TrueBlue4ever

I have two tickets for tonight’s game I cannot use. Upper deck west side 45 yard line row 1. They are yours for free (plus parking pass if I can transfer it) to the first interested person who can answer the following trivia question: Who holds the Blue Bomber record for most receptions in a single game?

I can agree with the “take a mid-point” approach. But I have yet to see the naysayers offer that up. We have “the biggest fans around” hoping we lose to prove a point, wanting OSH fired, saying it will cost us every week when it hasn’t in 6 seasons, saying OSH is lucky, pathetic, stubborn, smug, head up his ass. Haven’t heard really any “measured criticism” from the loudest critics, and it’s the same wail every game, started before the season even began, and there is no evidence to show it has cost us a win. Could we lose? Sure. Is it “putrid roster management” or because of another possibility, like maybe our QB playing the Grey Cup with a busted foot, or our OC calling a bizarre game plan, or our kicker missing a convert. Or getting lazy and giving up turnovers to squander a 16 point lead with 3 minutes left. Fact is, when we have had an actual serious problem on the roster it has been addressed. When our starting QB went down in 2019 and our back-up could not win consistently, we traded a top draft pick for the soon-to-be 2 time MOP. When our kicking was really bad in 2021 we brought in Castillo and he won us the Cup. When it seemed to be ironed out, we tried to salvage the young Canadian, and he was pretty good, but missed the one big kick at exactly the wrong time. So we replaced him this year. We had the best Canadian running back in history, but we opted to sign the younger guys and did not show excessive loyalty to him. And now he is a back-up in Toronto and his replacement here is leading the league. So changes are being made, just not for the sake of change like some wish would happen. I am content with the “KISS” model. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If it manifests into an actual problem, our track record with this management group is that it will be addressed. But the weekly negativity has been over the top since the get-go IMO, so any push back on the hyperbole is being wrongly labelled as extreme, and knob polishing, and blind to any flaws, and “he is perfect brainwashing” which is not happening actually, and the accusation that we are pretending he is godlike is a BS argument. You want to talk loose hips and other intrinsic factors, go ahead, but I like metrics like wins and losses and knockdowns and tackles and those other measurables. Would be happy to engage in a measured discussion if the critics would stop hurling insults like “you are blind if you can’t see it”, and making false accusations about “but criticism is not allowed” and all the other over the top stuff. But the sky is not falling here, and at times it sure seems to me that it is presented that way by some of the “roster management“ crew.

And you have a problem with that strategy? Would you be happier with “good losses”? Only “smartest man in the room “syndrome I see is the know-it-all fans on a message board convinced they know better than the most successful coach we’ve had here in 60 years. And no, us defenders don’t think O’Shea is flawless, but we also don’t think management needs to sit him down and fire his ass because he’s headed for that inevitable failure. Been hearing that all year, hell for 6 years, and no signs of it yet. Jesus, Dunigan was right, fans are way too spoiled here. Can’t be happy unless there is some imaginary problem to ***** and whine about. Maybe you’d all prefer the 1997-99 version of this team? Enjoy the ride people, stop trying to make it the Titanic approaching the iceberg.

You said “no examples that I’ve seen, so that’s inaccurate”. So you get an example given. But, oh, that doesn’t count, just cherry-picking. Classic Booch schtick. One play that highlights my favorites or exposes a mistake in my scapegoats is confirmation that I’m right, but the flip side is just cherry-picking. Can’t suck and blow at the same time, man.

Evan Holm gargles peanut butter.

“I have have access to something that shows I’m right, but I can’t share”? You sound like Trump’s stolen election crew. What’s so top secret (or why are you so privileged) that you can’t share this definitive evidence that will show we are so wrong and you are so right?

On his bogus roughing penalty he was racing over to cover for BA who had been beaten on a post pattern. That’s one example I can think of.

I do not like this stupid game I do hate picking the wrong name I do despise getting a strike This dumb contest I do not like You gave us all another try My constant failures make me sigh My first loss was enough for me But you prolonged my agony A re-do win would be sublime But I still suck the second time And while I pick another name I fear it will turn out the same All game I’ll sit and hope and pray But no, an “X” will come my way And I’ll be left to scream “Oh damn” I do not like it Sam-I-Am. Let’s try Brady O.

