"It's being handled internally":... Not since the Mike Kelly days have I personally been so put off by media relations between our Blue executive and the faithful posters on this board. Or more precisely, the lack of any substance being put forward to us.

 

Maybe it's just me imagining things but as a fan I feel like I am being "handled" although not so blatantly as in the Kelly days. I don't like the "polite" communication I feel like we are getting. Are we as fans getting the respect we deserve from O'Shea, Walters and Miller?

 

I don't want them throwing people under the bus but I would like to see some frankness and open honesty. Media things can be played too close to the vest sometimes. Is it happening now?

 

Either management is deliberately keeping us, the fans, in the dark, for whatever reason. Or else, they are very slow deliberators and decision-makers. I hope the problem I'm feeling is about their communication style and not about the ability to formulate a new success plan for next year.

Not to sure many Bomber coaches would be considered for positions on other teams at this point in time.

 

If Tim Burke, Casey Creehan, Pat Delmonaco, Craig Dickenson & Will Plemons can all find work after a 3-15 season, you don't think any of the current group would land on their feet?

 

 

Really don't care what BC or SASK or whoever else does, it's irrelevant really... Benevides fired? big deal, Cortez won't be back in SASK? oh well, he ain't coming here... that's all i know really. 

 

Actually it has a lot to do with the other CFL clubs. Both in individuals that are now available (Would Benevides be an improvement from Etch as a DC?) and also in the size of the contract needed to secure a coach in the future. 

 

Also in another form do those open jobs hold any interest in current Bomber coaches. Everything that happens in the CFL has a ripple effect on the other teams.

 

 

 

The coaches in CFL bounce around from team to team. For every move in one direction there has to be a move in the other direction. The coaches are looking at their options too so there is going to be delays on both sides. Even if deals have been made, announcements might not want to be made to space out the media attention if nothing else. I understand impatience but maybe I am wrong but expect a lot of the posters here have been around a few years or been involved in some business and understand  these things are complicated with lots of competing agendas. Above all I can't imagine anything more ridiculous than announcing firing someone without having a replacement in hand. 

Edited / deleted a few posts in this thread.   Lets try to keep posts about the topic on hand and not about specific posters.

Maurice Leggett signed for three years; that's been some good news nice to see some signings happening.  Hopefully we can lock up a couple other players before the end of the year and feel like a sense of accomplishment has happened.

 

 

 

Really don't care what BC or SASK or whoever else does, it's irrelevant really... Benevides fired? big deal, Cortez won't be back in SASK? oh well, he ain't coming here... that's all i know really. 

 

Actually it has a lot to do with the other CFL clubs. Both in individuals that are now available (Would Benevides be an improvement from Etch as a DC?) and also in the size of the contract needed to secure a coach in the future. 

 

Also in another form do those open jobs hold any interest in current Bomber coaches. Everything that happens in the CFL has a ripple effect on the other teams.

 

 

 

The coaches in CFL bounce around from team to team. For every move in one direction there has to be a move in the other direction. The coaches are looking at their options too so there is going to be delays on both sides. Even if deals have been made, announcements might not want to be made to space out the media attention if nothing else. I understand impatience but maybe I am wrong but expect a lot of the posters here have been around a few years or been involved in some business and understand  these things are complicated with lots of competing agendas. Above all I can't imagine anything more ridiculous than announcing firing someone without having a replacement in hand. 

 

fire first hire later is common ... it does a fine job of achieving clarity for all involved

 

you would only look for upgrade with the incumbent in place if you are reasonably satisfied with his work

You never seem to tire of being wrong and argumentative.

 

 

I don't want them to air their dirty laundry in public.  I want them to make their decisions and let the coaches/media/fans know what those decisions are.  As I've stated many times, I think those decisions have already been made because they'd be incompetent to not have made them by now and I don't think Walters/O'Shea are incompetent.  I also don't think that signing our FA's is a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week job or that our GM can only do one thing at a time.

