Basically a different type of thread. Chris Jones seemed to be in trouble wherever he landed - either in the CFL or in the United States. So, who’s in trouble now in the good 'ol CFL. My Pic 6:
Dave Dickenson - days are numbered as a CFL coach. With John Hufnagel aged out, Dave should be able to continue as Stamp’s GM - but thats only if ownership allows him. They may, don’t seem to give much of a damn about their team. Marching orders now in Calgary - DON’T LOSE TOO MUCH MONEY.
Chad Kelly - I can really see the boatmen parting ways with this undesirable human being. He’s playing horrible football to boot. May catch on with another team - perhaps Calgary under Dickenson.
Corey Mace - earlier this season he seemed to be a lock for Coach of the Year, now he might be just another yearly coach. Players seem to be tuning him out - he rarely interacts with anyone on the sidelines. Trying too much to emulate Mike O’Shea’s stoicism. I don’t think Regina will dispatch Mace during the season. They’ll let it play out - then the meetings begin.
Randy Ambrosie - he’s been a bust on so many different fronts: A) Command Room, B) 10th Team, C) Rule changes D) Suspensions, E) Decrepit crowds in Edmonton & Calgary. That said some aspects of his administration have done well. No ownership crises or teams requiring CFL subsidies - YET
Baby Hughey & Glen Suitor - Huey (Dustin Neilson) was at his screaming worst yesterday. We also found out he was a Sask’n homer, to boot. Old Glenny is just a tired old suit trying to hang onto a much desired and fairly high paying job. Only there’s a few guys who now can do it better - ie. Henoc Muambo, Dunigan, Paul LaPolice, Jim Barker. Maybe they can ease Suitor out by being on TSN’s panel - once in a while. Don’t know what they can do with Hughey.
Vernon Adams, Jr. - early season lock for league MOP, now just another sideline MOPE as the hero has arrived in Vancouver - Goddo Rourke. Assuming Rourke doesn’t get injured - Vernon will be dispatched in the off-season for an ungodly combination of draft picks, cash or both. Only teams that won’t pursue VAJ are Edmonton & Montreal, perhaps Ottawa. Any other market, including Winnipeg would be crazy not to enter the Adams Auction
Dunigan and LaPo are awful. Dunigan yells incessantly for 3 hours while calling a game but it seems less like he’s excited and more like he’s yelling at you and it gets really tiresome in a hurry. Listening to Paul is like watching paint dry.
If you’re gonna label Dunigan an old yeller then what is Baby Hughey? A Young Yeller? Neilsen is virtually unlistenable when he begins (and seemingly never ends) his nutbar screaming.
Even Rotten Roddy Black chose his moments to scream like a crazy man. Like when a running back gained 4 yards.
DD likely boots himself upstairs - he really doesn’t look like he’s enjoying himself anymore & will likely hire within - like Monson.
Kelly is on a last chance so there’s that. Both QB’s had trouble in the rain yesterday.
Mace, I’ve said from the beginning is overhypped - as was Claybrooks. Tough to go from DC to HC.
Ambrosie - yes, please. Same for the twins @ #5.
Adams is an obvious choice & agree where he won’t end up. Bombers while O’Shea’s there will be unlikely to dump Zach despite him dwelling at the bottom of the starter’s list. Despite the win, 1 TD throw, again, seems to be the norm & that’s kind with that his 8th in 12 games. Winning in Winnipeg means kicking a lot of FG’s & dumps to Brady & Demski & let them pick up YAC. Right now it’s working. Top spots would be Hamilton, Calgary & Regina IMO.
Give him another year IMO. The difference between what you keep and don’t, is if they learn from mistakes. First year is hard to tell.
Yup. The league is past the Head Coach, OC, and GM being one guy. Comes a point where you sit back and bring in guys the HC didn’t know he needed - like Huf used to…
I suspect the sneakiest GMs/Owners would already be whispering sweet nothings into BC management regarding potential trade offerings for VA Adams come season’s end.
I’d have to rank the top auction bidders as follows:
Calgary - unless money is a problem they should be in on this like sh*t on stink.
Hamilton - money is no problem as Caretaker is quite content to burn off some of his excess cash. Wonder if VA would like going into that sh*t pile though.
Regina - something has gone wrong in Sask’n. Mace seems disconnected, Harris is trying too hard to avoid injuries. Plus, they ain’t winning. VA could change all that - might be a bigger hero in Sask than Darian Durant ever was.
Sleeper - Winnipeg. All hinges on playoffs and playoff results. If somehow the hi-ridin’ Bombers don’t even make the playoffs (ie. late season collapse) all bets are off. Too much pressure on Miller & Walters to bring Adams aboard. If they do they’ll have to say buy-bye to Collaros, especially if Zach thinks he can continue playing in CFL. More likely Bombers DO make playoffs but eliminated in either semi or final. Clear signal to upgrade at QB.
