I see a lot of people unhappy with the Walters hire, people wanting more experience in their GM.

 

Personally, I'm okay with this hire.  I'm not ecstatic about it, but I don't hate it.  I don't really buy in to this being the easy hire either.  Miller has had 4 months to see how Walters does his job, strategize with him about the expansion draft, and see how he works, understand his philosophy.  Miller isn't going to hire anyone he doesn't believe is going to work.  People just don't do their job to fail.   Being his first hire, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here.

 

I would have been okay with Higgins as well, but it would be the same thing, not ecstatic about it, but a wait and see attitude.

 

About the only hire that would have made me ecstatic is Buono, Popp, or Hufnagel, which really wasn't going to happen.

 

So, a simple yes or no question, how do you feel about the Walters hire?

I'm happy. Not ecstatic, but Higgins (or pretty much any other non-surprise candidate) would not have made me ecstatic either.

I'm not unhappy...

 

Wait and see I guess

Not unhappy, not thrilled.

yes or no is too extreme either way. I'll say that I'm not unhappy with the potential to move into happy if he does the job well.

I have no issues with it, I prefer Walters to Higgins thats for sure.

No doubt the guy has the north side of the border under control and I like that he has run a CIS program, but he has one year in personnel.  It is pretty sad that he's been tossed the keys of a CFL team with that little experience.  I hope it isn't the cheap way out, but knowing how the Football Club operates, it likely is.  I would have preferred someone like John Murphy with Walters being a key assistant.  We really need a strong assistant GM or director of personnel now with plenty of experience negotiating contracts, which is something we don't have, and Danny McManus is just as inexperienced.  To me it is sort of like tossing a rookie QB out onto the field, it's either going to be a massive success or a massive failure.

Nope.  I wanted someone with experience, and no 6 months as assistant GM + 3 months as Interim GM isn't enough.  

 

Good luck to Walters though.  He is going to need it with a full rebuild coming and no one to mentor him.

I see a lot of people unhappy with the Walters hire, people wanting more experience in their GM.

 

Personally, I'm okay with this hire.  I'm not ecstatic about it, but I don't hate it.  I don't really buy in to this being the easy hire either.  Miller has had 4 months to see how Walters does his job, strategize with him about the expansion draft, and see how he works, understand his philosophy.  Miller isn't going to hire anyone he doesn't believe is going to work.  People just don't do their job to fail.   Being his first hire, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here.

 

I would have been okay with Higgins as well, but it would be the same thing, not ecstatic about it, but a wait and see attitude.

 

About the only hire that would have made me ecstatic is Buono, Popp, or Hufnagel, which really wasn't going to happen.

 

So, a simple yes or no question, how do you feel about the Walters hire?

Short answer, Yes. On a scale of 1 to 10, one being not thrilled to ten being estatic, about a six for me. Overall as a GM. he's an unknown commodity so pretty much a wait and see feeling about him.

No doubt the guy has the north side of the border under control and I like that he has run a CIS program, but he has one year in personnel.  It is pretty sad that he's been tossed the keys of a CFL team with that little experience.  I hope it isn't the cheap way out, but knowing how the Football Club operates, it likely is.  I would have preferred someone like John Murphy with Walters being a key assistant.  We really need a strong assistant GM or director of personnel now with plenty of experience negotiating contracts, which is something we don't have, and Danny McManus is just as inexperienced.  To me it is sort of like tossing a rookie QB out onto the field, it's either going to be a massive success or a massive failure.

 

Never thought about this that way, but yea you're right, that best sums it up.

Is anyone really surprised? Some share the concern as was with past recent hires as to the process. Walters is a good man I just hope his hands don't get tied too often by an interfering boss that thinks he knows more about running a football team than perhaps he really does.

Best of luck Kyle.

I may be the only one who's happy with the appointment.  I never was interested in Higgins and quite frankly there weren't many other candidates out there that I believe have more to offer than Walters does.  

 

Yes it's a hunch but I feel good about the choice and I think he's the guy that will over time get us back to respectability.   He appears to be level headed and not one to make knee jerk reactions.  But the big question is.  Will the fans give this new group the patience to get the job done?  I know this rebuild has been in the works for a few years but the landscape has changed and it may take another 2 years to complete.  

