First practice of the regular season is today. Out with the old and in with the new. Time to get it started.

 

1 hour ago, Atomic said:

Oak Park scored 346 points in 7 games in the 2024 regular season and had zero points scored against them 😭 

And I just checked, lost on the finals to the other league super team! Dakota!  

6 minutes ago, Arnold_Palmer said:

And I just checked, lost on the finals to the other league super team! Dakota!  

If you're a good football player or a good athlete with potential and you live in LRSD, it seems you end up at Dakota. Whether they blatantly recruit, don't know.

22 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

If you're a good football player or a good athlete with potential and you live in LRSD, it seems you end up at Dakota. Whether they blatantly recruit, don't know.

Absolutely they do.  Everyone in the city with stable coaches does.  Rule is kids are locked in where they go to school for Grade 10 unless they move residence to a different catchment.  Otherwise if they change schools, have to sit out a year/go through an appeal process that rarely rules in favour of the athlete before they can play any sport at the new school.

Those top 3 Winnipeg schools in LRSD and PTSD (Dakota, OP, Vincent Massey) have more kids outside of catchment than inside on their football team.  By a lot.

Kids at schools without football can't transfer out after the start of their Grade 10 year either to play football at a new school.

Wade Miller is really pushing more of a co-op model to allow more schools to participate...which in MHSAA is only allowed for very small schools...and dilute the pool of players for Dakota, OP, Vincent Massey. 

WHSFL makes it's own rules through Winnipeg School Division so it is possible to do something different than MHSAA would say for other sports.  Manitoba is very weird in how our high school sports are structured and really discourage any hope of participating in a sport that doesn't exist at your school.....especially when basically all our team sports run the top programs through high schools, and outside of the city high schools are really the only way you can do anything but hockey.

All the rules slow down recruiting, but also encourage kids to go to the super schools for their sport rather than stay and build competitive programs in their area of the city.  Most other provinces have spring club leagues that take on that role and let kids play at closest available school to their home.

Edited June 6, 2025Jun 6 by JuranBoldenRules

1 hour ago, Fatty Liver said:

That's not good, what's the point?

Domination.

1 hour ago, Atomic said:

Oak Park scored 346 points in 7 games in the 2024 regular season and had zero points scored against them 😭 

So many forfeits in AAAA league last year.  The tiering model is so broken.  Forced every AAAA school up into top league because everyone was trying to avoid being in same league with OP, St Paul's, Dakota.  Nobody wants to lose by 70.

It was a lot better when the big schools didn't have JV teams but a top division team and a lower division team instead.  In that era when I played and then coached, never heard of a forfeit.  Now it's like 6 a season because teams literally get destroyed playing these monster South Winnipeg programs.

A little off -topic but...Has anyone driven on Abinoji east and then tried to get onto Pembina going south towards the stadium?? If not, you're in for an adventure in frustration at all the construction awaiting you on Pembina. The Pembina bridge roadway is torn up, pylons everywhere, and several lanes are closed.

Thinking maybe the south Perimeter to avoid this?? construction east of the red river bridge and lane closures both directions.

4 minutes ago, ddanger said:

A little off -topic but...Has anyone driven on Abinoji east and then tried to get onto Pembina going south towards the stadium?? If not, you're in for an adventure in frustration at all the construction awaiting you on Pembina. The Pembina bridge roadway is torn up, pylons everywhere, and several lanes are closed.

Thinking maybe the south Perimeter to avoid this?? construction east of the red river bridge and lane closures both directions.

south perimeter is how I go there from Island Lakes...mo real issues that way other than the normal summer traffic

Has anyone attended a game at BMO field? Going to take the family when the Bombers visit July 26. Are there sections where visiting fans usually sit? What limitations on bringing in cowbells or others in to the stadium? @blutoany advice?

Delete

Edited June 8, 2025Jun 8 by JuranBoldenRules

14 hours ago, GCJenks said:

Has anyone attended a game at BMO field? Going to take the family when the Bombers visit July 26. Are there sections where visiting fans usually sit? What limitations on bringing in cowbells or others in to the stadium? @blutoany advice?

Is this a trick question, at least 5 people besides bluto have.  I don't have a serious answer, the only places I haven't been to a game are Montreal Toronto and Sask.

 

 

PFF ranks the Bombers Linebacker Corps 2nd overall

https://www.pff.com/news/cfl-ranking-every-cfl-team-linebacker-group

On 2025-06-08 at 1:16 PM, brett_c_b said:

Is this a trick question, at least 5 people besides bluto have.  I don't have a serious answer, the only places I haven't been to a game are Montreal Toronto and Sask.

 

 

I've only gone to games in Calgary and BC. I keep missing the Alouettes when I go through Montreal. 

Why was this so watchable?

 

 

Sergio is best. 

if only my younger self knew that if I learned to placekick really well, that someone someday would make a video where they fed me delicious potatoes and gnocci.

...I think I would be in the conversation for best ever pro football kicker.

he's right about potato salad too.

Edited June 10, 2025Jun 10 by johnzo

I love potato salad

1 hour ago, johnzo said:

he's right about potato salad too.

Potato salad and hotdogs are a great summer combo - but his 'wife mimic' was first rate.

11 minutes ago, Atomic said:

I love potato salad

Mine of the smoker ,is first rate . I dare say. 

2 days out from game 1, this is how the roster is looking.

3 QBs, 23 Americans, 22 Canadians, and 2 Globals for a total of 50 players. 3 Americans will have to sit, plus 2 Canadians or 1 Canadian and 1 Global.

9 hours ago, Piggy 1 said:

Mine of the smoker ,is first rate . I dare say. 

My wife makes great potato salad. I'd invite all of you over for supper but then there'd be less for me.

9 hours ago, Piggy 1 said:

Mine of the smoker ,is first rate . I dare say. 

Sounds good.
Adding fresh tarragon is a game changer too. 

I also like potato salad.

9 hours ago, Atomic said:

2 days out from game 1, this is how the roster is looking.

3 QBs, 23 Americans, 22 Canadians, and 2 Globals for a total of 50 players. 3 Americans will have to sit, plus 2 Canadians or 1 Canadian and 1 Global.

 

The big outlier is Wilson. At least Thomas will be relegated to a sub role this year. 

I think the likely sub-outs will be Vaval/Mitchell (likely Vaval), Woods/Adams (Woods), and Ayers/Jjones (Ayers). If we aren't starting Wallace, I think he is a strong candidate to come off the bench, as well as Kornelson in general. Novak should be a strong candidate to sub out as well, but I don't think he will be. 

 Otherwise, I think Bailey for Weitz has a good chance of happening, or Weitz for Wallace. 

I don't think it'll be optimal, but I think it'll be a solid lineup, especially for us breaking camp. I'm not sure using a DI on Mitchell to return over Cobb is great usage. Or just starting Mitchell over Sterns. I'd much rather have Bailey and Person on the AR, and I'd bump Birdges, too. But starting slow with changes isn't terrible. 

I think we need to see a good bit from a few guys early in this season to keep younger guys off the roster. Vaughters, Woods, Wilson, Jones, Bridges, and Parker, namely. I like some of those guys, but they have a good push coming from behind on the depth chart. 

I could see Ayers sitting too.

Wilson needs to sit but will not.

2 hours ago, Pete Catan's Ghost said:

Sounds good.
Adding fresh tarragon is a game changer too. 

agree...I grow 2 types