With Rookie Camps getting underway Wednesday, it's time to talk about the 2026 CFL season!

3 hours ago, 17to85 said:

What made Kyle Walters, a special teams coach a candidate for gm?

Walters was involved in scouting & personnel under Joe Mack. Then became Asst GM under him. I don't believe anyone but Wade Miller thought he was really qualified to be GM but he came cheap. I don't think anyone else who would have been a star candidate wanted to come here at the time. I remember the rumours that greg Stubler was coming here but turned down the head coaching job. No idea if he was also offered the GM position.

21 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Walters was involved in scouting & personnel under Joe Mack. Then became Asst GM under him. I don't believe anyone but Wade Miller thought he was really qualified to be GM but he came cheap. I don't think anyone else who would have been a star candidate wanted to come here at the time. I remember the rumours that greg Stubler was coming here but turned down the head coaching job. No idea if he was also offered the GM position.

but the fact is Walters built a team that went to 5 straight Grey Cups being a nobody before he got his chance.

Sometimes you just gotta give people a chance. I know we all disliked the fact that Jake Thomas the player hung around too long and got too many reps, but so far I have a hard time saying he's been useless as a DL coach. obviously none of us really knows but the defensive line is one area of the team that seems to be getting it's **** together so maybe he's OK as a coach.... honestly I think this is your generational gap where you have this idea that you start at the bottom and work your way up. Not how it really goes these days. These days you identify the good people and give them chances history be damned. Is Jake Thomas a future GM candidate? ****** if I know but if someone thinks he's got the chops for it by all means see what he can do.

6 hours ago, 17to85 said:

but the fact is Walters built a team that went to 5 straight Grey Cups being a nobody before he got his chance.

Sometimes you just gotta give people a chance. I know we all disliked the fact that Jake Thomas the player hung around too long and got too many reps, but so far I have a hard time saying he's been useless as a DL coach. obviously none of us really knows but the defensive line is one area of the team that seems to be getting it's **** together so maybe he's OK as a coach.... honestly I think this is your generational gap where you have this idea that you start at the bottom and work your way up. Not how it really goes these days. These days you identify the good people and give them chances history be damned. Is Jake Thomas a future GM candidate? ****** if I know but if someone thinks he's got the chops for it by all means see what he can do.

I don't know if it's a generational thing. I mean, the cream always rises to the top for talent. There really isn't a course in university you can take on scouting players in any sports league. It's a hands on kind of thing. You do have to know the game you scout & have a sense of what makes a great player as well as see the intangibles. Go from there.

Most scouts start at the bottom & work their way up still today. My point about Walters being hired was that at the time in 2014, the Bombers were the Ottawa RedBlacks of today. . We were the laughing stock of the entire CFL where coaches, players & especially qbs came to die. No one wanted to coach or manage here so Wade Miller really had no choice but to hire the two guys that really had no experience. Walters & Osh. Luckily, it worked out. It could have been another disaster.

If Thomas wants to be a future GM then he'll have to get involved in scouting for the Bombers & have to give up his coaching duties in order to do it as he'll be on the road probably in U Sports in the fall watching games & gathering info. Also helping Walters with the CFL Draft. If he does have the chops to be a GM someday then great for him. Hopefully, he'll get a chance.

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Edited August 17Aug 17 by SpeedFlex27

8 hours ago, 17to85 said:

but the fact is Walters built a team that went to 5 straight Grey Cups being a nobody before he got his chance.

Sometimes you just gotta give people a chance. I know we all disliked the fact that Jake Thomas the player hung around too long and got too many reps, but so far I have a hard time saying he's been useless as a DL coach. obviously none of us really knows but the defensive line is one area of the team that seems to be getting it's **** together so maybe he's OK as a coach.... honestly I think this is your generational gap where you have this idea that you start at the bottom and work your way up. Not how it really goes these days. These days you identify the good people and give them chances history be damned. Is Jake Thomas a future GM candidate? ****** if I know but if someone thinks he's got the chops for it by all means see what he can do.

Pretty sure there is nothing JT can offer WJ..Ceresna..and Lawson..nor would he be much use teaching a Reese ..Jenkins..Dixon..Fletcher anything in regards to technique or skill off the edge

Even a young interior guy..Thomas had little if any technique..no hand skills. How he gonna teach and show anything he didnt posses?

3 minutes ago, Booch said:

How he gonna teach and show anything he didnt posses?

Those that can, do, those who can't teach.

Those who can't teach teach gym.

3 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

Those that can, do, those who can't teach.

Those who can't teach teach gym.

ol school of rock reference eh?,,,hahaha

3 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

I don't know if it's a generational thing. I mean, the cream always rises to the top for talent. There really isn't a course in university you can take on scouting players in any sports league. It's a hands on kind of thing. You do have to know the game you scout & have a sense of what makes a great player as well as see the intangibles. Go from there.

Most scouts start at the bottom & work their way up still today. My point about Walters being hired was that at the time in 2014, the Bombers were the Ottawa RedBlacks of today. . We were the laughing stock of the entire CFL where coaches, players & especially qbs came to die. No one wanted to coach or manage here so Wade Miller really had no choice but to hire the two guys that really had no experience. Walters & Osh. Luckily, it worked out. It could have been another disaster.

If Thomas wants to be a future GM then he'll have to get involved in scouting for the Bombers & have to give up his coaching duties in order to do it as he'll be on the road probably in U Sports in the fall watching games & gathering info. Also helping Walters with the CFL Draft. If he does have the chops to be a GM someday then great for him. Hopefully, he'll get a chance.

