BigBlue

not a scoop ... a lament ... sheesh

Swapping arms: Bombers release QB Eric Barriere, sign Georgia State pivot Darren Grainger
I for one was disappointed. It was not just game performance that got Eric cut... tc was his try out and
 we definitely need succession planning for the most important position on the field… Streveler is a unique niche player but not the future of the team in two or three years

Any day in Regina is a good day to win, even with all our rookies out in full force. It’s all a matter of pride.
Today I want to watch (through my radio) three things:
Eric Barrierre at quarterback. I want to see if his credentials have anything to do with the Bomber’s future. I fully expect we will have four QB’s kicking around at season open. He might become the new “lady in waiting”!
Chidi Okeke at right tackle. I want to see if he’s the new apprentice that we are hoping for, that might be a key cog in our Hog Heaven. I expect In a better we will be starting Lofton at RT as the season starts.
Our linebacker schemes. I’m assuming Kyrie Wilson will be one of the two middle linebackers in a basic 4=4=4 defensive structure. Outside of Gauther, I want to see who/what else we can put in those middle two spots. Are they going to take a peek at Brandon Alexander there,  or is he just too small? This is the one place that we look just too skinny. This is THE one big challenge for our new defensive coordinator, methinks...
I don’t care how much the coaches say it doesn’t matter who wins. To me it matters, kind of a lot. Beating the Roughie’s will set the tone not only for our rookies, but for our vets at home too. Preseason does matter for a lot more than just player evaluation.
 

Any day in Regina is a good day to win, even with all our rookies out in full force. It’s all a matter of pride.
Today I want to watch (through my radio) three things:
Eric Barrierre at quarterback. I want to see if his credentials have anything to do with the Bomber’s future. I fully expect we will have four QB’s kicking around at season open. He might become the new “lady in waiting”!
Chidi Okeke at right tackle. I want to see if he’s the new apprentice that we are hoping for, that might be a key cog in our Hog Heaven. I expect In a better we will be starting Lofton at RT as the season starts.
Our linebacker schemes. I’m assuming Kyrie Wilson will be one of the two middle linebackers in a basic 4=4=4 defensive structure. Outside of Gauther, I want to see who/what else we can put in those middle two spots. Are they going to take a peek at Brandon Alexander there,  or is he just too small? This is the one place that we look just too skinny. This is THE one big challenge for our new defensive coordinator, methinks...
I don’t care how much the coaches say it doesn’t matter who wins. To me it matters, kind of a lot. Beating the Roughie’s will set the tone not only for our rookies, but for our vets at home too. Preseason does matter for a lot more than just player evaluation.
 

Any day in Regina is a good day to win, even with all our rookies out in full force. It’s all a matter of pride.
Today I want to watch (through my radio) three things:
Eric Barrierre at quarterback. I want to see if his credentials have anything to do with the Bomber’s future. I fully expect we will have four QB’s kicking around at season open. He might become the new “lady in waiting”!
Chidi Okeke at right tackle. I want to see if he’s the new apprentice that we are hoping for, that might be a key cog in our Hog Heaven. I expect In a better we will be starting Lofton at RT as the season starts.
Our linebacker schemes. I’m assuming Kyrie Wilson will be one of the two middle linebackers in a basic 4=4=4 defensive structure. Outside of Gauther, I want to see who/what else we can put in those middle two spots. Are they going to take a peek at Brandon Alexander there,  or is he just too small? This is the one place that we look just too skinny. This is THE one big challenge for our new defensive coordinator, methinks...
I don’t care how much the coaches say it doesn’t matter who wins. To me it matters, kind of a lot. Beating the Roughie’s will set the tone not only for our rookies, but for our vets at home too. Preseason does matter for a lot more than just player evaluation.
 

Any day in Regina is a good day to win, even with all our rookies out in full force. It’s all a matter of pride.
Today I want to watch (through my radio) three things:
Eric Barrierre at quarterback. I want to see if his credentials have anything to do with the Bomber’s future. I fully expect we will have four QB’s kicking around at season open. He might become the new “lady in waiting”!
Chidi Okeke at right tackle. I want to see if he’s the new apprentice that we are hoping for, that might be a key cog in our Hog Heaven. I expect In a better we will be starting Lofton at RT as the season starts.
Our linebacker schemes. I’m assuming Kyrie Wilson will be one of the two middle linebackers in a basic 4=4=4 defensive structure. Outside of Gauther, I want to see who/what else we can put in those middle two spots. Are they going to take a peek at Brandon Alexander there,  or is he just too small? This is the one place that we look just too skinny. This is THE one big challenge for our new defensive coordinator, methinks...
I don’t care how much the coaches say it doesn’t matter who wins. To me it matters, kind of a lot. Beating the Roughie’s will set the tone not only for our rookies, but for our vets at home too. Preseason does matter for a lot more than just player evaluation.
 

