Well, while we still got 4 days to go till we kick our game off, we save the best for last.  Meantime, Thursday night should be a good one to kickoff the 2019 season.

The subplots: The TiCats for obvious reasons are the favorites to win the east, and with the return of Steinhauer, the high hopes they got on Masoli and what looks to be a rock solid roster, there's many reasons the optimism is high.

For the Riders, the questions will be whether or not Craig Dickenson will prove to be their O'Shea, and whether or not they can protect Collaros.  A lot of changes have come to the roster with several former BC Lions including Arceneaux and Elimimian now there as well as former Colts WR Moncrief.

All that to say, while Steinhauer built his reputation on running an aggressive defense for Kent Austin, I seen some experts on the CFL site expressing concerns about June Jones no longer being there to be the guider for Masoli.  So will the TiCats offense get a high level of play under a defensive HC?

And the Riders will be a very different team than what we saw under Chris Jones, a guy who could win but had a toxic attitude at times and brought in cancers like Duron Carter.  Question is will this change be for the better or the worse for them?  Can't wait to see what this year of change is going to be.

1 hour ago, wanna-b-fanboy said:

Or any player that has had a concussion. That is weak-assed logic. 

 

Yes...because there is no difference between one concussion and a career full of them. That is weak ass logic my friend. Anyone with a thimble full of knowledge about concussions knows that with every concussion you suffer you become more susceptible to the next one.

Edited June 14, 20196 yr by gcn11

1 hour ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

True but I don't believe that hit would not have knocked Nichols or any other QB out of the game the way it did Collaros.  It was a glancing blow something we have seen hundreds of times before.

Exactly right.

1 hour ago, Geebrr said:

It is a slippery slope to blame players with recurring injury.

It was a dirty play, and that is really the issue at hand.

I know you are defending your guy, and I think you are a good fan in general. I'd say you're off on this.

There is no defence of that hit. It was as dirty as they come and deserves supplemental discipline. However, I think any other QB bounces right back up from that.

3 minutes ago, gcn11 said:

I disagreed vehemently with the Bombers bringing back Pierce for his final year. Both because I didn't want to see him getting killed by a head shot, and because I knew that he could not stay healthy anymore. My position has not changed. Yes, I firmly believe that when a guy can't blow his nose without getting a concussion that someone needs to step in and prevent him from himself.

However, I will point out two things:  Firstly, if a person has been cleared by medical staff, and fully understands the risks involved, then if he wishes to play and someone wants him to play, why should he not play?  And secondly, I'm sure there are ways to blow one's nose that can minimize the risk of concussion.  For example, don't bang your head  on the desk while doing it, or if you absolutely must bang your head on the desk while blowing your nose, wear approved head gear.  It's all about blowing smart!

2 minutes ago, gcn11 said:

Yes...because there is no difference between one concussion and a career full of them. That is weak ass logic my friend. Just a stupid comparison really.

so... a dirty hit is not as disgusting if its on a player with 2 concusions vs one with 6? I don't follow that logic.

2 minutes ago, wanna-b-fanboy said:

so... a dirty hit is not as disgusting if its on a player with 2 concusions vs one with 6? I don't follow that logic.

Do you have reading problems today? Where did I state that? I have stated repeatedly that the hit was dirty and should bring about supplemental discipline. All I said is that the result of that kind of play can be quite different based on concussion history of the player being hit.

Edited June 14, 20196 yr by gcn11

27 minutes ago, Wideleft said:

People with different  opinions aren't necessarily bad people.

Fixed.

5 minutes ago, WBBFanWest said:

However, I will point out two things:  Firstly, if a person has been cleared by medical staff, and fully understands the risks involved, then if he wishes to play and someone wants him to play, why should he not play?  And secondly, I'm sure there are ways to blow one's nose that can minimize the risk of concussion.  For example, don't bang your head  on the desk while doing it, or if you absolutely must bang your head on the desk while blowing your nose, wear approved head gear.  It's all about blowing smart!

