Blue Bombers Blog

Original post by CFL

Here’s the Winnipeg Free Press stories from today.

Overview of Blue Bomber Stadium proposal

Bomber Stadium Fan Forum Details

Winnipeg Sun story calling the event David Asper’s soft sell

My take:
Generally positive coverage. 300-400 folks attended depending on which media outlet counted. Many were trying the new larger more comfortable seats that will be installed. (Comfortable wider seats with cupholders…bringing us into the current century in terms of stadiums…mmmm….let me tell the politicians you can spend my tax money now). The event gave the project the sense of inevitability it needed.

Asper said this morning on a radio interview that all work will be in the background now until after the Grey Cup. The focus should be on the team and their on field efforts to get into the Grey Cup and re-energized this city and province even more so about their Bombers.

Kudos to the Bomber’s management for presenting Grey Cup rings, which apparently was not something that was done in those days, to the following players from the Bomber Grey Cup winning teams of my youth. What memories for me to read this list and remember those great as I started following this team. The packed Winnipeg Arena to welcome home the team, that my father took me too, is still a strong and vivid memory.

1958: Jim Tonn, Gerry Vincent
1959: Keith Webster, Carver Shannon

1961: Ray Jauch, Jim Thoroski, Mike Wright

1962: Sherwyn Thorson, Bill Whisler
1958 & 1959: Walter Bilicki, Tony Kehrer, Ken Kovacs, Bud Tinsley, Jim
Van Pelt
1961 & 1962: Ray Ash, Roger Hamelin, Dick Thornton
1958, 1959, 1961: Ron Meadmore, Ted Mikliechuk
1959, 1961, 1962: Jack Delveaux, Henry Janzen and Gord Mackie
1958, 1959, 1961, 1962: Bud Grant, Gerry James, Ron (Pepe) LaTourelle, Leo
Lewis, Nick Miller, Steve Patrick, Cornel Piper, Ken Ploen, Rick Potter, Frank
Rigney, Gord Rowland, Roger Savoie, Joe Zaleski

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Not only do the fans and coaches have to call the players on their play sometimes, and fans and players the coaches. That’s the fishbowl they choose to live in. We have had for many years the other group of people who live in the fishbowl. The Swami’s. The football “expert”, a writer or a former player usually, sometimes a monkey, who gets right out on the limb and makes predictions. For what real benefit other than getting the fans amped up, I don’t know.

Occasionally you find someone who can predict more wins than losses at a level that makes them worth following. And with that, I want to give a shout out to Mitch Zalnasky, of the CJOB radio broadcast team, (and former CFL and NFL player, I should say, who obviously kept his feet on the ground and his head in the game) as reported by the Winnipeg Free Press, see bottom of post, who I happened to notice is 47-25 in predictions, at the top of his group. That’s a nice 65% record in pretty wild year in the league. Mitch has got the Bombers. I’m in too. I’m off to check Chris Schultz’s record Has anyone topped Mitch around the league. Oooh, just saw Shutzie’s record. 54%.

The Winnipeg Free Press Online Edition

ED TAIT’S PLAYOFF PRIMEREAST SEMIFINAL
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (9-9) at TORONTO ARGONAUTS (10-8)
When: Sunday, noon TV: CBC/RDS Radio: CJOB
Totalodds.com line: The Argonauts are favoured by 3.5 points.
Streaks: Wpg.: 1L; Tor.: 2L
Last 10: Wpg.: 4-6; Tor.: 7-3
The storyline: An intriguing matchup featuring two clubs that, despite their recent woes, carry a lot of bravado into the postseason. The Bombers are two wins away from playing in a Grey Cup game in their own backyard but need both QB Kevin Glenn and DT Doug Brown on the field in order to compete. Interestingly, this will be the first time this season both teams will have their No. 1 guns in action: the Argos were without Damon Allen for losses to Winnipeg earlier this season while Toronto’s win here in August came with Mike Quinn at the Bomber controls.
Head to head: The Bombers won the season series 2-1 with a 16-9 victory on June 23rd, a 24-17 win on July 8 before losing 18-15 on Aug. 25.
Home field advantage/disadvantage: Winnipeg was 5-4 on the road this season; the Argos were 5-4 at home.

Ed Tait picks: Winnipeg: We like what we’ve seen over the last month or so and figure QB Kevin Glenn can tough out his ankle injury.
Randy Turner picks: Toronto: Too many question marks around Kevin Glenn’s health, and way too many question marks around his possible replacements.
Chris Cariou picks: Winnipeg: The Bombers will have Kevin Glenn, the Argos are struggling offensively and the Blue were one of the league’s top teams on the road.
Bob Irving picks: Winnipeg: The Bombers match up well against the Argos and Winnipeg’s secondary will play a killer game after being slighted in the all-star voting.
Mitch Zalnasky picks: Winnipeg: The team that wins the field position battle wins the game; Westwood out kicks Prefontaine, Winnipeg moves on to Montreal.

WEST SEMIFINAL
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (9-9) at CALGARY STAMPEDERS (10-8)
When: Sunday, 3 p.m. TV: CBC/RDS Radio: CJOB
Vegas line: The Stampeders are favoured by 7 points.
Streaks: Saskatchewan: 1L; Calgary: 1L.
Last 10: Sask.: 6-4; Cal.: 6-4.
The storyline: A juicy battle pitting two clubs who have teased over the past few years, but haven’t got it done in November. And the loser can expect a whole lot of finger pointing. Rider boss Danny Barrett, rumour has it, needs a long November run to keep his job while the Stamps — despite all their promise over the past two years — have under-achieved. Both teams can pound the ball effectively and feature mobile pivots, so this could come down to which defence handles that challenge best.
Head to head: Calgary won the season series 2-1, with a 53-36 victory on July 8 and a 23-7 decision on August 5th while the Riders won 19-9 back on July 29.
Home field advantage/disadvantage: Saskatchewan was 3-6 on the road; the Stamps an impressive 8-1 at McMahon Stadium.

