Tag Archives: Calgary Stampeders

Another Day With the Circus

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
chris johnson tennessee titans 195 230x300 Another Day With the Circus

Chris Johnson Should Be in the NFL Playoffs

New Year’s Day was disappointing. There were no real upsets in the NFL wars. Sure, Kansas City going into Denver and beating the Broncos 7-3 was a bit of an upset, but considering all the holes in the Broncos offense, it wasn’t a big surprise.

In the end, the finish to the NFL season created the usual stupid playoff matchups. Explain to me the logic behind the ridiculous fact that 12-4 Pittsburgh has to go on the road to play at 8-8 Denver in the first round of the post-season this coming weekend. That’s bloody senseless. Sure, Denver won a Division, but there are BCS teams that could have won the AFC West. The only surprise in the AFC West is that San Diego coach Norv Turner wasn’t fired on Monday.

Of course, it was a surprise that Norv Turner wasn’t fired seven weeks ago.

ox281254232780969928 298x300 Another Day With the Circus

Tim Tebow Should Not Be in the NFL Playoffs

When 9-7 teams are eliminated (Tennessee) and 8-8 teams (Denver) get in, you have a problem with your playoff structure. It’s time the NFL went to at least eight teams in the post-season. Or else the league should have a cross-over team. Denver has no business being in the playoffs. And they have no business being in the playoffs even if they upset Pittsburgh this week. The Broncos, a sorry team,  are in the playoffs only because the rest of their division is putrid and their presence is a post-season blight on the NFL’s good name.

OK, that rant is done. Now, to relax. At least, on the day after New Year’s, we were treated to some very good sporting events.

Loved the Wisconsin-Oregon Rose Bowl, won 45-38 by Oregon in what the critics are calling Nike’s victory over adidas.

It seems the teams themselves were perfectly matched. The difference in the game was the uniforms. adidas had developed special uniforms for Wisconsin while Nike had developed what it called, “the greatest technological advancement in uniform design in sports history.” (I love the fact that Nike doesn’t get all hyperbolic about itself).

In the end, Oregon won because they had cooler helmets. At least, that’s my guess.

I also enjoyed the Michigan State-Georgia Outback Bowl in Tampa. Considering the way the Buccaneers played in 2011, it was the best football game Tampa fans saw all year. Michigan State won 33-30 in triple overtime. Nice.

classic111 300x200 Another Day With the Circus

Rangers Score to Win the Winter Classic

The one thing that wasn’t so nice on Jan. 2 was the Winter Classic, the NHL’s outdoor game in Philly. The hockey was decent and it’s always fun to watch one outdoor NHL game a year, but the officiating made the NHL look like professional wrestling.

I had a Sport Select ticket with the Flyers on it, but by the end of the game, I was cheering for the Rangers. That’s because, by the end of the game, referees Ian Walsh and Dennis LaRue were doing everything they possibly could to get Philly the tying goal. Why didn’t one of them just throw the puck in the net and say Scottie Hartnell shot it?

Ryan Callahan’s holding the stick penalty was one of the most mind-boggling calls in hockey history while the penalty shot call on Ryan McDonagh was weak (Covering the puck in the crease? Well, maybe, at absolute worst). In the end, Henrik Lundqvist beat the officials by himself and I didn’t even mind tearing up my Pro Line ticket.

Then, to top off a very interesting day, word arrived on my Twitter that the Calgary Stampeders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats were about to swap quarterbacks.

henry burris9 300x235 Another Day With the Circus

Henry Burris Now No. 1 in Hamilton

You knew it was coming, didn’t you? You knew there was no way the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were going back into battle with Kevin Glenn as their No. 1 quarterback next season. And you also knew that Lyle Bauer, the president in Calgary, was NOT going to pay Henry Burris a bonus on Feb. 1, if he could help it. After all, he pulled the same trick with Kevin Glenn in 2009 when he released Glenn before he had to pay him a few thousand bones.

Anyway, we learned late in the day that there was a deal in place to send Glenn to Calgary as the backup to Drew Tate — along with offensive lineman Mark Dewit — while Burris would head to the Ticats to be the new No. 1 in Hamilton.

