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?

Kyle has done enough to keep me from being upset with the move, but I'm certainly of the group that wanted a little more experience to help with the rebuild. I like the guy, and like what he has to say so far. Surround him with the right pieces, and I think this can work for us. I'm also in favour of O'Shea and Khari together, if that winds up happening. Could be something special happening here...

I like what Walters had to say too.  I hope he can follow through with it.  I don't expect the fans to give him much leeway, just because he is new to the GM chair.  The fans expect a winning team and that's Walters job to create.  Getting to a .500 season next year would be a huge win for the all rookie management team IMHO.

At this point, I'd be happy to not be a laughing-stock of an organization and make playoffs. Low bar, for now...

According to our own media members, the Bombers are still the laughing stock to outsiders.

At this point, I'd be happy to not be a laughing-stock of an organization and make playoffs. Low bar, for now...

I just want to see a team that competes every week and has a chance to win games. After a year and a half with Burke I forget what it feels like. 

According to our own media members, the Bombers are still the laughing stock to outsiders.

 

And according to many of our own forum members, the Winnipeg print media is the laughing stock of the media.

As long as the Bombers spend a pile of cash in 2014 he will be fine.

 

So I think he is in trouble already....

 

According to our own media members, the Bombers are still the laughing stock to outsiders.

 

And according to many of our own forum members, the Winnipeg print media is the laughing stock of the media.

 

 

Nope. WPG media is somewhat negative, but they are among the sharpest. Penton just won CDN football reporter of the year!

 

Our organization is (or has been) a poorly run joke, and our media have the balls to call it as such. 

 

If you want warm and fuzzy, move to SK and read Rod Pederast and the Great Fan-stone. 

According to our own media members, the Bombers are still the laughing stock to outsiders.

And according to many of our own forum members, the Winnipeg print media is the laughing stock of the media.

Nope. WPG media is somewhat negative, but they are among the sharpest. Penton just won CDN football reporter of the year!

Our organization is (or has been) a poorly run joke, and our media have the balls to call it as such.

If you want warm and fuzzy, move to SK and read Rod Pederast and the Great Fan-stone.

Among the sharpest? Yeah. No.

Lawless can't keep his thoughts straight from one article to the next, Friesen somehow manages to write 30 articles a year about football without actually ever discussing football, Wiecek would rather be covering curling, Bender doesn't even know the rules of the game and Toth spends 75% of his time covering the team chatting it up with his colleagues (I still remember Toth's tweet earlier this year when he said Buck looked really sharp in practice and Pierce had only thrown one pass that day)

Tait knows his football. Irving knows his football. Penton is a good writer and is getting more up to speed with the game. That trio are the only ones I would consider sharp.

 

 

 

According to our own media members, the Bombers are still the laughing stock to outsiders.

And according to many of our own forum members, the Winnipeg print media is the laughing stock of the media.

Nope. WPG media is somewhat negative, but they are among the sharpest. Penton just won CDN football reporter of the year!

Our organization is (or has been) a poorly run joke, and our media have the balls to call it as such.

If you want warm and fuzzy, move to SK and read Rod Pederast and the Great Fan-stone.

Among the sharpest? Yeah. No.

Lawless can't keep his thoughts straight from one article to the next, Friesen somehow manages to write 30 articles a year about football without actually ever discussing football, Wiecek would rather be covering curling, Bender doesn't even know the rules of the game and Toth spends 75% of his time covering the team chatting it up with his colleagues (I still remember Toth's tweet earlier this year when he said Buck looked really sharp in practice and Pierce had only thrown one pass that day)

Tait knows his football. Irving knows his football. Penton is a good writer and is getting more up to speed with the game. That trio are the only ones I would consider sharp.

 

 

So our media covering the CFL are awful ... except for the three we have that are better than what's in any other CFL city?

 

Agreed about Lawless, he's lazy and relies on his board leak for all his stuff.

Friesen does what the paper tells him to do to sell that paper.

Wiecek is also lazy. The King of The Em Dash.

I don't have an opinion of Toth or Bender. 

 

Still, those top 3 are as good as the CFL gets. 

 

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.

 

As it should be.  In a nine-team league where six teams make the playoffs, it should only take one year to contend for a playoff spot, which is usually 8 - 9 wins, and 2 years to contend for the Grey Cup.

 

We're not talking about a 30-team league where half or two-thirds of the teams don't make the playoffs

I want to believe.

 

             - Fox Mulder

How many good CFL beat writers are there? If you have one or two in each CFL city I think you're doing good.

