...Didn;t like to hear, a few times when coach Berry was questioned about the last few games remaining in the season...that he didn't place that much on winning EVERY game....I have to disagree with his assessment....YOU HAVE TO go into a game with the frame of mind that you WILL win every game.....Sure you won't ...nobody has a perfect season...but if the attitude about winning each and every game was present when we played the weaker clubs ...like Hamilton....the Bombers would have finished in first place....instead of having this ' trying to just hang in there' scenario we now have to end the season...Maybe Berry will have to re-think for next year... :roll:
Berry is off in la la land. There is a thread on the Winnipeg board talking about him. His attitude and actions are weird meaning nobody has an explanation for why he does what he does.
I was disapointed with his comments during half time yesterday. Seems lately he has treated those who question him with a certain amount of contempt and that extends to those on his radio show. Hard to complain after a 10-7-1 season but he might want to be more pleasant in his dealings. The post season will tell a lot.
Given the talent the Bombers have on their roster, something sure is out of whack. We all wish the Bombers play today resembles that of what we had going into the midway mark of the season, but we must judge the club by what they are now. For some reason the team has not adjusted or 'grown' like other clubs have and they have caught on to us for that. This is certainly the responsibility of the head coach and possibly other coaching staff beneath him as well.
The product now is an embarrassment to that of which was earlier. I just cannot see this club being a threat in the post-season if they showed more weaknesses than dominance over such a long period.
Don’t be too hard on the guys. I was at the Montreal game and the improvement in the special teams play from the week before in Toronto was night and day. Our defence also played very well, and with Canada and Bolden and a couple others coming back, they will only get better.
The running game was rediscovered with Reid gaining over 130 yards. The only thing missing is the receivers dropping balls, and we all know that that isn’t going to continue. The ESF against Montreal is another opportunity to progress and gain momentum. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see these guys playing their best in all 3 phases and the coaches to continue to add new wrinkles. We actually blocked a punt !!! And came close on 2 more. Stokes almost took one to the house on a return, these are the little things that will make the difference in the playoffs.
I hope you are right Pigseye, it's just that they no longer resemble the team that they were earlier on. They have to be at least that good just to get by Toronto, not a den of success to play in either for our guys.
Cflwpg started off a post earlier suggesting that Coach Berry is off in la la land. I have been giving that statement some thought. There was one game in which we whipped the Ti-Cats but good at Ivor Wynn, 34-4. In that game the Ti-Cats could do absolutely nothing right, and vice versa was the Bombers story. I think we even scored a touchdown after Westwood missed a field-goal. So this game would not be too much of an indicator. In the other two games with them however it appears that Berry was outcoached by Taffe. Consider the last win against them at home; Lumsden was already injured in the first half, and if it were not for a bone-head play in the Hamilton endzone while returning a kick in which they started from within their own five yard line, and a Bolden interception thereafter, we would have lost. Interestingly our collapse began immediately after the rout at Ivor Wynn two weeks earlier.
Which brings me to the game we had in Toronto Oct. 27th. In this particular outing we saw the Bombers blitz over and over again. I cannot recall a game in recent memory in which they did it that often. Remember, the Bombers secondary has been burnt far too often this season while in zone, or even double coverage, and given the fact that Bolden was not playing, why would Berry attempt a strategy of man-to-man coverage? Unless they were playing against a pure drop back passer on a bad leg, a gameplan around blitzing should be the last thing on their minds. Luckily Bishop was off his game anyways in spite of it, he really could have shredded the secondary something awful.
Anyways that's my take on it. Now I feel better!
I remember the time growing up in southeastern Manitoba quite well. One of the things that region was noted for back in the sixties was for its relatively high quality hooch. Few farmhouses back then had running water as all the plumbing was in the back forty somewhere, put to a 'higher' use as it were.
I can picture somehow Berry and Marshall leaning against some oak, pinstripe overalls, rubber boots, straw hanging out of their mouths, a crock of XXX nestled between 'em.....
"Whadya figgern on in Tarona this weekend Greg? We're ailing and can't even keep up with a broken down 'nure spreader. Whadya game plan Greg?"
"Well Dougie, whadda you know about chess? Not much 'spose. Well let me tell ya a story. You see many years ago there was a world chess champion by the name of Lasker. Legend has it that he was on a passenger ship unbeknownst to everyone else on it, or at least not recognized by them. Well, he approached some patzer sitting by himself studying a chess position. This patzer asked him if he played the game. Lasker, the psychologist that he was, said rarely, and not that well to boot. So this patzer, thinking highly of his own skills, challenges him without the benefit of the queen. Lasker loses, three times. Lasker uses the argument that there must be a huge advantage in playing without the queen as your own pieces are usually cramped all around it. Of course this is absurd notion, but he insisted upon playing once more with the queen odds in favor of the patzer! Well, needless to say Lasker won this time, proving his point, at the same time driving the patzer into a period of insanity! That's what we will do in Tarona, Dougie, if we've been useless with double and triple coverage all season long we'll shut them down with single coverage! We won't be stumbling all over ourselves in the secondary and it'll free our guys to get their Bishop all game long. Ha Ha! Bishop! Get it? It will drive Pinball nuts!"
"So tell me Greg, how much do you think a jug like this is worth in Tarona?"
....some of the decisions made by this team...or should i say indecisions came out of that jug, BigBlew...i'm just pondering a few and have to scratch my head...WHY wasn't the kicking situation adressed earlier in the year..when the Bombers knew Troy was having problems and quite frankly looks to be over the hill(maybe he'll prove me wrong in the play-offs)...WHY keep the coach on special teams around...when he obviously doesn't know what the hell he's doing ( probably his decision on getting rid of Dorsey)...WHY has our offence looked so predictable all year... sitting people like Reid ,who definitely could have made a difference in games earlier...Just a few things that come to mind, that resemble moves made by people under the influence.....you gotta wonder???????
on a side note: considering the way Walls is playing now...would you have considered a trade, Maas for Gavin straight up...Whats really going on at the office on Stegal Ave. :roll: :roll:
I'm not sure what role we would have expected out of Maas this season, but we are stuck on developing Dinwiddie, which is probably a good thing. For now we really need Walls, but the return of Canada will help a great deal as well.
I don't know however which players are obligated to stick around for next season. Hindsight is always 20-20 but I still feel that we should have traded Stegall last season while his stock was still high. The worst that could have happened as a result for this year is that we probably would have ended up in third place but we would have had more potential going into next year and thereafter.
The Westwood situation is really unfortunate in that he is one of the community. I think no one feels worse about it than Troy himself and I give him credit for being able to survive Doug's doghouse. One thing I can tell you though is that I personally would not have liked to deal with the situation if I were asked to.
Who knows, maybe the Bombers will turn it all around in the play-offs and be the team they were a few months ago, but it all starts with the proper gameplan, one that really needs to be changed from what we have seen lately.
Yeah papa, the old Gibson Syndrome huh?
…only the Finest… :lol: :lol: :lol:
I believe Berry made a tactical mistake that will cost us the Grey Cup. It was obvious that the Bombers were out of gas in the Toronto game for first. Glenn was hobbling around on two bad knees and throwing arm passes. The rest of the team was either on the injury roster or playing hurt. Instead of resting Glenn and the others in the Montreal game, Berry decided to go for a meaningless win (TO wasn't going lose against the Riders after all they've done to catch us). As a result, the Bombers will be trashed by a refreshed Argos team in the East final. Too bad for Stegall--he deserved better.