TrueBlue4ever

One man's take: This category will be more subjective, as o-linemen don't have sexy stats to bolster their cases. Best bet is to look at their all-star nods or awards to see how they were regarded across the league, but even that is tricky because the awards did not come into play until the 1970's for o-linemen specifically. I have tried to include a personal bio, but even then in a few cases the info is lacking. So I welcome any personal insights. As for me, there are 2 names I have heard mentioned in my time as a Bomber fan, so I pretty much boil it down to those 2. Speedflex nominated Desjardins, but alas I could not find a bio about him, so I have no frame of reference. Adelman did double duty in multiple positions and also managed the club during his player retirement, so bonus points there. Druxman played in the glory years and blocked for Leo Lewis, and bonus points for his connection to the Pemby, where I imbibed on more than a few occasions during my mis-spent youth. Wilson may hold the Bomber record for most Grey Cups appeared in, and all must be commended for coming from or staying in the local community. But for me it comes down to Swift versus Bonk. Swift was a converted running back who paved the way for a new breed of centre speciailst after many years of players having multiple positions on the field. He gave way to Bonk (whose name alone screams offensive lineman) who excelled at the position for over a decade, blocking for the likes of William Miller and Willard Reaves during his MOP season in 1984, when Bonk was the best o-lineman in the game. Bonk was the most decorated awards-wise, and he was a rock in the middle of that line. His iron man streak is all the more impressive given the physical beating his position would require of him. John Bonk is my obvious pick here.

Here are the bios: CFL all-stars first awarded in 1962. Most Outstanding Lineman first awarded in 1956 and included defensive linemen, Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman first awarded in 1974. Lou Adelman – 9 seasons (1930-37, 41), 3 Grey Cup appearances (1935, 37, 41), 2 time Grey Cup champion (1935, 41), also was club’s manager in 1937-38, and 1945. John Bonk – 195 games (#6 in club history) in 13 seasons (1973-85), 4 time divisional and 4 time CFL all-star (1982-85), 4 time team nominee Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (1979, 82-84), Western Division Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (1983), CFL Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (1984), played in 195 consecutive games as a Blue Bomber at centre, was involved in every single offensive play (including punts) for the Bombers in 1984, Grey Cup appearance and champion in 1984, CFL Hall of Fame Paul Desjardins – 96 games in 6 seasons (1965-70), Grey Cup appearance in 1965, no bio available George Druxman – 111 games in 9 seasons (1955-63), divisional all-star in 1956, 5 Grey Cup appearances (1957-59, 61, 62), 4 time Grey Cup champion (1958, 59, 61, 62), after retirement he ran the Pembina Hotel with his family. Bob Swift – 112 games in 7 seasons (1971-77), 4 time divisional all-star (1971-74), and 3 time CFL all-star (1971, 72, 74), 2 time team nominee Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (1974, 77), started his career as a fullback in BC and rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie year before breaking his leg and converting to the o-line Mel Wilson – 9 seasons (1937-42, 45-47), 3 time divisional all-star (1941, 46, 47), 8 Grey Cup appearances (1937-39, 41, 42, 45-47) and 2 time Grey Cup champion (1939, 41), also head coach at St. John’s high school and a referee, won amateur trophies in golf, racquetball, curling and ballroom dancing

OK, something screwy is happening with these polls, because this one was supposed to stay open until the 10th (Sunday) and I know I set it up that way. Could one of the mods please fix this, because it won't let me edit it myself. Thanks again.

Counterpoint: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/08/greenpeace-exposes-sceptics-cast-doubt-climate-science

https://globalnews.ca/news/5021227/world-record-confirmed-manitoba-snow-maze-is-worlds-largest/

Hey, I don’t want friction between posters here on this issue of centre vs center. I know, I’ll run a poll, lol.

Suddenly feeling very old today.

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/saskatchewan-born-model-advocate-elly-mayday-dies-at-30/ar-BBUmpZL?ocid=ientp

I thought it was just a Canadian vs American thing.

Voting complete on the returners, and Keith Stokes and Albert Johnson III (in possibly a bit of an upset over Leo Lewis) are our punt and kick returners of all-time. While we sort out the last of the special teams positions, it is time to move to the offence, and we will start with the o-line, specifically the centre position. My initial list includes the following - all Blue Bomber hall of famers, by the way: Lou Adelman, John Bonk, George Druxman, Bob Swift, and Mel Wilson. Please add any you think I should consider for the centre position, will look to have the bios up for Friday.