 

 

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.

 

As it should be.  In a nine-team league where six teams make the playoffs, it should only take one year to contend for a playoff spot, which is usually 8 - 9 wins, and 2 years to contend for the Grey Cup.

 

We're not talking about a 30-team league where half or two-thirds of the teams don't make the playoffs

 

That's ridiculous, you have to take a more in depth look into things than simply wins and losses, especially when the Bombers are moving into a 5 team conference with stiff competition. 

 

 

 

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.

 

As it should be.  In a nine-team league where six teams make the playoffs, it should only take one year to contend for a playoff spot, which is usually 8 - 9 wins, and 2 years to contend for the Grey Cup.

 

We're not talking about a 30-team league where half or two-thirds of the teams don't make the playoffs

 

That's ridiculous, you have to take a more in depth look into things than simply wins and losses, especially when the Bombers are moving into a 5 team conference with stiff competition. 

 

I don't think it's ridiculous at all.  Bombers should be competitive and be able to win 8 games minimum next season.  Other teams can do it, why not the Bombers?

 

Saskatchewan went from 5-13 in 2011 to 8-10  in 2012.

TIcats improved from 3-15 in 2008 to 9-9 in 2009.

Stamps went from 4-14 in 2004 to 11-7 in 2005.

Argos improved from 3-15 in 2009 to 9-9 in 2010 and from 6-12 in 2011 to 9-9 with a Grey Cup victory in 2012.

 

Those are some recent examples.  Bombers have an added advantage of reigning in the other teams this season with the expansion draft because the 10-12th best imports and 7th and 8th best non-imports on all those other teams are better than the Bomber equivalent.  Talent discrepancy between all the other teams and the Bombers should narrow ever so slightly but every little bit helps.

 

Bombers will have ample opportunities to improve the team this off-season.  They said they will be a player in free agency.  Well that better consist of more than trading and signing Zach Collaros to a contract because if that's all they do, they will end up like Edmonton - a team with a good Qb and little else. 

 

Sign Harris - he will help with Canadian content immensely. 

Sign Dressler - our receivers aren't anything great and he would immediately become our No. 1. 

Sign a halfway decent O-lineman - yeah, even someone like Picard who is on the downward side of his career.  He 's better than our current centre and better than bringing in garbage like Dewitt last year.  Our current line is too young or not good enough, take your pick.  Time for some effective change there.

Sign free agents for our secondary. Ours was crap most of the year and made up mostly of midgets.  No real gamers back there since 2011.  If free agents aren't an option then scour the States for a few that are taller than 5'9".

 

I'm tired of this attitude that it takes "at least 2 years to rebuild."  This attitude seemed to be rubbing off on Burke as that is what he said at the end of this season so he can leave for all I care.  That's a loser attitude and excuses slow progress.  If the team makes some good free agent signings and fills in the rest with some talented players from the down south no reason they can't make the playoffs.

joe took a championship team and dropped it into the cellar in one off season. Just do the opposite of what he did, BAM! Easy peasy.

 

 

 

 

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.

 

As it should be.  In a nine-team league where six teams make the playoffs, it should only take one year to contend for a playoff spot, which is usually 8 - 9 wins, and 2 years to contend for the Grey Cup.

 

We're not talking about a 30-team league where half or two-thirds of the teams don't make the playoffs

 

That's ridiculous, you have to take a more in depth look into things than simply wins and losses, especially when the Bombers are moving into a 5 team conference with stiff competition. 

 

I don't think it's ridiculous at all.  Bombers should be competitive and be able to win 8 games minimum next season.  Other teams can do it, why not the Bombers?

 

Saskatchewan went from 5-13 in 2011 to 8-10  in 2012.

TIcats improved from 3-15 in 2008 to 9-9 in 2009.

Stamps went from 4-14 in 2004 to 11-7 in 2005.

Argos improved from 3-15 in 2009 to 9-9 in 2010 and from 6-12 in 2011 to 9-9 with a Grey Cup victory in 2012.

 

Those are some recent examples.  Bombers have an added advantage of reigning in the other teams this season with the expansion draft because the 10-12th best imports and 7th and 8th best non-imports on all those other teams are better than the Bomber equivalent.  Talent discrepancy between all the other teams and the Bombers should narrow ever so slightly but every little bit helps.

 

Bombers will have ample opportunities to improve the team this off-season.  They said they will be a player in free agency.  Well that better consist of more than trading and signing Zach Collaros to a contract because if that's all they do, they will end up like Edmonton - a team with a good Qb and little else. 