 

I don't want them to replace MB and Etch with just anybody.  I want to see them replaced with the best candidates for the jobs.  I believe there is more than one coach available for both OC and DC who fit that description and I want us to have a chance at signing the best available candidate rather than the guys who are left over.

 

It's not entitlement.  It's not impatience.  It's moving forward and putting last season behind us.   It's selling the vision of a winning Bomber team next year to the fans.  It's selling the brand right before Xmas.  My guess is that MB and Etch will both be back and announcing that wouldn't help sell the vision or the brand. 

 

 

When you don't have a destination HC or co-ordinator job (and coming off of 5 really bad years, we don't), you can't walk around like you have one. 

 

If you'll recall, the exact same line of thinking you are espousing, is what got us stuck with Etch last year.  The better guys took the better jobs, and we got stuck with what was left.

 

You never seem to tire of being wrong and argumentative.

 

 

I don't want them to air their dirty laundry in public.  I want them to make their decisions and let the coaches/media/fans know what those decisions are.  As I've stated many times, I think those decisions have already been made because they'd be incompetent to not have made them by now and I don't think Walters/O'Shea are incompetent.  I also don't think that signing our FA's is a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week job or that our GM can only do one thing at a time.

 

I don't want them to replace MB and Etch with just anybody.  I want to see them replaced with the best candidates for the jobs.  I believe there is more than one coach available for both OC and DC who fit that description and I want us to have a chance at signing the best available candidate rather than the guys who are left over.

 

It's not entitlement.  It's not impatience.  It's moving forward and putting last season behind us.   It's selling the vision of a winning Bomber team next year to the fans.  It's selling the brand right before Xmas.  My guess is that MB and Etch will both be back and announcing that wouldn't help sell the vision or the brand. 

 

 

When you don't have a destination HC or co-ordinator job (and coming off of 5 really bad years, we don't), you can't walk around like you have one. 

 

If you'll recall, the exact same line of thinking you are espousing, is what got us stuck with Etch last year.  The better guys took the better jobs, and we got stuck with what was left.

 

So we can live with Etch?

 

 

You never seem to tire of being wrong and argumentative.

 

 

I don't want them to air their dirty laundry in public.  I want them to make their decisions and let the coaches/media/fans know what those decisions are.  As I've stated many times, I think those decisions have already been made because they'd be incompetent to not have made them by now and I don't think Walters/O'Shea are incompetent.  I also don't think that signing our FA's is a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week job or that our GM can only do one thing at a time.

 

I don't want them to replace MB and Etch with just anybody.  I want to see them replaced with the best candidates for the jobs.  I believe there is more than one coach available for both OC and DC who fit that description and I want us to have a chance at signing the best available candidate rather than the guys who are left over.

 

It's not entitlement.  It's not impatience.  It's moving forward and putting last season behind us.   It's selling the vision of a winning Bomber team next year to the fans.  It's selling the brand right before Xmas.  My guess is that MB and Etch will both be back and announcing that wouldn't help sell the vision or the brand. 

 

 

When you don't have a destination HC or co-ordinator job (and coming off of 5 really bad years, we don't), you can't walk around like you have one. 

 

If you'll recall, the exact same line of thinking you are espousing, is what got us stuck with Etch last year.  The better guys took the better jobs, and we got stuck with what was left.

 

The old 'Let's keep the incompetent guys around in case no one better wants to be here' argument.  

 

1. I don't think our management's incompetent so I'm sure they can make the job worthwhile to good candidates.  

2. There's more than one candidate that's better than Etch.  

3. We know exactly what Etch brings to the table and that's not good enough IMHO.

4. The other teams OC's already figured out Etch's defense.  Not likely he will get as good results next year as he did this year.  Think continuing the last half of the seasons results instead of the first half.

5. The worst case scenario is to bring in someone without CFL DC cred and hope they are better than Etch.  That at least gives us some hope.

