Everyone (including me) complains about what a perennial loser this organization has been since our last Grey Cup win in 1990. While 24 going on 25 years without a Grey Cup championship can taint a fan's rational/thinking process, what does the actual record say? Let's look at the team's records since 1991 and see if we are as bad as many believe we are/have been:

 

Bomber Regular Season CFL Record

 

1991  9–9

1992 11–7

1993 14–4

1994 13–5

1995  7–11

1996  9–9

1997  4–14

1998  3–15

1999  6–12

2000  7–10–1

2001 14–4

2002 12–6

2003 11–7

2004  7–11

2005  5–13

2006  9–9

2007 10–7–1

2008  8–10

2009  7–11

2010  4–14

2011 10–8

2012  6–12

2013  3–15

2014  7–11

2015  3–7

 

So a total record of 10 times .500 or better, 13 (not counting this season) under .500. Not the greatest but certainly not as dismal as we often portray it. In these past 24 seasons, the Bombers have participated in 5 Grey Cups (1992, 1993, 2001, 2007, 2011). Also not a terrible record. The issue of course is the 5 Grey Cup losses. For various reasons we have seemed to be snake bit in that regard but one could argue at least three of those losses could have been wins if you factor in season ending injuries to Matt Dunigan in 93, Kevin Glenn in 07 and a big letdown in the 2001 game. The losses against the Stamps in 92 and 2011 seemed to be justified as both of those teams were superior to the Bomber squad IMO. Overall since 1991 it looks like the Bombers have not been world beaters but also it looks like with a little luck we may have had an opportunity for a few more Cups and considerably less angst among us fans. Maybe this is too simplistic or an answer that some don't want to hear but I think we need to keep the faith Bomber fans. Yes it looks bad (low point) right now but I've been a fan of this team and this league long enough to know it can change and quickly. Not saying I like the way the current administration is doing everything or that there won't be another overhaul in a year or so, but at some point I still believe this team will get back to it's winning ways. Hopefully it starts this weekend!

I maintain that Walters deserves more time to assemble the talent we need, and two years is just not enough time. Walters has brought in some good players, just not enough and there are some real questions about how well they have been assessed and utilized. On the other hand, O'Shea has taken his best shots and they have not been good enough.

Patience has to be parcelled with progress. Since the new regime has been here has improvement and progress been seen in all aspects: personnel, especially QB depth, game management decisions, offensive progression and production? Granted some of these things don't necessarily always translate in wins but things seem to be stagnant now. There needs to be an evaluation as to why and what needs to be done to correct it.

Walters at least (unlike some who came before him)....understands the idea of building through the draft and the need for Canuck depth.  Some good moves and players and brought in a legit QB (Willy)....and some not so good (i.e 200 large for Picard) and still can't find grade A imports at some other positions.  On balance, he should get at least, another year.   

 

MOS? 

 

What really perplexes me.... is that I thought we would be importing a certain aggressive mindset, when he was hired (Mike the uberhardnosed player and tough competitor) and get an instant upgrade on special team performance. 

Instead this team has been terrible on ST, and more concerning, we have a team that seems mentally weak, lacks purpose and fails to respond to adversity.....

Players seem to be looking around waiting for someone else to make a play.....or standing around waiting for something bad to happen.  (and it almost always does)

 

But doing a rewind, here.....last season the deal was to surround Mike with experienced coaches....not a bad plan....too bad they turned out to be Etch and Marcel!!   We have now corrected 50% of that mistake, with Hall being a upgrade at DC. Tracy was in over his head....and that has been delt with.   But we still are letting a perennial incompetent run our offense.....because some are afraid of causing some form of "instability"    That is if you define stability.... as falling one one's face, every week.

 

This could go either way....MOS has to put his hands around the reins...and pull hard.  The hardnose has to come out of the woodwork.  He will need to make some tough decisions, for his own good. The team needs to start reflecting the some of the  qualities and traits,  that we thought we were getting with Mike.  Because, as much as I like MOS....he is almost right on the bubble.... and will be closely evaluated on what we do down the stretch...

 

I am rooting for him, anyways

I'd love to have a boss like noeller or 17/85. Just screw the pooch royally, and be given slack because, hey, why not.

 

I love that people have cited so many examples of how there's no such thing as a coaches graveyard scaring away quality people. Bombers are simply cheap and don't want to hire the best people like Toronto, Calgary, or Hamilton did. Hamilton fired coaches almost annually until they got the right person ffs. Just 2 years ago.

