http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/Dont-put-a-stopwatch-on-Miller-Time-326774901.html

 

Wade Miller doesn’t need the job. Which in the end may enable him to do it properly.

The CEO of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers could clean his desk out at Investors Group Field tomorrow and move back to Pinnacle or one of his other businesses. He doesn’t need the paycheque and has other interests to keep him busy. This isn’t to say he doesn’t want the job. He does. And he wants to be successful, returning the Bombers to a position of relevance in the CFL.

But he won’t do it dancing to someone else’s tune. He can’t. It doesn’t work that way in pro football — or any business. Too many cooks, as they say. Or in the case of the Bombers — too many passionate observers.

Miller doesn’t have to take advice from a well-meaning but misinformed booster. He doesn’t have to allow the now mounting pressure from fans or his board of directors to influence his decisions.

He can quite confidently say, "I’m doing it my way and if you don’t like that — go find someone else."

A loss in Saturday’s Banjo Bowl will very likely signify the end of any playoff hopes for this season and put Miller in the latest of tough spots.

Hey, maybe if they fall to 3-8, the Bombers will find a way to win six of their last seven and get to nine wins which may or may not qualify them for the post-season. But the more realistic guess is they’ll be toast and thoughts will once again have to turn to next season.

The clamour for change will hit new heights and Winnipeg the football market will become a crucible.

Miller has lots of qualifications for the job he holds but his ability to be impenetrable and above the whims of others may be the most important.

It may save the organization from yet another in a series of inglorious gaffes. From a continuation of poor hirings and quick firings which has kept this team championship-less for 25 years. From changing direction well before it’s clear they’re headed to the wrong destination.

Fans are already staying away from the stadium. The ultimate pressure — a drop in revenue will soon be on Miller’s doorstep. The board will have questions and in the past it’s right about now when they’ve wanted to be involved in providing the answers.

Less than two seasons into a fresh start program, people will want to hit the ejector seat button and start anew. It’s more difficult to continue on a path — even one facing challenges — and let people complete the tasks as put forth in a plan. Historically the Bombers have taken the easy way out. We know what that’s gotten this city’s football fans.

It may prove the planners are flawed and indeed misplaced, but it’s too early to reach that conclusion. Miller knows this.

Will he lie down in front of his office door and tell his board they’ll need to fire him in order to get to his football operations staff?

This is where it gets tricky in Bomberland. Where a volunteer board with no football administration experience gets involved in decisions from which they should be kept away. In the past they couldn’t help themselves and had to put their fingers in the pie.

They got it right when they hired Miller and board chair Brock Bulbuck promised his group would be hands-off. Now it’s time to stick to those vows. That part of the process is more important than the results of today.

Same old Bombers, you say? Attempting to influence or even removing Miller would truly be the same old Bombers. The board-influenced Bombers that fired Cal Murphy, gave Jeff Reinebold and Mike Kelly the keys to the kingdom, allowed Brendan Taman to be forced out, hired Joe Mack, extended Joe Mack, fired Paul LaPolice, installed Garth Buchko and oversaw a stadium file riddled with ineptitude.

Letting the CEO do his job and allowing him to let GM Kyle Walters and head coach Mike O’Shea continue with their plan would actually represent true change and offer hope that a new day is actually upon the Blue Bombers.

Two years isn’t enough time to turn around a professional sports franchise.

Miller has held strong on the football operations end of things to date. He hired Walters and he was involved in the process of selecting and courting O’Shea. These are his guys. He wants them to succeed. Left to his own devices, Miller will let this duo return for next year.

It’s impossible to predict what will happen next season with this team. Walters has improved the roster but he hasn’t had time to create depth. The point of Walters’ plan was to build an organization with depth and the ability to overcome injuries and the loss of talent due to free agency. To construct a scouting department which constantly churns out useful players. To hire a coach who would grow with the team and eventually take them to a Grey Cup. And then another. And another. To win championships and be a perennial contender.

From the beginning, he said it would take time. Winnipeg loved the sound of it when Walters first spoke as GM and laid out his scheme. But now, with the pain of potentially missing the playoffs once again taking hold, many in Bombers nation have developed short memories. Or they ignored the bit about time all along.

Maybe the guy in the luxury suite with purple teeth after a few too many glasses of pinot noir should be heard and his words acted upon. Perhaps the person in line at the Rum Hut sporting a paper bag has all the answers.