.

If you were in charge Bud Grant would still be waiting for his shot.

I remember reading that when Walters was head coack at Guelph he did a lot of scouting and recruiting and other duties that were of the GM ilk. He didn’t become Wpg’s GM by just being a scout for them.

32 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Well, that takes a heavy load off the shoulder sof dinwiddie; he doesn't have to find a scapegoat this week. But they are first up this week and have Montreal on deck. So he'd better not relax too much and prepare his next fall guy.

36 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Oh that’ll fix it

4 minutes ago, blue85gold said:

Oh that’ll fix it

does Dinwiddie the GM fire Dinwiddie the coach? lol

I hear the popcorn sellers are expecting the worst in Ottawa come Friday.

Popcorn....definitely the hi-lite of any Ottawa game in 26'...What a mess in the cap..Dimwittie better get out his big broom....he's got plenty of sweeping to do, and have a good look in the mirror while he's doing it

8 hours ago, Booch said:

How he gonna teach and show anything he didnt posses?

This way of thinking has been proven wrong a million times in every sport.

4 minutes ago, sweep the leg said:

This way of thinking has been proven wrong a million times in every sport.

you can explain something...physically showing is different...and show me this million time evidence....I coach, and train...I know from firsthand experience and in watching others as well that if you cant do a technique....makes it pretty hard to show it as an example. Sure you can explain it...read some literature in a coaching manula...but most athletes need visual learning methods...and reps at it

52 minutes ago, Booch said:

you can explain something...physically showing is different...and show me this million time evidence....I coach, and train...I know from firsthand experience and in watching others as well that if you cant do a technique....makes it pretty hard to show it as an example. Sure you can explain it...read some literature in a coaching manula...but most athletes need visual learning methods...and reps at it

Yankees hitting coach never played a game in mlb, Oilers pp coach never played a game in the NHL, Chiefs qb coach never played a game of pro football, etc etc etc.

Mahomes would have been a great one if his main offensive coach wasn’t a 500 pound ogre who played football when the edges of the ball were still squared.

Blue Bombers 2027 Season Tickets page is up and clearest indicator yet that the field dimension changes are full speed ahead

https://www.bluebombers.com/2027-season-tickets/



My seats in 225 looks like they are moving from straddling the goal line to back of the end zone

Taking a closer look there are some BIG increases next year too.

140-141 going from $428 to $636

They've sectioned off the bottoms of P5 so that the one closet to the end zone are going from $465 to$ 636 and the one past that is $825.

P4 in the lower deck is going from $620 to $825 and in the upper deck the lower section is going from $805 to $1125 and above that it's been split soo the first part is $825 like the lower deck.

Also looks like ticket swap is moving to choosing between the last 2 games to just the last game.

5 hours ago, Booch said:

you can explain something...physically showing is different...and show me this million time evidence....I coach, and train...I know from firsthand experience and in watching others as well that if you cant do a technique....makes it pretty hard to show it as an example. Sure you can explain it...read some literature in a coaching manula...but most athletes need visual learning methods...and reps at it

JT is doing an excellent job. Not sure what you are on about now. Our DL is playing well.

5 hours ago, sweep the leg said:

This way of thinking has been proven wrong a million times in every sport.

Totally. JT can absolutely evaluate their tech and fine tune it without demonstrating it himself. That's just nonsense. By that logic 80% of the position coaches in the entirety of football should not be in their respective positions.

Bob Wylie ever jump on the line and demo tech? Nope. One of the best tech teachers the CFL has ever seen.⁷

Just another drive by at JT. Let it go Booch.

Edited August 18Aug 18 by GCn20

Whats the old line... Those who can, do; Those who understand, teach.

JT is just a few years late on which side of the semicolon he should be on 🤣

Also JT was a fine NI DT for years... He just got too many reps toward the end. But this narrative that he was shitty is false. He was a good player for a number of years. And I have zero doubts that he's a great teacher.

Edited August 18Aug 18 by Noeller

22 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Also JT was a fine NI DT for years... He just got too many tros toward the end. But this narrative that he was shitty is false. He was a good player for a number of years. And I have zero doubts that he's a great teacher.

You can see it in the way our DL gets off their blocks. Is he going to teach WJ, or JC tech? I doubt he has to teach these future HOFers any tech and they likely help him out when tech needs to be demonstrated to the younger guys. Like Wylie had guys like Stan doing. What JT is paid the bucks for is recognizing what guys are struggling with and he is amply qualified to do that.

Edited August 18Aug 18 by GCn20

20 hours ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

If you were in charge Bud Grant would still be waiting for his shot.

Sure. Whatever you say. Comparing the WIFU & IRFU to the CFL today is pretty ludicrous. Football was a pretty simple game back in 1957. It was all man to man with zone defenses not even invented yet & the run game was probably 70% of all the plays. Other than the Alouettes passing attack under Peahead Walker, Sam Etcheverry was the first pro qb to throw for over 4000 yards. Winnipeg played the Split T with two halfbacks, two fullbacks & either one tight end & flanker or one split end & one flanker. It was easier for a totally inexperienced former player to step in as head coach along with two assistants. But don't let that stop you. Grant would never be hired as a Head Coach today right out of the playing ranks as pro head coach. BTW, Grant's one of my favourite head coaches along with Ray Jauch in the CFL & Bill Walsh & Don Shula in the NFL.

Edited August 18Aug 18 by SpeedFlex27