Tag Archives: paul lapolice

Buck Pierce: Michael Bishop 2

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Scott Taylor| 2 Comments

Until the re-signing of long-snapper Chris Cvetkovic on Friday, there were 17 Winnipeg Blue Bombers on the free agent list. Most of them have one goal: They really, really want to get paid.

Buck Pierce 300x221 Buck Pierce: Michael Bishop 2

Buck Pierce

Doug Brown will likely retire so signing NT Don Oramasionwu will be important as will getting Canadian safety Ian Logan under contract. After that, the contributing free agents all play on offense: Breandan LaBatte, Steve Morley, Glenn January, Andre Douglas and Ryan Donnelly make up an important part of the offensive line. Receivers Aaron Hargreaves and Greg Carr will be big signings as will quarterbacks Buck Pierce, Alex Brink and Joey Elliot. Well, maybe.

Pierce is one guy who has indicated he wants to be rewarded for taking the Bombers to the Grey Cup this past season, but based on Pierce’s numbers and penchant for injury, it might be worth GM Joe Mack’s while to think twice about breaking the bank for a guy whose numbers are no better than Michael Bishop’s.

That’s right. If you look at the hated 2009 Bombers and the beloved 2011 Bombers, you will see clearly that the QB in 2011 wasn’t a whole lot better than the QB in 2009. In fact, statistically, the two teams were not a lot different.

Sure this past year’s team went 10-8 and made it to the Grey Cup where it was drilled 34-23 in the national final. The 2009 team, meanwhile, went 7-11 and missed the playoffs. Clearly the reason for the three-game difference was points for and against. This past year the Bombers scored 432 points and had 432 scored against then. The 2009 team managed only 386 points and allowed 506.

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Mike Kelly

But the same statistics suggest that if it wasn’t for one horrendous 55-10 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, those point totals would have been virtually equal. And if the Bombers’ receivers coach doesn’t grease the skids in the final game of the season, a 39-17 loss to Hamilton in which the receivers were so bad, they quit completely (those inside still believe it was done to make sure the team missed the playoffs and Mike Kelly was fired) , the Bombers would have made the playoffs.

Regardless, that 2009 team was despised from coast to coast, the coach was hated and the local media did exactly what it set out to do, get that coach fired.

What it got in return is a beloved coaching staff that has put up the exact same won-lost record as the coach who was despised. Mike Kelly was 7-11 while Paul LaPolice and company has gone 14-22. The .388 percentage is the same for both coaches.

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Paul LaPolice

However, to be fair, LaPolice, with Pierce at quarterback, did make it to the Grey Cup this past season (OK, Doug Berry and Kevin Glenn got to the Grey Cup in our little eight-team house league). However, the team had a 10-8 record and finished first in the East. The other teams in the East had records of 10-8, 8-10 and 6-12. The 8-10 Hamilton Tiger-Cats made the playoffs.

The 2009 Bombers finished third in the East at 7-11 but missed the playoffs because B.C. finished 8-10, finished last in the West and won the crossover. The first place team in the East that year was Montreal at 15-3. This year Montreal was 10-8.

There are all sorts of comparisons between the 2009 and 2011 Bombers teams. Especially on defense. After all, it was the 2009 Bombers that created “Swaggerville.”

This year’s vaunted Bombers defense had 54 takeaways — exactly the same number as the 2009 defense. The 2011 team had 25 interceptions while the 2009 team had 31 interceptions. The 2011 team recovered 18 fumbles while the 2009 team recovered 16 fumbles. The 2011 team forced the opposition to turn the ball over on downs 11 times wile the 2009 team forced the opposition to turn it ober on downs seven times — 54 takeaways each. Hmmm.

BISHOP AND BUCK ARE THE SAME GUY

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Michael Bishop

But it’s on offense where Mack has to sit back and say, should we pay a whole lot of money to those offensive linemen and that No. 1 quarterback? Have we fixed all our problems on offense by firing Jamie Barresi? Or should we keep Joey Elliot and Alex Brink and save our money on Buck?

If I were Mack, I’d check these numbers first. After all, the Bombers went out of their way to run Michael Bishop out on a rail after the 2009 season. These days there are people within the organization who think Pierce is the answer, but his numbers wouldn’t confirm that.

In 2009, Bishop started 13 games. In 2011 Buck started 16.

