Every team had salary cap decisions ... we had to let Bond and Westerman go .... Jake Thomas won't be around but Demski will ... we are all cheering Hurl on in Regina now and we have this ex Rider QB

US recruits have their usual expectations with hopefully a couple nice surprises forthcoming ... and we will get a couple of developmental players in the draft

So my question is what has changed for us really especially relative to Calgary & Edmonton

We lost two very good linemen and we have made some coaching adjustments ... did Calgary & Edmonton lose more?

Do we have better depth?

Why would we be better, really?

Do we have more reason to be optimistic about our defense?

How big a role is coaching going to play?

Are we anywhere close to matching Calgary's organizational skills?

Has Edmonton suddenly become Swiss Cheese in the off season?

Has the whole team gained a critical maturity and potential "swagger"?

Really, really hard to say if we will be better or worse. The safe bet is...about the same.

I get a kick out of Rod Peterson (Regina 620 radio). He says the Bombers finish 5th in west. Personally, I dare not predict 1 thru 4 in west because the teams look so close.

Peterson does have a point, though, when he says he is not sold on our defense.  If the Bombers can improve their defense this team could compete for 1st. The offense will be good. But will the defense?

2 hours ago, blueingreenland said:

Really, really hard to say if we will be better or worse. The safe bet is...about the same.

I get a kick out of Rod Peterson (Regina 620 radio). He says the Bombers finish 5th in west. Personally, I dare not predict 1 thru 4 in west because the teams look so close.

Peterson does have a point, though, when he says he is not sold on our defense.  If the Bombers can improve their defense this team could compete for 1st. The offense will be good. But will the defense?

Peterson ought to be urine-tested weekly, but the Bomber defence is quite unsettled at the moment. If O'Shea has Hall on a very short leash, and the incoming talent is as good as it seems to be, we will be all right.

Is Rod off the wagon again?  

Bombers win the Grey Cup this year. You heard it here first.

25 minutes ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

Bombers win the Grey Cup this year. You heard it here first.

I respect your enthusiasm. However, myself having grown up as a Maple Leafs fan, being from Winnipeg originally and thus following the Bombers and Jets I have endured many, many terrible years of bad teams.

Even during the good years I remain cautious about my teams chances.. maybe because the disappointment is easier to take after an early playoff exit.

Having said that 2018 so far looks oh so good!!!

5 hours ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

Bombers win the Grey Cup this year. You heard it here first.

Dear Mr Negatron

What good are such statements about who said what first ... Bombers & Jets win it all in same year ... that would be a freak of nature ... sort of like putting all your free cash flow into lottery tickets guareenting poverty forever

Predictions and forecasts are useful if it can help govern good actions .... otherwise they are no more than narcissistic ego ... annoying and antisocial.... but yeah the Bombers are going to win the Grey Cup this year

Defense really isn't that unsettled if you ask me..the only question really is how we are going to use the parts at linebacker..possibly a db mini shuffle...the dline will be solid..the db's will be very good..just a matter of who is where...you know Randle..Fenner..Leggett..Loffler will be in the mix already...and at worse we run with Alexander/Walker again which isn't a bad thing..a year older and a year wiser...wouldn't kill us

3 hours ago, Booch said:

Defense really isn't that unsettled if you ask me..the only question really is how we are going to use the parts at linebacker..possibly a db mini shuffle...the dline will be solid..the db's will be very good..just a matter of who is where...you know Randle..Fenner..Leggett..Loffler will be in the mix already...and at worse we run with Alexander/Walker again which isn't a bad thing..a year older and a year wiser...wouldn't kill us

At first glance, one would think that. However, the horde of DB's that have been signed would seem to indicate that the Bomber braintrust sees reasons for concern.

always wise to continually try and improve and a couple guys signed looking forward to seeing..if they push incumbents out..then even better. But as it is at moment...I don't see the defense as being that much of a question mark...Heaths loss won't even be noticed if you ask me...regardless of what some others think  here

4 hours ago, Booch said:

always wise to continually try and improve and a couple guys signed looking forward to seeing..if they push incumbents out..then even better. But as it is at moment...I don't see the defense as being that much of a question mark...Heaths loss won't even be noticed if you ask me...regardless of what some others think  here

Heath was talented, but I often wondered if he was free-lancing too may times.

On 4/9/2018 at 8:35 PM, Atomic said:

You completely missed the point.  Matthews is obviously a legend and even he didn't win the Grey Cup in 17 of his 22 seasons.  He went 1/5 in stops in Montreal and BC.  That doesn't mean he was a bad coach and needed to be fired in those non Cup years, just like MOS and Walters don't need to be fired now.

The point is not to diminish Matthews' accomplishments but to put them in perspective.  He had several years that looked just like what MOS put on the field in 2016-17.  It doesn't mean he wasn't great in those years just like 2 playoff losses don't mean that MOS can't take us to the cup.

I certainly think most agree that it would've been foolish to even consider firing our coach and GM after getting us the best record we've had in more than 15 years.  Also, if our current trend holds true, Calgary will be unseated from the throne by us this season.  I mean, just saying we've gone from fifth, to fourth, to third and then second each year of MOS's tenure here.