It was a huge trade, but absolutely no surprise.

It was quite a day. Throw in all the NFL firings and it was a lot more fun than NFL Sunday.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, CFL, general sports, NFL, NHL

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts on Staggerville Sunday

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
Buck Pierce 4 200x300 Random Thoughts on Staggerville Sunday

Run Buck, Run! (Photo by Shawn Coates)

It used to be known as “Re-Match Weekend” around the CFL, but we here in Winnipeg now refer to it as “Banjo Bowl Weekend.” Then again, after Sunday’s debacle it might now be referred to as “Embarrassment Weekend.”

For the uninitiated, Banjo Bowl Weekend became a big deal eight years ago. It started after Bombers kicker Troy Westwood, a native of Saskatchewan, said, “The trouble with Roughriders fans is that they’re all banjo-picking inbreds.”

That, of course, led to an apoplectic fit from just about every person living in Saskatchewan, so Westwood was forced to apologize: “I’m sorry,” he said. “I was mistaken. Most Roughriders fans aren’t smart enough to play the banjo.” Ouch!

Ever since that day, the Sunday after Labor Day has become the cornerstone of Banjo Bowl Weekend and this past Sunday, the Bombers and their fans looked like the banjo pickers themselves. Getting drilled is one thing. Getting drilled 45-23 on your own field by a 2-7 team is quite another. Especially a 2-7 team you have decided you’re going to ridicule.

One thing about an 18-game schedule: There are no flukes. You are either good or you’re not and right now, B.C. (which has now allowed the fewest points in the CFL this season) and Saskatchewan  might be a lot better than we thought while Winnipeg and Edmonton might not be. Oh, and, by the way, Toronto is just one vile stinking dung pile of a football team.

Check out the Week 11 scores. We watched 2-7 Saskatchewan blast 7-2 Winnipeg, Montreal and Calgary got their revenge and this week, the Toronto media and head coach Jim Barker couldn’t blame Cleo Lemon. No matter how hard they might have tried. Here were the Banjo Bowl Weekend scores:

Calgary 30 at Edmonton 20

Toronto 6 at B.C. 28

Hamilton 13 at Montreal 43

Saskatchewan 45 at Winnipeg 23

The four games played this week proved four things: Toronto needs a coaching change if not a complete overhaul; Swaggerville has run its course and it’s time for Winnipeg to just play football; Hamilton has a solid, but inconsistent football team; and Edmonton proved that what happened last week (that 35-7 win in Calgary) was probably a fluke.

So, in honor of another entertaining Banjo Bowl Weekend in the CFL, here are a few random thoughts on the people, involved in the Bombers 45-23 loss to Saskatchewan.

On Craig Butler, S, Saskatchewan Roughriders: The Riders Canadian safety was sensational. In fact, here’s the player I think is your CFL defensive player of the week. Butler had a monster sack on Buck Pierce that was the turning point in the game. Pierce was never the same again. Then Butler picked off two passes and recovered a fumble. It was a game-changing defensive performance – and on the road, no less.

21 300x193 Random Thoughts on Staggerville Sunday

Darian Durant

On Darian Durant, QB, Saskatchewan Roughriders: The second straight outstanding performance by Durant, a guy I didn’t think had it in him. The Saskatchewan quarterback completed 14-of-27 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns. Granted, it didn’t hurt that the Bombers turned over the football six times, but Durant did exactly what was required to do in order to blow out the Bombers for the second straight week. In two games, back-to-back, against the vaunted Bomber secondary, Durant had seven TD passes.

On Paul LaPolice, Head Coach, Winnipeg Blue Bombers: Let’s just say that even at 7-3, he has some work to do. His team was not ready to play in front of a more-than-sold-out house against their arch-rivals. That’s on the head coach.

On Buck Pierce, QB, Winnipeg Blue Bombers: Sunday’s 45-23 loss to the Roughriders might have been the worst game Buck Pierce ever played. He threw five interceptions. Previously, his worst performance was three INTs. In the end, he completed 20-of-32 passes for 265 yards and no touchdowns. However, he started the game eight-for-eight and you know what they say, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” One wonders how Buck’s head is responding to treatment (if any) today.