Bishop had 405 passing attempts, Buck had 411 attempts.

Bishop threw for 3,036 yards Buck threw for 3,348.

Bishop threw 15 touchdown passes (3.7 per attempt). Buck threw 14 touchdown passes (3.4 per attempt).

Bishop threw 20 interceptions (4.9 per attempt). Buck threw 18 interceptions (4.4 per attempt).

Bishop had 204 completions in 13 games while Buck had 261 completions in 16 games, but don’t forget, this year the Bombers best receiver, Terrence Edwards, didn’t miss half the season with turf toe as he did in 2009.

If Buck Pierce intends to “get paid,” he might want to check out the free agent market. Because if the Bombers pay him, they’re paying for Michael Bishop’s numbers and in 2009, the same coach and GM that are here today thought those numbers were worthless.

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Jeffers-Harris Signs With Hamilton. Does It Matter?

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
Swarming D 200x300 Jeffers Harris Signs With Hamilton. Does It Matter?

The Swarming Bombers D is the Key to Victory (Photos by Shawn Coates)

On the eve of the final football game ever played at Canad Inns Stadium, I’ve received a number of emails, texts and Facebook messages concerning  the recent release of Blue Bombers wide receiver Terence Jeffers-Harris.

In a bit of a shocker this past week, the Bombers released the talented but disgruntled import wideout and then the Hamilton Tiger-Cats — the Bombers opponents in tomorrow’s Eastern final — signed him. For those who have been around the team recently, the release didn’t come as a shock, but the fact hamilton decided to sign the guy was kind of stunning.

According to Bombers general manager Joe Mack: “It became evident throughout the course of the season that T.J. was struggling with his position with the team. With our club preparing for this crucial game Sunday, it became clearer that he was having difficulty coming to terms with the challenges of limited playing time, therefore, this difficult decision was made today. Although regrettable, we feel that this was in the best interest of both the organization and T.J. Harris, and thank him for his efforts put forth throughout the past two seasons.” Through

Harris was solid but not outstanding during two seasons in Winnipeg. He had 77 receptions for 894 yards and six touchdowns, but in recent weeks had been relegated to the practice roster. His time in Winnipeg was coming to and end, but the timning of the release did take some people by surprise.

Me included. I thought for sure the Bombers would have waited until after the season (whether that “after” comes tomorrow or next week) to let Jeffers-Harris go. There was no need to allow him to give secrets to the enemy, even though it’s unlikely there are any secrets that the Tiger-Cats don;’t already know.

Jovon Johnson 4 200x300 Jeffers Harris Signs With Hamilton. Does It Matter?

Jovon Johnson Needs to Bring the Swagger

That’s the one thing about football.  Coaches spend so much time scouting and watching video that there is really nothing new under the sun. Everybody in the league knows everybody else’s tendencies and whether Jeffers-Harris can give the Tiger-Cats coaching staff any real insight remains to be seen.

Then, of course, even if he does give Marcel Bellefeuille and company some newfound knowledge, the Tiger-Cats still have to execute. As my Facebook friend, The House of Volda suggested: “Just because you know something’s coming doesn’t mean you can stop it. You still have to execute. But the Bomber offense has been so anemic this year, what’s to steal, anyway?” Well put. The Bombers have been void of consistent offence all season, but the defence is the best in the CFL and winning playoff football has always been about tough, hard-nosed, butt-kicking D.

The key to Sunday’s CFL Eastern Conference final is execution. The Bombers offence isn’t likely going to score more than 21-24 points anyway so the defence has to get its Swagger on and chase Kevin Glenn into the turf. If that happens, the Bombers will win. If it doesn’t, it might be close.

This is the Winnipeg defence’s game to lose. And no matter what Terence Jeffers-Harris tells anybody, if the Bombers defence shows up and kicks ass, all the extra knowledge in the world won’t make a lick of difference.

However, if the defence plays well enough to win — and well enough should be holding Hamilton to fewer than 20 points — but the Bombers offence can’t score 20, then perhaps it’s time to take a close look at head coach Paul LaPolice and offensive coordinator Jamie Barresi.

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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.

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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.

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LaPolice Can Relax (A LIttle). Seems like Swaggerville Works

Posted on August 14, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

All of last week, Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice was a little worried about Swaggerville. There was just something about the karma.

