OT: 2019 Blue Bomber (10-6) Regular Season Thread - Oct 19 @ Calgary (10-5)

[nobody imp0rtant]

Well I won’t speak to the team's inability to identify a good QB before the Richie Hall years, but can you imagine any of our QBs practicing against Hall’s secondary? I mean , they would probably look pretty impressive. This Bomber secondary has made a lot of no name QBs look like they are the real deal. How can you possibly evaluate a QB against this secondary, especially in practice? I am sure that MOS and LaPo are left scratching their heads...” he looks real good in practice but why doesn’t it translate on the field?”

This could also explain Maurice's perplexing line combos. "What the heck? They always look so good against our defensemen in practice".

 

[angrymnky]

I can't believe it's been over 30 years since Clements, 25 since Dunigan and 15 since Khari. Three of our best quarterbacks in a span of 20 years and no one as good for the next 15 years.

And they didn't have to be found and nurtured, they were all trades and except for Khari had all won cups by the time we got them.
This team blew it by not getting Reilly somehow. The team needs a star quarterback. They could maybe win with a Salisbury or Nichols but the fans need a star quarterback. It's way past time for one.

 

[White Out 902]

Cross posting from MBB

So the slow drip of Rider arrogance in my personal and work life begins. Texts, hangouts from work google, sigh. Even when I have become numb to what the Bombers to do me as a fan, I still have to get it from these yokels. 4 championships in 100 years and these ass clowns think they're the , what, Steelers? Cowboys?

I don't know what to think of all this, in the morning after. I tend to think that this season is basically done with because Streveler is on par with Jennings right now. It's beyond words to say what this season has done to me as a fan. I was so hopeful about the season I planned a road trip to Winnipeg for the Banjo Bowl, we started 5-0, and honestly I think like a lot of you, I thought this was finally the year. Hell, the Grey Cup was even in Calgary. So to say I'm crushed right now, is an understatement and I can probably assume a lot of you reading this are feeling the same way.

With a nights rest and a clear head I start to think about next season. I honestly don't know what to do. One of the rebukes of regime change is "who would take over". Saskatchewan is doing just fine with a new head coach, so is Montreal. BC not so much, but even then I would wonder if we played again what would happen. BC looks great lately and may catch Edmonton for a cross over. Maybe. I don't know who's available, and I wish I knew who the next Huff was so I could tell the Bomber brass. I'm at my wits end with this club. I think the easiest thing for a lot of us would be just totally erase expectations and be passionless towards the results. I don't know how to be that kind of fan. When the Bombers win I feel great joy, and when they lose, especially against our rivals, it feels bad. Isn't that what sports is supposed to be?

I wonder about that with our guys. Miller, MOS, Walters. Do they feel the sting that we do when the Bombers lose? Or do they shrug it off and go to a fancy little Osborne Village restaurant and toast their "success" as management and to the stability of their positions? I think what we need right now is management who hates to lose, not just love to win. I want someone running this team that when we lose the LDC the way we did this year to go into the locker room and kick over the garbage can. Call out the players for letting it happen and let them know it's unacceptable. Right now it seems like we're coddling our players like misbehaving toddlers. They take a **** in their pants when company is over and instead of spanking them or sending them to bed without supper, we hold them and tell them their special. That their bowel movement is special.

It's only October 6th, the team is a lock for a playoff spot, yet we know it's next year season. It's like a zombie movie where someone you love has been bitten and they're still a person for a little while longer. How sad, and what a waste.

 

[snowkiddin]

The negativity is so ****ing toxic. I am so tired of hearing about how this team is terrible. Do people not remember the many many dark years of the Bombers? This is a decent team. More than a few decent teams have upset much better teams nevermind the fact that we've been outplayed in a total of 2 games this year (both Hamilton games). I am just so done talking Bombers with this fanbase that is so toxic. We've seen year after year after year after year that the playoffs are not what you did in June, or July, or August, or even September. It's what you do at the end of the year. We have a great D for the most part, we have a minute munching O that needs consistency no doubt but has potential and the best special teams in the league. We have at least a fighting chance in the playoffs at least. I'm out talking Bombers. But I don't want the crew "giving up their fan card" showing up celebrating in November if we make a run. **** them. Thick and thin I bleed blue and gold. I was 11 months old last time we won the big game. I don't care. My whole life is peppered with great memories from the Bombers (plenty of bad ones as well obviously) and I will keep the faith until the day I die. **** the haters.