Further to my initial Pic6 posting - I’d have to add Jake Maier.
But the Stamps already know that. In a tremendously important Labour Day affair vs. hated rival Elks, they benched a healthy Maier and threw in untested rookie Loogan Bonner. So Jake is definitely on the pic list, albeit at #7
Sadly, have to add long-time CFL legend Adam Bighill to the list. He’ll no doubt recover from his current leg injury and want to play some more. But Father Time has never lost a match. Bighill might make a great scout or talent coordinator who can be a guest linebacking coach at training camp. If Jordan Younger gets hired as a head coach (small possibility) then Bighill might be able to seamlessly step in.
Bo-Levi should also be on this list. He’s had some good moments this year but Father Time has caught him. He’d be a great panelist, possible league trouble-shooter, etc. Definitely keep BLM around our league.
You forgot Ambrosie presiding over the sale of the Alouettes to an 89-year-old with no succession plan in place. We’re lucky that PKP was able to take over the team in 2023 but we came very close to the Als folding or being owned by the league again.
I think Dickenson will be kicked upstairs, given all that he’s accomplished with the Calgary organization. Outright firing him isn’t in the cards IMO.
Nothing would please me more than to see the sexual harasser released.
Give Mace a chance. Mike O’Shea missed the playoffs in his first three seasons as Winnipeg’s head coach.
I have no issue with either Neilson or Suitor and I honestly don’t get all the hate. They’re a good football duo. Neilson may get a tad WWE at times, but he is passionate about the game and fully up to play-by-play duties. Suitor brings a wealth of knowledge to the game. Are they biased? Maybe. But it’s really overblown.
I agree that Vernon Adams can’t stay in BC for cap reasons. Calgary, Sask, Winnipeg, and possibly even Toronto (if they cut Kelly loose) would be foolish not to try to land Adams.
It’s crazy to me how many Riders fans I’ve seen on social media calling for Mace to be fired… The guy is a brand new coach. Give him a chance to build a team and get his philosophy/culture in place lol
They’ve also had a ton of injuries to the O-line. The OC, Mueller, has been pretty up and down in his playcalling too. I think they’ll figure it out if the team is patient with Mace and lets him do his thing, as you said.
Just to clarify, I’m not for getting rid of Mace. I think he couldn’t live up to the expectations heaped on him, which was nuclear after the 1st 3rd of the season. As a 1st time HC he’s going to need time to find his feet. I had Riders in 4th partly because of his rookie status. You’re spot on re: Mueller as well.
If the CFL color commentary doesn’t have to be Canadian alumni for the game, I’d like to hear Jac Collinsworth (son of Cris Collinsworth of the Bengals). I don’t doze off with his voice
Mueller is in a nightmare position. Anything Harris throws downfield is a wounded duck, so he has to try to piece together a “dink and dunk” offence - without a running game, or an offensive line that can even let screen plays develop…
Agree Dickenson is moving up to GM. Never felt flames as owners of stamps thought much of them.
Have not thought too much about him
Jumping the gun on Mace and mueller. First year learning. In sask there are always people wanting change even when the team is winning. I have not agreed on some calls he has made, but the team feels far more together than yhey have the previous two years.
He is the cfl commissioner. He is pretty much hired to be hated.
I dont mind the TSN crews. I have a bigger issue with TSN production. Has not seemed to have changed in a decade or so. Plus, the video ads that make players turn into ghosts has got to stop. In their hockey production, players dont ghost out everytime they are in front the video ads on the boards.
I imagine most of the league will be looking at him in the offseason.
We saw that in Montreal too. Harris is superb at the underneath game but he can’t throw long anymore and he’s not mobile enough to buy time on the scramble routes. But I agree that the O-line is the primary issue. I don’t think anyone would be successful back there.
The worst that can happen for Mace is “losing the room”. Some of that may be happening already - we just don’t know. You’ve got a transient QB (Harris), a transient OC (Mueller) and a 1st year badge head coach (Mace). Unproven management is also a pesky hindrance. Right now, Sask’n has to concentrate on holding off the surging Elks for 3rd in West. If Wpg. and BC go around .500 in their final 5 games, they’re the ones fighting it out for 1-2. Elks on a tear now - so Riders have to win some games (same as Elks) and hope their tie makes the difference in nabbing 3rd.
I do think Edmonton & Sask (even with aforementioned slew of problems) are capable of knocking out Wpg. in the west semi. If Rourke is going gangbusters w/ Adams in relief I really can’t see any of them getting to the Vancouver Grey Cup. The Western slot is BC’s to lose
Not a single person qualify for C Jones’ stubbornness award. Jones’ stubbornitus is of Moby Dick portion. Only Hamilton could be considered for no GC since last century, but collective blame. Hope D D continues, then he will be considered, maybe, if he breaks records in losing.
The West is so close, though, that they may not be formally out of a playoff spot until the final week or two of the regular season. I think they are all-in until and unless they are mathematically eliminated.