LOL. I agree that it's a fine line, but if football is serious about player safety then at some point they may need to take the choice away from the player. Collaros was concussed 3 times last year and numerous times before that. At the very least a league mandated full evaluation of his pumpkin, or something like that, should be the standard.

9 minutes ago, gcn11 said:

LOL. I agree that it's a fine line, but if football is serious about player safety then at some point they may need to take the choice away from the player. Collaros was concussed 3 times last year and numerous times before that. At the very least a league mandated full evaluation of his pumpkin, or something like that, should be the standard.

I would hope that there is some sort of policy to end players' careers before they have too much long-term damage, and also to provide them with help and support in the future when these injuries inevitably end up causing issues in the future.  I would hate to one day see Zach Collaros living in front of a 7-11 in Kenora with Joe Murphy.

19 minutes ago, Zontar said:

Fixed.

“Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.” 
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

24 minutes ago, gcn11 said:

LOL. I agree that it's a fine line, but if football is serious about player safety then at some point they may need to take the choice away from the player. Collaros was concussed 3 times last year and numerous times before that. At the very least a league mandated full evaluation of his pumpkin, or something like that, should be the standard.

Boston University's study found that 99% of the NFL players had some degree of CTE and I'm pretty sure they all didn't get rocked like Collaros.  Knowing that, it's pretty hard to pick and choose the players you want to protect.  I'm not sure what the solution is.

By CHRIS CHAVEZ 

July 25, 2017

"A new study by Boston University researcher Dr. Ann McKee examined the brains of 202 deceased football players and found that 110 of the 111 brains of former NFL players had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)."

High school players in the study had mild cases while college and professionals had more severe cases. CTE was found in 177 of the 202 brains."

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/07/25/boston-university-study-cte-nfl-player-brains

2 hours ago, Zontar said:

Simply not true with a concussion history like Collaros. It's a decidedly  heightened risk. 

jason tucker would disagree, 

2 hours ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

True but I don't believe that hit would not have knocked Nichols or any other QB out of the game the way it did Collaros.  It was a glancing blow something we have seen hundreds of times before.

I thought the glancing blow threw ZC head back into the helmet of the guy who was tackling him from behind.

All I will say about the riders is this.

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

1 hour ago, gcn11 said:

LOL. I agree that it's a fine line, but if football is serious about player safety then at some point they may need to take the choice away from the player. Collaros was concussed 3 times last year and numerous times before that. At the very least a league mandated full evaluation of his pumpkin, or something like that, should be the standard.

This is perhaps the gray area that atm there is no clear answer to.  Back to the point you made about Pierce, I wanted us to move on from him as well by his last year, and the person who should have done so was Joe Mack.  I put the fault on him for continuing on when he should have known better.

According to some on RiderFans, it's a league wide conspiracy.

 

Riders need to start hitting opposition QBs late and often.

In exchange for a 15 yard penalty Hamilton won tonight. 

The CFL has demonstrated they have no desire to protect Rider QBs, so the franchise must take matters into their own hands. Old school hockey goon mentality. You hit ours dirty, we'll hit yours dirty. 

What will it cost us? 15 yards? Players will pass a hat around the locker room to pay the player fine. Why not? 

CFL will not properly address the issue until it becomes a problem for other teams, so let's make it a problem for other teams. 

I'm angry and disgusted at how easy it is in this league to alter a teams season with one dirty hit without any repercussions. 

Craig Dickenson must direct his defensive players to hit opposition QBs late, dirty and often to protect his own players.

1 hour ago, Wideleft said:

Boston University's study found that 99% of the NFL players had some degree of CTE and I'm pretty sure they all didn't get rocked like Collaros.  Knowing that, it's pretty hard to pick and choose the players you want to protect.  I'm not sure what the solution is.

