TrueBlue4ever

Do you think the league “manufactured” the extra game suspension for abuse because they wanted to discourage future players from refusing the test by making the suspension worse than testing positive?

Just like no one outside Canada bought Ben Johnson’s “tainted water bottle” original excuse, no one outside San Francisco believed Barry Bonds, no one outside the USA believed Carl Lewis or Lance Armstrong, and no one else outside Winnipeg believed Andrew Harris. Fan bases are funny that way.

When you lead the league in both total punts and total kickoffs which we do), you would expect to see higher tackle numbers. The league average punt return is 9.2 yards, our punt cover team gives up a 10.6 yard average. Our kick coverage is 19.7 against, the league average return is 20.4. So I’d say our coverage is average (hence my C grade).

Nice to know we can still laugh about this stuff.

How about her? At least when she misses I would be distracted by something else and not care. Or this guy? Would solve our “international” roster spot. Although now that CFL gambling is allowed, we might get into a “Pete Rose” situation

Our usual sellout, but our banner raising home opener (and first league game in 2 years) could not draw over 30,000, and our other 2 home games were the 2 lowest attendances in IG Field history (save for one ice bowl game). Compared to the rest of the league, we are an A (us and Riders are miles ahead of any other fan base) but compared to our own past standard of excellence, this year I’d rate us a C-.

Not giving up the ball may not warrant an upgrade in your mind, but fumbling (or dropping passes or throwing interceptions) would certainly warrant a downgrade. And protecting the ball should negate a rating of absolute failure. Having said that, here are my ratings: Letter grades are as compared to the rest of the league (A league best, B above average, C average, D below average, F league worst), number rankings are overall proficiency (eg. 10 superlative, 5 ordinary, O abysmal) QBs A/A+: If Collaros is not the #1 QB in the CFL, then he is 1A right along side Michael Reilly. After a slow start the offence has definitely stated clicking in the last 2.5 games. McGuire is solid on the sneaks and as holder on kicks (as far as can be seen) and his one pass was a beauty. Overall proficiency number around a 7.5. Scoring down league-wide, and Collaros has yet to crack 300 yards on any game, and only over 252 twice. Not explosive, but mostly controlling and protecting the ball, and above all, winning. The offensive recipe that won us the 2019 Cup. Running backs A-: Harris pro-rated over 7 games would be leading the league in rushing again, and he is a good bet to sit atop the mountain again by season’s end. Oliveira had a coming out party but stalled since. The backfield pass game is down, except when Demski slots in. Overall top tier in the league and solid production (playing with the lead so much has boosted numbers with more touches late to kill the clock). 7.5 proficiency (better than it appears since we don’t need to rely on it as much as in the past, so it looks more invisible) O-line A+: not a coaching expert, so can’t dissect it completely, but good rushing totals, low sacks, rarely stuffed on 2nd or 3rd and short, and still the same personnel that has been the league’s best for the past 3 seasons. Best in the league, 9.5 proficiency. Receivers B-: definitely trending up since the second half of the LDC, a fully healthy roster now looks more dangerous. But early on lots of drops cannot be ignored in creating the grade. Compared to other teams in the league, in the top half but not tops overall. Lawler the best early but faded as others stepped up. Adams still good for the home run shot, but still only seems to get 3-4 targets a game instead of 8 or 9. Demski has been the receiving MVP to my mind and makes the biggest impact plays, needs to get involved early in a game or sort of disappears. Bailey took a lot of (too much) heat early but has been better since game 3. Wolitarsky dependable when he gets the ball but largely forgotten so far, would classify as a disappointment so far. Proficiency 6 (but a bit higher in last 2.5 games - still no WOW! performances by any of them in any game except maybe game 1 Lawler). D-line A+: if Stove was healthy all year, cue the Ralphie A+++++etc ranking. Game wreckers indeed. Willie J can seem like he’s not there at times, but then always make the big impact play to run the game on its head. Jeffcoat has been more consistently stellar and also makes the big plays too, he is pushing for team and league defensive MOP in an absolutely stacked line-up. Run defence the only blemish at times, but for every big run of 9 or more yards there is a tackle for a loss. Proficiency 9. Linebackers B+: Bighill alone is A++ here, brought down by the others. Almost hard to grade his teammates since Adam is such a dominating visible presence. Proficiency Bighill 10, the rest 7. DBs B: That we replaced Rose and Sayles and have not dropped off significantly something. To have not really dropped off much at all is a whole other level of impressive. Still, lots of tackling issues keep this grade down if we look at the whole body of work and not just the last few games. They benefit a lot from the pressure in front of them, when QBs have time to throw they can get picked apart at times. Proficiency 7. Return game D+: Words like “brutal” and “cut him now” as unfair in my mind, but stays don’t lie, he is near the bottom of the league in average return. No breakaway speed and cannot make the quick acceleration when he hesitates to find a hole. But he does not fumble and gets positive yards, so he has been serviceable while Grant was out. And I do not see our blocking schemes doing him any favours. Aside from Dedman and Williams Jr. though, have not really seen returnees lighting up the league anywhere. Proficiency 4. Kick coverage C : we certainly hit hard, and Mike Miller is a heat seeking missle, but we have given up some big returns too. Again wondering g how much blocking schemes are affecting both sides of our return game? Proficiency 6.5. Punting. C-: Liegghio has looked good is spots, but his average is near the bottom of the league, and he still kicks some between the hash marks or out of bounds when he shouldn’t. Proficiency 6.5 Kickoffs D- with Crapigna, D with Liegghio, C+ with Mourtada, overall D : not deep enough, not enough hang time, we have given up some big returns. Mourtada in limited viewing provided a solid upgrade Proficiency 6 FGs F: Enough already said here in other posts. Proficiency 3 (take away the Calgary win and it dips to a 1, the last 2 weeks it has been a 0).