 

MOS was a bad hire. Walters was a bad hire. Firing them and paying handsomely for the right people is the solution. But like another poster said, this cheap org would rather clink plastic cups together at Earls and celebrate savings.

 

As someone else mentioned... timing and availability are such critical factors... there is no one like Hufnagel, Bauno, Barker, or Austin available right now to just snag up and hire, whether we spend the money or not... if there was someone who became available, I would would be fully in favour of dumping everyone today to hire that person but I can't think of who that might be... Mike Riley had a rough first game at Nebraska   

I really believe the only reason we dumped Etch is because good DCs became available. MBs offense looked just fine with Willy in there (in terms of production -- protection still lacking) so I'm really not sure they feel that MB is the problem ("it's the back-ups, not MB!") and I think the only way they dump MB at the end of the season, is if someone that's a proven upgrade becomes available. 

 

Now, I'm not saying that's RIGHT, but I'm saying that's what I think they'll do.....

I really believe the only reason we dumped Etch is because good DCs became available. MBs offense looked just fine with Willy in there (in terms of production -- protection still lacking) so I'm really not sure they feel that MB is the problem ("it's the back-ups, not MB!") and I think the only way they dump MB at the end of the season, is if someone that's a proven upgrade becomes available. 

 

Now, I'm not saying that's RIGHT, but I'm saying that's what I think they'll do.....

This is exactly it, they felt that investing money on the offensive line would help the protection issues and we all know that when he's not flat on his back Willy can move the sticks as good as anyone. Now though it looks like there's still some problems so I am sure they will be more willing to look at changes in the offseason. 

I'd love to have a boss like noeller or 17/85. Just screw the pooch royally, and be given slack because, hey, why not.

 

I love that people have cited so many examples of how there's no such thing as a coaches graveyard scaring away quality people. Bombers are simply cheap and don't want to hire the best people like Toronto, Calgary, or Hamilton did. Hamilton fired coaches almost annually until they got the right person ffs. Just 2 years ago.

 

MOS was a bad hire. Walters was a bad hire. Firing them and paying handsomely for the right people is the solution. But like another poster said, this cheap org would rather clink plastic cups together at Earls and celebrate savings.

I would never hire a person who can't think rationally and only makes knee jerk emotional responses so I wouldn't worry about trying to find a boss like me. 

 

 

As some one who does contract work I have worked for a wide variety of different people, you know who the worst types of people to work for are? The angry people who "hold everyone accountable" That only motivates people enough to not get hassled. The best people to work for are the ones who understand that not everything is perfect and you get a chance to improve upon the mistakes without getting reamed out for making a mistake. 

 

But hey let's fire Walters and O'Shea and hire some more rookies then fire them in 2 years when they turn out to not be miracle workers. 

I like DOD's post above. But I still think the hard nose needs to start now with MB being let go. Cobble together what you can for the rest of the season with current personel and start holding people accountable. Not ranting and raving but a happy medium between that and the passive-aggressive look we have now. Sit guys who take undisciplined penalties right when they take them. Maybe just for a quarter but do something.

 

Up until this week I wasn't looking for MOS to be fired but not dealing with MB after that embarrasment if enough to get me on that bandwagon. Deal with the issues and I'd be happy to see MOS next year. More of the same and he will be gone.

Wrong firing decisions from the past:  Murphy, Ritchie, Berry, Lapo.

 

I still have confidence in Walters, I believe he just needs the time for his long term drafting strategy to work out.

 

I'm getting nervous for O'Shea.  I like him, I'm cheering for him, I want him to succeed, but his rope doesn't have much slack left in it.   I've been a very patient Bomber fan for a number of years, and will stick with my team.  Even I have to admit that there have been 2 home games this year that were just plain awful to sit through.  I want to see him show more emotion on the sidelines.  I'm not talking about the ranting and raving coach, but get more fired up when guys make a play, and get more in the face of those who take dumb penalties.  The scripted answers in the post game press conferences don't bother me as much because really as a boss you either support your staff, or you replace them.  You don't call them out to the press and then try to rebuild them.   Just show more passion for the game!

imo, oshea killed three birds with firing tracey..

1) quieted the old boys club comments because tracey truly was an old friend and was respected by o'shea..

2)put everyone on notice that jobs ARE on the libe..

and 3) and most importantly, he has painted a bullseye on his back by taking control of the ST.. its his bread and butter..

if they continue to fail its on him.. he now has zero safety net..

He definitely tho let it be known that it's MB's o and MB's the guy in charge of the O and MB alone... 

