One and Done

.....New linebacker signed up today....Chris Casher late cut of the NY Giants...Comes with some good credentials...Maybe we intend to shake some things up in the line backing dept...One can only hope (see Hurl)...Yep O'Shea says Hurl is his man and Hall is a keeper...Maybe things won't be so cut and dried if we go down swinging in the first post season tilt....The fans will be out waving that horrible 27 year drought in the face of management once more and after every passing year it's gonna get louder....and louder......and loud....er....till we bring Albert Grey's Cup home...

Are we cursed? Did someone hex the Bombers? Seriously, we're on our way to a good season, FINALLY, with the longest Grey Cup championship drought. So what happens? Wild gets hurt early in the season and we've had to do without Dressler a few times this season and managed. Westerman is done and I still don't think anyone knows how or when during his last game his injury occured. Fine, we manage. OK, let's take away Flanders, Adams, put a boo boo on Nichols' hand, and just for fun take away Leggett for the rest of the season. I guess the score was too close vs the Argos so the fates take away all star RG Bond next. Then Chris Randle takes a low hit which dings him up too. Now Hardrick goes down in practice today. Seriously, what kind of run of bad luck is this? This last month has been disastrous.

The only silver lining of all this doom is that nobody but nobody will be expecting the bombers to win any of their final 3 matches. NOBODY! O’Shea always says he expects to win but that’s bloody fear speaking, not reality.
With all the atrocities befalling the bombers in the final 1/3 of season it will fall upon a group of young men, charged with breaking the curse. Men like Matt Nichols, Men like Husky Harris, Men like Travis Bond, Men like Kevin Fogg, Men like Weston Dressler.
In addition to the injuries - most bomber fans are totally enraged the bombers are starting an incompetent middle backer on D, a guy who couldn’t stop most CIS running backs, let alone CFL professionals. Yep, he’s that bad. Nobody will deny it. O’Shea is just using Trump Truth serum to convince most lemmings the guy is good. Ain’t working!
Matlock is a broken kicker - but fortunately I remember the old days. When Kenny Ploen was playing with a bad knee or a broken back, Ernie Pitts had a wonky hamstring, Leo Lewis was our only go-to guy and the bombers were basically going 2 dunks for 5 yds total, punt, stop the other guys, rinse, repeat.
That’s the only way the bombers stop Regina or Edmonton - don’t matter if the game is in Edmonton or Winnipeg. Just put some ballers on the field = and hope to heck you can stop the other guys regularly.
Old Bombers under Ploen & Buddy Grant used to do that 9 times out of 10. Winning games 9-6 or 12-8. So that’s the ticket - play hard, win smoothly and advance.

Yep, fantasy is fun. Chances of bombers backing into 2nd in West = 14%
Chances of bombers winning playoff game @ IGF = 12%
Chances of bombers winning playoff game @ Commonwealth = 14.5%

You may be right Lyle but I’m still cheering for the Bombers in spite of all your dire speculations because there is a factor that you don’t account for. That’s the desire to win regardless of the odds. It’s like Team Canada in hockey. Guys you never think of being really good, step up. We play at a higher level because of pride and loyalty. These qualities don’t show up on a contract, an injury list or a stat sheet. I think they are the most important element…Call me a lemming if you want but I believe the Bombers can win.

Y’ always have to possess belief Dan - otherwise may as well mail in the points.

However, just looking at a depleted & under-powered roster tells me the chances of belief subduing reality is very low, very low indeed.

Sure, Reilly may have a hideous game where he tosses a pick 6 and can’t hit his WRs - or guys like Bowman suddenly develop frying pan hands in the cold.

We also have a chance to subdue Little Glenny - although the faster we kill of Glenn, the earlier C Jones inserts Brandon Bridge into the fray - and gives our D a totally different look.

Sask’n D is more powerful than Edmonton D - controlling Denmark & Dressler won’t be a problem for them - they’ll be heavily blanketed - so without Adams or Pinky Flanders we don’t match up well.

Our O matches up much better with the Edmonton D - their d-backs aren’t as strong or deft as Sask’n . . . . . . . so I can actually see Wpg. running up 20 to 25 pts. vs. the Esks. However, can our less than stellar defense hold Reilly down to 24 pts or less. That is the question. That is the question!

Can't argue with anything you've said Lyle. Wish we still had the Thumbs Up emoticon. Sure saves a lot of typing.