Rule changes are evolving in fits and leaps ... nuancing such is for discussion boards
What matters is concussion insurance claims ... they will be an item at the next player association negotiations

I have never so many obits at once on any site ... is this incubating covid and vaccines coming home to roost?
 

I am sorry if this all sounds Super Negatron ... it sounds like a complete under estimation of our scouting and of Kyle Walters SKILLS  and WISDOM
if anything these replacements needed to be made earlier .... changes need to be made constantly but not too much at once ... status quo thinking would be gross mismanagement  ... we still have our core and an amazingly good culture ... do you have to have it proven to you?. 
We have perhaps the best management and coaching in he league
we will see some early season transition pains but no problem
Mr Chicken Little the sky is NOT FALLING

I am sorry if this all sounds Super Negatron ... it sounds like a complete under estimation of our scouting and of Kyle Walters SKILLS  and WISDOM
if anything these replacements needed to be made earlier .... changes need to be made constantly but not too much at once ... status quo thinking would be gross mismanagement  ... we still have our core and an amazingly good culture ... do you have to have it proven to you?. 
We have perhaps the best management and coaching in he league
we will see some early season transition pains but no problem
Mr Chicken Little the sky is NOT FALLING

We have just witnessed a major shift in thinking AND action ... last years status quo philosophy has been replaced by real try outs ... many were turfed in January  ... we all know this already
we have the core ... the holes being filled will be big upgrades

We have just witnessed a major shift in thinking AND action ... last years status quo philosophy has been replaced by real try outs ... many were turfed in January  ... we all know this already
we have the core ... the holes being filled will be big upgrades

We have just witnessed a major shift in thinking AND action ... last years status quo philosophy has been replaced by real try outs ... many were turfed in January  ... we all know this already
we have the core ... the holes being filled will be big upgrades

We have just witnessed a major shift in thinking AND action ... last years status quo philosophy has been replaced by real try outs ... many were turfed in January  ... we all know this already
we have the core ... the holes being filled will be big upgrades

" If TSN wants 18-40 year olds watching"
the best marketing program that I remember is going after junior high and high  school students

Players visiting schools combined with ticket giveaways might win over some
this can be family-oriented with parents or peer oriented with friends… Often teens like to travel in packs as a nonthreatening easy way to socialize
the key is to make it easy in terms of both money and transportation
has anybody seen any studies showing the effectiveness of such student programs?

There certainly is a lot of empty seats in the CFL that could be grouped into a fun zone

We need to win hearts at a young age as a cool form of entertainment

" If TSN wants 18-40 year olds watching"
the best marketing program that I remember is going after junior high and high  school students

Players visiting schools combined with ticket giveaways might win over some
this can be family-oriented with parents or peer oriented with friends… Often teens like to travel in packs as a nonthreatening easy way to socialize
the key is to make it easy in terms of both money and transportation
has anybody seen any studies showing the effectiveness of such student programs?

There certainly is a lot of empty seats in the CFL that could be grouped into a fun zone

We need to win hearts at a young age as a cool form of entertainment

" If TSN wants 18-40 year olds watching"
the best marketing program that I remember is going after junior high and high  school students

Players visiting schools combined with ticket giveaways might win over some
this can be family-oriented with parents or peer oriented with friends… Often teens like to travel in packs as a nonthreatening easy way to socialize
the key is to make it easy in terms of both money and transportation
has anybody seen any studies showing the effectiveness of such student programs?

There certainly is a lot of empty seats in the CFL that could be grouped into a fun zone

We need to win hearts at a young age as a cool form of entertainment

anybody got a link to Walters press conference this morning?

I totally agree with you. Those incremental increases were prearranged. The next major negotiation is still a couple of years away. What the financial situation of the  league is a big unknown right now. If we are still in these tight finances (and I am guessing that the missing the covid season has a lot to do with that) then it is just stay in financial survival mode.
However, if we are continuing to see TV fan ratings going up there could be a substantially larger amount of money available for the salary cap. It might even be a quantum leap. When such discoveries are made financial decisions in a compacted time frame are not always made with the greatest wisdom. 
Preplanning what to do with newfound money is not senseless. It often makes a great deal of difference; in order to negotiate well; you have to know what is truly important and what makes a big difference. Otherwise, the money just goes to the top end of the player pool, as the all-stars demand and the general managers compete. That is the opposite of planning.
So at the next player negotiations, if there is not a source of new money from increased viewership or attendance, then I agree that the best thing to focus on is player safety and procedural methods to ensure that safety. One item I have harked on in the past is quarterback protection. There are many other issues. There is also methodology to increase player security and comfort.
Why bring preplanning up now? Because we are in a lull of big events to discuss. How many posters are considering the state of the league 3 to 5 years down the line?
Now that we've had the NFL draft last night, we can start to get into the nitty-gritty of our Canadian draft and getting players to camp. It's getting exciting!