It’s fine if fans want to start something like “Swaggerville.” That’s fun. But when it starts with the players — and it actually started back in 2009 — bad things can happen. LaPolice was worried that his hard-working, humble football team might start believing in their own headlines.

lions jpg 1302980cl 3 LaPolice Can Relax (A LIttle). Seems like Swaggerville Works

Another Frightened QB

Maybe these young, talented kids on defense saw themselves as unbeatable. He had no reason to worry about his offensive veterans, guys such as Buck Pierce, Terrence Edwards, Fred Reid or that steadily improving offensive line. These guys were old pros. But that hard-hitting, ball-hawking, fast, aggressive, young defense might wake up one morning thinking they were invincible. That’s about the time bad things happen.

So this week, LaPolice made sure his team got the message. Stay humble, work hard at practice and do not, under any circumstances, take the B.C. Lions lightly on Saturday night.

Turns out, he had nothing to worry about.

The Bombers proved how good they really were on Saturday. Playing without starting defensive tackles Doug Brown and Dorian Smith, the Bombers used Jason Vega, Don Oramasionwu, Bryant Turner and Deji Oduwole in those two spots up front and demolished the B.C. Lions offence en route to a 30-17 win at Empire Field.

With the victory the Bombers improved to 6-1, first in the East with the bye week coming this week. It’s the first time the Bombers have been 6-1 since 1984 and the first time they’ve been 3-0 on the road since 1982.

It was an impressive performance and once again, LaPolice’s defense drove the Bombers bandwagon. B.C. quarterback Travis Lulay had no time to throw and when he did release his passes, the Bombers defensive secondary shut down the receivers. Before the game ended, Lulay was replaced by Jarious Jackson who had even less success than the starter.

In the end, the Bombers ball-hawking defense forced one interception and four fumbles (special teams were sensational, too) and while the team’s offence wasn’t spectacular, it was good enough to ride the D’s coat-tails to its sixth win in seven games. That’s impressive.

This defense is amazing. In fact, the first seven games of the 2011 Bomber season have belonged, solely, to the defense. It leads the league in fewest points allowed (18.6 per game), fewest yards allowed (277.6 per game), most sacks (25), most interceptions (11) and most turnovers (26) created and it is primarily responsible for the team’s 6-1 record. There are those who would suggest a little “swagger” never hurt anybody.

As an old timer, I have to admit I have not seen a defense this good in Winnipeg since the days of Tyrone Jones, Rod Hill, James West. Paul Randolph, Michael Gray and Greg Battle. Jonathan Hefney, Jovon Johnson, Kenny Mainor, Joe Lobendahn, Marcellus Bowman, Clint Kent, Ian Logan, Alex Suber and Odell Willis are right up there with the Bombers greats.

At 6-1, they have every right to enjoy Swaggerville. At least ,until they have to prove they can demolish Henry Burris and Anthony Calvillo, like they’ve demolished Kevin Glenn, Cleo Lemon, Ricky Ray, Travis Lulay, Quinton Porter, Dalton Bell and Jarious Jackson.

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Swaggerville Makes LaPolice Nervous Heading to B.C.

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Paul LaPolice looks a little skittish. That’s not surprising for the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers considering what has taken place in his past here in a town that is now calling itself “Swaggerville.”

LaPolice knows his team is 5-1, but he was told on Tuesday that these 5-1 Bombers are also point and a half Vegas underdogs on Saturday night when they meet the 1-5. B.C. Lions. Granted, the line on the game is B.C. minus-one which really doesn’t mean much at all, but it does suggest that not everyone is convinced that this first-place team is destined to remain in first place very long.

The Bombers are good, but not great, is what he’s being told and, for now at least, he rather likes that assessment.

“We must remain a humble football team,” when asked about the Swaggerville nonsense. “I’ve talked to the players about this and we all understand that we are a blue collar team that has to work hard in practice and then go out an play hard once a week. I told them we aren’t going to be arrogant. Our job is to play hard enough to win.”

LaPolice is a quiet, unassuming guy who doesn’t spend a lot of time celebrating victories. It’s nice for the fans and certainly the players to have five wins after six games considering they had four wins after 18 games last season. LaPolice knows he’s lucky to have this job. He has it, not because he was some superman coach in 2010, but because he quieted the waters after the turbulent Mike Kelly season of 2009. Until now, however, it could easily be argued that Kelly, the media’s villain, got better results than the guy who took his job.

