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Bombers add RB Travon Jones


gbill2004

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At the training camp sessions I've attended over the years, I notice they mostly watch a few minutes, enough to satisfy the blurbs they need (best catch, scrap of the day etc.) but don't really watch enough to know what is going on beyond what they are told by coaches.

 

I've been to training camp sessions where a guy literally makes one nice catch but drops everything else, slow out of his breaks, quitting on his routes, basically everything bad a receiver can do, and he's touted as a guy who should be in a battle to make the team because the reporter was watching for the 3 minutes where the guy made a great catch and didn't have any drops.

 

The one I went to last year when I also picked up my tickets, I saw a number of media guys hanging out around the entrance of IGF and kind of watched for them throughout the practice, they didn't really come in and pay attention until they started scrimmaging, missing all the positional groups and 1 on 1's (2 on 2's and 4 on 5 pass pro) between OL/DL, REC/DB's, and the pass skelly, important stuff if you are going to actually look critically at guys.

What you just described are a group of people who are paid to cover pro football in Winnipeg, but who really aren't fans of the game. You can tell when a reporter is actually a fan. He/she doesn't have to be a homer, but to be any good, they do have to understand and love the game. Growing up, outside of playing for the Bombers, a dream job for me was writing about them - and getting paid to do it! What an incredible job! Being paid to write about something I love so much. It wouldn't even be a job to me. I don't see anyone in the media in Winnipeg that truly loves the game of football, which is why they are going to spend as little time as possible in the stands, studying the players, and instead finding distractions on tablets and personal devices to get through their boredom. Give me a reporter who is also a fan, and try to be as unbiased as possible, and I'm happy as a Rider cheerleader looking for a date at a family gathering. I'm not sure why that's a lot to ask of our current professional writers in Winnipeg, because it wasn't that way in the past. Vince Leah and Jack Matheson are proof of that in spades. Those guys just plain loved the game, and it showed.

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At the training camp sessions I've attended over the years, I notice they mostly watch a few minutes, enough to satisfy the blurbs they need (best catch, scrap of the day etc.) but don't really watch enough to know what is going on beyond what they are told by coaches.

 

I've been to training camp sessions where a guy literally makes one nice catch but drops everything else, slow out of his breaks, quitting on his routes, basically everything bad a receiver can do, and he's touted as a guy who should be in a battle to make the team because the reporter was watching for the 3 minutes where the guy made a great catch and didn't have any drops.

 

The one I went to last year when I also picked up my tickets, I saw a number of media guys hanging out around the entrance of IGF and kind of watched for them throughout the practice, they didn't really come in and pay attention until they started scrimmaging, missing all the positional groups and 1 on 1's (2 on 2's and 4 on 5 pass pro) between OL/DL, REC/DB's, and the pass skelly, important stuff if you are going to actually look critically at guys.

What you just described are a group of people who are paid to cover pro football in Winnipeg, but who really aren't fans of the game. You can tell when a reporter is actually a fan. He/she doesn't have to be a homer, but to be any good, they do have to understand and love the game. Growing up, outside of playing for the Bombers, a dream job for me was writing about them - and getting paid to do it! What an incredible job! Being paid to write about something I love so much. It wouldn't even be a job to me. I don't see anyone in the media in Winnipeg that truly loves the game of football, which is why they are going to spend as little time as possible in the stands, studying the players, and instead finding distractions on tablets and personal devices to get through their boredom. Give me a reporter who is also a fan, and try to be as unbiased as possible, and I'm happy as a Rider cheerleader at a family gathering. I'm not sure why that's a lot to ask of our current professional writers in Winnipeg, because it wasn't that way in the past. Vince Leah and Jack Matheson are proof of that in spades. Those guys just plain loved the game, and it showed.

 

 

Agree 100%.  And I don't understand the endlessly crummy attitudes from some too, that goes for a few reporters at the FP who get paid to watch Jets and Bombers games.  If it truly brings you misery to do the job you have, find something else.  There's a way to be critical and ask questions without being completely adversarial.

 

One guy I really like who covers a CFL beat is Drew Edwards from the Hamilton Spectator.  You can tell he enjoys the job, he's not a huge homer, and he doesn't act like a jerk either.  He'll ask Austin a tough question after a bad game, but he doesn't do it in a way where he sounds like he's verbally rolling his eyes like some of the guys working the beat here when you watch a press conference.  To me, he's an ideal beat guy.

