.

But they won in spite of some really bad quarterbacks. I still hold to my opinion about Ritchie,

We do not have the luxury of or the roster room to keep an import who does not have what it takes to be a starter so that he can be a career special teamer. If he has hit a low ceiling, time for him to be gone.

Disagree. Dave Ritchie got fired because he lost his ability to assess when a veteran needed to be moved. Doug Berry got fired for his public feud with a certain kicker and his prickliness with the public and media, and besides, Bauer wanted his man in place. Making the playoff is not enough any more.

If O'Shea thought that Kuale was the answer at MLB when pretty much everyone on this forum (and his/her dog/cat) knew better, that says something about O'Shea's judgement.

Entertainment is all well and good, but at some point you need to have a happy ending. Bomber fans have been patient long enough and witnessed enough mistakes and shortcomings over the past four years of this regime that 2018 has to be the "or else" season.

Apparently there is a new dessert being served in Calgary homes and restaurants today- Chokecherry pie... and an order of artichokes.

The forgotten Argo in the game was Coombs. Could he be available?

The biggest difference from my point of view is that the Argos were wise enough to hire experienced coach and GM and who had been successful in the past. I would put Nichols against Ricky Ray any day of the week, but this year and last we paid for the learning curve of our coach and GM, and they may still not be up to the grade of Toronto's staff.

(Groan)

Bombers could be forgiven but the Stamps have seen this movie before and had the clearly "better" team. No excuses.

I think this win by Toronto puts the pressure squarely on the shoulders of O'Shea and Walters- they've had long enough to produce a team capable of making it to the Cup final.

Do I detect a trace of envy here?