I love the Bombers. I love them so much that it’s very upsetting when they lose. It’s just disappointing.

I’m just at the point where I’m finding it hard to put in the passion to be behind this time when they rip out my heart. It’s depressing when they lose, and I’ve spent an whole evening watching something that makes me upset.

Call me a fair weather fan, I want to see the team succeed. I’m passionate about the team but it’s getting too hard to watch the same crap unfold.

If they win the Cup that’s great. Some of us just need a break from the heartache I guess.

I don’t want to be complacent with a team like the one we have now because quite frankly they’ve looked like garbage since the Montreal game. Heads should roll.

I don’t see the negativity as toxic. We had such high hopes for the team but it’s just not looking good. Rather than watch and get upset, I’d rather just take a break. The NFL is back. I can get my football fix following the Cowboys. I will always be a Bomber fan.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

With all due respect people are allowed to have their opinion and voice it, same as you.

Never said otherwise. I said I'm done engaging this fanbase here and on Twitter and on the radio that lives their life in negativity. So full on to you keep complaining keep living in negativity. I dont care. I'm out talking with people about this. I wont live my life dealing with that crap.

 

[ThinIce61]

Never said otherwise. I said I'm done engaging this fanbase here and on Twitter and on the radio that lives their life in negativity. So full on to you keep complaining keep living in negativity. I dont care. I'm out talking with people about this. I wont live my life dealing with that crap.

Not living in negativity, thank you very much. Other than watching the highlights and making my post and now having to deal with your holier than though attitude I'm not agonizing over the Bombers.
I don't speak in negativity I speak in reality.
Winning would be nice and changes when things aren't working would be nice as would a Cup before I spin off this mortal coil.
But real life takes precedence over everything.
You apparently seem to feel like you alone can vent your frustrations And it's ok because I've seen it but everyone else is Nancy Negative .

Don't engage people on social media. Do you think anyone here is gonna care. Surely no one here really gives two craps about my opinion . I post and then I move on to the next beer. Till someone gets sand in their vag.
The forum is here for every one to use within the guidelines laid out.
Why people who have a different opinion than yours bothers you so much I'm not sure.
But people come here to dissect the games, share their pearls of wisdom, vent if need be, in good times or in bad.
That's never going to change whether you engage people or not.
Announcing that you aren't going to engage people is like FB groups where people make these big proclamations that they are leaving the group because somebody called them a name.

From my perspective if I never posted again no one on here is going to say hey where's that ThinIce idiot he hasn't " engaged" in forever. On second thought people might and might say, thank God.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Not living in negativity, thank you very much. Other than watching the highlights and making my post and now having to deal with your holier than though attitude I'm not agonizing over the Bombers.
I don't speak in negativity I speak in reality.
Winning would be nice and changes when things aren't working would be nice as would a Cup before I spin off this mortal coil.
But real life takes precedence over everything.
You apparently seem to feel like you alone can vent your frustrations And it's ok because I've seen it but everyone else is Nancy Negative .

Don't engage people on social media. Do you think anyone here is gonna care. Surely no one here really gives two craps about my opinion . I post and then I move on to the next beer. Till someone gets sand in their vag.
The forum is here for every one to use within the guidelines laid out.
Why people who have a different opinion than yours bothers you so much I'm not sure.
But people come here to dissect the games, share their pearls of wisdom, vent if need be, in good times or in bad.
That's never going to change whether you engage people or not.
Announcing that you aren't going to engage people is like FB groups where people make these big proclamations that they are leaving the group because somebody called them a name.

From my perspective if I never posted again no one on here is going to say hey where's that ThinIce idiot he hasn't " engaged" in forever. On second thought people might and might say, thank God.

Cool.

I was angry last night. Honestly yours wasnt even what I was referencing with my original post. You actually have content.

Most of the stuff is just "haha they suck", "worst team ever", "fire everyone". I dont have a problem with people that actually want to talk about it. Unfortunately most cannot.

 

[WPGChief]

Honestly, if there's anyone who should stay from this management group, it's Kyle Walters. He's put together probably the better of Bombers rosters over the past decade or two. Though part of it could be thanks to the Mike O'Shea factor of Free Agents wanting to play for a players' coach, Walters shouldn't be listening to him to put the rest of the coaching staff together.

