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

3 hours ago, Pete Catan's Ghost said:

I would shudder when I saw his smarmy face on Sport Centre. He presented as giggly and excessive. I'm glad he's moved to a market where I don't have to watch him. He will fit like a glove.

As someone who only turns on TSN for CFL and Jets game, I didn't see him much. Fact is, like Mike Hogan, he loves the CFL and I appreciated the stats and info he brought to the game. Now he's dead me. 

DT = Dead To'me. 

If Taylor is that good then why are stuck with the gawd awful Rod Black? Why can't TSN get rid of him & bring in new blood? Get that fricking fracking dinosaur off sucking the life out of me on my 50 inch tv screen. 

5 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

If Taylor is that good then why are stuck with the gawd awful Rod Black? Why can't TSN get rid of him & bring in new blood? Get that fricking fracking dinosaur off sucking the life out of me on my 50 inch tv screen. 

This is a good idea.... send Rod Black over to be the Riders PBP and DT can call games on TSN. Win win.

2 minutes ago, Bomber_fanaddict said:

This is a good idea.... send Rod Black over to be the Riders PBP and DT can call games on TSN. Win win.

I mean, we took Knuckles and they take Rod. Fair trade. One for one. Let's make it happen. 

Rider fans, crowing and glowing over the announcement of Derek Taylor as their new play-by-play guy.

How soon they forget:

Statistically speaking, of course, Derek Taylor had a very good chance of getting that position. It’s all in the details...

13 hours ago, JCon said:

I mean, we took Knuckles and they take Rod. Fair trade. One for one. Let's make it happen. 

I'd even throw in a late-round draft pick.

I've asked it many times but I'll ask again, how does Rod Black stay employed?

1 hour ago, rebusrankin said:

I've asked it many times but I'll ask again, how does Rod Black stay employed?

TSN top brass + goats + camera = permanent employment for Rod Black

 There is a street in Transcona named Rod Black Crescent.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=rod+black+crescent+winnipeg+map&atb=v135-2__&ia=maps&iaxm=maps

How many of you Black - critics have that? (kidding)

or, maybe it's named after some other Rod Black. (kidding)

14 minutes ago, Mark F said:

There is a street in Transcona named Rod Black Crescent.

I’m familiar with it. It runs right into Sam Giguere Drive and adjacent to Drinking Game Way..

I'm OK with DT taking the Rider PBP gig for now but would love him and DB together on the same radio once Knuckles finally hang'em up FULL time.

But how do you feel having a Winnipeg "eye" on the Riders camp ? 😜

Derek Taylor was the biggest Winnipeg homer on TSN. Gonna miss that bias.

I could see him really excelling at that job too. Dude is sharp

Edited March 30, 20196 yr by Dr Zaius

On 2019-03-29 at 11:07 AM, SpeedFlex27 said:

The bad thing is that whenever a team folds we slide into the East. Then when a new team is established we slide back into the West.

Although at least this time around, moving from East -> West wouldn't decrease our chance of making the playoffs like when Ottawa expanded in...

Must have been a considerable uptick in salary to make that move. With more money comes expectations.  

Fan expectations are as follows, take careful notes, Derek.

1. Be positive .don't tell it like it is. That's being a nit picking negatron. Out of touch with an agenda. Defend and praise the people will defend and praise.

2. But don't be positive for  QBs, coaches , GMs and other team functionaries we have turned against. This will change often. This makes you an apologist and somebodys lackey.

3. Be negative towards things we are negative about. That's the way it is so tell it like it is.

4. If there is any confusion consult with us,  daily if possible, on what to say and think. 

Got all that, Derek?

Edited March 31, 20196 yr by Zontar

Anybody else thinking that there are going to be issues with this whole Atlantic Schooners idea? Leblanc doesn't have a great track record (see Ice Edge), they need a lot of government money and the local governments seem fairly reluctant to give any, not a lot of corporations and hey, what exactly is the evidence that they'll support a team?

Issues? 

With the Atlantic Alliance for Football?

Where have I heard that before?

I didn't think there was any more ways to do a stadium on the cheap but they sure found it.  We'll fund it for 12,000 seats & you guys do the rest. Just add another 14,000 seats. Four thousand of those temporary.  Ambrosie will give them a Grey Cup as well. A 26,000 seat Grey Cup. The smallest since the mid 1950's. 

3 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

I didn't think there was any more ways to do a stadium on the cheap but they sure found it.  We'll fund it for 12,000 seats & you guys do the rest. Just add another 14,000 seats. Four thousand of those temporary.  Ambrosie will give them a Grey Cup as well. A 26,000 seat Grey Cup. The smallest since the mid 1950's. 

This ain't gonna work for revenue generation on an ongoing basis.

42 minutes ago, Tracker said:

This ain't gonna work for revenue generation on an ongoing basis.

If they can't get government support or afford to build a proper stadium  then why bother? I think what's happened now is Randy Ambrosie is in this so deep & has taken the CFL along with him that to back off now would be a major black eye to both him & the CFL. So, they'll just forge ahead & damn the torpedos. They'll handle a financial crisis when it occurs so no sense worrying about it now.

I just can't see this team competing for free agents or for them to ever sell out consistently. We'll be seeing crowds of 16,000 at their home games & the team will be another burden to the other 8 teams. I didn't include Toronto as they're already a burden to everyone else. Ambrosie is talking about a LDW Coast Bowl with the Lions. They must be thrilled knowing they'll be forced to fly 2/3 of the way to London over 5 time zones to play that game against an opponent who'll never be a serious rival.

11 hours ago, Zontar said:

Must have been a considerable uptick in salary to make that move. 

My understanding is that it's a substantial drop, but possible increase in job security. Bell, Corus and Stingray are in constant cost-cutting mode. Harvard is a lot more stable... 

5 hours ago, Noeller said:

My understanding is that it's a substantial drop, but possible increase in job security. Bell, Corus and Stingray are in constant cost-cutting mode. Harvard is a lot more stable... 

Interesting. 

19 hours ago, rebusrankin said:

Anybody else thinking that there are going to be issues with this whole Atlantic Schooners idea? Leblanc doesn't have a great track record (see Ice Edge), they need a lot of government money and the local governments seem fairly reluctant to give any, not a lot of corporations and hey, what exactly is the evidence that they'll support a team?

I'm not holding my breath, personally

4 hours ago, Zontar said:

Interesting. 

sometimes people just want to be a big fish in a small pond. 

1 hour ago, 17to85 said:

sometimes people just want to be a big fish in a small pond. 

Fantasies are almost always better than reality.

2 hours ago, 17to85 said:

sometimes people just want to be a big fish in a small pond. 

Yipee!  I'm the king of this mud puddle.