On The Winnipeg Blue Bombers Offensive Line: These guys are going to get Buck Pierce killed. Pierce was sacked three times, but he was forced to take off and run three other times and that didn’t help His Royal Grogginess. Meanwhile, the line gave Fred Reid no opportunity to run the football and in the end he finished with nine carries for 40 yards. The Bombers have lost two straight to Saskatchewan and both times the Riders D-Line kicked the crapola out of the Bombers O-Line.

On Jamie Barresi, Offensive Coordinator, Winnipeg Blue Bombers: He has to find some offensive linemen who can block and he has to re-vamp an offence that hasn’t been very good all year. And he has to do it by this coming Sunday in order to compete with the second-place Alouettes, a team that whupped Hamilton 43-13 at Moslon Stadium this past week. Good luck with that.

For the Bombers, there is always next week. And at 7-3, they still have the best record in the CFL. But playing Montreal IN Montreal is a lot tougher than playing Saskatchewan at Canad Inns Stadium. The Bombers will have to fix that offence if they intend to go toe-to-toe with Anthony Calvillo and the Als this Sunday.

If they don’t, a 7-4 record and, suddenly, a tie for first in the East is what awaits them.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, CFL

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

With Any Offense At All, Bombers are 3-0. As it is….

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

It was quite an interesting night at Canad Inns Stadium on Thursday night. Interesting in the same sense that a four-hour concert of Sub-Saharan African Music Traditions is interesting.

It was interesting, certainly, but just not particularly entertaining.

The Bombers were beaten 21-20 by the Calgary Stampeders on a sleepy night when the Bomber defense deserved a much better fate.

The Bombers held Smilin’ Hank Burris to just 183 yards passing (a pittance) and only 14 points, and yet the offense not only couldn’t score in a womens’ prison with a handful of pardons, it also gave up a pick six to Keon Raymond.

For the third straight week, the Bombers defense played as if it was the best unit in the CFL. And on Thursday night, they did it without rock-solid Alex Suber who was injured on the first play of the game.

The Bombers offense was downright dreadful on Thursday. This is a team that needs to head back to the drawing board. To make things worse, starting quarterback Buck Pierce was injured in the first half and while Joey Elliott played as well as anyone could ever have expected – coming off the bench against a very good Calgary defense – he was no match for a Stamps team that not only plays tough, it doesn’t give up very many yards.

In fairness to Elliott, he did give the Bombers a chance to win on the final series of downs, but Justin Palardy missed a tough 44-yard field goal against the wind and the Bombers were toast. A 21-20 loss is not a blowout and Winnipeg’s defense showed it could play with Smilin’ Hank and all of that Calgary speed, but Winnipeg’s Paul LaPolice-style offense is absolutely terrible. Dull, predictable – well, often not predictable because it does things on second down that no predictable coach would ever do (Why is it, when the Bombers have second and eight, they almost always throw a four-yard pass? Duh?) — the Bombers offense is weak, slow and stone-handed.

Right now, the Bombers are still in the midst of the easy part of their schedule. They go to 1-1 Toronto next Saturday afternoon, play 0-2 B.C. at home on Thursday the 28th, get Edmonton on Aug. 5 at home, then go to B.C. on the 13th and come back to face Hamilton on the 26th (after the bye week). They are definitely capable of winning all five of those games.

But unless the offense figures things out, they won’t have much left in the defensive tank once they have to go to Saskatchewan on Labour Day. You can’t win consistently  in professional football with only your defense and special teams playing up to snuff.

If this offense doesn’t play better soon, it could be a long season.

 

 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, CFL

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dr. Football and The Coach Deal Out Their 2011 CFL Predictions

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

WINNIPEG — Vegas oddsmakers have made the Calgary Stampeders, at 11-4, the favorites to win the 2011 Grey Cup. No doubt Calgary has a good team, but are they better than Montreal? Are they even better than Hamilton?

Montreal is next on the Futures line at Vegas at 3-1. Saskatchewan is third at 11-2 followed by B.C. at 6-1, Edmonton and Hamilton at 7-1, Toronto at 8-1 and Winnipeg at 10-1.