Keeping Richie Hall was a mistake - this defense should be absolutely dominant but they falter heavily when it matters most because of play calling. (Whoever was calling the game in Hall's absence yesterday did a respectable job too, keeping SSK to 11pts until the 4th.) Blocking LaPolice to interview for a HC job (SSK's I think?) was a bad move in hindsight as he overthinks his gameplan way too much and isn't utilizing Streveler to extend plays since their offensive line is suddenly pourous in pass protection - probably the most frustrating aspect of the game yesterday was when SSK dropped 9 into coverage, rushed 3, and still managed to pressure Streveler even when Harris was somehow staying in to protect. Harris also is seeing about ~10-14 carries the past three games and not a lot of receiving yards as opposing defenses have been honing on the checkdown passes lately. Giving up two large leads and nearly a few others also speaks to just how poor this team is coached in the game, never mind outside of it.

Do I wish the Bombers could still pull it off? Of course, and realistically they still could. But if they need to go into the playoffs "hot", they're facing MTL who embarassed them just two weeks ago, then CGY twice and then have a bye. I really question if they could get another win in the next three weeks if they continue playing like they have for the past 2.5 games. At the very least, if they had locked up 1st in the division and had the additional bye, they could've used the two weeks to restart themselves. Instead, the problems we've seen since the start of the season (when they went 5-0) continued to fester on without any real addressing and whoops there's a good chance we end the season 0-6. That's going into the playoffs ice cold.

Again, they can probably still do it, and it will probably be on the backs of the defense at this moment. But even then we've seen we can't trust the defense to hold a lead for the entire game, and it certainly doesn't help when they allow a team to go 70-80yds over 5-6 minutes, hold the team to a FG, but immediately have to come back on the field because of the offense going 2-and-out. That's just not a good recipe for success and as such my expectations are extremely low from this point on. Hard to see the glass-half-full in this scenario.

 

[snowkiddin]

Cool.

I was angry last night. Honestly yours wasnt even what I was referencing with my original post. You actually have content.

Most of the stuff is just "haha they suck", "worst team ever", "fire everyone". I dont have a problem with people that actually want to talk about it. Unfortunately most cannot.

Twitter must have a lot of this stuff, because I don’t really see that on here, except for the firing everyone part - which, in my opinion, isn’t that outrageous.

The coaching staff has a had a long time. If the team crashes and burns and regresses from last year, it might be time for a fresh start.

 

[ThinIce61]

Cool.

I was angry last night. Honestly yours wasnt even what I was referencing with my original post. You actually have content.

Most of the stuff is just "haha they suck", "worst team ever", "fire everyone". I dont have a problem with people that actually want to talk about it. Unfortunately most cannot.

Oh I was angry last night as well and I didn't even watch the game or check out highlights till this morning. I saw the score and refused to see anything more. That was enough.

Whether due to injuries or other personnel issues the promise of the early season is now gone.
The biggest beef I have is the reticence to make changes other than those necessitated by injury.

And Oshea' s seemingly passe attitude towards losses and underperformance and the mantra o a loop of " we just have learn from this after every loss that is followed by the same crap the next game.

And condolences to Richie Hall but without him at the game someone else was running the D and they were by all accounts far more aggressive than in almost any game this season. Explosion plays and the ever present latte 4th quarter let down we always seem to see.

Also this inexplicable thing to me at QB. Kevin Anderson was let go from the practice roster and O'Shea never seems to think it's the right time to get McGuire into a game.
When will be the right time for his first appearance?
In the playoffs? Regardless of how we finish the season we are going to the playoffs and while I obviously know nothing I think it behooves this organization since they are so high on him to play him.
What's the worst that could happen? We lose? Hello MOS this is the brain you misplaced calling-want to keep your job?
Stop being a moron and start actually coaching like you want the team to win. You have zero sense of urgency about you.
If Wade Miller or whoever tells Walters that MOS goes or Walter's goes, guess who is leaving.

That MOS crap every Monday night probably bugs me more than the games really. Him and his shill Bob Irving.
Streveler right now is not good enough to consistently do enough good to lead this team to victory on a regular basis.
And suddenly our OC's play calling appears bland and repetitive.
To progress further than one and done something major has to change.

I do agree that crap, team sucks, just the same generic stuff without a bit more substance is a thanks for posting type post but as in my case how I didn't watch I can certainly see people point of view of doing something else with their time and feel bad for those spending money year after year as season ticket holders when on many occasions it seems like winning is secondary to something else.