Or maybe it’s time to give people a real opportunity to do their job. Maybe Miller Time should be judged with a dispassionate eye and not a stopwatch.

The Liberals or Conservatives should consider hiring Lawless to write their speeches. Interesting if this article, like medias preseason predictions get republished at the end of the season.....they always seem to evaporate. Gary must have been reading his old manual from his days of working for the Argos.

Letting folks have another year when they haven't been producing is a bigger problem than firing them and starting over. Assuming we don't make the playoffs, and quite frankly that's a pretty good assumption... Hanging on to O'Shea and the rest of the coaches for another year to see if they improve will end up being like hanging on to Mack for that last year to see if he improved. Same results should be expected.

The consensus is that firing a HC during the season is not very productive. So are we now having to bye in that based on this article we might be faced with a complete third season of non productive football? Somewhat of a fearful thought.

I just do not understand getting this worked up over something so trivial. Lord knows I'm a passionate fan, but Christ...it's just a sports thing. I've got bigger **** to get worked up about. At your ages, I'd be constantly worried about heart attacks from the apparent stress of it all.....

I'm not as worked up as you think, I just post my opinions. No worries. I care deeply about my favourite team that's all. I don't like them being the laughing stock of the league. I want to see at least one more championship in my lifetime before I die or in diapers in some seniors residence but most times I don't think it'll ever happen.

Like I said, most of you guys are too young to remember our last 3 GC championships from 84, 88 & 90 like I do & what it meant to me, other Bomber fans, the City of Winnipeg & to the Blue Bombers themselves as an organization. You have no idea (if you've never experienced it before) what it's truly like as modern fans, to win a Grey Cup championship & what it means, unfortunately. To know that the Bombers were the best team in the league for those 3 seasons, wow... What an unbelievable feeling. For the last 25 years with the odd exception  it's been all about the losing & not the winning for most of you. Truly sad. 

 

I just do not understand getting this worked up over something so trivial. Lord knows I'm a passionate fan, but Christ...it's just a sports thing. I've got bigger **** to get worked up about. At your ages, I'd be constantly worried about heart attacks from the apparent stress of it all.....

I'm not as worked up as you think, I just post my opinions. No worries. I care deeply about my favourite team that's all. I don't like them being the laughing stock of the league. I want to see at least one more championship in my lifetime before I die or in diapers in some seniors residence but most times I don't think it'll ever happen.

Like I said, most of you guys are too young to remember our last 3 GC championships from 84, 88 & 90. You have no idea what it's truly like, unfortunately. To know that the Bombers were the best team in the league for those 3 seasons, wow... What an unbelievable feeling. For the last 25 years with the odd exception  it's been about the losing & not the winning for most of you. Truly sad. 

 

Thank you for saying that. We must be near the same age. Yes, it's a wonderful feeling. Sad to see what it's become.

That 84 Grey Cup year, when we finally beat the Lions in the West Final at BC Place & after so many years of failures in the playoffs before that. I just sat there & cried tears of joy in front of my tv. I was glad I watched that game alone... It was wonderful. 

Didn't Gary just write an article where he wanted OC fired. Lol

Also Wade might not *need* the paycheque but that coin is nothing to sneeze at. He wants it.

Lawless called for a "dispassionate" assessment of Miller/Walters' performance. How can you get any more dispassionate than looking at the Bombers' win/loss record during their rule and then at the number of times the team has been blown out and lost at home? Number do not always tell the story, but here they do.

 

But you completely or conveniently, missed the message.

I GOT the message. Believe me, I did. This clown show will be allowed to continue because they need more time. Well, I'm a fan so I'll just have to put up with it. I have no control over what the Bombers do. Doesn't mean I have to like it. But I'll still be there for this team no matter what (sigh). Just get numb after awhile as reality stares me in the face. I was 35 years old the last time the Bombers won a Grey Cup. Most of  you guys have never experienced the thrill of a championship run which is a real shame. It's awesome. It's special & something you never forget as a fan. I just hope I live long enough to experience my favourite team win another. If they do, I'll never take it for granted. Ever. 