The 2011 Canadian Football League season is upon us and it’s time to look into our crystal balls to see who will still be standing when the Grey Cup game kicks off in Vancouver on Nov. 27. My pal Dr. Football will pick first (he’s so confident, he even offers up the records of each team) and then I’ll take my shot.

DR. FOOTBALL

THE EAST

Montreal Alouettes 11-7: With a strong offensive line and a talented group of receivers, Anthony Calvillo should once again lead his team to first place in the East.

Toronto Argonauts 10-8: Expect the Argos to slightly improve from last year’s 9-9 under Jim Barker. There was less turmoil in the off season and stability in the coaching staff; something the team hasn’t seen since Pinball Clemons stepped down as head coach. Expect sophomore QB Cleo Lemon to continue to develop and the defense which gave up 25.1 points a game last season to be better.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats 9-9: Don’t expect to see anything from the Ti-Cats offence with Khari Jones calling the shots. Another mediocre season awaits in 2011. This team has the talent to win, but with the questionable coaching staff I can’t seeing anything but a .500 season and another quick exit from the playoffs. Close your eyes Angelo Mosca.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7-11:  A healthy Buck Pierce can make a difference in that, but when was the last time he was healthy for more than a few games? He has only been able to complete 17 out of his 27 starts in the CFL. The big void left by the departure of Phillip Hunt will hurt the most. When does hockey season start?

THE WEST

British Columbia Lions 11-7: The Lions are the team to watch in the West. BC began the 2010 season with a 1-7 record before figuring it out and posting a 7-3 mark over their last 10 games. QB Travis Lulay (2,602 yards, 9 TD’s) became the starting quarterback after the horrible start, and showed why he is the new face of the franchise.

Calgary Stampeders 11-7: Smiling Hank is getting long in the tooth. Opening the season with two rookies on the offensive line is not going to make it easier on him either.

Saskatchewan Roughriders 8-10: The Riders have gone from having the best Canadian receiving corps in the league to a very average one. Replacing Andy Fantuz and Rob Bagg won’t be easy. We will also find out why Greg Marshall has been constantly passed over for a head coaching job too.

Edmonton Eskimos 5-13: Kavis Reed? See Paul LaPolice 2010. It’s not gonna be a fun year in Edmonton.

THE GREY CUP: Montreal vs B.C.

THE COACH

THE EAST

1. Montreal Alouettes: Take a close look at the Montreal Alouettes and the first thing you notice are the players who are gone – Ben Cahoon, Avon Cobourne, Mathieu Proulx and Damon Duval. Then, you realize quarterback Anthony Calvillo and head coach Marc Trestman are still there and that means the Alouettes are still a threat to win every game. The two-time defending Grey Cup champions are favored to win the East and with players such as runningbacks Kerry Carter, Dahrran Diedrick and Emmanuel Marc and wideouts Dallas Baker, Brandon London and Brian Bratton, Calvillo has plenty of talent at his side. His offensive line is pretty good, too. If Calvillo dishes for 4,221 passing yards he’ll pass Damon Allen’s unpassable passing record. It’s possible.

2. Hamilton Tiger-Cats: If there is a team capable of unseating the Alouettes at the top of the CFL, it’s Kevin Glenn and the Ticats. Glenn has an array of talented players to throw to: Arland Bruce III, Maurice Mann, Aaron Kelly and Dave Stala. He also has a couple of great backs – Terry Grant and Avon Cobourne (who really wants to kick Montreal’s butt – and an improving offensive line. If Hamilton’s defense can hold the opposition to 25 points or less, the Ticats will win a lot of games.

3. Toronto Argonauts: Cleo Lemon will be just fine as quarterback until Steven Jyles’ shoulder heals. Then again, Lemon just might keep the job after Jyles comes back. The former NFLer is much improved over last year and he looks like he’s ready to be a star in the CFL. Meanwhile, the Argos might have unearthed the CFL’s next superstar runningback in Chad Kackert. The 5-foot-8, 200-pound speedster from New Hampshire made quite an impression in Toronto’s final pre-season game and if he gets the ball on a regular basis, look out. With receivers such as D.J. Boldin, Brandon Rideau and Djems Kouame, the Argos could be a very interesting team.