 

[None]

Honestly, if there's anyone who should stay from this management group, it's Kyle Walters. He's put together probably the better of Bombers rosters over the past decade or two. Though part of it could be thanks to the Mike O'Shea factor of Free Agents wanting to play for a players' coach, Walters shouldn't be listening to him to put the rest of the coaching staff together.

I agree with this, my last post throwing Kyle Walters under the bus was probably a little premature. I still think there needs to be some accountability for the deficits in the roster's performance though.

I still think a lot of the performance issues stem from poor coaching decisions, sticking with Hurl and Hecht for example. If I remember right we even had the roster flexibility to replace Hurl with an American before Bighill was ever an option, I think we were starting an extra Canadian.

Walters can only give the coaching staff so many options, it's still up to the coaches to make the best of what they're given. I do think that Walters needs to shorten the leash on the coaching staff though, they'll only get so many kicks at the can before the fingers start pointing further up in the organization.

 

[ThinIce61]

Just as an aside for the stats guys out there when was the last time a CFL team scored 6 points and won?

I know there was a 2-0 game some years ago, the 50's maybe but outside of the epic 9-8 Montreal vs Edmonton Grey Cup I'm wondering about other low scoring games in more recent times.

 

[Blitzkrug]

The negativity is so ****ing toxic. I am so tired of hearing about how this team is terrible. Do people not remember the many many dark years of the Bombers? This is a decent team. More than a few decent teams have upset much better teams nevermind the fact that we've been outplayed in a total of 2 games this year (both Hamilton games). I am just so done talking Bombers with this fanbase that is so toxic. We've seen year after year after year after year that the playoffs are not what you did in June, or July, or August, or even September. It's what you do at the end of the year. We have a great D for the most part, we have a minute munching O that needs consistency no doubt but has potential and the best special teams in the league. We have at least a fighting chance in the playoffs at least. I'm out talking Bombers. But I don't want the crew "giving up their fan card" showing up celebrating in November if we make a run. **** them. Thick and thin I bleed blue and gold. I was 11 months old last time we won the big game. I don't care. My whole life is peppered with great memories from the Bombers (plenty of bad ones as well obviously) and I will keep the faith until the day I die. **** the haters.

You know sometimes blind optimism comes off as being an ass.

People are allowed to be angry. This team started the season with cup aspirations and it was taken away because of circumstance.

If you want to be blind enough to proclaim this team is capable of making a run with Streveler not being able to throw the ball? By all means. I'm just being realistic/honest

If Nichols was in there, i'd have hope. Sure, he gets bagged on but he's still the best we've had in ages. Streveler is a crappy Tim Tebow in a league that relies on passing more than the NFL does. There's no point in getting hopes up when we all know how the story ends.

 

[LadyJet26]

You know sometimes blind optimism comes off as being an ass.

People are allowed to be angry. This team started the season with cup aspirations and it was taken away because of circumstance.

If you want to be blind enough to proclaim this team is capable of making a run with Streveler not being able to throw the ball? By all means. I'm just being realistic/honest

If Nichols was in there, i'd have hope. Sure, he gets bagged on but he's still the best we've had in ages. Streveler is a crappy Tim Tebow in a league that relies on passing more than the NFL does. There's no point in getting hopes up when we all know how the story ends.

Don't call him an ass. He has every right to voice his opinion.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

You know sometimes blind optimism comes off as being an ass.

People are allowed to be angry. This team started the season with cup aspirations and it was taken away because of circumstance.

If you want to be blind enough to proclaim this team is capable of making a run with Streveler not being able to throw the ball? By all means. I'm just being realistic/honest

If Nichols was in there, i'd have hope. Sure, he gets bagged on but he's still the best we've had in ages. Streveler is a crappy Tim Tebow in a league that relies on passing more than the NFL does. There's no point in getting hopes up when we all know how the story ends.

For the record I clarified my point later in the thread when I was less angry.

Discussion is fine as I said. It's the terrible hottakes are all I hear sometimes that drive me nuts.

I do find laughable to write the season off though. IMO we've outplayed the opponent every single game this year except the 2 Hamilton games. Most of the time pretty badly. It's been late break downs and now red zone issues just last game. I think youd be crazy to write off Bombers.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

Who?

There's no one out there better than Nichols as it stands. I'm not taking a gamble on some backup that people think he might be good. If Nichols is the best option, then you go with the best option and try to find someone to put behind him and grow to be an actual QB.

Nichols isn't a good QB. He benefited from excellent special teams, an opportunistic defense that provide him with a short field and playing awful teams in the first half of the season. He has become worse each season since 2017. You simply cannot win vs. the good teams with a qb who consistently throws for less than 200 yards per game.

