Tidbits courtesy of bluebombers.com and our man Ed Tait:

https://www.bluebombers.com/2023/09/02/game-preview-labour-day-classic-2/

*Note: a win this weekend would clinch a playoff spot for the Blue Bombers for a seventh straight season, their longest run since a 17-year streak ended in 1997.

- Zach Collaros is 6-0 in his career in Labour Day Classic games – 3-0 during his days in Hamilton, 1-0 in his one season in Saskatchewan and 2-0 in Winnipeg. In those games has a 13:3 TD-to-interception ratio while passing for 300 yards three times and over 400 yards in 2015 while with the Ticats.

- The Blue Bombers are 24-3 against West Division clubs since 2021.

- A victory in Regina this weekend would give the Blue Bombers a winning record on the road for the third consecutive season, matching a mark last set from 1960-62.

These are the good times, folks. I hope you are all savoring them.

 

 

 

16 minutes ago, greenrider55 said:

I think he should be suspended. 

Serious question, any idea how many times the riders have been fined or suspended this year? Cd should get a hefty fine and talking to from the league too imo. I saw soo much after the play cheap bs it’s not even funny. 

Calling that a knee is a stretch. The head butt is bad enough.

This isn't Madden easy mode - we aren't gonna go undefeated or anything like that. Loss stings, sure, but I remember a time when we would always chalk up the LDC as an auto-loss on the schedule.

9-3 with two OT losses isn't a bad spot to be in.

The head butt should be enough for like a 4-5-6 game suspension.  If a guy did that in the course of a play would be suspendable.  The fact it was so far outside of the play needs to be addressed.

1 hour ago, Piggy 1 said:

Well ,if there are no changes made to D side for BB ,I'm hunting Osh down myself. I dont think we have major issues on O. Except ,please put Eli in as center. Man ,i love watching him bull doze.

I hate crap like this. Our O **** the bed all night long while our D held short fields to FGs all night long.

But the last series of the night goes poorly when their gassed and it’s all on them?

5 minutes ago, Wanna-B-Fanboy said:

From the head butt? 

 

You have to be more forth coming here... lol

 

 

Ok here it is...

 

I gotta say, if some one took that shot on collaros in 19/21, an ol is tearing his head off and getting ejected too. Not looking for the flag. 
 Eli and dobson have some edge to em, but over all our ol has lost its nasty factor. Sorely miss desjarlais being here. 

1 minute ago, Eternal optimist said:

This isn't Madden easy mode - we aren't gonna go undefeated or anything like that. Loss stings, sure, but I remember a time when we would always chalk up the LDC as an auto-loss on the schedule.

9-3 with two OT losses isn't a bad spot to be in.

I get you. But that’s how to go from 14 wins to 11 to 7 to 3. They’ve raised the bar and are failing to meet it. If expectations are lowered you get many more disappointing loses like this like ott like bc like the grey cup. This team has gotten far too comfortable getting punched in the mouth and not answering the bell. 
 At this point, id fire a co ordinator, bench a couple guys and cut a couple more. It’s not a country club and we should expect to win. 

26 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

So Zach is correct, CFL clearly does not give a darn about player safety. Imagine a guy head butting Mahomes or Rodgers after the play. Dude would be ejected and Goodell would have suspended him before he got back to the locker room.

Blame the CBA. Suspensions can be appealed. I think the most a player can receive is 3 games. The financial penalty is half a game patcheque. I just about hit the roof when Suitor said that Morrow is being a good teammate to Roberts with his long return. What a bunch of garbage. I know what Suitor was trying to say but it came out douchey.  

Edited September 4, 20232 yr by SpeedFlex27

3 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

I gotta say, if some one took that shot on collaros in 19/21, an ol is tearing his head off and getting ejected too. Not looking for the flag. 
 Eli and dobson have some edge to em, but over all our ol has lost its nasty factor. Sorely miss desjarlais being here. 

I doubt it.  They are trained from the top not to react after the whistle.

Just now, SpeedFlex27 said:

Blame the CBA. Suspensions can be appealed. I think the most a player can receive is 3 games. The financial penalty is half a game patcheque. In jsut about hit the roof when Suitor said that Morrow is being an good teammate to Roberts with his long return. What a bunch of garbage. I know what Suitor was trying to say but it came out douchey.  

There are guys banned from league.  League won't register contract.  Marino, Nate Holley.  There's no maximum.

2 minutes ago, Jesse said:

I hate crap like this. Our O **** the bed all night long while our D held short fields to FGs all night long.

But the last series of the night goes poorly when their gassed and it’s all on them?

Sucks that in end the defense gets some blame...but it's not their fault...they didn't set the roster

If we played just a half assed game on offence we win easily...or even a half decent kick cover game...a good 9 points were basically given to them...not like Sask offence did much

And then declined no yards...and not challenging anything...again....didnt help

Ol Pete sure looked proud of himself with that head butt cause in all probability he knows he wont get suspended.