So it’s the holder’s fault. I knew it! Cut McGuire!!!!!!!!!!! Wait, that’s not what you meant?

Since Liegghio is here no matter what as the punter, keep Ali around and let them battle in practice until one consistently outshines the other. Mourtada’s kickoffs were a big improvement over Liegghio, and his kicks were all pretty much straight (save for FG attempt 3, which was wide anyway off his foot). I still see his only issue being alignment off the hash mark, so let him correct that, or in the alternative direct the snap closer to the centre of the field. Liegghio’s problems seem to be more than one thing (hooking his kicks, striking the ball too low and scooping it up short) and he is distracted enough with kickoffs going short or out of bounds and punts not landing between the hash mark and the side lines. If Ali cannot correct this seemingly one problem, then yeah he is done, but we have two weeks of practice to let the coaches work on it.

So, any guesses on when a winner will be announced? Will we know by tomorrow morning? With mail in ballots it feels like results take longer than ever to be confirmed.

I swear I think you deliberately miscount the syllable rule on purpose to make my OCD brain explode! Love the content though.

I don’t totally buy that. Others post negative things and can get pretty hardened in their stances too, but they don’t take the vitriol TBurg does, and often right off the bat (“of course you’d think that”), or get labelled a contrarian as quickly. Having said that, I don’t think anyone is as CONSISTENTLY oppositional as TBurg seems to be, so maybe there is a reflexive need to be bothered by it since we know what is coming. Not sure I’d call it attitude, but that’s a semantic issue. Sometimes it would be nice to see either side walk away from the argument rather than doubling down, but hey, it’s the internet.

That’s a pretty accurate post. And when one poster actually argued about TBurg’s stance that Harris should have been kicked out and said (paraphrasing) “I think it should be an ejection, but it’s so on brand for you to be anti-Bomber” then they basically admitted they agreed with him but didn’t like that it was him that said it. Still, TBurg does know how to push buttons and the doubling down sometimes leads to exaggeration and loss of credibility for the original point - at least to these eyes. Give credit where credit is due though, was correct to express concern about Liegghio being handed the kicking job uncontested in camp. Hopefully the robust debates can continue without name-calling, knee jerk reactions, faux bullying, and can focus on the issue and not the poster. Also hope if a line gets crossed (it’s an internet opinion blog, expect it at some point) we can all have thicker skin. Peace out, we’re 6-1, and TLDR.

The problem with this approach is what people were complaining about in weeks 1 and 2. If we are on the 35 yard line and it’s 3rd and 5, 6, or 7 etc. as opposed to 3rd and 2, going for it is not really an option. And punting rather than banking points is a recipe for failure. Kickers today need to be able to go out and make 50+ yarders from time to time rather than conceding that they can’t reach this distance. The 3rd and 2 scenario from makeable range has not been as common as the 3rd and long from makeable distance this year. O’Shea has agreed that trotting out his kicker to try a 50 yarder is not always best, but conceding the 40-45 yard try is my worry.

So other than offence, defence, kicking game, and return game, we are fine! Whew. (What’s our record again?)