Some backups have already showed better than Nichols if you were paying attention. Arbuckle and Evans for starters...same with Fajardo who was a backup at the beginning of the season.

Bold move would be to can Lapo, replace him with dinwiddie as OC in the off season and bring Arbuckle in as the starter in 2020. Dinwiddie has been groomed for several seasons as QB coach. Time for the big move to OC. Arbuckle has been in the CFL as long as Streveler and has shown a greater ability to move the ball down the field when he stepped in for Mitchell.

 

[TS Quint]

Who?

There's no one out there better than Nichols as it stands. I'm not taking a gamble on some backup that people think he might be good. If Nichols is the best option, then you go with the best option and try to find someone to put behind him and grow to be an actual QB.

Masoli, Evans and Arbuckle are all better. I'd bet on Masoli told to go to Toronto and Arbuckle to Ottawa. Bombers stuck with the same junk.

 

[TS Quint]

Nichols isn't a good QB. He benefited from excellent special teams, an opportunistic defense that provide him with a short field and playing awful teams in the first half of the season. He has become worse each season since 2017. You simply cannot win vs. the good teams with a qb who consistently throws for less than 200 yards per game.

Some backups have already showed better than Nichols if you were paying attention. Arbuckle and Evans for starters...same with Fajardo who was a backup at the beginning of the season.

Bold move would be to can Lapo, replace him with dinwiddie as OC in the off season and bring Arbuckle in as the starter in 2020. Dinwiddie has been groomed for several seasons as QB coach. Time for the big move to OC. Arbuckle has been in the CFL as long as Streveler and has shown a greater ability to move the ball down the field when he stepped in for Mitchell.

Got to imagine LaPo is gone in the off season. He tried to leave this past off season but the Bombers blocked it because they felt it was too close to the season.

 

[None]

Interesting day in the CFL
Argos fired Jim Popp and brought back Pinball Clemons. Not sure how anyone could be much worse than Popp, he showed that he couldn't build a team in Montreal after Anthony Calvillo retired. It was just more of the same in Toronto.

Then we have these 2 bits of news regarding the Bombers -

 

[bustamente]

Interesting day in the CFL
Argos fired Jim Popp and brought back Pinball Clemons. Not sure how anyone could be much worse than Popp, he showed that he couldn't build a team in Montreal after Anthony Calvillo retired. It was just more of the same in Toronto.

Then we have these 2 bits of news regarding the Bombers -

He proved that without Calvillo and Trestman he's just another dude, Trestman proved that without Calvillo he's a crappy coach, both in the NFL and CFL

 

[blueandgoldguy]

He proved that without Calvillo and Trestman he's just another dude, Trestman proved that without Calvillo he's a crappy coach, both in the NFL and CFL

Not even close to the truth. Popp benefited from Calvillo and Calvillo benefited from Popp and Trestman. Popp surrounded his Qbs with amazing o-lines, excellent Canadian depth, great receivers, the best running back in CFL history, excellent d-men, notably at at corner and linebacker...for nearly 2 decades. Towards the end of his tenure, it was obvious he didn't have contacts or started to lack the drive he once had as the Als, and later the Argos, did not have the talent or depth of this earlier teams...not just at QB.

I doubt Popp gets another shot at GM anywhere else in the league again.

 

[None]

He proved that without Calvillo and Trestman he's just another dude, Trestman proved that without Calvillo he's a crappy coach, both in the NFL and CFL

Trestman got screwed over going to a team in shambles with zero leadership among the players. They had zero respect for a guy coming in from another league and I guess it showed in how they practiced, he just had no control over the players.
That isn't to say I'm necessarily defending him, because I'm not, he just wasn't the right type of coach for that team in the stage of development for a lot of their players. He's made some questionable decisions since leaving the Als for sure though.

 

[Blitzkrug]

Bombers, Argos have discussed trade for Zach Collaros | 3DownNation

Potentially interesting development. Collaros is a good enough QB where i'd feel comfortable putting him under center for the Bombers.

Only (massive) question would be could he stay healthy for even the few weeks they'd use him?

 

[None]

Nobody reasonable would fault Richie Hall for his absence from the team after hearing why he's gone. Though people probably shouldn't have been jumping to conclusions over his absence either.


Could be posturing, every team has basically said the same thing except for Toronto.

 

[None]

They changed the trade deadline to 5PM EDT because nothing happened