 

Sign Harris - he will help with Canadian content immensely. 

Sign Dressler - our receivers aren't anything great and he would immediately become our No. 1. 

Sign a halfway decent O-lineman - yeah, even someone like Picard who is on the downward side of his career.  He 's better than our current centre and better than bringing in garbage like Dewitt last year.  Our current line is too young or not good enough, take your pick.  Time for some effective change there.

Sign free agents for our secondary. Ours was crap most of the year and made up mostly of midgets.  No real gamers back there since 2011.  If free agents aren't an option then scour the States for a few that are taller than 5'9".

 

I'm tired of this attitude that it takes "at least 2 years to rebuild."  This attitude seemed to be rubbing off on Burke as that is what he said at the end of this season so he can leave for all I care.  That's a loser attitude and excuses slow progress.  If the team makes some good free agent signings and fills in the rest with some talented players from the down south no reason they can't make the playoffs.

 

yeah just like that sign everyone on your wishlist easy right? Except it's never that easy. Chances of getting 1 impact player in free agency are low never mind multiples. Yes you can turn things around in one season, but it doesn't always happen and if there isn't a huge turn around in record you can't judge solely on that. When you're a team with so little continuity and no quarterback expecting a quick turn around is just setting people up to fail. 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

As it should be.  In a nine-team league where six teams make the playoffs, it should only take one year to contend for a playoff spot, which is usually 8 - 9 wins, and 2 years to contend for the Grey Cup.

 

We're not talking about a 30-team league where half or two-thirds of the teams don't make the playoffs

 

That's ridiculous, you have to take a more in depth look into things than simply wins and losses, especially when the Bombers are moving into a 5 team conference with stiff competition. 

 

I don't think it's ridiculous at all.  Bombers should be competitive and be able to win 8 games minimum next season.  Other teams can do it, why not the Bombers?

 

Saskatchewan went from 5-13 in 2011 to 8-10  in 2012.

TIcats improved from 3-15 in 2008 to 9-9 in 2009.

Stamps went from 4-14 in 2004 to 11-7 in 2005.

Argos improved from 3-15 in 2009 to 9-9 in 2010 and from 6-12 in 2011 to 9-9 with a Grey Cup victory in 2012.

 

Those are some recent examples.  Bombers have an added advantage of reigning in the other teams this season with the expansion draft because the 10-12th best imports and 7th and 8th best non-imports on all those other teams are better than the Bomber equivalent.  Talent discrepancy between all the other teams and the Bombers should narrow ever so slightly but every little bit helps.

 

Bombers will have ample opportunities to improve the team this off-season.  They said they will be a player in free agency.  Well that better consist of more than trading and signing Zach Collaros to a contract because if that's all they do, they will end up like Edmonton - a team with a good Qb and little else. 

 

Sign Harris - he will help with Canadian content immensely. 

Sign Dressler - our receivers aren't anything great and he would immediately become our No. 1. 

Sign a halfway decent O-lineman - yeah, even someone like Picard who is on the downward side of his career.  He 's better than our current centre and better than bringing in garbage like Dewitt last year.  Our current line is too young or not good enough, take your pick.  Time for some effective change there.

Sign free agents for our secondary. Ours was crap most of the year and made up mostly of midgets.  No real gamers back there since 2011.  If free agents aren't an option then scour the States for a few that are taller than 5'9".

 

I'm tired of this attitude that it takes "at least 2 years to rebuild."  This attitude seemed to be rubbing off on Burke as that is what he said at the end of this season so he can leave for all I care.  That's a loser attitude and excuses slow progress.  If the team makes some good free agent signings and fills in the rest with some talented players from the down south no reason they can't make the playoffs.

 

yeah just like that sign everyone on your wishlist easy right? Except it's never that easy. Chances of getting 1 impact player in free agency are low never mind multiples. Yes you can turn things around in one season, but it doesn't always happen and if there isn't a huge turn around in record you can't judge solely on that. When you're a team with so little continuity and no quarterback expecting a quick turn around is just setting people up to fail. 

 

That's just an example of what the Bombers can do.  Doesn't have to be those exact players although I won't lie - I would love to have Harris and Dresser on this team.  I don't buy Denmark as a number  1 receiver on this team - too inconsistent.  And Harris would be a ratio changer as well. 

 

Signing impact players through free agency is difficult but it can be done and has been.  Combine that with some diamond in the rough find from another team (Chad Owens) or in the US and a team can turn things around quite quickly.

