Okay, so the off season officially begins now that the Grey Cup is over. Lots of topics for discussion in the months to come with the Bombers & the League. A new CBA needs to be negotiated sooner rather than later.  Will there be an eventual agreement or a lockout? How much will the salary cap go up? Randy Ambrosie is on record that wants the cap to significantly go up so that is a positive.  Will Bo Levi Mitchell sign with an NFL or perhaps another CFL team? What about Mike Reilly & Trevor Harris who are also free agents? There's a new start up league called the  AAFL & there are legit concerns that it'll draw star CFL players away or hamper free agent signings with CFL teams. Coaching changes in BC & Toronto. The continuing evolving story of the expansion Halifax Schooners & possible exhibition games in Mexico. 

Edited November 27, 20187 yr by SpeedFlex27

12 minutes ago, JCon said:

I think it's a good move. It gives him and O'Day a chance to actually rebuild the team. And, it does need rebuilding. 

I think it's the best choice for what options they had. If there was A DC out there they could have gone that way. Will be interesting to see who fills that role.

According to what Rod Penison said midway through last season their rebuild has been completed and they are a juggernaut team. And you are suggesting they need a rebuild? Why would a juggernaut team like the Riders need a rebuild lol! 

Craig Dickenson is a pretty weak hire imo....but he was probably the best one under the circumstances. No chance in Hades I would have given him a 3 year deal though.

5 minutes ago, gcn11 said:

Craig Dickenson is a pretty weak hire imo....but he was probably the best one under the circumstances. No chance in Hades I would have given him a 3 year deal though.

He was already locked down for two ha...  and pretty sure everyone interviewed was like 'I need at least one year without McAdoo'

 

Dickenson is a good hire,  I only feel bad because the guy is going to be handicap with a terrible offense and will have  a massive uphill battle to fight....   They almost have to sign Reilly to have any kind of chance.

Not surprised it's Dickenson. Thought that's where they'd end up after no team would allow them to interview their coaches. That leaves Trestman, who is smart enough not to wade into the mess that is the Riders right now, and coaches currently on the Riders staff. I'm a bit surprised about the 3 year contract. I was expecting 2.

 

5 hours ago, gcn11 said:

Craig Dickenson will not be in attendance but will provide live footage from his GoPro as he tackles the fresh powder on the black diamond runs.

Well, wow, really truth or BS?

@AJonSports Hearing the REDBLACKS are about to sign DB Chris Randle. Spent the last 5 seasons in Winnipeg. CFL All-Star in 2017. #CFL #RNation

5 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Well, wow, really truth or BS?

Joke

5 minutes ago, Noeller said:

@AJonSports Hearing the REDBLACKS are about to sign DB Chris Randle. Spent the last 5 seasons in Winnipeg. CFL All-Star in 2017. #CFL #RNation

Makes sense. And I'm glad the BB only need to see him 2 maybe 3 times.

basically a default hire as all other avenues withered up...and who's to kow how many people may have been approached and said no thanks....either way...i think both he and Macadoo should be a bit bothered by this as being overlooked originally and are only a hire of convenience

i like that they signed him for 3 yrs

Bothered all the way to the bank perhaps. 3 years guaranteed money and all the built in excuses for failure that he could ask for.

They got the wrong Dickenson, I love it. 

Anybody else think a guy who only wants to be a 9-5er and who has time off built into his contract to go skiing is not going to be a great HC?

11 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

Anybody else think a guy who only wants to be a 9-5er and who has time off built into his contract to go skiing is not going to be a great HC?

If Dickenson produces a winning record, no one in Sask will care. If the team slumps, the pitchforks will be out before Canada Day.

19 hours ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

Jones left town so fast he forgot to turn off the porch light, didn't have the courtesy or the nerve to hold a press conference thanking anyone for the opportunity or support.  Weasel was and weasel shall be.

This is patently false. Saskatchewan does not have weasels... or porch lights for that matter.

10 hours ago, the watcher said:

They didn't want Lapo anyway!!!

Only took just over 100 post before some claimed Dickenson>Lapo

And that the clear consensus is that they wanted Dickenson the whole time. 

18 minutes ago, Eternal optimist said:

This is patently false. Saskatchewan does not have weasels... or porch lights for that matter.

Then what is Gainer? I thought it was a large weasel.

14 minutes ago, Bomber_fanaddict said:

Then what is Gainer? I thought it was a large weasel.

Doesn't he embody the riders team? I thought he was a sentient pile of **** that is doing its best impression of a quadruped 

50 minutes ago, Bomber_fanaddict said:

Then what is Gainer? I thought it was a large weasel.

No, you're thinking of Chris Jones or Darien Durant.

Refresh  my memory ...Dickinson was the guy Chamblin fired over his commitment level and Priders slapped their flippers together like trained seals ??

10 hours ago, Zontar said:

Refresh  my memory ...Dickinson was the guy Chamblin fired over his commitment level and Priders slapped their flippers together like trained seals ??

You're remembering it wrong. Chamberlin broke the terms of the contract and dickenson was well within his rights to fight back. Dickenson is a genius. 

I think Chamblin wanted  his coaches back something like a month earlier & Dickenson said no. So, he was fired & went to Edmonton where Chris Jones had just been hired. That was Chamblin's final year as Riders HC. He became dictatorial & eventually lost the locker room. Hopefully, he learned a huge lesson out of all that & will treat his assistants & players in Toronto a lot better. 

15 hours ago, Bomber_fanaddict said:

Only took just over 100 post before some claimed Dickenson>Lapo

And that the clear consensus is that they wanted Dickenson the whole time. 

Tactics comrade, tactics. It was all part of the greater plan. They were just pretending to negotiate with all those other teams.