 

 

I was a mere pup! Just 21 when they won their last cup. I can tell what a thrill it was in 84 though. Even though I had not followed the team all that long by then I remember the bitter feelings as they first struggled to get to the Western Final then trying to beat BC or Edmonton. My Dad and I were over th emoon and he made travel plans the very next day.  We took the Greyhound to Edmonton. 13 hours of partying (it was pure hell though as we didn't sleep a wink). There was some serious tension in the first quarter until they managed to get that first Kennerd field goal. After that both the O and D calmed down and the rest is history. Man oh, man it was pure awesomeness! I even got Brian Kelly's autograph (he was in the crowd several rows up from us).

 

It has been a living hell since that last GC and I cannot tell you how many times I have heard the "be patient" line. This organization is sick and the current folks responsible for what is on the field is not the cure. I was drawn in several times by it and even promoted it. I am done with that. The only thing that matters is some serious progression. If this team doesn't turn it around very soon so done with them.

Etch, Kuale, Romby, Tracy, Marcel.....what's not to like? I mean, I have complete and utter confidence they know what they are doing.

The problem with the Lawless article is that it lacks nuance.

 

He treats Miller/Walters/Oshea as a single entity, which they are not.  It is possible to fire only one of those three.

 

I have no problem with firing a head coach after 2 seasons.  Every other team in this league has done that, and much worse to be honest, and it hasn't stopped them from winning a Grey Cup.  Greg Marshall was hired in 2011 as the head coach of the Riders and was fired 8 games into the season. Cory Chamblin took over in 2012 and won the Grey Cup in 2013.  They saw the change that needed to be made and they didn't hesitate.

 

I'm not saying that Wade Miller needs to fire O'Shea, but I am saying he needs to think long and hard about it.

 

Walters on the other hand, I think needs to stay.  You cannot judge a GM after only 1 1/2 years. (I'm not counting the little bit where he took over for Mack.) I said it when Mack was here and I'll say it now while Walters is in charge, a GM needs at least 3 to 5 years to be properly evaluated.  Firing your GM every 2 years is really bad for the club.  That's why it's really important to get it right when hiring a GM because he's going to be there awhile. I think Walters has shown enough so far to stick around.  There are definitely things that he is doing, or isn't doing, I am critical about, but I still think he deserves more time. At least 3 years.

 

Wade Miller is the obvious one for me.  You can't fire your CEO after one year because of one hiring that you don't like.  There is a pecking order.  First goes the head coach, then the GM.  Then and only then can you even contemplate getting rid of him.

After the second GM gets fired and there's still no Grey Cup, then I would contemplate firing him.

Have to agree with Lawless on this one. Cleaning house would set us back even further. They are on the right track. It hasn't translated on the win column yet, but I believe it will...

What has Walters done to merit staying as the GM of this club? Can somebody please tell me because I am just not seeing it. Especially when I see what other GMs have done in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton, and even Ottawa.

Walters has put the recruiting processes on a much better footing and has made several key acquisitions which ought to serve this club well in time to come. Admittedly, the Import talent needs some better bodies, but filling the pipeline will likely take another year. McManus and Goveia (sp?) need to up their game. I am willing to give Walters another year, but have given up on O'Shea.

So you guys think the Bombers would be better off if they fired Miller and/or O'Shea right now?

 

This team has been firing coaches and GMs every 2 years for a while now, and it hasn't worked so far. Maybe it's time to keep one for a while and see if letting the guy get some experience works better.

 

OR, just hire someone with prior experience in the job for once.

 

Which severely limits your options, basically to people who nobody wants.  Generally people with opportunities for other jobs have been saying thanks but no thanks when the Bombers put together their shortlist in the last decade because of how dysfunctional the organization has been.

Exactly.. I have zero doubts in my mind that we have made offers, probably substantial ones, to the Austins, Buanos, etc when they have come available and they have simply passed because of our history in the last ten seasons.

Dragon37

Yeah well if "little" Wade is all mad and whatnot then there is a real simple cure. Put a winning team on the field. So far he and his crew haven't shown me they are capable of doing that. This is the CFL in the 2000's Wade building a team means you get progressively better not fundamentally worse. All I have seen from you is you improving your wardrobe from that money (of mine which I do not have to give you I might add and have to ask why I do give it to you when you basically field a collosially unentertaining team on the field).

Thank your monkey Gary he pretty much just gave me the motivation NOT to renew next year.

But you completely or conveniently, missed the message.

 

Yep don't care. Tired of rearranging my life to go watch a team spinning it wheels.