"Where would you expand? Halifax? ... Quebec City or London, Ontario? Remains to be seen. poersonally, I doubt it."
I agree Halifax is a dead-end pursuit and a logistical nightmare in terms of travel. Very expensive too.
London would be cutting into the fan base, MAYBE, for the Tigercats and Argos. Of course, you never know what that community might be hungry for. I see no appeal. So no.

Québec city intrigues me though. It would instantly set up a rivalry with the Alouettes. The fan base there has proven themselves; there is a natural complement between football and hockey – – they have opposite seasons with very little overlap. I also think it would add some legitimacy to the league, filling in a void where the major French population  looks a little underserved, at least to me.

I also heard Ambroise speak of Québec City in positive terms in terms of marketing the CFL. So it looks like the CFL brass are thinking about it seriously. I hope it happens – – it would make everything better in terms of scheduling, league balance, and keeping travel costs down.

Expanding to Québec city makes a lot of sense to me.

I totally agree with you. Those incremental increases were prearranged. The next major negotiation is still a couple of years away. What the financial situation of the  league is a big unknown right now. If we are still in these tight finances (and I am guessing that the missing the covid season has a lot to do with that) then it is just stay in financial survival mode.
However, if we are continuing to see TV fan ratings going up there could be a substantially larger amount of money available for the salary cap. It might even be a quantum leap. When such discoveries are made financial decisions in a compacted time frame are not always made with the greatest wisdom. 
Preplanning what to do with newfound money is not senseless. It often makes a great deal of difference; in order to negotiate well; you have to know what is truly important and what makes a big difference. Otherwise, the money just goes to the top end of the player pool, as the all-stars demand and the general managers compete. That is the opposite of planning.
So at the next player negotiations, if there is not a source of new money from increased viewership or attendance, then I agree that the best thing to focus on is player safety and procedural methods to ensure that safety. One item I have harked on in the past is quarterback protection. There are many other issues. There is also methodology to increase player security and comfort.
Why bring preplanning up now? Because we are in a lull of big events to discuss. How many posters are considering the state of the league 3 to 5 years down the line?
Now that we've had the NFL draft last night, we can start to get into the nitty-gritty of our Canadian draft and getting players to camp. It's getting exciting!

When the players vote, they ratify. Negotiations occur before the fact; there are trade-offs for both sides in the negotiations.  If the governors want an expanded roster, $240,000 is not a lot of money. And some of the players will see  player expansion is a good thing.
So in our discussion the key thing is getting the concepts across, not minor money matters

" I do NOT see the CFL adding more salaried positions" I agree if the salary cap is not going up but if history is any guide it will go up at least some. What I am advocating here is to take $250,000 of that increase and expand the Canadian roster size. It will ultimately lower the cost of Canadians over all. It will lower it because there will be more Canadian talent because of the larger veteran experienced talent pool (30 to 60 more veterans at least).
The teams can then apply the rest of the salary cap increase as they see fit. Until we see game day rosters the same size as the NFL, we will always have game day injury problems. A little common sense can prevail here. We just have to regulate it slightly for a very good purpose.

isn't a very sound path to development and eventual playing time.
It is not sound? What are you thinking in that regard? They will be at every practice. They will have instruction from the positional coaches. They will have mentorship from the starters in their position. 
And during the practices they will be playing their heart out. And they will be working out on their own before and after practice. They will also learn a new and better way of weight training. They will be living in a different world than their amateur experiences. They will learn grit from rubbing shoulders with seasoned veterans.
They will be dressed and in the lineup for nine games, and may be more if there added to the full-time roster temporarily because of injury. In those nine games that will likely have some special teams work. Or they might be put into the game in short yardage situations. They will be doing guided film work. They will be totally immersed with the whole team through thick and thin. What kind of learning is that?
You don't think the six will develop so much more than anything they've seen in junior or college? And on top of that, they will have a chance to play instead of sitting in an office someplace with no football future path.
Not every one of the six will stay in the league but one or two or three of them will eventually get to a starting role. Don't you think?
Anyway, if you don't like six half timers, just add three more Canadian players to the roster size. They can develop that way. Further, the CFL PA should be happy because they have expanded permanently the number of jobs for the players. Negotiating for that the fantastic!
 

Robert, given very good odds, how much  of your own money would you spend on this prediction/bet?
At least a looney?