And LaPolice also remembers that he was sacked once before by the Winnipeg Football Club. In 2003, he was the team’s defensive coordinator and after the Bombers lost 37-21 to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western final (gee, it wasn’t so long ago that the Bombers were in the West), LaPolice took the fall for Dave Ritchie’s anemic, predictable offence. Granted, the Bombers were in the bottom half of the league in defensive statistics, but it was hardly his fault that the offence sputtered in the biggest game of the year at home.

So, considering he’s already been fired once in Winnipeg and considering he’s already been 4-14 as a head coach, this whole 5-1-first-place-Swaggerville thing does not help him sleep soundly at night.

Now, for those who aren’t yet aware, Winnipeg is evidently,  “Swaggerville.” It is a term coined by Bombers defensive back Jovon Johnson, a dude who has never been short of his own swagger.

Johnson and his buddies on defense have been selling T-shirts at $25 a pop to anyone who wants to be a member of Swaggerville and apparently there are plenty in this town who desire citizenship (the T-shirts sold out). The first six games of the 2011 Bomber season have belonged to the defense. It leads the league in fewest points allowed (18.8 per game), fewest yards allowed (289.5 per game), most sacks, most interceptions (10) and most turnovers created and it is primarily responsible for the team’s 5-1 record. There are those who would suggest a little “swagger” never hurt anybody.

But LaPolice isn’t so sure. He knows, for a fact, the entire Swaggerville thing is going to end up on the bulletin board of this week’s opponent, the B.C. Lions, and probably on bulletin boards all over the league. He also knows that the second a team gets caught up in its own press clippings, bad things happen.

He has been pushing the humility angle on his charges like an English teacher pushes grammar on her students. He just hopes they’re getting the message.

“People I talk to say we play hard and we go after the football,” LaPolice said, hoping his words are being in the locker room. “We’re a focused football team right now.

“This week, we face a very tough opponent. Before the season started, I said the B.C. Lions were good enough to win the Western Conference and despite their slow start, I still believe that.

“What I’ve been trying to impart on the guys, especially the defensive backs, is that if you get beat, and you probably will, just forget about it and move on. Don’t even think about the previous play. Just move on. It’s a long game and how you respond to the little individual failures that everyone makes during a long football game is very important.”

LaPolice is not unaware of what’s going on around him. In five games this season, his team equaled last year’s total number of victories. Fans jumped on the bandwagon and the bandwagon has since become very crowded. His concern is simple. He’d prefer that his players were following the bandwagon, not leading it. That’s why the whole Swaggerville thing makes him nervous.

After all, most of the players on this team, were around last year when the Bombers went 4-14. And they went 4-14 because they lost nine games by four points or less. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and losing are divided by a very fine line. It’s great to have fun when you’re winning, but don’t allow your head to get bigger than your helmet.

“Other than the football related things we talk about every day, the most important thing I want my players to remember is to be humble,” he said. “We’re a good team, but this league is full of good teams. In fact, I don’t care what a team’s record is, I know that every team in this league is a good team that can beat another team at any time. That’s what we have to be mindful of. We’re a blue collar team that has to play hard, blue-collar football in order to be successful.”

As opposed, of course, to a swaggering collection of swelled heads who suddenly think that they’re as good as the bandwagon bloviators say they are.

And yes, that is what makes Paul LaPolice skittish.

 

 

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A Week In the Trenches

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

It’s been quite a week — and it’s only Tuesday.

The new Winnipeg Jets have signed a load of players, most destined for St. John’s of the American Hockey League. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers still aren’t certain if Buck Pierce will be ready to go in Toronto on Saturday. The first-place Winnipeg Goldeyes open a three-game series with the Sioux City Explorers tonight. And at some point this week, the newly-minted Jets will announce their radio and TV rights holders.

Time for a closer look at all the stuff:

1) The Jets got an important player under contract on Monday. Right winger Blake Wheeler agreed to a two-year $5.1 million deal. Like most of the players on this team, he’s a bit of a grinder, Wheeler had 18 goals in 81 games last season with the Bruins and then, after a trade at the deadline, with the Thrashers. He’s a good player and will only get better the longer he’s in Winnipeg.