Need to apply “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” principle. BC is more of a threat to challenge us for first, so 🤢go Riders 🤮

1. Castillo - in a one point win, if the other guy misses 2 and your guy hits them all, he deserves recognition 2. Willie J - knockdowns from the line killed drive after drive 3. Holm - the waif just keeps getting it done. Knockdowns from the back end, covering for others, sure and solid tackling, and enough physicality to draw a bogus roughing penalty. Not bad for a teenage girl, eh? H.H. - Kolankowski and Hardrick - when we needed a clock killing first down from our own 15 yard line on the last 90 seconds, Brady was going to be stuffed, but Kolankowski drove his man back with Brady riding his hip, and Hardrick pushed the pile from behind to get us a 4.5 yard gain out of nothing to salt the game away. Pure grit and will from the o-line to seal the deal.

I think you just answered your own question in the second sentence.

Commentary on another roster management debate, or prediction for what we will see tonight? You decide.

Explain to me why O’Shea is to blame for Castillo signing as a free agent with Edmonton and being given only Liegghio and Mourtada as options at camp. Those are contract decisions and that falls squarely on Walters.

Prukop

You both misspelled “thorax”.

Movie opening - tough call, some very groundbreaking ones but not one definitive I can pinpoint. Among the memorable ones: 2001 Dawn of Man scene, Star Wars title crawl and spaceship chase, Goodfellas, Scream (and I am not a horror fan), Lord of the Rings pre-history re-cap and battle scene, and any number of James Bond openings (Skyfall and Spy Who Loved Me are at the top there). Closing scene: Shawshank Redemption beach reunion, Usual Suspects reveal TV opening: maybe Lost plane crash aftermath TV closing: Newhart’s dream parody, or M*A*S*H’s simple “Goodbye”. Great call, can’t believe I overlooked that. Sam Jackson’s diner speech should have won him the Oscar that year.

Next question(s): Beat opening and closing scenes of a movie? (Also TV show if you are so inclined).

The sign or the food?

I am kind of the opposite. Past failures remind me how good we have it now, which is why I shake my head at what I consider is “roster management” B.S. O’Shea is not above criticism, and no one has suggested that, despite what the naysayers accuse the defenders of constantly to make their point. But those who want to turn on him and say we are winning by luck or that it will surely bite us in the loss column, despite no real evidence of same for the past 6 years, would do well to remember what we have and what might replace it. Everyone bitched about Cal Murthy’s tight pocket book and curmudgeonly attitude near the end when we lost talent and had an inevitable backslide, and rather than let him re-build again, the club jumped on the newest shiny object and bought the snake oil and sizzle of Reinbold when there was no substance behind the sales pitch. Then after that black hole and the Ritchie resurrection, fans turned on him, then Taman and Bauer, despite success, because Ritchie liked vets and Taman preferred proven talent over draft picks, and were left in another re-build with Mike Kelly’s arrogance and then Joe Mack’s arrogance and incompetence, both with disasterous results. We finally have stability but some want to find a reason to nitpick O’Shea and find a reason to turn on him, making mountains out of molehills and looking for excuses to dump on him and be the first to say “I told you so” if he gets the axe. I’d prefer the Pittsburgh Steelers model where a coach is allowed to re-build over and over if he has a past track record of success, and it’s the players who are accountable if they fail. There is a limit to it of course, and all coaches have a shelf life, but maybe pump the brakes on all the hate about O’Shea’s inability to manage a roster until he actually starts to have a losing record AND can’t climb out of it with an attempted re-build. JMO.

Sorry about that, was not trying to be literal with the visual, just couldn’t find a gig of a guy just standing there watching, lol. Seriously though, appreciate the clarification. Would Zach do any mimicking of the footwork or read progressions by turning his head and body, or is it purely a watching exercise?

Some Bombers do their share of celebrations. After a turnover the whole defence runs to the end zone and poses for the cameraman, or even grab the camera and film. Oliviera does a ball spin or flex or first down signal. Willie J does a somersault or guitar windmill after a sack or stop. And the Bombers were one of the first to pioneer the dance celebration choreography back in 2000 and kept it up for a long while. Personally I don’t care. I prefer the “act like you’ve been there” but no reason to be bothered by it. You don’t like the other team celebrating? Stop them. But let’s not pretend we are above it all and the only team that doesn’t do it, and only the other teams are participating.

I have no issue with guaranteed contracts. But having the management cap in place and tying non-employees to it seems silly. Let teams be stuck with old contracts on the books but make the operations cap a “currently on staff” cap. The intent of the cap was to avoid teams having 25 coaches in place, not handcuff them in the event they fired someone. Or do like the NHL and have a buyout where only a portion of their salary applies to the current cap. This way teams are stuck with their bad contracts, but not crippled by them indefinitely into the future. Just a thought.

So why is it that coach/GM salaries are guaranteed but players aren’t?