 

I'm confident in the management team that he'll put in place team but I'm willing to be patient.  

 

First move...hire O'Shea as the head coach.  

Nope.  I wanted someone with experience, and no 6 months as assistant GM + 3 months as Interim GM isn't enough.  

 

Good luck to Walters though.  He is going to need it with a full rebuild coming and no one to mentor him.

 

I am happy for Walters as he is seemingly a good man, and he has a grassroots Brendan Taman vibe about him (with the added bonus of actually playing the game).

 

But this is a really critical time for the club and the team is a complete and utter cluster-truck. I just wouldve preferred someone with more experience to handle this grenade. 

Nothing against Walters, but I really was hoping that a legitimate search would have been conducted, and having a rookie C.E.O, with a rookie GM and an inevitable rookie Head Coach is not sitting well with me. However Walters does seem as though he has a plan and will be all in with the Bombers, so honestly I'm interested to see what this team will be in a couple years.

 

On another plus side, I actually like the idea of having a Canadian GM and HC tandem (if O'Shea is hired obviously).

Experienced people can see the cluster-truck and would want full autonomy before they would be the least bit interesting in our GM job.  Knowing you have to keep Walters on and that he has the ear of the CEO, isn't going to attract the best candidates.  I heard during Grey Cup week that a couple of experienced folks even turned the Bombers requests for interviews down.  

Tricky poll...  I voted 'no' but only because I think we jumped the gun with Walters - think he needed a couple more years as asst GM but, that being said, I am not 'unhappy' with this move.

Sadly people declined interviews for the GM and HC jobs. You can draw whatever conclusions you like to that.

 

Interesting tweet from Ed Tait. 

 

 

Ed Tait ‏@WFPEdTait 20m

#Bombers Walters: looking for a leader, strong personality, somebody players want to play for, driven to succeed and same page with mgt. #bn

 

This gets me excited. 

But the big question is.  Will the fans give this new group the patience to get the job done?  

 

No they will not. Might get one years grace period but it won't be any more than that.

I like the names being mentioned but the prospect of another few years of rookie GM, rookie HC and rookie OC is a little concerning.

U forgot rookie CEO, should have a shoe in for next years rookie of the year award.

 

 

Interesting tweet from Ed Tait. 

 

 

Ed Tait ‏@WFPEdTait 20m

#Bombers Walters: looking for a leader, strong personality, somebody players want to play for, driven to succeed and same page with mgt. #bn

 

This gets me excited. 

 

 

 

 

Interesting tweet from Ed Tait. 

 

 

Ed Tait ‏@WFPEdTait 20m

#Bombers Walters: looking for a leader, strong personality, somebody players want to play for, driven to succeed and same page with mgt. #bn

 

This gets me excited. 

 

 

i sense a Guelph connection coming.

Bluto ... who would you guess comes with OShea?

 

and what do you think of him as a HC

Not excited about the move but Walters deserves a chance & I intend to give it to him. Like 17 says, I don't believe this new team running the Bombers will get much of a honeymoon from the fans next season as winning is so imperative. Can't afford to get off to something like a 1-6 start, for example. Fans will be watching closely as far as to who Walters signs as the new HC & then  how aggressively we pursue someone like Zack Collaros & other CFL free agents as well. This off season will be so defining as a football organization to win the confidence of the fanbase back.

Just had a chance to watch the full media conference with Walters & Miller. I liked what Kyle had to say. If he follows thru on everything he says he's going to do then maybe we've finally found the guy to lead this organization for a long time successfully. I like the fact that he feels free agency is but one tool to build player depth instead of just ignoring it. I like that he says the Bombers will be aggressive come February 15th in free agency. He makes mention that the scouting dept will be upgraded but didn't give Ken Moll a ringing endorsement about his future other than "he's under contract" for the time being. I didn't get the sense that Walters  feels Tim Burke should be kept on as a potential DC  for the new HC like Miller suggested. He actually seemed annoyed with Tim Burke's comments earlier this month before he was fired about the club's scouting department when Burke knew there was a good chance he wouldn't be here next year. Walters acknowledged things needed to change with the way the Bombers operate in the US but probably wasn't happy Tim said it publicly. He answered all the questions well. Let's hope that he is the man to do this.