.....Overcoming all of these impediments to our quest for the Cup is going to be a tough chore.... Like Lyle alluded to in another post ,we had faith in Bud Grant to come up with something in the face of adversity....He was always thinking and kept a 'cool' head....Came up with answers if we were nic'd up badly or adverse weather conditions (see Cup win in the Fog)....I don't have that same faith in the current coach...especially when he chooses to run with an obvious impediment at linebacker...His decision processes are slow and sometimes leaves one scratching their head and muttering 'what the hell?? BUT in spite of all these negative conditions now plaguing the team...I'm with Dan...Some way...some how...I think we can scrape enough together to overcome the bad hand now being dealt to us... We just need the character players on this club to step up..Our talent didn't just suddenly disappear...We're going to find out just how much depth and character this club really has in these final games....Call it dreaming in hi-definition, and in spite of my dire prediction of a 'one and done', I think the team will prove me wrong and 'get it done'...The post season is a different animal and the players have to believe in themselves and we could surprise the heck out of ourselves...We'll see

I think there are more like us, Papa. I’ve been thinking about how many years I’ve followed the Bombers and the Leafs too. In my early days as a fan I was like a kid. I just watched and cheered. I didn’t know what was going on behind the scenes. I didn’t watch to see what the coach or his assistants would do. I didn’t care what was happening in management. I didn’t care about officiating.I had my favourite players and I only wanted my team to win… I use the reffing as an example that helped turn me back around to watching my teams. I used to get so pissed at the reffing. I was on here complaining just like many good posters do too. My youngest son wouldn’t watch games with me anymore because I was always yelling at the refs. I thought long and hard about this and I realized that it was ruining something I loved. I know know that ‘good teams win in spite of the reffing’. A good team can be set back 15 yards on a penalty and overcome it. The only thing that matters is the team, not the refs, not the coaches, not the GM. I enjoy the games much better now. I am not lost on the fact that both the Bombers and Leafs are playing better recently. Remember a few years ago when many of us, myself included, were saying “if only they could field a half decent team.” Well, the Bombers have and I am very happy.

Maybe we know too much nowadays and that takes away from the enjoyment. If I knew back then what I know today, I doubt that I would have become a fan in the first place… Food for thought.

GO BOMBERS !

Misery must love company cuz this a.m. Kelly Moose over at CJOB told me that Hardick & Travis Bond both will be m.i.a. Saturday.

So Paddy Neufeld goes in for Bond and an import reserve fills in for Hardick. Only positive is that both of the new guys are fresh and an extra import spot opens up - either for a running back (which we don't have) or an extra linebacker (like Casher) which could provide support for the feeble traffic cop Sam Hurl.

BC will be dressing a ton of newbies for 2018 dress rehearsals. There's gonna be ice and snow in the forecast - could even be more injuries on the eve of playoffs.

Edmonton has had more injuries but most were between game 1 and game 10 - 90% of their guys have returned and are getting mean.

Sask had some key injuries on their o-line but that patch is over. Only significant guy still hanging on reserve is incredible WR Namon Roosevelt. If they get Roosevelt back they could easily damage any team's defense in the CFL - let alone the bomber 11 man group!

Could easily be a Sask vs. Edmonton Grey Cup, no?

.....Wally's warriors are hurting as well....Their o line will be missing the best man they have in Stewart ,with a bum ankle and Johnson their RB is on the shelf....I think you're right Lyle ...auditions for 18' are being held in earnest in the case of the Leo's ....Will they roll over....I think if we hit them hard and early they'll cave and play frivolous pitch and catch....otherwise we have to 'beware the latent ass biter' we seem to succumb to lately, by not keeping the pedal to the metal...Hope the weather holds for this one

With some issues on our O line, I'd hope we start Paddy, a Canuck, and load up the D line with a wheelbarrow full of poop.
Jennings has shown he can be chased out and they don't have a serviceable QB deux.
Wild survived his return, Randle apparently practised, I like the Knox boys, Corney seems to handle Westy's spot with a few less RTP's, weather forecast is +4 and miserable.
Harris wants his record, new WR looked good, Medlock's at home.
We win it going away, NOS smirks again, all is well.

On the Monday Coach's Show NOS admits Roc Carmichal has taken a job at Area 51, apparently working in the "suspended" reality department. Seriously, WTF happened to that guy?? I can only guess a truly upper body issue.