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@DarrinBauming: @MorningBigBlue @PaulWiecek I was watching his 2012 highlight tape from McPherson earlier today.

The "2012 highlights" video that was uploaded in December 2011. No doubt it's full of clips from the future.

Yep saw your reply on twitter. You are definitely correct there. Gotta respect Bauming for trying to support a colleague though. I like Bauming.

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@DarrinBauming: @MorningBigBlue @PaulWiecek I was watching his 2012 highlight tape from McPherson earlier today.

The "2012 highlights" video that was uploaded in December 2011. No doubt it's full of clips from the future.
Yep saw your reply on twitter. You are definitely correct there. Gotta respect Bauming for trying to support a colleague though. I like Bauming.

I like Bauming too. But it's just one more example of how much fact checking they go through as professionals. I just feel like fans in Winnipeg deserve a bit more responsibility from our writers.

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That'd require our media to actually pay attention and notice.

 

Just for fun, has anyone actually seen some of the media members at training camp?  I get that they are long practices but sometimes I swear they're not even paying attention to the field.

It's been a couple years since I attended one, but when I did, they seemed more interested in each other than what was on the field....then left after 15 mins.

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Any scouting reports on how he performs at pass blocking?

 

I wouldn't expect to find any accurate or relevant scouting reports, this guy is 27 years old and hasn't played meaningful football in almost 7 years. I'm not even 100% convinced that he's signed a contract.

 

So where has he been playing?  I'm a little concerned about a 27 yr old who hasn't played meaningful football in 7 years.  

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Any scouting reports on how he performs at pass blocking?

 

I wouldn't expect to find any accurate or relevant scouting reports, this guy is 27 years old and hasn't played meaningful football in almost 7 years. I'm not even 100% convinced that he's signed a contract.

 

So where has he been playing?  I'm a little concerned about a 27 yr old who hasn't played meaningful football in 7 years.  

 

He does look to be a long shot to make the team, but all we can do is hope that the scouting saw something in him worth a longer look. John Madden said that every year when he was in the NFL his team would bring in an interesting long shot.

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Any scouting reports on how he performs at pass blocking?

 

I wouldn't expect to find any accurate or relevant scouting reports, this guy is 27 years old and hasn't played meaningful football in almost 7 years. I'm not even 100% convinced that he's signed a contract.

 

So where has he been playing?  I'm a little concerned about a 27 yr old who hasn't played meaningful football in 7 years.  

 

He does look to be a long shot to make the team, but all we can do is hope that the scouting saw something in him worth a longer look. John Madden said that every year when he was in the NFL his team would bring in an interesting long shot.

 

 

Not concerned in the least .. I'm certain he's not going to be the *ONLY* running back in camp .. he's simply a guy they want to see a little more of ..

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When he says "camp" is he referring to TC or the mini-camp in the spring? The way his tweet was worded makes me wonder if he's been invited to the mini-camp and is hoping to get a contract then.

That's the impression I got, invite to mini camp try to get a contract and an invite to the big camp. 

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From the Freep: Meanwhile, import running back Travon Jones (5-8, 171) has tweeted the Bombers have invited him to training camp. The Bombers are light on running backs, having not re-signed either Chad Simpson or Will Ford from last year’s team.

 

So..... they didn't "add" him at all, and this is all based on a vague tweet?

So far, that tweet is the closest thing to an official announcement I can find after 5 minutes of googling... which, for the record, is about 3.5 more minutes of googling than most Winnipeg sports writers have likely done in researching Jones.

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He played in 2011 didnt he? so he hasnt been out of the loop THAT long.. And if hes coming to a mini camp or tc, whichever it is, hope he lights it up.. We need a determined, healthy RB who can block to help lighten the load on Drew W. for his first season.

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  • 3 months later...

This guy is still acting as if he's going to sign with us. It's kind of comical actually.

 

I feel like he's just playing it up for all of his friends to try and seem like a big deal, don't really know what else it could be at this point.

 

Travon Jones @TravonT1Jones

Agent said keep your phone on you don't want to agree to a deal with out you! At this point let's just agree and bring home a grey cup!!!

 

Travon Jones @TravonT1Jones

@Wpg_BlueBombers #T1C soon hold on!!!

 

If this guy IS for real, he's a bit of a moron. If he's not for real, it's almost sad in a way.

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