But not so tired as to spend time on a forum talking about it.

The strange get stranger..

Etch, Kuale, Romby, Tracy, Marcel.....what's not to like? I mean, I have complete and utter confidence they know what they are doing.

4 people no longer on the team? Great reference points.

Walters has put the recruiting processes on a much better footing and has made several key acquisitions which ought to serve this club well in time to come. Admittedly, the Import talent needs some better bodies, but filling the pipeline will likely take another year. McManus and Goveia (sp?) need to up their game. I am willing to give Walters another year, but have given up on O'Shea.

I'll refer you to the topic A Comprehensive Review of Kyle Walters by AKAChip. His take is hardly flattering and while the recruiting process may be on a better footing who are the key acquisitions Walters has made? Surely not Moore or Picard and the QBs have been a disaster although it remains to be seen what Nichols may be able to do. Walters entire body of work to date has done little to improve this club. We are agreed on O'Shea and I suspect Walters will get another year but I don't hold out much hope of seeing any earth shattering personnel moves. I hope I am wrong.

Etch, Kuale, Romby, Tracy, Marcel.....what's not to like? I mean, I have complete and utter confidence they know what they are doing.

4 people no longer on the team? Great reference points.

Even the blind guy in row 13 could see they were all a waste of time to begin with spuds.

Walters has put the recruiting processes on a much better footing and has made several key acquisitions which ought to serve this club well in time to come. Admittedly, the Import talent needs some better bodies, but filling the pipeline will likely take another year. McManus and Goveia (sp?) need to up their game. I am willing to give Walters another year, but have given up on O'Shea.

I'll refer you to the topic A Comprehensive Review of Kyle Walters by AKAChip. His take is hardly flattering and while the recruiting process may be on a better footing who are the key acquisitions Walters has made? Surely not Moore or Picard and the QBs have been a disaster although it remains to be seen what Nichols may be able to do. Walters entire body of work to date has done little to improve this club. We are agreed on O'Shea and I suspect Walters will get another year but I don't hold out much hope of seeing any earth shattering personnel moves. I hope I am wrong.

willy isnt a disaster.. Nichols is still a to be determined. moore, ok. picard has been serviceable.. We havent had to forcefully yank him yet and he hasnt had any brutally bad snaps. He also brought in Westerman, Bryant, Bass and even hurl could be argued to be better then what we had last season.

Your myopic view of what walters has done betrays you yet again. Our canadian depth imo is better then its been in a long time. We could be looking at some good pieces in the future at LB, DB and Safety.

Okay, so I read the article, Lawless is slamming the BOD is about all he's doing.

Dragon37

Yeah well if "little" Wade is all mad and whatnot then there is a real simple cure. Put a winning team on the field. So far he and his crew haven't shown me they are capable of doing that. This is the CFL in the 2000's Wade building a team means you get progressively better not fundamentally worse. All I have seen from you is you improving your wardrobe from that money (of mine which I do not have to give you I might add and have to ask why I do give it to you when you basically field a collosially unentertaining team on the field).

Thank your monkey Gary he pretty much just gave me the motivation NOT to renew next year.

But you completely or conveniently, missed the message.

Yep don't care. Tired of rearranging my life to go watch a team spinning it wheels.

But not so tired as to spend time on a forum talking about it.

The strange get stranger..

Well if it isn't Mr. Superfan out with the insults again. If you put half as much effort into providing clear evidence of why we should all be wrapping Walters and co with fuzzy rainbows and worshipping the hallowed ground they walk on perhaps you wouldn't feel the need too resort to your infantile and petty name calling.

Perhaps you should put down your Walter pin-ups, take off those blue coloured glasses, and realistically assess the job your hero has done.

Walters was brought in as some ST genius and his STs were at best mediocre. He was supposed to be some sort of Canadian talent genius yet Winnipeg has been unable to significantly do ANYTHING in that regard for his entire time here. He wasn't even able to do better when that big scary Joe Mack was gone. He has no clue on American talent and brings in a couple of guys that ... surprise ... failed to improve our American talent. This from a country where good ballers apparently are in excess. Coaching. Fail. Improvement. Fail. So we brought this guy in and he has failed to first improve our STs, then was pretty much gutless or useless as an assistant GM, and is now failing on all counts as a full GM.

