Thats the team, right there. Ever since I started watching this league (about 20 years ago) I have taken pride in the Bombers. I have gone for no other team. But I'm growing weiry. Not because they have been losing steadily for over a decade, but because they will continue to do so. Why? Because there aren't even prospects. Do you think the players above will stay with a team of this caliber? I knew it was not good when the coach basically told us to have patience with this team this year.
When are we going to get a good coach, when are we going to recruit good kids that we can grow and mold? When are we going to begin strategic planning?
Peppers, those are all very concerning questions and I've asked them many times myself. You've been watching this game almost as long as I've been on this earth, so I doubt I'm as knowledgable about this game and league as you. However, one thing that I've come to surmise regarding the CFL is that the Canadians on your team really are the difference maker between being competitive and being god awful. When Reinbold came in back in 1996-97 he shipped out all our Canadian vets and tried to fill in the holes with smash-mouth American players, and look what happened. The more quality Canadian players you have, the better you'll be in the long run, and unfortunately for us as Bomber fans, Taman insisted on trading away first round draft picks so he could free up extra cash to keep our big name imports in town, claiming that Bomber fans would've jumped down his throat had he not. While I'm no fiscal expert, it seems to me that Taman and co. were willing to slowly dig their graves for the opportunity to keep a veteran group together that could win this city a Grey Cup, and they failed to do so. In conclusion, knuckle down Bomber fans, because we may be taking up a permanent residence in the CFL basement for the next couple years till we bring in smarter management and some quality Canadian talent.
P.S. Who's the coach of the St. Mary's Huskies powerhouse? I think Hamilton was smart to bring a successful CIS coach into the fold, and I think the Bombers should do the same. I forget the guy's name, but he's always had success out there.
Good analysis Brewbomber. Taman gambled and lost. But don't forget that he also took a pathetic team in the late '90s and turned it around so he is not completely incompetent. After all, look at all the players he got for Khari last year, and if he wanted, he could get him back for 1/3 of the salary that he was playing for before. I'd give him a bit of a chance to rebuild again.