6. Assuming that no one we want will sign with the Bombers is a highly negative way to think.  Pay them enough, give them enough anatomy/responsibility and Winnipeg looks as good as the rest of the sub-.500 teams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why even bother...

a smiley's worth a thousand words

The old 'Let's keep the incompetent guys around in case no one better wants to be here' argument.  

 

1. I don't think our management's incompetent so I'm sure they can make the job worthwhile to good candidates.  

2. There's more than one candidate that's better than Etch.  

3. We know exactly what Etch brings to the table and that's not good enough IMHO.

4. The other teams OC's already figured out Etch's defense.  Not likely he will get as good results next year as he did this year.  Think continuing the last half of the seasons results instead of the first half.

5. The worst case scenario is to bring in someone without CFL DC cred and hope they are better than Etch.  That at least gives us some hope.

6. Assuming that no one we want will sign with the Bombers is a highly negative way to think.  Pay them enough, give them enough anatomy/responsibility and Winnipeg looks as good as the rest of the sub-.500 teams.

 

 

They're doing what competent management does... operating away from the public spotlight.  Almost immediately after BC canned Benevides, Calgary announced their succession plan for Huffer with Dickenson.  The moment the WBB discard either or both of MB and Etch, other teams are going to make power plays to keep their top assistants.  Why would we make our intentions publicly known, if there's no apparent benefit and a potential downside to doing so?

 

#6 is an extremely well-crafted statement.  "We look as good as the rest of the sub-.500 teams."  You couldn't possibly be too wrong when you say that... 

 

But you are.  Winnipeg DC is not a destination job right now.  Given potential options in Saskatchewan and BC, those situations will be easier to slide into than Winnipeg's.  We've got a lot of personnel that were brought in specifically for fit within Etch's scheme; so there's a lot more work than would be required in a conventional CFL defence here.  High reward is available in Winnipeg, but it comes with a higher risk. 

 

So again I ask... if it's a high risk/high reward job if it does open up... why wouldn't we hunt for it behind the scenes?  The headhunter approach would seem to work much better in this situation than placing an ad in the paper.

 

The old 'Let's keep the incompetent guys around in case no one better wants to be here' argument.  

 

1. I don't think our management's incompetent so I'm sure they can make the job worthwhile to good candidates.  

2. There's more than one candidate that's better than Etch.  

3. We know exactly what Etch brings to the table and that's not good enough IMHO.

4. The other teams OC's already figured out Etch's defense.  Not likely he will get as good results next year as he did this year.  Think continuing the last half of the seasons results instead of the first half.

5. The worst case scenario is to bring in someone without CFL DC cred and hope they are better than Etch.  That at least gives us some hope.

6. Assuming that no one we want will sign with the Bombers is a highly negative way to think.  Pay them enough, give them enough anatomy/responsibility and Winnipeg looks as good as the rest of the sub-.500 teams.

 

 

They're doing what competent management does... operating away from the public spotlight.  Almost immediately after BC canned Benevides, Calgary announced their succession plan for Huffer with Dickenson.  The moment the WBB discard either or both of MB and Etch, other teams are going to make power plays to keep their top assistants.  Why would we make our intentions publicly known, if there's no apparent benefit and a potential downside to doing so?

 

#6 is an extremely well-crafted statement.  "We look as good as the rest of the sub-.500 teams."  You couldn't possibly be too wrong when you say that... 

 

But you are.  Winnipeg DC is not a destination job right now.  Given potential options in Saskatchewan and BC, those situations will be easier to slide into than Winnipeg's.  We've got a lot of personnel that were brought in specifically for fit within Etch's scheme; so there's a lot more work than would be required in a conventional CFL defence here.  High reward is available in Winnipeg, but it comes with a higher risk. 

 

So again I ask... if it's a high risk/high reward job if it does open up... why wouldn't we hunt for it behind the scenes?  The headhunter approach would seem to work much better in this situation than placing an ad in the paper.