Ed Tait picks: Calgary: They’re cocky, brash and loud… and they’re talented enough to knock off the Riders.
Randy Turner picks: Calgary: Sorry, Rider Nation, but the Stamps, although unpredictable, have more firepower on offence.
Chris Cariou picks: Calgary: A virtual saw-off, but Joffrey Reynolds and the absence of Gainer the Gopher give the Stamps the edge.
Bob Irving picks: Calgary: Stamps need a big game out of Henry Burris, and they’ll get it.
Mitch Zalnasky picks: Danny Barrett coaches his last game as a Rider; Gainer Gopher gets stomped by Reynolds and Burris.

Last week/year: Mitch Zalnasky: 2-1/47-25; Randy Turner: 1-2/44-28; Bob Irving: 1-2/41-31; Chris Cariou: 1-2/40-32; Ed Tait: 1-2/34-38.

Who are the CFL’s to 50 Players? Great promotion leading up to the Grey Cup in Winnipeg in mid November, especially for anyone who has any kind of history with the CFL. That’s a reference to us, “the old guys”.

Top 50 CFL Players (video vignettes here)

For Winnipeg, it’s supporters have desperately wanted their team to be in the Cup game at home. The team has been up and down all year, and ticket sales in this mostly homer town have shown it. Recently fans have been thinking this might just happen as the team seemed to be finding itself again. We now see again the importance of the recruiting staff, and backup personnel.

This was a bad situation waiting to happen and wasn’t addressed well all year. We didn’t get the help from the Great Playmaker in the sky who oversees this because that’s what it seemed we were depending on.

With Kevin Glenn’s injury, and without adequate reserves who can play at at least, 75% of the starter’s ability, we can only hope that maybe this week, our prayers will be answered, and Glenn will heal magically, or we’ll win a defensive struggle with an interception, and stick primarily to our running game and short flares.

Did I send you a tape of my work at Bomber Fantasy Camp this year?

In no particular order:

1) Can we establish a consistent and dependable kicking game?

2) Can we avoid panic if we don’t start the season 2-2 against Montreal and Toronto? Or even 1-3 or 0-4? Can our locker room leaders stay leaders and our coaching staff stay calm?

3) Do we really have enough talent at quarterback? What do we do if Kevin Glenn’s June is a bust? (see earlier post)

4) How improved will the defence really be? I was not impressed in the first pre season game.

5) Can we replace Keith Stokes at returner and will Albert Johnson III be the one to break several for TD’s as Keith did?

Gamebreaking plays and top performance and execution under pressure (pressure of time or pressure of need to score or prevent a score) are always the ultimate keys to success or failure.

Original post by CFL

Original post by CFL

SLAM! Sports - The veteran quarterback signed a contract with the club today then immediately called it quits during a news conference in Winnipeg. Jones spent five seasons with the Blue Bombers, from 2000 to 2004. In 2001 he was named the C-F-L’s Outstanding …

Original post by CFL

Finally something to get me started writing for the year.

I’d say this to Coach Berry. I don’t know what Troy Westwood has done to you on or off the field to cloud your judgment, but hanging him out to dry whilst you give Rob Pekula an opportunity to prove himself is a bit over the line for me. This is a guy that gave this team a lot of good years. Plus I’ll add was a great team ambassador whenever I bumped into him in the community. So I’m a bit biased.

If we needed a new kicker why didn’t we have training camp and exhibition games set up for the auditions. Kickers need confidence, a good hold, low wind, leg strength, and a bit of luck. I don’t think you can determine in any one game whether a kicker has or has not lost his effectiveness.

Isn’t the biggest problem we have the fact that the next time Kevin Glenn gets injured, that our offence suddenly will lose about 50% of it’s effectiveness? Putting effective backups in place and ensuring their readiness is an important part of the coaching process. Improving the talent level overall was an important part of your plan for this year and one that will take us to a higher level as a team. It makes good sense to me.

We likely need a backup kicker on the roster as well. A two kicker system whilst you groom Pekula or someone else to take over, and then Troy’s replacement is grooming someone else, is the best way to proceed, I believe.

He may be directly responsible for one point we lost. Then again I suspect there were other mistakes made by other players that game. I for one would like to see the kickers controversy become just a question of which kicker can give us the highest possible efficiency for field goals and punts. That may vary game by game depending on their health and upcoming game conditions. If that isn’t Troy, because of some problem the coaching staff have with him, can’t we arrange for him to go to another team or retire, if he wants to, on his own terms.

I’d love to see a quarterback controversy instead.

Edmonton Sun - WINNIPEG — The free agent from Saskatchewan has proven to be a ball hawk in the past. And indications are that defensive back Davin Bush will continue those ways as a Winnipeg Blue Bomber. Bush picked off a Rocky Butler pass and raced 47 yards to …

WINNIPEG — The Blue Bombers just finished the CFL pre-season by blowing a pair of games to what was the worst team in the circuit last year. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated Winnipeg 35-23 and 24-20.

Calgary Sun - WINNIPEG — The Blue Bombers just finished the CFL pre-season by blowing a pair of games to what was the worst team in the circuit last year. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated Winnipeg 35-23 and 24-20. And what may be worse is veteran slotback Milt …

Winnipeg Sun - The Winnipeg Blue Bombers just finished the CFL pre-season by blowing a pair of games to what was the worst team in the circuit last year. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated Winnipeg 35-23 and 24-20. And what may be worse is that veteran slotback Milt …

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers, a community-owned entity for 77 years, is being transferred to media tycoon David Asper, the team announced Friday.