4. Winnipeg Blue Bombers: This deal is simple. If quarterback Buck Pierce stays healthy and plays 14-15 games, the Bombers can be 9-9 and in the playoffs. If he gets hurt again (and history says he’ll get hurt), the Bombers could easily suffer through another 4-14 season. Although, in fairness, give backup QB Joey Elliott some credit. He played at Purdue, he looks comfortable under centre (at least, during his limited snaps, he’s looked comfortable) and he has a great arm. He also has Greg Carr (when he’s healthy), Terrence Jeffers-Harris and Terrence Edwards to throw to. The league’s leading rusher in 2010, Fred Reid is back and if the offensive line can get the job done, Reid could have another great year. If the defense does anything at all, the Bombers will be good enough to compete this season, but it’s going to be tough.

THE WEST

1. Calgary Stampeders: Smilin’ Hank Burris gives the Stamps the best signal caller in the Western Conference. Three years removed from his finest season as a pro and only an off-season following his Most Outstanding Player Award, Burris is still the best QB in the West, but his team still doesn’t have what they believe is a legitimate backup. Raw Canadian Brad Sinopoli is No. 2 with Drew Tate injured, and they’re deciding whether or not to sign veteran Michael Bishop (who doesn’t have a valid passport right now), but right now, the Stamps are no different than the Blue Bombers – if No. 1 goes down, they’ll have stress. However, if Burris remains upright, this is a great offensive team. With Joffrey Reynolds carrying the mail and four great receivers, it’s a team that averaged 34 points a game, the most in the CFL, last year. There really isn’t a weak spot on the Stamps – on offense or defense.

2. B.C. Lions: Travis Lulay will get an entire season at quarterback and we’ll learn quite quickly if he’s as good as Wally Buono believes he is. It doesn’t hurt that Jarious Jackson is the backup. He’s still a very good quarterback. With Geroy Simon to throw to and with veteran talent such as Brent Johnson, Korey Banks, Davis Sanchez and two-time all-star Ben Archibald, the Lions will be a real threat in the West. Fact is, this team could have the best collection of young talent in the CFL.

3. Saskatchewan Roughriders: One always has to remember, “Pre-season is just practice.” If it wasn’t just practice, the Saskatchewan Roughriders would be horrible. They were absolutely awful in a 34-6 loss to the Lions in the final “practice” game. However, with Greg Marshall getting his first shot as a head coach in the CFL, it’s hard to imagine this will be a bad team. With receivers Andy Fantuz (off to the NFL) and Rob Bagg (injured) gone, the question will be, can Darian Durant be as effective? My answer is no, but the Riders can always surprise.

4. Edmonton Eskimos: It’s hard to imagine that a team with Ricky Ray at quarterback could be so horrendous, but ladies and gentlemen, meet the Edmonton Eskimos. Former Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive co-ordinator Kavis Reed is the team’s new head coach and he’s really got his work cut out for him. However, this once-lousy defence should improve. Back in 2007, Reed and his new defensive co-ordinator this year, former Argos head coach Rich Stubler, worked together in Toronto and turned an average defense into a great defense (from 27.1 points per game to 15.8 points per game). If they can do that again this year, the Eskimos will no longer be horrible.

THE GREY CUP: Montreal vs. Calgary

 

 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, CFL

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There Was a Time When the Crossover Was A Reward…

Posted on October 17, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

When the Canadian Football League moved Winnipeg back to the East and created the crossover playoff structure, the crossover was a reward.

It was created to honor a good team stuck in a great Conference. For instance, if the East had a 13-5 team and  12-6 teams and your favorite team was 10-8, your favorite team would make the playoffs because the West probably had a 12-6 champ and, ay, three teams that were about 4-14. A 10-8 team deserves to be in the playoffs.

This year, however, a team that is 6-12 could conceivably reach the post-season in the crossover because the B.C. Lions and Edmonton Eskimos are so bad, they’re both embarrassments to the CFL.