 

Turnarounds don't always happen, you're right, but they sure seem to have happened to other teams quite a bit recently!  I wish it would happen here vs. this slow and steady approach which turned out to be total bs under Joe Mack.

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.

As it should be.  In a nine-team league where six teams make the playoffs, it should only take one year to contend for a playoff spot, which is usually 8 - 9 wins, and 2 years to contend for the Grey Cup.

 

We're not talking about a 30-team league where half or two-thirds of the teams don't make the playoffs

That's ridiculous, you have to take a more in depth look into things than simply wins and losses, especially when the Bombers are moving into a 5 team conference with stiff competition.

I don't think it's ridiculous at all.  Bombers should be competitive and be able to win 8 games minimum next season.  Other teams can do it, why not the Bombers?

 

Saskatchewan went from 5-13 in 2011 to 8-10  in 2012.

TIcats improved from 3-15 in 2008 to 9-9 in 2009.

Stamps went from 4-14 in 2004 to 11-7 in 2005.

Argos improved from 3-15 in 2009 to 9-9 in 2010 and from 6-12 in 2011 to 9-9 with a Grey Cup victory in 2012.

 

Those are some recent examples.  Bombers have an added advantage of reigning in the other teams this season with the expansion draft because the 10-12th best imports and 7th and 8th best non-imports on all those other teams are better than the Bomber equivalent.  Talent discrepancy between all the other teams and the Bombers should narrow ever so slightly but every little bit helps.

 

Bombers will have ample opportunities to improve the team this off-season.  They said they will be a player in free agency.  Well that better consist of more than trading and signing Zach Collaros to a contract because if that's all they do, they will end up like Edmonton - a team with a good Qb and little else. 

 

Sign Harris - he will help with Canadian content immensely. 

Sign Dressler - our receivers aren't anything great and he would immediately become our No. 1. 

Sign a halfway decent O-lineman - yeah, even someone like Picard who is on the downward side of his career.  He 's better than our current centre and better than bringing in garbage like Dewitt last year.  Our current line is too young or not good enough, take your pick.  Time for some effective change there.

Sign free agents for our secondary. Ours was crap most of the year and made up mostly of midgets.  No real gamers back there since 2011.  If free agents aren't an option then scour the States for a few that are taller than 5'9".

 

I'm tired of this attitude that it takes "at least 2 years to rebuild."  This attitude seemed to be rubbing off on Burke as that is what he said at the end of this season so he can leave for all I care.  That's a loser attitude and excuses slow progress.  If the team makes some good free agent signings and fills in the rest with some talented players from the down south no reason they can't make the playoffs.

yeah just like that sign everyone on your wishlist easy right? Except it's never that easy. Chances of getting 1 impact player in free agency are low never mind multiples. Yes you can turn things around in one season, but it doesn't always happen and if there isn't a huge turn around in record you can't judge solely on that. When you're a team with so little continuity and no quarterback expecting a quick turn around is just setting people up to fail.

Apparently 4 years isn't enough to turn it around it either. Might as well continue on.

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

 

and what do you think of him as a HC

 

not sure that he'd bring any of our staff with him. if Jones is bound for Edmonton, that may mean a big turnover for our defensive coaches though... hard to estimate how this could shake lose. As long as we still have the staff on offence intact (Brady, Mass, McAdoo) and if we land a solid DC (Burke would be fine by me) i really don't know what he would do with our position coaches on defence... Burke (if it IS him) may have to keep them if Barker has guaranteed their jobs. 

 

sucks that we're likely to lose 2 blue chip coordinators... but the fact is that they deserve their shots. obviously, as we've seen in recent years, being a very good coordinator isn't a guarantor of success as a Head Coach, but you've got to let guys like Stubler, Burke, O'Shea, Jones etc. have the shot that their skill as a coordinator has merited.

 

Osh is a stud coach. in the same way that he was a stud linebacker. he's never failed at anything... the guy just radiates "win". hard to see you ever having a problem with players not respecting him either (which has been a theme with your last few regimes). he was our original FIFO guy under Stubler (Fit In or **** Off). i could gush about the esteem i hold him in for several paragraphs more... but again... who can say if someone can make the big jump to HC or not...

 

...but getting a good QB and a good OC along with him could be the dawn of a new Bomber era in the west. and i wouldn't bet against him.

Penton is a good writer and is getting more up to speed with the game. 

 

In other words, as long as you keep tutoring him on the rules he'll improve.

Lawless can't keep his thoughts straight from one article to the next

This is by far my biggest issue with Lawless, never in my life have a seen someone change there mind the way he does.