Am I jumping the gun? Nope, Edmonton and Ottawa have both been as bad or worse and shown significant improvement while Winnipeg continues to spin their wheels.

I will ride out the rest of this lousy season but I expect the Bombers to be dead last and the for the prices that we have to pay now and all the driving and time off work I have to take it just may not be worth it any more. I can watch the game at home and save a bunch of money, time, and grief. It tears me up but it is even more embrassing and frustrating to sit and watch a team I love suck harder that a hooker.

Lol. Me thinks you doth protest too much. If calling you strange for continuing to talk about somehing youve given up caring about is too much for you... Maybe the internet is too much for you..

Lighten up. I dont give a **** about your opinion on the team and coaches nor do i want to try and sway you because you clearly do not want to debate, you simply want to belittle and slam. Thats fine, you do you..

But damned if im not going to point out the hilarious irony of your comments in here. "Grr i hate this team! I could care less what happens!... But still feel the need to rant about it and how i dont care!"

Walters has put the recruiting processes on a much better footing and has made several key acquisitions which ought to serve this club well in time to come. Admittedly, the Import talent needs some better bodies, but filling the pipeline will likely take another year. McManus and Goveia (sp?) need to up their game. I am willing to give Walters another year, but have given up on O'Shea.

I'll refer you to the topic A Comprehensive Review of Kyle Walters by AKAChip. His take is hardly flattering and while the recruiting process may be on a better footing who are the key acquisitions Walters has made? Surely not Moore or Picard and the QBs have been a disaster although it remains to be seen what Nichols may be able to do. Walters entire body of work to date has done little to improve this club. We are agreed on O'Shea and I suspect Walters will get another year but I don't hold out much hope of seeing any earth shattering personnel moves. I hope I am wrong.

willy isnt a disaster.. Nichols is still a to be determined. moore, ok. picard has been serviceable.. We havent had to forcefully yank him yet and he hasnt had any brutally bad snaps. He also brought in Westerman, Bryant, Bass and even hurl could be argued to be better then what we had last season.

Your myopic view of what walters has done betrays you yet again. Our canadian depth imo is better then its been in a long time. We could be looking at some good pieces in the future at LB, DB and Safety.

You can't honestly believe that Picard has been anything but a disaster, can you? Sure none of his snaps have been over the QB's head, but they are either extremely low or floaters that take nearly a full second to get to the QB. Combined with his atrocious blocking, undisciplined penalties and salary and you get a disaster. Just because he hasn't been forcefully yanked doesn't change that. In fact, it's a testament to O'Shea's lack of accountablity for veterans.

Walters has put the recruiting processes on a much better footing and has made several key acquisitions which ought to serve this club well in time to come. Admittedly, the Import talent needs some better bodies, but filling the pipeline will likely take another year. McManus and Goveia (sp?) need to up their game. I am willing to give Walters another year, but have given up on O'Shea.

I'll refer you to the topic A Comprehensive Review of Kyle Walters by AKAChip. His take is hardly flattering and while the recruiting process may be on a better footing who are the key acquisitions Walters has made? Surely not Moore or Picard and the QBs have been a disaster although it remains to be seen what Nichols may be able to do. Walters entire body of work to date has done little to improve this club. We are agreed on O'Shea and I suspect Walters will get another year but I don't hold out much hope of seeing any earth shattering personnel moves. I hope I am wrong.

willy isnt a disaster.. Nichols is still a to be determined. moore, ok. picard has been serviceable.. We havent had to forcefully yank him yet and he hasnt had any brutally bad snaps. He also brought in Westerman, Bryant, Bass and even hurl could be argued to be better then what we had last season.

Your myopic view of what walters has done betrays you yet again. Our canadian depth imo is better then its been in a long time. We could be looking at some good pieces in the future at LB, DB and Safety.

You can't honestly believe that Picard has been anything but a disaster, can you? Sure none of his snaps have been over the QB's head, but they are either extremely low or floaters that take nearly a full second to get to the QB. Combined with his atrocious blocking, undisciplined penalties and salary and you get a disaster. Just because he hasn't been forcefully yanked doesn't change that. In fact, it's a testament to O'Shea's lack of accountablity for veterans.

No.. Hes been supbar and borderline useless BUT disaster is a bit much. If he was a disaster, Goose or an american would be in there.

Hes far from dominant and hes far from the best but whos to say he wasnt selling out hard to cover up greaves play?