He was highlighted because that’s who Harris passed. Nothing more complex than that. And fairly standard in sports when someone climbs the list to show others on the list.

Everything?

I don’t disagree. And part of the post was implicitly a retrospective feel from the whole season as to the general mood of the fan base towards the listed people. Next year I’ll start from training camp and not wait until week 7.

So we have 3 options in camp right now. Pros and cons of each: 1. Liegghio - the anointed one coming into camp. Did not survive that coronation out of camp, thrust into the FG role out of injury. Pros - he can punt, so not going anywhere yet (still think he is going to get one blocked and doesn’t follow through on his kicks), has a decent leg for FGs and came through with a 4/4 game and a game winner in the last minute in the one game our kicking truly mattered. Cons - misses the makeable ones, especially converts from the middle of the field. Seems to get under the ball too much and sky them at times. For a supposed strong leg, his kickoffs don’t get that deep. Crapigna - brought in to camp to save the day. Then hurt with people calling for a replacement anyway Pros - a veteran with a super high career average of 88%, so no worries about long term yips with him. Cons - for all his success, all I remember of him is the times he choked in the clutch or rang one off the post. Coach doesn’t seem to trust him outside of 40 yards, and watching him kick there may be credence to that line of thinking. Dead leg? Mourtada - the saviour as judged from his workout videos. Then we saw him live. Pros - strongest leg of the bunch. Save for the 3rd miss, every kick was totally straight, so a mechanical alignment issue as opposed to a banana hook problem. Cons - if the issue was simple mis-reading of the right hash mark, why did it not get corrected in practice or after the first miss? So who stays, or do we blow it up and bring in another? For now, I keep Liegghio as punter and let him work on his kicking in practice. Give Mourtada one chance to correct his alignment, but you know the boo birds will eat him up at home with even one more miss, and his face and body language last night make me wonder if he can handle the rejection. Crapigna does not have the distance to compete I fear.

Thought about starting this thread for a while now, might as well have some fun with the fandom. Inspired by a former player who suited up here and elsewhere (I want to say Brendan LaBatte) who was asked about playing for the fan base. He said playing in Sask and Winnipeg was great, passionate fans in both places. “Rider fans love you win or lose. Winnipeg fans love you win or……well, maybe tie”. And before the outrage, there is merit to the dislike each person on this list has accumulated. With that in mind: We are 6-1. So who’s in the doghouse this week? 1. Ali Mourtada - welcome to Winnipeg! Read social media and you will see that our fans are loud, proud, and ………intense. Now pack your bags, loser! 2. Charles Nelson - Moves up because now he has stopped doing that straight run into tacklers for 8 yards we hated and now is taking it outside for zero yards which we hate even more. And he fumbled one trying to draw a no yards. The Bomber recovery keeps him out of top spot. 3.. Liegghio - removed from the top spot since he got replaced, but still shanked one punt. On the bubble: Willie J - seriously, people last night were saying it was his worst half as a Bomber with no sacks and the Elks still in it after thirty minutes. The strip sack for the clinching Bighill TD calmed us down though Lifetime achievement members of the scapegoat club: Bernie Ruoff - reefer madness Troy Westwood- we do like to s h * t on our kickers here. At least we don’t dump it on their lawns. Dave Donaldson - also like to rip on our hometown guys if they don’t become stars Charles Roberts - but we agree he should be in the Ring of Honour Matt Nichols/ Lapolice - hard to not join these two at the hip. Who was worse? The guy at the most important position on the field who dragged us out of obscurity but couldn’t win the big one or top 300 yards, until he did, or his coach who misused everyone and couldn’t win the big one, until he did. Bring back Dunigan and Brock, those guys were champs….well, they were more exciting to watch anyway. Even the departure of both as Grey Cup winners has not soothed the discontent. Glen Suitor - could turn the analysis of his game coverage into a drinking game here that would even incapacitate Do or Die. Jock Climie - said some less than glowing things about the Bombers so clearly biased. Sucks even more because he turned out to be right. Bastard.

Sees that post. Flex. Sees the poster’s name. Nods in approval. Then flex.

Maybe since they are doing so well, we only have each other to complain about.

Don’t say “kick”. 😳

Skies opened up in Edmonton shortly after the game ended.

You know, if Mourtada doesn’t miss that 3rd field goal, then Edmonton would not have taken that holding call on the return. And then they would not have started on their own 4. And then the strip sack would not have resulted in the Bighill TD. So Mourtada for the Happy Honker!