Meanwhile, the Jets continue on their way to being the best American Hockey League team in the NHL. After signing centre Ben Maxwell (one goal in 32 NHL games over three seasons) on Monday, the club signed AHL defensemen Arturs Kulda (0) and Brett Festerling (1) and forwards Spencer Machacek (10), Riley Holzapfel (0), Kenndal McArdle (11) and Jason Jaffray (0) yesterday.

The numbers in brackets refer to the number of NHL games this group of six played last season — a grand total of 22. They are all, nice hard-working hockey players who will make St. John’s an outstanding team.

2) Since arriving in Winnipeg before the start of the 2010 season — after he was released by B.C. who admitted he had some physical issues — quarterback Buck Pierce has played parts of eight games with the Bombers. The team, meanwhile has played 21 games in that time.

This week, Pierce is expected to play against Toronto at Rogers Centre on Saturday, but as head coach Paul LaPolice has admitted, there is still no guarantee. Without Pierce, Alex Brink is the backup because Joey Elliott (who has looked pretty good in his few opportunities on the field) tore up a knee making a tackle (a freakin’ tackle). That’s one of the many skills quarterbacks need in Winnipeg. They must be able to make tackles after interceptions and fumbles.

The Bombers defense has carried this team to a 2-1 record and one could easily argue that with any offence at all, the Big Blue would be 3-0. Trouble is, quarterbacks are starting to get hurt and there are reasons to believe this offence won’t snap out of it.

The big problem, of course, is that there just aren’t enough quarterbacks to go around. As former GM Paul Robson once said, “There aren’t enough quarterbacks in the NFL. How can there possibly be enough decent quarterbacks in the CFL if there aren’t enough quarterbacks in NFL?” As usual, Robson was right.

Week 4 begins in the Canadian Football League this Friday night with 1-2 Hamilton at 0-3 B.C. It’s a doubleheader on Saturday with 2-1 Winnipeg at 1-2 Toronto at 3 and 3-0 Edmonton at 2-1 Calgary at 6 and then on Sunday, 0-3 Saskatchewan is at 3-0 Montreal. Winnipeg won’t be the only team with questions at quarterback. In fact, Montreal and Edmonton are the only two teams that don’t have questions.

3) Saturday night, after the Winnipeg Goldeyes beat Sioux Falls 19-5, one of Winnipeg’s hottest hitters said that fans shouldn’t expect the club’s offensive explosion to last forever.

It didn’t, of course. The Goldeyes lost 4-1 on Sunday. Still, it’s painfully obvious that this team’s early-season slump is long gone. Brian Myrow and Jon Weber both said, “don’t worry, this team will hit,” and they were right.

“Right now this is a little ridiculous,” Myrow said on Saturday night. “Don’t expect 18, 19, 20 hits to happen every night. But it is fun to play well.”

The Goldeyes have won 22 of their last 30 games and are 11-5 in the month of July. They are 7-2 since last Sunday’s win in Fargo. At 38-23, they are in first place in the American Association’s North Division, a game and a half ahead of St. Paul.

“We hit the ball very well when we force the opposing pitcher to throw strikes,” said Myrow. “We’re hitting better now because guys are having better at bats. They’re not swinging at the first ball that moves or the first fastball they see. They’re being patient at the plate and forcing the opposing pitcher to throw more pitches.

“They say hitting is contagious, but I think it’s more a matter of hitting well because people around you are hitting well. When there is a runner at third and one out there is less pressure to get a hit. You can hit a sacrifice fly and drive in a run and how many times, with no pressure, does that turn into a double?

“We’re just more comfortable hitting with one or two strikes. And it’s getting warmer. The ball is carrying real well. But don’t expect 15 and 18 hits to be a regular occurrence.”

Saturday night was a great night to pad statistics. The only Goldeyes’ starter not to get an RBI was No. 9 hitter Brian Joynt, who did score two runs. Meanhwile, it was a hit-fest for Winnipeg:

1) Leadoff man Prince Kendall went one-for-five with two RBI.

2) Kody Kaiser went two-for-four with three runs scored and two RBI.

3) Wes Long went two-for-five with three runs scored, five RBI and a grand slam home run. He now leads the Goldeyes with 53 runs batted in.

4) Myrow went three-for-five with a run scored and three RBI. He now leads the Goldeyes with a .326 batting average.