 

Now, on the other hand, one cannot deny MOS has made some unfortunate miscalculations in his time here.  He certainly knows special teams, but he's taken some bad gambles with them by going for a low percentage 61 yard FG in one playoff game and then calling a fake punt at a bad time in the other.  Yeah I know it could've worked and we'd be singing his praises, but I still disagree with what he did both times and feel you just need to be a little smarter in playing your cards as a coach.

The other problem is not holding our defensive coordinator accountable when I think many other coaches would've fired him.  Mike O'Shea does understand the problem in what happened with our pass defense last year from the moves that were made, but I don't think it's going to be completely fixed until the scheme is done away with.  We got our QB and got most of the talent we need on offense to get this done, but we gotta get a stingy defense out there, and unfortunately I don't think that's going to happen until we get a new DC.  Give O'Shea rope, but let's hope he didn't miss the window of opportunity already.

15 hours ago, USABomberfan said:

The other problem is not holding our defensive coordinator accountable when I think many other coaches would've fired him.  Mike O'Shea does understand the problem in what happened with our pass defense last year from the moves that were made, but I don't think it's going to be completely fixed until the scheme is done away with.  We got our QB and got most of the talent we need on offense to get this done, but we gotta get a stingy defense out there, and unfortunately I don't think that's going to happen until we get a new DC.  Give O'Shea rope, but let's hope he didn't miss the window of opportunity already.

I disagree. I think if you look at the moves the Bombers have made, they're effectively squeezing Hall out, while letting him keep his title. 

i perceive that Hall is important to the players, so if they can keep them happy and make key strategic and personnel changes. 

3 hours ago, JCon said:

I disagree. I think if you look at the moves the Bombers have made, they're effectively squeezing Hall out, while letting him keep his title. 

i perceive that Hall is important to the players, so if they can keep them happy and make key strategic and personnel changes. 

If this is actually true... I would guess the Bombers would be doing it with his blessing... he would be on-board with "training" a successor for when he plans to retire.... this group of management doesn't seem like the kind that would "squeeze out" someone like Hall...

37 minutes ago, bearpants said:

If this is actually true... I would guess the Bombers would be doing it with his blessing... he would be on-board with "training" a successor for when he plans to retire.... this group of management doesn't seem like the kind that would "squeeze out" someone like Hall...

Yes, I meant only in that they were not straight up replacing him. I bet he retires at year end. 

 

But I'm just guessing. I have no idea what the plan is. 

10 hours ago, JCon said:

I disagree. I think if you look at the moves the Bombers have made, they're effectively squeezing Hall out, while letting him keep his title. 

i perceive that Hall is important to the players, so if they can keep them happy and make key strategic and personnel changes. 

While I know the talk here is that Younger may be the replacement for Hall, I've not heard that said directly by MOS or at least not yet.  I obviously hope that's the game plan, but I'm not so sure that's actually what's happening.  And even if he is in training, I'm betting Hall is still wearing the headset this year.

Whether he's fired or retires, good riddance to that old stinker.

After the years and almost decades of embarrassment and ridiculous moves made by our leadership... we are trending upward and have been for 2 3 seasons... and STILL discussing if we should think that our management is on the hotseat??  this forum never ceases to amaze me.

 

10 minutes ago, SPuDS said:

After the years and almost decades of embarrassment and ridiculous moves made by our leadership... we are trending upward and have been for 2 3 seasons... and STILL discussing if we should think that our management is on the hotseat??  this forum never ceases to amaze me.

 

Its May 4th and we haven't won a game yet in 2018. It is clearly time to talk regime change!

3 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

Its May 4th and we haven't won a game yet in 2018. It is clearly time to talk regime change!

You'd think so with some of the posts around here lol

Okay. Let's get rid of everyone - Walters, O'Shea, Miller. The only question is...do we bring in Mike Kelly or Jeff Reinbold?

8 minutes ago, blueingreenland said:

Okay. Let's get rid of everyone - Walters, O'Shea, Miller. The only question is...do we bring in Mike Kelly or Jeff Reinbold?

Mike Kelly sounds good to me!

The players that he and "the database" brought in were the main reason they went to the Grey Cup a few years later.

 

1 minute ago, TheSource said:

Mike Kelly sounds good to me!

The players that he and "the database" brought in were the main reason they went to the Grey Cup a few years later.

 

Nice try, Mike. 

1 hour ago, TheSource said:

Mike Kelly sounds good to me!

The players that he and "the database" brought in were the main reason they went to the Grey Cup a few years later.

 

Stefan LeFors left arm was crucial to winning that East Final.

2 hours ago, TheSource said:

Mike Kelly sounds good to me!

The players that he and "the database" brought in were the main reason they went to the Grey Cup a few years later.

 

Obvious troll is painfully obvious

13 hours ago, TheSource said:

Mike Kelly sounds good to me!

The players that he and "the database" brought in were the main reason they went to the Grey Cup a few years later.

 

Any Canadian OL in that data base? 

Heath being gone may have a more positive impact than we can expect ... he was a hotdog  that disrupted "team" .... his freelancing disrupted harmony and destroyed confidence in "system" .... I expect we are going to have far less secondary breakdowns giving up easy TDs

Edited May 5, 20187 yr by BigBlue