So now that Tracey is gone.. Does this mean we can open the playbook and call 10 yard passing plays and perhaps some variation on the running plays?

So now that Tracey is gone.. Does this mean we can open the playbook and call 10 yard passing plays and perhaps some variation on the running plays?

no relation but if youve followed along this week you would have heard oshea saying the offense is going to go deep more and change up the running game in one of his discussions.. (i believe the nichols announcement)

So now that Tracey is gone.. Does this mean we can open the playbook and call 10 yard passing plays and perhaps some variation on the running plays?

lol, baby steps, maybe 7 yard passes and a couple option plays.

 

Going to be hard to just carry on like nothing is wrong if we are 3-15 or 4-14 at the end of the season. May not be much of a blow up as there's not much there to begin with.

There is nothing there because they keep firing everyone every couple years. These guys may not be the ideal people, but give them a chance to try and build things up a bit before we make that move. Fire them all now and it's right back to square one with no qbs no scouting department and no decent canadian talent on the team prolonging the misery even further. You don't want to hear it but patience is needed now more than ever. 

 

I don't agree , I just got back from Practice and I don't see a team on the verge of Winning, I see a team that looks like they are un defeated and don't have to work that hard I hope I am wrong but

 

I don't like MOS's practices they are way to lax and they don't spend enough time scrimmaging and they don't have any competitive scrimmages ( that I have seen )

 

 

Going to be hard to just carry on like nothing is wrong if we are 3-15 or 4-14 at the end of the season. May not be much of a blow up as there's not much there to begin with.

There is nothing there because they keep firing everyone every couple years. These guys may not be the ideal people, but give them a chance to try and build things up a bit before we make that move. Fire them all now and it's right back to square one with no qbs no scouting department and no decent canadian talent on the team prolonging the misery even further. You don't want to hear it but patience is needed now more than ever. 

 

I don't agree , I just got back from Practice and I don't see a team on the verge of Winning, I see a team that looks like they are un defeated and don't have to work that hard I hope I am wrong but

 

I don't like MOS's practices they are way to lax and they don't spend enough time scrimmaging and they don't have any competitive scrimmages ( that I have seen )

 

No offence but I don't think you have a hot clue in hell what makes for a good practice and what doesn't. 

 

I never said the team was close, I said what's the point in blowing it up before the draft picks are developed and the other young recruits are further developed? Expecting this thing to be turned around in 2 years was always wishful thinking. Too many holes and too many areas lacking. Give these guys a long enough time period to see if what they're doing is working or not. 

I like DOD's post above. But I still think the hard nose needs to start now with MB being let go. Cobble together what you can for the rest of the season with current personel and start holding people accountable. Not ranting and raving but a happy medium between that and the passive-aggressive look we have now. Sit guys who take undisciplined penalties right when they take them. Maybe just for a quarter but do something.

 

Up until this week I wasn't looking for MOS to be fired but not dealing with MB after that embarrasment if enough to get me on that bandwagon. Deal with the issues and I'd be happy to see MOS next year. More of the same and he will be gone.

Firing him midseason is a trap. Then you get a situation like when Crowton was let go and Bellefeuille was brought in. Hard to make changes wholesale midseason so it's not really improving anything, but hey the guy works well with the rest of the staff might as well just keep him. If the offence is going to be ****** the rest of this season regardless why not wait until the offseason to make the change and then you can go out and find the best candidate and not have the temptation to just go with the easy status quo hire. 

NAH... let's just do what we've been doing the last 25 years and see if that works... I mean really.... insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results yet lots of these posts i read suggest we do the same thing we've been doing the last 25 years cuz maybe this time it will work... but theres 25 years almost of proof that it doesn't work.

 

INSANITY...

 

Give MOS and Walters some time really... otherwise, you are just doing exactly what we've been doing the last 25 years...

 

New coach comes in with new gm, blows it up, 2 years go by.. we suck, they get fired... new coach and gm come in and blows it up, 2 years later we suck.. fired and repeat... How don't people understand this? I mean really.. It's the same thing over and over and over and over and over........

 

Do we have some issues? for sure, have we solved some? for sure... We have a good QB who hopefully when MB is fired can stay healthy...

 

our CDN talent seems improved... Our Import talent, lacking a bit but... watch the Moll youtube video to find out it takes a couple years for those guys to even agree to come up... 

Over and over perhaps but it seems other teams mange to make a change and get it right.