5) Jon Weber went two-for-five with three runs scored and two RBI, including his seventh homer of the year and his second in as many nights.

6) Luis Alen went three-for-five with four runs scored and an RBI. In the last month, he has raised his batting average from .244 to .309.

7) Justin Bass went three-for-four with two runs scored and three runs batted in. All three RBI came on a three-run homer in the second inning, his team-leading 12th of the season.

icon cool A Week In the Trenches Louis Ott went three-for-five with a run scored and an RBI.

This year’s edition of the Goldeyes is the best team Rick Forney has managed. It’s even better than the 2009 team that was one error away from reaching the final.

The pitching is solid, the defense is sound and if the hitting continues to improve, this team will have a very enjoyable August. In fact, when the Fish return from the six-game road that starts Friday, they’ll play 20 of their last 30 games at Shaw Park.

4) The Winnipeg Jets are said to be preparing to announce their radio and TV rights holders this week. If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on CJOB and TSN.

 

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A Week in the Trenches: How the Media Makes Mountains Out of Mole Hills.

Posted on February 19, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Sometimes you read a newspaper and just shake your head. Sadly, far too many people read them and then read irrational things into them.

Obviously, that’s what they’re going for, those old broken down newspaper folks. At a time when the daily reading of newsprint has lost its lustre because, well, everything in it is yesterday’s news, you have a dilemma.

The question: How to entice readers? The answer: Two ways. Either make stuff up or take stuff that isn’t made up and make a bigger deal out of that stuff than is warranted.

Mountains out of mile hills, as they say. And we’ve had a week of it.

1) When Detroit Tigers all-star first baseman (and almost American League MVP) is picked up on a DUI this week, the American newspaper world goes wacky. Apparently, having a player drink scotch and then get caught behind the wheel of a car after drinking scotch will alter the chemistry of a team. That’s what the newspaper pundits said this week. A collection of dudes who can neither throw nor catch decided that Cabrera’s drunk-driving charge would end all hope for the Tigers to win a Central Division title.

Really? Seriously? Not according to Tigers manager Jim Leyland. Leyland told the Detroit Free Press “I know for a fact, without getting into this situation, I know for a fact Miguel Cabrera is in the best shape of his life. He’s stronger than he’s ever been, and he’s quicker than he’s ever been . . . I think Miguel Cabrera is probably going to have the biggest year of his life.”

Of course, the Free Press didn’t agree with him. Certainly not Mitch Albom, who destroyed Cabrera in his column.

Leyland went off. Most of the Tigers players barely noticed. Even other Free Press reporters admitted they couldn’t find any trouble in the Tigers clubhouse

“It’s not going to affect the team at all,” Leyland said. “All these people that are getting dramatic about this . . . and all this negative impact. It’s not going to affect this team one bit. Trust me. That’s all reading material, everybody getting all upset and getting real dramatic.”

Here’s the deal. The guy screwed up. He’ll be punished. Will probably have to use some of his $13 million this year to hire a driver. End of story.

2) The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have decided not to spend wads of money on free agents this year. Instead, they want to get the players who played well last year under contract and then try to bolster their Canadian content (’bout freakin’ time).

The local papers haven’t been too happy about that, but on Friday night, head coach Paul LaPolice made it clear that he wasn’t in the least bit concerned.

“Well, for one thing, everybody is forgetting we got the best defensive co-ordinator in the league, Tim Burke, from Montreal,” LaPolice told the audience listening to the MJHL on NCI FM, just hours after the Blue had re-signed centre Obby Khan. “We lost nine games by four points or less last season. That has to change. But spending large amounts of money on free agents that may or may not pan out is not the way we want to go. I’ve watched the Washington Redskins do that for years and it hasn’t worked out for them.

“We believe we’ve built a very good young team here. Yes, if we want to BE better than 4-14, we have to play better than we did last year, but to me and to Mr. Mack (Bombers GM Joe Mack), our priority was to sign the young players we brought along last year, upgrade our coaching staff and make sure our core of veteran players are happy and ready to go. Doug Brown is back, Obby Khan is back, we’ve been monitoring (quarterback) Buck Pierce all winter — he moved here and he’s been working out every day —  and with addition of Tim and the naming of Richard Harris as assistant head coach, we’ve upgraded the coaching staff.

“Now, we just have to go out and get the job done.”