Yesterday, the Montreal Alouettes defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 22-19 because when it really counted, the Bombers offence couldn’t make a play. It’s been the same sad story all year for Winnipeg. When they play on the road, they stink. They’re 0-8 away from Canad Inns this season and with a 4-3 record at home, the Bombers are now 4-11.

And still, because Edmonton beat B.C. 31-28 in overtime on Saturday night, the 4-11 Bombers still have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs. Not only are Edmonton and B.C. both 5-10, there is no reason to believe either team will win another game this season.

Edmonton finishes the season at home to Saskatchewan, at home to Winnipeg and on the road at Saskatchewan. They could easily go 0-3 down the stretch. B.C. goes to Calgary, plays at home to Saskatchewan and goes to Hamilton. They could easily go 0-3 down the stretch. Winnipeg has Toronto at home this week, goes to Edmonton and plays host to Calgary. They could easily go 2-1 or even 3-0 down the stretch.

While the Canadian Press wanted to make it clear in their national game story yesterday that the Bombers were dead, nothing could be further from the truth. CP wrote, “The loss further dims the unlikely playoff hopes for the Blue Bombers,” when in fact, it doesn’t dim them much at all. After what happened on the weekend, the Bombers are officially two games back of Edmonton and B.C. (they must finish ahead of the Lions and Eskimos to claim the crossover) with three games to play and they have a relatively easy schedule to finish the year. The Lions and Eskimos have extremely difficult schedules. Winnipeg could make the playoffs with a 1-8 or even an 0-9 road record (if they win their two home games and B.C. and Edmonton lose out).

Look, the Bombers are a lousy football team, but they aren’t so lousy, they won’t make the playoffs.

And that, in itself, is as embarrassing to the CFL as the absolute dreadfulness of the three bottom teams in the league this year.


→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bombers Look Good in Defeat. But Doesn’t it Get Old Saying That?

Posted on August 1, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Saturday night in Calgary, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers played a pretty decent football game in a 23-20 loss to the Stampeders.

It’s unlikely head coach Paul LaPolice and his staff are happy about it  and you can pretty much bet the players are pissed at losing, but all things considered, a 23-20 loss to the best team in the West in their ball yard isn’t the end of the world.

OK, so the Bombers offence was marginal, but the guy playing quarterback, Steven Jyles, was simply a backup filling in for No. 1 Buck Pierce and when Pierce is ready to go, the Bombers should pick it up. In the end, Jyles was barely 50 per cent at 17-for-30 for 227 yards and two touchdowns, but 61 of those yards came on a single play when Jyles hit Terrence Edwards on long TD pass after Calgary’s Brandon Browner completely blew the coverage.

Granted, the Bombers had a chance to win it late in the fourth quarter, but from the Calgary 30, Jyles missed three straight receivers and that was it. When you consider that the Bombers offence as able to put up only 18 points (the final two points came on a time-wasting safety by the Stamps themselves just to blow the final seven seconds off the clock) while the defence played so well, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Winnipeg might have won that game with Pierce at the helm.

Defensively, the Bombers bent but didn’t break. At least, not too often. Calgary QB Henry Burris put together a terrific drive on the first series of the third quarter, but after moving the ball from deep in their own end to deep in the Bombers end, Philip Hunt forced a fumble and the Bombers made a game of it.

“I told the team I was proud of their effort,” LaPolice told reporters in Calgary after the game. “We put ourselves in a position to win the game, but unfortunately we didn’t make enough plays to win it. Hats off to them, they’re a good defensive unit.”

LaPolice is a decent man. I know football coaches and I know he was steaming underneath. The Bombers did have a chance to win and probably should have. However, aside from everything else, this effort did prove that when healthy, the Bombers are definitely capable of competing with any team in the league. Especially on the defensive side of the football.

The Bombers are now 2-3. Next week, they go into Hamilton, the site of that 28-7 loss in Week 3, in two weeks they get Hamilton back in Winnipeg on Aug. 13 (where the Bombers won 49-29 in Week 1) and in three weeks they go to Montreal where they’ll really be tested. Then it’s back-to-back with Saskatchewan. By Sept. 12, after their 10th game, we’ll know if this is a good Bomber team or just another also-ran.