You've got the order all wrong. First, bring in good people who prove that they can do the job, then keep them for continuity. Keeping bad coaches for continuity sake is how we end up with MB as OC for far too long. 

 

I like DOD's post above. But I still think the hard nose needs to start now with MB being let go. Cobble together what you can for the rest of the season with current personel and start holding people accountable. Not ranting and raving but a happy medium between that and the passive-aggressive look we have now. Sit guys who take undisciplined penalties right when they take them. Maybe just for a quarter but do something.

 

Up until this week I wasn't looking for MOS to be fired but not dealing with MB after that embarrasment if enough to get me on that bandwagon. Deal with the issues and I'd be happy to see MOS next year. More of the same and he will be gone.

Firing him midseason is a trap. Then you get a situation like when Crowton was let go and Bellefeuille was brought in. Hard to make changes wholesale midseason so it's not really improving anything, but hey the guy works well with the rest of the staff might as well just keep him. If the offence is going to be ****** the rest of this season regardless why not wait until the offseason to make the change and then you can go out and find the best candidate and not have the temptation to just go with the easy status quo hire. 

 

Except that MB has proven he can't win with our current players. And his playcalling is terrible. Why reward that kind of work? Give something else a try, even if for shits and giggles.

 

Never wanted him here in the first place.

 

 

I like DOD's post above. But I still think the hard nose needs to start now with MB being let go. Cobble together what you can for the rest of the season with current personel and start holding people accountable. Not ranting and raving but a happy medium between that and the passive-aggressive look we have now. Sit guys who take undisciplined penalties right when they take them. Maybe just for a quarter but do something.

 

Up until this week I wasn't looking for MOS to be fired but not dealing with MB after that embarrasment if enough to get me on that bandwagon. Deal with the issues and I'd be happy to see MOS next year. More of the same and he will be gone.

Firing him midseason is a trap. Then you get a situation like when Crowton was let go and Bellefeuille was brought in. Hard to make changes wholesale midseason so it's not really improving anything, but hey the guy works well with the rest of the staff might as well just keep him. If the offence is going to be ****** the rest of this season regardless why not wait until the offseason to make the change and then you can go out and find the best candidate and not have the temptation to just go with the easy status quo hire. 

 

Except that MB has proven he can't win with our current players. And his playcalling is terrible. Why reward that kind of work? Give something else a try, even if for shits and giggles.

 

Never wanted him here in the first place.

 

I never wanted him here in the first place either, but you can't change an offence completely with only 8 games remaining. We're stuck with his crap all year like it or not, might as well wait until the offseason. But then again I'm not the kind of person who needs a public execution to placate me. 

I like DOD's post above. But I still think the hard nose needs to start now with MB being let go. Cobble together what you can for the rest of the season with current personel and start holding people accountable. Not ranting and raving but a happy medium between that and the passive-aggressive look we have now. Sit guys who take undisciplined penalties right when they take them. Maybe just for a quarter but do something.

Up until this week I wasn't looking for MOS to be fired but not dealing with MB after that embarrasment if enough to get me on that bandwagon. Deal with the issues and I'd be happy to see MOS next year. More of the same and he will be gone.

Firing him midseason is a trap. Then you get a situation like when Crowton was let go and Bellefeuille was brought in. Hard to make changes wholesale midseason so it's not really improving anything, but hey the guy works well with the rest of the staff might as well just keep him. If the offence is going to be ****** the rest of this season regardless why not wait until the offseason to make the change and then you can go out and find the best candidate and not have the temptation to just go with the easy status quo hire.

Except that MB has proven he can't win with our current players. And his playcalling is terrible. Why reward that kind of work? Give something else a try, even if for shits and giggles.

Never wanted him here in the first place.

I never wanted him here in the first place either, but you can't change an offence completely with only 8 games remaining. We're stuck with his crap all year like it or not, might as well wait until the offseason. But then again I'm not the kind of person who needs a public execution to placate me.

The offense has shown flashes this season and that tells me that the offense is t necessarily the major problem, but rather the conservative play calling and lack of adjustments. A few tweaks and maybe Bellefeuille's offense could work. I'll never understand why Bellefeuille goes away from a certain plays after they worked. It's like he really out thinks himself or something during games.

Hire a consultant to help MB out. Perhaps a guy that knows when to pull a qb, one who knows more then five plays and one who has plays where passes go less then 5 yards.

Why does it take a guy two years to make these kind of changes?

If we keep status quo then how can we expect any kind of improvement?

Might as well throw the towel in now.