By CHRIS CHAVEZ 

July 25, 2017

"A new study by Boston University researcher Dr. Ann McKee examined the brains of 202 deceased football players and found that 110 of the 111 brains of former NFL players had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)."

High school players in the study had mild cases while college and professionals had more severe cases. CTE was found in 177 of the 202 brains."

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/07/25/boston-university-study-cte-nfl-player-brains

This is why I think the sport of football is doomed.  

1 hour ago, gcn11 said:

There is no defence of that hit. It was as dirty as they come and deserves supplemental discipline. However, I think any other QB bounces right back up from that.

To me it is sort of like saying "he shouldn't have been in that area at that time".

 

Maybe it was a bad idea, but the person who shot him is still a murderer. I'm not gonna blame the guy who got shot for being there when that isn't illegal. 

Edited June 14, 20196 yr by Geebrr

2 minutes ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

According to some on RiderFans, it's a league wide conspiracy.

 

Riders need to start hitting opposition QBs late and often.

In exchange for a 15 yard penalty Hamilton won tonight. 

The CFL has demonstrated they have no desire to protect Rider QBs, so the franchise must take matters into their own hands. Old school hockey goon mentality. You hit ours dirty, we'll hit yours dirty. 

What will it cost us? 15 yards? Players will pass a hat around the locker room to pay the player fine. Why not? 

CFL will not properly address the issue until it becomes a problem for other teams, so let's make it a problem for other teams. 

I'm angry and disgusted at how easy it is in this league to alter a teams season with one dirty hit without any repercussions. 

Craig Dickenson must direct his defensive players to hit opposition QBs late, dirty and often to protect his own players.

It's like they've never heard of Matt Dunigan, Buck Pierce, Ricky Ray etc.

6 minutes ago, kelownabomberfan said:

This is why I think the sport of football is doomed.  

Yup.

1 minute ago, Wideleft said:

8 minutes ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

According to some on RiderFans, it's a league wide conspiracy.

 

Riders need to start hitting opposition QBs late and often.

In exchange for a 15 yard penalty Hamilton won tonight. 

The CFL has demonstrated they have no desire to protect Rider QBs, so the franchise must take matters into their own hands. Old school hockey goon mentality. You hit ours dirty, we'll hit yours dirty. 

What will it cost us? 15 yards? Players will pass a hat around the locker room to pay the player fine. Why not? 

CFL will not properly address the issue until it becomes a problem for other teams, so let's make it a problem for other teams. 

I'm angry and disgusted at how easy it is in this league to alter a teams season with one dirty hit without any repercussions. 

Craig Dickenson must direct his defensive players to hit opposition QBs late, dirty and often to protect his own players.

It's like they've never heard of Matt Dunigan, Buck Pierce, Ricky Ray etc.

It's just Rider fans being Rider fans. It's just they way she goes boys. 

7 minutes ago, kelownabomberfan said:

This is why I think the sport of football is doomed.  

You'll always have guys lined up willing to spin the brain injury wheel in exchange for millions of dollars. Football isn't going anywhere.

1. It was a totally dirty hit and the CFL should have harsher punishments.

2. Its not a conspiracy against the Riders (remember Buck Pierce, Melonheads?)

3. Didn't they tweet something negative about QBs last season after Matty got hurt?

2 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

1. It was a totally dirty hit and the CFL should have harsher punishments.

2. Its not a conspiracy against the Riders (remember Buck Pierce, Melonheads?)

3. Didn't they tweet something negative about QBs last season after Matty got hurt?

3 - Yep. They can suck it. They deserve every bit of misery this year. They built their Bridge, they can cross it in their stupid boats.

 

1 hour ago, gcn11 said:

There is no defence of that hit. It was as dirty as they come and deserves supplemental discipline. However, I think any other QB bounces right back up from that.

The problem is you don't know that.  Sure, I'd like to think players like Mike Reilly or Chris Streveler would have, but if they don't, then what?  What we see up here from the TV angle and how it actually happened down there can be two different things.