1 minute ago, Booch said:

Sucks that in end the defense gets some blame...but it's not their fault...they didn't set the roster

If we played just a half assed game on offence we win easily...or even a half decent kick cover game...a good 9 points were basically given to them...not like Sask offence did much

And then declined no yards...and not challenging anything...again....didnt help

Offense puts up some points but not often staying on field.  Relying on big plays so much.  Doesn't jive with the way roster built.  Lets see more drives and some big plays too.

Just now, JuranBoldenRules said:

I doubt it.  They are trained from the top not to react after the whistle.

There are guys banned from league.  League won't register contract.  Marino, Nate Holley.  There's no maximum.

That was a headbutt. A stupid, selfish & undisciplined play by Roberts certainly suspension worthy & he should have been ejected. Not a broken leg or domestic violence. They won't ban Roberts for that head butt. However, the other stuff is BS & way too lenient. 

1 minute ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

That was a headbutt. A stupid, selfish & undisciplined play by Roberts certainly suspension worthy & he should have been ejected. Not a broken leg or domestic violence. They won't ban Roberts for that head butt. However, the other stuff is BS & way too lenient. 

FFS.  Could have ended Collaros career and not even part of a play.  Brain is way more important than leg.

1 minute ago, bustamente said:

Ol Pete sure looked proud of himself with that head butt cause in all probability he knows he wont get suspended.

I thought that would have fired up the team to win but once again questionable decisions & bad plays cost us the game. 

Just now, JuranBoldenRules said:

FFS.  Could have ended Collaros career and not even part of a play.  Brain is way more important than leg.

Okay, don't get so damned dramatic. Collaros missed one play before the offense went out & was back in next series. I'm not downplaying it but if you think the CFL will suspend a player for life over that??? Come on. It should be an automatic ejection followed by a fine & a 3 game suspension. It won't be, however. 

8 minutes ago, Booch said:

Sucks that in end the defense gets some blame...but it's not their fault...they didn't set the roster

If we played just a half assed game on offence we win easily...or even a half decent kick cover game...a good 9 points were basically given to them...not like Sask offence did much

And then declined no yards...and not challenging anything...again....didnt help

Seriously especially with 3ish minutes left just run the ******* ball.

O'Shea just nailed his flawed mentality in his post game interview....when asked question about why slow starts...replied didn't know...but the kicker was this "only start to worry about something if you lose"

That right there explains so many things and poor decisions...and it will get to points where it really snowballs or really bites you.

His mindset it seems that wins gloss over deficiency...not a good thing

Think biggest issue with D is gameplanning for opponent and not getting pressure with 4 consistently.

We didn't contain/spy Crum or Ford well.  But we play passive rush vs Dolegala who can't run, we take wide routes not a lot of inside moves off the edge.

We play tons of man vs a QB like Dolegala with a gun but no accuracy giving tons of space to get the ball out to guys.  Played a bit of zone in 3rd Q and shut him down.  Zone = turnovers vs a guy like Dolegala.

We blitz a bunch to get pressure cause we don't get it with 4.  Drop out late in games to hold lead, can't get pressure with 4.

 

1 minute ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Think biggest issue with D is gameplanning for opponent and not getting pressure with 4 consistently.

We didn't contain/spy Crum or Ford well.  But we play passive rush vs Dolegala who can't run, we take wide routes not a lot of inside moves off the edge.

We play tons of man vs a QB like Dolegala with a gun but no accuracy giving tons of space to get the ball out to guys.  Played a bit of zone in 3rd Q and shut him down.  Zone = turnovers vs a guy like Dolegala.

We blitz a bunch to get pressure cause we don't get it with 4.  Drop out late in games to hold lead, can't get pressure with 4.

Everytime we brought pressure..he basically missed his throws too....why we didn't continue...baffling...mind u when u have limited horses up front u need to take plays off

1 hour ago, GCn20 said:

I thought we did? If I'm wrong then I concede that Osh should have challenged

We challenged nothing 

 

Down the stretch, the DL just wore out - starters without rotation players or backups.  We saw the same nonsense in the Ottawa game.  Some of these roster decisions are puzzling........ 
Other than Castillo, the special teams are just a hot mess...... no kick return or coverage game........simply bleeding field position on virtually every exchange.  That adds up over the course of a game.
On offense, things look somewhat out of whack....... we have almost abandoned the intermediate passing game...... now its Oliveria running or just slinging it long downfield.  Play calling is also at times, somewhat erratic. 
ZC?  Well, he had 5 completions in the first 3 quarters.  Really?

Put this stuff together.....and you get a winnable game blown.     Yeah we are 9-3, but the expectation, these days, is a lot higher.....than in the good ole days.    Which is fine with me.

Just now, WinnipegGordo said:

 

This was a super fun interaction to explain to my daughter watching her first-ever CFL game.

On the No Yards decline, the decision was to take the ball at the 25 and no point or give the point and take it at the 40. 15 yards difference.

At what point does an action like the headbutt so far after the play become a criminal assault? Honest question, I'm not sure how these things work.

It was not part of a football play, was very violent and totally unexpected, and could have seriously injured him.