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With Morrissey out and Myers on the second unit, Trouba is the default. Chariot would have a more dangerous shot back there, but with Laine playing at the faceoff dot and not covering the point or securing wide shots off the wall well, I think Maurice sees the danger of a possible short-handed two-on-one and wants a reliable d-man to handle the counter-attack rather than another pinching guy like Myers or defensive liability back there. With Myers on, he can count on Ehlers' or Perrault's speed and Little's defensive-mindedness to cover on a backcheck. Although I am impressed with Niku's offensive vision, foot movement and puckhandling inside the other team's zone.

Maybe the Jets know how long the season can be and how nothing matters for a team like them until the playoffs start, so no point in playing with full intensity in game 37 if you are burned out in Round 1 (the "Boudreau effect" - copyright 2019 by TB4E). They knew that their talent could get them many wins, and they have led the Central for over 2 months now playing what most will say is far from their best hockey. Imagine being Tampa Bay and killing it with a 130 point regular season only to get bounced in the second round by Boston, or have to face Pittsburgh in the first round, how successful is their season then? Saw it with the Red Wings in '96.

I think the original branding had many (myself included) thinking it was another US expansion plan, when he more so wants to provide opportunities for Canadian college kids to keep playing if they can't crack the CFL by making connections in Mexico and Europe, and giving kids in those countries a goal to reach for by selling the Canadian game to them, and trying to expand the pool of players we look at, like the NHL and NBA did. He is also working on TV deals with Mexico and European countries, and extra revenue streams can't hurt. I commented to my wife at the event that he talks a good game and is quite the salesman. It may fall totally flat, but I respect his idea that the league needs to do more than just stay afloat in Canada and think bigger on a global scale, and that this can entice cities like Toronto that want to be more global. Will it sour the western purists who think "Canada first"? Maybe, but Ambrosie touched on that too, and recognizes the different mindset that western CFL cities have and their hatred of the East ("it's supposed to be that way - we get it"). But Winnipeg is not going to lose hardcore fans because we entertain the thought of Mexican players coming to our combines, and it might create a new stream of fans (and revenue) for the league by broadening our base. Not a bad idea overall. Let's just see how the execution plays out.

One man's take: 5 distinct skill sets, so I'll break it down into 3 areas and then vote from there. Wade Miller was a longer-serving special teamer than Brendan Rogers and put up better numbers as a tackling specialist, and has the CFL records to back him up. I pick him as the top tackler. Clatney, Howell, and Walker each had a stellar season or game as a punt blocker, but Rod Hill was a phenom in this area throughout his career, and is easily the best punt blocker in Bomber history (his angle to the ball was so exacting from the outside, he did not need a blocking breakdown to get through to the ball). Allan has his own piece of CFL history, but he was the beneficiary of the block in all cases, so I give credit to those who set him up to recover those punt blocks (most often Hill). Long snapper is a thankless position you only notice when you have someone who is bad at it, but it is an invaluable part of special teams. Imagine having to look backwards and upside down between your legs knowing a 300+ lb lineman is going to tee off on you every time when you snap the ball, and you can't afford a screw-up on a distance snap. We have had a pair of beauties in the last 15 years here. Rempel may be more technically proficient, but he has has as much success in his long career in other cities, and Cvetkovic was one of those "glue guys" in the locker room to boot. Great artist and caricaturist, and he also did a killer Arnold Schwartzenegger impression and kept the room from getting too tense. He was also a huge community guy, from his pet shelter and rescue operation to helping with the Haiti earthquake, he won the Ed Kotowich Award for community service. Man bun aside, I'll give it to Cvetty over Rempel by slim margin. Stoddard was dependable holder and very creative with the name and code signal for his trick field goal play, but only ran it once, so that won't earn him my vote. So down to Miller, Hill, and Cvetkovic for me. The thanklessness of the long snapper continues, as Cvetkovic was very reliable but not an all-time league best lime the other 2. Hill was the first true master at punt blocking, but he has been surpassed in career blocks since his retirement. Plus, he has already made the team for his work as a defensive back. Wade Miller showed up at camp and Chris Walby said "hey, who brought their kid to camp and let him play dress-up?" The equivalent to Notre Dame's "Rudy", he played linebacker and fullback and was all heart and guts - the smallest guy who never quit on any play or refused to accept that he was too small, too slow, or too unskilled to make it in the CFL, and just went out and excelled on pure hustle and determination. He gets my vote. Bonus points for staying in the community after his retirement to add to the business community, and then returning to pull the club out of the Joe Mack abyss.