 

Are you saying that BC and Regina acted in an  incompetent manner?  I disagree.  They both decided to get rid of coaches.  Told the coaches.  Told the public.  Started interviewing to replace them.  Nothing at all incompetent in that.  In fact, it's the best way replace coaches that need to be replaced IMO.  

 

Downside?  What downside?  This isn't the Benevides situation.  Neither are going to become top contenders for other teams OC or DC.  If we want to interview other teams coordinators, we need to get their permission, so it doesn't matter one bit to other teams if we fire them first or not.

 

Winnipeg isn't a destination spot.  So what?  Maybe it costs more to get the better OC/DC's to come to Winnipeg.  Maybe you need to give them 2 year contracts instead of 1 year.  Maybe you need to give them  a /Asst HC title.  Whatever it takes.  The biggest risk is keeping our current coordinators and hoping they can do better.  

Tick... tick... tick... The clock is running & the silence is deafening from the Bombers. Other than a core of supporters here that I've read the fanbase in general is getting impatient. As far as being active.... the GM isn't going anywhere so player signings are normal. This time it's taking to do a coaching review is not. Five weeks & counting to decide whether the coaching staff should come back??? 

I know, I know, Richie Hall must be furiously pacing the dirt floors at Mozaic stadium, waiting for his performance review.

 

Mike Gibson, George Cortez and Mike Benevides are sure lucky to know they've been fired.

 

I know, I know, Richie Hall must be furiously pacing the dirt floors at Mozaic stadium, waiting for his performance review.

 

Mike Gibson, George Cortez and Mike Benevides are sure lucky to know they've been fired.

 

 

Ain't that the truth. Have the GM hint to the press that you might be fired is exactly how it should be done <-- sarcasm.

Other than a core of supporters here that I've read the fanbase in general is getting impatient.

Other than a core of complainers here that I've read the fanbase in general is staying patient.

 

Other than a core of supporters here that I've read the fanbase in general is getting impatient.

Other than a core of complainers here that I've read the fanbase in general is staying patient.

 

Other than a core of blue & gold koolaid drinkers here who'd jump off a cliff if Walters told them to, the general fanbase wants to know what's going on.

Kuale for DC!!

Kuale for DC!!

 

Yes….Washington DC

I think the season will be moved up, Dee.

I'm not impatient but whoever was responsible for playing kuale while sears was a healthy scratch should be canned. I'm assuming it was etch.

All we need for a conventional type of Defense in the CFL is basically a MLB. They're not that hard to find.

 

Someone said we probably want Washington, but we're waiting for him to officially get fired.. I think I buy that... However, I think I agree with Burgess in that Etch isn't good enough anyway, so we should just let him go.

 

I wouldn't mind having a look at Baron Miles as well.

a smiley's worth a thousand words

 

Sigh.  I know.  This is head against the wall stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And yet...

 

 

 

2. There's more than one candidate that's better than Etch.  

 

Please list all the candidates.

 

 

Other than a core of supporters here that I've read the fanbase in general is getting impatient.

Other than a core of complainers here that I've read the fanbase in general is staying patient.

 

Other than a core of blue & gold koolaid drinkers here who'd jump off a cliff if Walters told them to, 3 fans wants to know what's going on.

 

Fixed

 

 

Other than a core of supporters here that I've read the fanbase in general is getting impatient.

Other than a core of complainers here that I've read the fanbase in general is staying patient.

 

Other than a core of blue & gold koolaid drinkers here who'd jump off a cliff if Walters told them to, the general fanbase wants to know what's going on.

 

 

If you think your impatience is representative of the prevailing opinion among our fanbase right now, you're way off.

 

I tested a theory I had this morning. There are 3 other season ticket holders in my office. I went up to each of them individually and asked what they think about the Bombers taking so long to make a decision on the coordinators.

 

Answer 1 - "the Grey Cup was only last week"

Answer 2 - "wasn't Grey Cup a couple weeks ago there's lots of time"

Answer 3 - "doesn't that usually happen in February"