The Bombers will be fine. Stop making something out of nothing.

3)  On Friday, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, the federal jurist assigned to the perjury case against Barry Bonds, directed both sides to cut a deal.

Prosecutors responded to Illston’s request by saying they would discuss a plea agreement with Bonds’ lawyers, even though one of Bonds’ attorneys believed the case would go to trial. Bonds will plead “not guilty” for the third time when he is arraigned – again! — on March 1. He was initially charged in 2007 with lying to a grand jury about his alleged steroids use. The trial is scheduled to start March 21. Four freakin’ years after the only charge was laid and more than a decade since the government started chasing Bonds’ ass all over North America.

The North American mainstream media is desperate — absolutely desperate — to have Bonds convicted of something. Anything. Make it up. Just get him convicted. They’ve been trying Bonds for a dozen years in the court of public opinion and news that Illston wanted the prosecutors to cut a deal suggests that she isn’t convinced the feds have much of a case. The response from Bonds’ lawyers that the case will likely go to trial suggests that they know the feds don’t have much of a case.

Few people in history have spent as much time waiting for the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice to build a case as Barry Bonds. And what do they have for the hundreds of millions of public dollars that have been spent on this goofy case? They have a suggestion that Bonds might have known what his trainer was giving him and that because of this, Bonds hit a bunch of home runs in a bunch of stinkin’ baseball games and he should go to jail for eternity for doing that.

That’s messed up.

This is so silly. So incredibly stupid, that when we, up here in comfortable, quiet, well-educated Canada, make fun of Americans for being inherently dumb, this is all we need to use as an illustration. In a country that says its governments — both at the federal and state levels — are flat broke, is there a bigger waste of money in the entire world than using hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars to chase down a baseball player for using the juice to hit homers?

If indeed, the United States is broke, as the Republicans claim, then this is the reason it deserves to be broke.

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Does LaPolice Owe Jyles An Apology? Or More?

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

You have to figure Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice owes Steven Jyles something. An apology maybe? His career, perhaps?

Thanksgiving Monday afternoon at Canad Inns Stadium, Jyles came off the bench with the Bombers trailing 32-11 in the fourth quarter and led the team back to a 32-32 tie by the end of regulation and then a 47-35 overtime victory.

It was an incredible finish, after starting quarterback Alex Brink did almost nothing – 4-for-18 for 61 yards. Whose stupid idea was that?

To his credit, LaPolice finally decided to go with Jyles and the guy who’d been benched bailed out his boss. The Bombers are now 4-10 and still alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race and in the crossover playoff race. Who woulda thunk it?

So now, in hindsight — not ours, but the head coach’s – something clearly suggests that Alex Brink wasn’t  a very good idea. In fact, with the Bombers still in the playoff hunt, it was about as dumb a move as a coach could make. Brink was awful and he was awful for a long time. It wasn’t like he started strinly and got awful, he was awful from the get-go. Four-for-18? For 61 yards and no touchdowns? C’mon man.

In the end, Jyles, the jilted lover, rallied the Bombers to a remarkable come-from-behind victory making his coach look like genius, and a bonehead, all at the same time.

Considering that it was a great Thanksgiving weekend for the CFL’s Eastern Conference, the Bombers are still very much in the hunt for a crossover playoff spot. Because all four Eastern teams won — Hamilton beat Edmonton 36-11, Toronto upset Saskatchewan 24-19 and Montreal blasted Calgary 46-19 in the other three games in Week 15 — the Bombers are now 4-10, Edmonton is 4-10 and B.C. is 5-9 with four weeks left in the season. Perhaps a playoff spot isn’t such a longshot for Winnipeg.

Bomber fans should thank the Lord that their head coach, Paul LaPolice, noticed that Steven Jyles was still standing on the sideline yesterday or their head coach might have found himself responsible for one of the most boneheaded decisions in Blue Bomber history.

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Fans: You Just Have to Love ‘em. Too many of ‘em just don’t want to admit the ugly truth…

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

FARGO, N.D. — After spending two days watching the Minnesota Vikings work out, it’s nice just to sit in the press box at Fargo’s quaint little Newman Outdoor Field and watch baseball.