 

 

 

 

According to our own media members, the Bombers are still the laughing stock to outsiders.

And according to many of our own forum members, the Winnipeg print media is the laughing stock of the media.

Nope. WPG media is somewhat negative, but they are among the sharpest. Penton just won CDN football reporter of the year!

Our organization is (or has been) a poorly run joke, and our media have the balls to call it as such.

If you want warm and fuzzy, move to SK and read Rod Pederast and the Great Fan-stone.

Among the sharpest? Yeah. No.

Lawless can't keep his thoughts straight from one article to the next, Friesen somehow manages to write 30 articles a year about football without actually ever discussing football, Wiecek would rather be covering curling, Bender doesn't even know the rules of the game and Toth spends 75% of his time covering the team chatting it up with his colleagues (I still remember Toth's tweet earlier this year when he said Buck looked really sharp in practice and Pierce had only thrown one pass that day)

Tait knows his football. Irving knows his football. Penton is a good writer and is getting more up to speed with the game. That trio are the only ones I would consider sharp.

 

 

So our media covering the CFL are awful ... except for the three we have that are better than what's in any other CFL city?

 

Agreed about Lawless, he's lazy and relies on his board leak for all his stuff.

Friesen does what the paper tells him to do to sell that paper.

Wiecek is also lazy. The King of The Em Dash.

I don't have an opinion of Toth or Bender. 

 

Still, those top 3 are as good as the CFL gets. 

 

 

Maybe as far as quantity but I'd certainly say Lowell Ulrich in BC and Herb Zurkowsky in MTL are great at what they do. Jim Mullin, although I feel like he doesn't write much anymore, is also really good. Terry Jones is another favorite.

 

 

 

 

 

According to our own media members, the Bombers are still the laughing stock to outsiders.

And according to many of our own forum members, the Winnipeg print media is the laughing stock of the media.

Nope. WPG media is somewhat negative, but they are among the sharpest. Penton just won CDN football reporter of the year!

Our organization is (or has been) a poorly run joke, and our media have the balls to call it as such.

If you want warm and fuzzy, move to SK and read Rod Pederast and the Great Fan-stone.

Among the sharpest? Yeah. No.

Lawless can't keep his thoughts straight from one article to the next, Friesen somehow manages to write 30 articles a year about football without actually ever discussing football, Wiecek would rather be covering curling, Bender doesn't even know the rules of the game and Toth spends 75% of his time covering the team chatting it up with his colleagues (I still remember Toth's tweet earlier this year when he said Buck looked really sharp in practice and Pierce had only thrown one pass that day)

Tait knows his football. Irving knows his football. Penton is a good writer and is getting more up to speed with the game. That trio are the only ones I would consider sharp.

 

 

So our media covering the CFL are awful ... except for the three we have that are better than what's in any other CFL city?

 

Agreed about Lawless, he's lazy and relies on his board leak for all his stuff.

Friesen does what the paper tells him to do to sell that paper.

Wiecek is also lazy. The King of The Em Dash.

I don't have an opinion of Toth or Bender. 

 

Still, those top 3 are as good as the CFL gets. 

 

 

Maybe as far as quantity but I'd certainly say Lowell Ulrich in BC and Herb Zurkowsky in MTL are great at what they do. Jim Mullin, although I feel like he doesn't write much anymore, is also really good. Terry Jones is another favorite.

 

 

I find Zurkowsky lets his ego get the best of him though you can certainly say he's earned that. Frankly, I'm surprised I forgot about him. 

 

Yes, Jones and Ulrich pen good work too.

 

My point is little ol' Winnipeg has at least 3 guys covering the Bombers reasonably well and quite a few other cling-ons giving their two cents. They seem to compete with one another, and the result is we get reasonably incisive, critical stuff, not fan-driven garbage like they have in SK. 

 

People that say everything they read about the BB is negative clearly aren't seeing the big picture -- it's negative because the team is so lame!

 

If we had a good team, respected management, and a great record the scribes would love to be gushing about how awesome we are cause thats easy to write and sells papers.

 

So fix the f-ing team, stop hiring train wrecks to run it,  and the media will follow.  

 

If we had a good team, respected management, and a great record the scribes would love to be gushing about how awesome we are cause thats easy to write and sells papers.

 

So fix the f-ing team, stop hiring train wrecks to run it,  and the media will follow.  

 

You know that's not true. Guys like Friesen are just trolls and will always spin things as negative as possible. Mark my words, when the Bombers next win the Grey Cup Friesens article is going to be titled "All Down Hill From Here"