Listen every Monday through Friday at 9:20 a.m. and 5:20 p.m. for the NCI Blue Bomber Reports brought to you by Valour Tri-West Insurance. In Winnipeg, the reports can be heard at 105.5 FM. Outside Winnipeg, check local listings for the NCI network station in your area.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, CFL

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Joe Mack Named Bombers GM. News Conference on Friday.

Posted on January 21, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Joe Mack, who was with the Bombers from 1984-87, will be officially unveiled as the team’s general manager and director of football operations at a 10 a.m. news conference on Friday.

The story was broken early Thursday afternoon on Winnipeg’s 92-CITI-FM.

Mack has not held a CFL position since he left the Bombers in 1987, but he has worked with three NFL franchises — Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins. He won a Grey Cup ring with the Bombers in 1984 and helped build the team that won in 1988 and he won a Super Bowl ring with Washington in 1992.

Mack is a tremendous football man and an outstanding guy. This is a great first step for the rebuilding Bombers.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, CFL

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Things Banging Around in My Head

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

When you spend every waking moment reading about, writing about or thinking about sports, one of two things will happen: Your brain will turn to tapioca or you’ll start a blog to get this crap out of your head.

Right now, I have a headache. Let’s see if I can drain the swamp.

1) For head coach Mike Kelly’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, there might not be a more important football game played this season than Saturday night’s Bombers-Argos battle at Canad Inns Stadium. If the Bombers win and go to 4-8, they’re right back in the playoff hunt (that’s what happens in a league where six of eight teams make the playoffs). However, if they lose and fall to 3-9, it will be time to think about next year.

Lose, and the Bombers can go right ahead and release Michael Bishop, save some money and let the kids, Casey Bramlet and Ricky Santos share the quarterbacking duties for the rest of the season.

2) “The Minister of Defence,” Barrin Simpson, is no longer a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The star middle linebacker, who was, for awhile, on the CFL’s nine-game disabled list, has been told by head coach Mike Kelly not to return to the locker room, to meetings or to hang out at practice.

To make matters more difficult for the Minister’s future in Winnipeg, the CFL’s board of governors ruled yesterday in favour of Simpson’s grievance, a grievance that was filed last week. The board said Simpson would be placed on the one-game injured list, not the nine-game list. The Bombers wanted him on the nine-game list so his contract wouldn’t count against the cap.

Now that he’s already come off that list, if he can’t be traded quickly he will likely have to be released.

And the Bombers will get nothing in return for a very good football player.

3) This my good friend and 92-CITI-FM producer, Scott O’Neil: “Mark my words, you will be doing a CFL Report (7:15 a.m., every Monday through Friday, on 92-CITI-Fm brought to you by MAACO) on how Casey Printers led the B.C. Lions into the playoffs and how Barrin Simpson led some other team into the playoffs.”

I agreed.

4) Jim Balsillie, the man who wants to buy the Phoenix Coyotes for $242.5 million and move them to Hamilton, told the bankruptcy court in Phoenix on Wednesday, that he would agree to keep the team in Phoenix this year.

Which mans that Balsillie has another $50 million (the likely number for this year’s losses) to throw away on that dog of a franchise.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, general sports

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Some Blue Bomber Thoughts. On a Perfect Tuesday in September

Posted on September 15, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

The NFL is back and at this stage, I like New England and Minnesota in the Super Bowl. That, of course, is subject to change.

The NHL is back and right now, I like Calgary and Washington in the Stanley Cup final. That is also subject to change.

The CFL, meanwhile, is heading into Week 12. There are eight games remaining and things start to get serious now. If I were a betting man today, I’d bet Calgary and Montreal meet in the Grey Cup, but who knows? That could change, too. This year, the CFL is as close as it’s ever been, at least among the league’s top four teams: Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton and Saskatchewan. Meanwhile, Hamilton isn’t bad and B.C. should be better.

Toronto and Winnipeg, however, are extremely lousy, but if B.C. doesn’t improve, one of these two dogs could reach the playoffs.