It’s a beautiful night, the place is full (it’s Fan Appreciation Night) and you can smell the hot dogs and hamburgers all the way up here on the suite level. Goldeyes-RedHawks games are always fun and while it appears Winnipeg is going to have to mount a comeback if they don’t want to fall below .500, it’s still great baseball.

Meanwhile, earlier this afternoon, I had a chance to watch Thursday night’s Bomber game and then read the comments at winnipegfreepress.com and winnipegsun.com. Some of them are quite insightful. Others are just laughable. Only a few of them seem to have the heart or the cojones to admit the truth: It’s a bad team, playing bad football.

While plenty of fans (surprisingly, dozens) want to blame the officials (the score was 39-17, that’s not the officials fault) and a couple of boneheads wanted to blame Fred Reid (Fred Reid?) who carried 13 times for 103 yards, there were a few who actually knew the ugly, unpopular truth: It’s official. Eight weeks into the season and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers under head coach Paul LaPolice are worse than they were under the hated Mike Kelly.

In Thursday night’s game at Molson Stadium in Montreal, the Montreal Alouettes lost quarterback Anthony Calvillo to a  bruised sternum in the first half and yet Montreal still whipped the Bombers by three touchdowns. Winnipeg is now 2-6 on the season. Last year, with Kelly at the helm, they were 3-5 after eight weeks. It’s a mess and it doesn’t appear as if it will get any better anytime soon.

In fact, the thought that this year’s version of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers could be 2-11 by the end of September is now legitimate. Thursday night, Bombers quarterback Steven Jyles could muster very little offence. He completed only 11-of-22 passes for 123 yards, watched his receivers drop balls and could put only 10 offensive points on the board. To be fair, Reid was solid and Jovon Johnson was sensational, but….

The Bombers are bad. Real bad. And it’s hard to see this team getting better fast enough to stop a sweep by Saskatchewan in early September, then losses to Toronto, Montreal again and B.C.

And how ugly would 2-11 really be?

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Now There’s Trouble in River City… and it starts with T. and it rhymes with P. and it stands for P.U.

Posted on August 13, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

That was stinky. It was stinky early and stinky late and it left Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice with some real decisions to make.

Friday night’s football game at Canad Inns Stadium smelled funny. Hamilton 39, Winnipeg 28. In Winnipeg. A week after the Bombers should have won in Hamilton.

In four meetings during the first seven weeks of the season, the Tiger-Cats beat the Bombers three times. So now, before Labour Day, the Tiger-Cats have wrapped up the first playoff tiebreaker with Winnipeg. Throw in the fact Winnipeg is not only 2-5 on the season, but 2-2 at home and 0-3 on the road and you have a team that seems considerably worse than it was last year. And it wasn’t very good last year.

The Winnipeg media got its wish when the Bomber board of directors fired Mike Kelly, but the pleasant, new regime, the one that seems to respect the the local papers, the city’s TV stars and the club’s rightsholder, hasn’t been very successful. In fairness, it certainly didn’t help that Buck Pierce got hurt and you have to admit that injuries have definitely affected LaPolice’s plans this season, but just when it appeared that the Bombers were in a position to get to 3-4 before heading off to Montreal and Regina in successive weeks, they lay an egg at home and now there is a reason to believe that this team could be 2-11 by Oct. 1.

The Bombers are now, officially, not very good. Friday night’s game at Canad Inns Stadium was over early and all that was left by the end were a few die hard fans scattered in the stands and a head coach wondering how it could all have gone so badly.

After all, this was a Bomber team that looked good in its opener, a 49-29 shellacking of these same Tiger-Cats. Seven weeks ago this team looked pretty decent. Now, it looks like it needs a makeover. When the defence couldn’t stop Kevin Glenn, LaPolice gave up on Pierce. When the offence got going, a penalty or a turnover stopped the threat.

The Bombers did put up 290 yards passing and 121 yards rushing (with losses, 393 total yards) and four touchdowns, but Glenn threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns and more than 90 yards in penalties didn’t help the Bombers much either (Philip Hunt picked up four 15-yard penalties, himself).

It was just a lousy football game from the Winnipeg standpoint. The worst effort of the season. And now the schedule gets really difficult.

I know we’re only seven weeks in, but perhaps this team should start thinking about next year. Get rid of the old, slow guys and give the youngsters a shot right across the depth chart. Because the veteran players Paul LaPolice has been depending on, haven’t done the job.

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