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Burris looked like he was all washed up for the first couple-three series but he seems to have found his game. In any case, he is still way past his "best before" date.

Its an over-used phrase, but this is a "character-defining game" for the Big Blue. So far we've lost to two pretty good teams, albeit by self-destruction to Calary, but we have to start winning against good teams as well as the crappy ones. The points from Sask and Montreal are fine and good, but I see this match as all about confidence. We coulda, shoulda beaten Calgary but if we cannot beat a wounded Edmonton team, it may signal to the team that the close game against the Stamps was a fluke due to Calgary playing down to the Bomber level. Willy is playing well for the most part with good numbers but statistical sefl-gratification is for losers. It seems that the Hurl-MLB experiment may well be over (but I wouldn't bet on it just yet) but we still need the O-line to play well and the D-line and linebackers to play a lot better. The Esk's new running back looks like a good one and that may be the difference. This is no gimme game for the Bombers.

If the Bombers turf O'Shea after a disasterous season (and I am not saying that will happen) you can safely assume that the team will be in turmoil. I was posing a hypothetical.

When I drive between Calgary & Winnipeg stopping at Moosomin is never an option. I divide the trip into 4 segments... Calgary to Medicine Hat, stop for gas as it's the cheapest before Saskatchewan. Medicine Hat to Swift Current, stop for a quick bite along the highway.... McDonalds or A & W. Swift Current to Regina, stop at the Husky Station for gas before heading out of town... Regina to Brandon. Stop for a quick fill along the highway... then Brandon to Winnipeg. Vice versa the other way. Dividing up the drive like that is a helluva lot better than thinking 14 hours OMFG it's going to be Hell... Each segment is 2 1/2 to 3 hours...I'm more or less the same, but we cut out Swifty....usually the Hat to Regina in a single shot. I'm a big "Get Where I'm Going As Fast As I Can" kinda guy....no unnecessary stops.....plus why spend any more time in Saskatchewan then you have to? Because you might want to got to Rocanville to see the World's Largest Oil Can.

Benevides did not cover himself with glory in BC, and I cannot see him wanting to come to a team in turmoil, as the Bombers or the Riders, for that matter would be. Once you get past Trestman, there ain't a whole lot of blue-chip coaching prospects out there.

Actually, Moosomin has an interesting history. It was the center of a community consisting of remittence men- bad boys who were exiled from England to Saskatchewan and would receive remittences (mailed money) only if they stayed there. They tried to recreate British lifestyles (good luck with that) which included fox hunts, building a opera house and (honest to God) "gopher farming" which locals persuaded the fops to invest in.

Because he's been taking elocution lessons from Pepe LePew.

Bombers in 7th at the moment seems about right. The good news: even if they lose to the Esks this weekend, they will still be 7th, but if they win, fourth would be appropriate.

you obviously have no idea what sort of fans we have. The two of them aren't all that bad....

Hey, don't dis the town. They have a new hotel and a Tim Horton's now. Change is coming at a dizzying rate in Saskatchewan.

In the OP it said Picard was sick today.Yes I know. Your point? It's not surprising that with Picard sick they would need another guy snapping the ball and that Neufeld would be that guy. What's with your snarky comments lately Jacquie? I was just stating a fact, that Neufeld was playing centre in practice. It's a notable development, even if Picard was sick. yep, Jacquie is the one being "snarky" I, for one, think it's notable considering how Goosen is waiting in the wings .. The clock is ticking for Goossen. He appears to be bypassed for a starting role, and I am beginning to wonder what is missing from his game.

Actually, those are prarie dogs amped up on steroids.

This is believeable. Chamblin's ability to whine and snarl simultaneously is getting old.

As per previous years, by Labour Day, we will know where we stand with the post-season and probably O'Shea's fate as well. Marc Trestman, anyone? Our last ex-Alouette coach didn't work out very well but TSN seems to like him.

Hindsight is always perfect, and in retrospect, the experience of Higgins would probably have been a valuable asset for a team reeling from mismanagement and miscoachingment. We can give O'Shea a Mulligan for last year but not so this year. I don't see turfing O'Shea mid-season but unless the team gets past these preventable mistakes we saw too much last year and again against Calgary, he's in trouble. Even if O'Shea doesn't survive into next year, Walters probably has one more year of grace. As a sidenote: Walters was a special teams coach and these special teams screwups has to grind him.

I can see why Walters went with O'Shea and it might be a bit early to flush him away. Walters probably wanted to start a new era with a new face as coach who did not have a lot of baggage, and on paper, he looked like he was worth taking a chance on- young, a player who had a tremendous work ethic and respect from his peers. The risk: he had no head coach experience but had worked under some good head coaches. We knew that 2014 was going to be a year of learning and struggle. We had the struggle, alright, but it is becoming questionable whether there was any learning. Part of the defensive problems may lie at the feet of Walters and McManus for not finding the stud players we lack, but O'Shea bears full responsibility for many of the mistakes which cost us the last game and were present last season. The players must also be beginning to wonder if the coaching decisions are costing them games which they ought to be winning.

Its going to be interesting to see whether the Walters/O'Shea approach of not making any real changes to the roster to spur a team which underperformed or the Taman/Chamblin tactic of bringing anyone who might help is best. The Rider approach might be interpreted as panic and the Bomber reaction as resignation.

Willy did do a mea culpa in his post-game interview, but he was not the only culprit.

Are we so far gone as a country that only Saskatchewan maintains sane voters?So sane that they elected an MP who believes that children ought to carry guns to school.

Ihope Stoudemire gets one more shot at returning kicks- he has too much talent to give up on too soon. That said, he ought not to have too many more brain cramps. His status will give us a good idea how rigid O'Shea is in his thinking and whether he is willling to live or die with favourites. The next couple of games are going to be critical.

Hajrullahu was in the same position as a goalie in hockey. An opposing player can blow past a team's forwards, deke out the defencemen and score, but because the goalie was the last one with a chance to win the game, he gets blamed. With all the screwups, it all falls at the feet of the coach or coaches.

Stoudamire screwed up, but not alone. Any one of several factors cost us the game but I'm willing to give Stoudamire another shot because of his raw talent.

Gotta give Willy credit for both defending Hajrullahu and admitting that he coulda/shoulda thrown the ball better on his last play of the game.

Yup. We were right there. Even after the gaffe on field goal we STILL had a chance to get it in range but that INT broke the camels back. We were right there. That was only the last of a whole series of screwups and not-good-enoughs which started after the first quarter. If it was one or two things, it would be easily fixable, but this edition is lacking in so many areas that this season to get back on track is not likely to be enough.

Could be. We may have a better idea by the end of the season. The last minute of the game felt Lapo-like. Could be. We may have a better idea by the end of the season. The last minute of the game felt Lapo-like.We've had too many LaPolice/Rheinbold/Burke moments of late and the scary thing is that Willy sure as spit looks like he is regressing. How does he look like he's regressing? Lmfao. Calgary has one of the best pass defences in the league.. He did rather well did he not? The things people chose to try and claim around here at times.. When Willy's game deserted him last year, his biggest failing was his inability to handle blitzes and folding in crunch time. That's pretty much what happened tonight.