Name me one retail sales clerk in a mall who makes $96000. That's the average CFL salary based on a $5.2 million salary cap and average roster size of 56 players. In fact, name me a sales clerk who makes $54,000/yr (CFL minimum). That would require an hourly wage of around $23, or double minimum wage. I get we are nowhere near as big as the NFL, but it doesn't mean we have to act like a second class league entertainment-wise. That is the mentality of the Commish anyway, according to his speech. Don't have to believe him, but he was a member of the CFLPA in his playing days, so when he says he is aware of the player's best interests I think he has a better frame of reference than most.

Cut down the size of the poll because the number was getting a bit unwieldy . This will be a bit of an apples to oranges comparison as I've tried to include the top 2 or 3 in each area, from those with big special teams tackle totals, punt and kick blockers and those who recovered blocked kicks, and long snappers and holders. Won't necessarily have stats here, so I strongly welcome testimonials from posters to endorse their favourites. Here are the bios: Wade Miller - 159 games in 11 seasons (1995-2005). Club record 184 special teams tackles (STT) - (#2 all-time in CFL history), CFL record 37 STT in 1999, led CFL with 35 STT in 1997 (#3 all-time CFL single season total). Grey Cup appearance in 2001. Brendan Rogers - 85 games in 5 seasons (1991-95). 124 STT (#2 club all-time), led CFL with 34 STT in 1994 (#7 all-time) and 31 STT in 1993 (#13 all-time). CFL record 7 STT in a single game in 1994. 2 Grey Cup appearances in 1992, 93. Paul Clatney - 36 games in 2 seasons (1988-89), single season club record 3 blocked punts in 1988. 1988 Grey Cup champion. Rod Hill - 90 games in 5 seasons (1988-92), club record 8 career blocked punts (CFL #3 all-time), 3 Grey Cup appearances (1988, 90, 92), 2 time Grey Cup champion (1988, 90). CFL Hall of Fame. Marcus Howell - 84 games in 5 seasons (2000-04), CFL single game record 2 blocked punts in 2000. Grey Cup appearance in 2001. Merv Walker - 77 games in 5 seasons (1974-78), single season club record 3 blocked punts in 1974. Michael Allan - 63 games in 4 seasons (1988-91), CFL single season record 3 blocked punt returns for TDs in 1988, CFL record for career blocked punt return TDs with 5. 2 Grey Cup appearances and 2 time champion (1988, 90). Chris Cvetkovic - 161 games in 11 seasons (2003-13), 66 career STT as long snapper, led CFL in STT by a long snapper in 2004 (16) and 2005 (11). Long snapper for Jon Ryan's CFL record 50.6 avg. punting season in 2005. 2 Grey Cup appearances (2007, 11) Chad Rempel - 63 games in 4 seasons (2005, 16-18), long snapper for Justin Medlock's STPOTY 2016 season, 3 time CFLPA all-star as a long snapper (2016-18), 13 total STT Jamie Stoddard - 151 games in 9 seasons (2000-08), 43 career STT, holder for FG, 1 career rush for 9 yards on fake FG, 2 Grey Cup appearances (2001, 07)

It's really saying something when Arizona Coyotes fans are saying "Can you believe what they are doing to give away these tickets?"

Ambrose addressed the rules and 3 vs 4 down game, and one interesting point he made was that the European leagues play their games in soccer stadiums on soccer fields, so they are already playing the game on a CFL sized field (the width is the same for both sports). Ambrosia wants to highlight the speed of the CFL game and uses the field size as a w at to exploit the speed. He talked a good game at the event, we shall see what if anything comes of it, but I like the idea that we need to think bigger than “we are a boutique league that is a stepping stone to the NFL”

Hill holds the CFL record for career punt blocks with 8. Micheal Allen holds the CFL record for TDs off of blocked punts with 5 (3 in one season is also a record) - pretty sure all of his TDs came off of Rod Hill blocks.

I hope Nelson either makes it big with the club or is cut early, so I can forget about him completely or have a better frame of reference for him, because right now I hear that name and all I can think is:

The all-time leader in punt return yeardage for a career was Jovon Johnson, with Bennett second. JJ was eliminated in the dual threat voting, and Bennett was bested by Hanson in the punt returner voting, so neither made the final vote-off. As for kick returners, Leo Lewis was the career leader by far in the kick return category. I think I will copy the bios once more to keep everything in one post for reference.