1) Yep, that’s the craziest part about Winnipeg’s last two defeats – 29-14 in Saskatchewan and 55-10 by Saskatchewan in Winnipeg. As badly as Winnipeg has been beaten and as horribly as they’ve played, the Bombers are still in the thick of the playoff hunt.

Granted, when six teams out of eight make the playoffs, it’s harder to miss the post-season than to make it. But that’s a good thing if you’re the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Right now the 3-7 Bombers are only two points out of the playoffs, tied with Toronto at 3-7 and in view of crossover B.C. at 4-6.

Meanwhile, after this coming Sunday’s game in Montreal, the Bombers have a very easy schedule with more home games than road games. Playoffs here we come????

2) Mike Kelly continues to deny that Casey Printers is ever, ever, ever coming to Winnipeg, but what happens when Montreal clobbers the Bombers this week and again, it’s the quarterback position that kills the local side?

Kelly doesn’t like Printers, it’s personal and that’s fine, but the coach does have a quarterback problem and he’s running out of options. Jeff Garcia signed with Philly on Monday so he’s not returning to Canada any time soon.

And don’t tell me Casey Bramlet is the answer. Please don’t tell me that.

3) In the midst of a football world full of craziness, you have to give the Toronto Argos some credit. At least, they’re trying to get better.

Yesterday, the scorchingly fast Dominique Dorsey returned to the Argos. Dorsey, who was a CFL special teams all-star last season and a guy who led the league in combined yards despite missing five games due to injury, was just recently cut loose by the NFL’s Washington Redskins. No other NFL team came calling, so Dorsey re-signed with the Boatmen, the team with which he played for the past two seasons.

The Argos return game, just like the Bombers return game, has been less than satisfactory this year and Dorsey will immediately make the Argos better. He’ll also play some running back and catch the football from the H-back position. Evidently, the Argos don’t want to fall to 3-8 if they don’t have to.

Toronto plays in B.C. this week while Winnipeg plays in Montreal.

Wonder what the Bombers will be thinking about on Monday? Casey Printers? Pacman Jones? Kevin Glenn? All interesting thoughts.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bombers Lose. It’s Becoming a Habit. But it’s Fixable.

Posted on September 9, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Last Sunday afternoon in Regina, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were drilled 29-14 by the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

I must admit, I thought the Bombers would win. I thought the team that played in B.C. one week earlier was the real Bombers. That team won 37-10. This past week’s team didn’t look like the real Bombers. It looked like some absurd, talentless, faux Bombers.

Oh well, here’s the deal: When you have six turnovers and the other team has one, you lose. More often than not, you get clobbered. The Bombers got clobbered.

However, until the fourth quarter disaster — three of the six turnovers came in the final 15 minutes — I watched a team that still had a chance to win. Fact is, the Roughriders might be a 5-4 first-place team, but they aren’t Montreal or Calgary and they  probably aren’t even Hamilton (Boy, that Kevin Glenn has played well, hasn’t he?). The Riders are beatable. They aren’t Grey Cup contenders at all. And with 30,000 crazies at Canad Inns Stadium this week, Winnipeg can certainly win.

We talked about this on The TEAM 1260 in Edmonton this morning. The only team that really doesn’t have a chance to win its post-Labour Day Classic re-match is the Toronto Argos. This is, after all, the CFL. Home teams win a lot and there is no reason to believe Montreal, Edmonton and Winnipeg won’t win at home this week. Toronto, on the other hand, is just a mess and you have to wonder how long head coach Bart Andrus will keep his job.

Now, I’m not naive. I still believe the Bombers must improve at quarterback if they’re ever going to become a .500 football team. But they should win this week.

What happens in Montreal in Week 12, however, is a whole ‘nother deal, but still, if the Bombers are 4-7 with Toronto coming to town on Sept. 26, they’ll make the playoffs. In fact, even with Michael Bishop at quarterback, this looks like a team that will be no worse than  8-10.

Check the schedule. There are a load of home games, and plenty of wins out there.  Just win on Sunday and everything should be fine. Lose, and well…WTF.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, CFL

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,