What is the cutoff

[ichabod_crane]

The Marcus Crandall lead Stampeders would like to contest your argument.

I stand corrected! BC Lions did the same thing the prior year (2020) when they were 8-10. I should know as I just moved to Calgary earlier that year when that Cup happened (I did not attend the game though) Brain occupied with too much stuff lately!    Going 0-fer last weekend tripped me up I guess!

Until 2000 though no team ever won the cup without at least a .500 record I believe. The Stamps upset the Bombers in 2001 at 8-10 and the Redblacks beat the Stamps in 2016 with an 8-9-1 record. So it's pretty rare and 8 wins is the low bar mark in history right now (3 times with 18 game schedule).

So Bombers need to win 6 of their last 10 games to get to 8 wins. They can get into the playoffs  with less than 8 wins though easily, but I'm talking about past history to win the cup. Stamps made it into the playoffs with a 6-12 record last year.

This might interest some of you on the forum.....Guess which under .500 team is ranked the worst GC champion in the 18 regular season era or maybe ALL TIME?!

https://3downnation.com/2022/12/27/stolen-titles-five-worst-teams-to-win-the-grey-cup-in-the-last-35-years/

--BTW, the writer of this article above got the release date of the movie T2 off by a decade! That came out in 1991, not 2001!


Crandell was  kind of a flash in the pan in 2001. He never did too well after that either via a combo of bad teams he was on or he truly was a total flash in the pan. He won a cup in 2007 with the Riders over the Bombers, but was not the starter (Kerry Joseph). A pure QB rookie Ryan Dinwiddie almost pulled that game out of the fire for the Bombers and their defence.  The drought almost ended with that GC.
Crande

[ichabod_crane]

Not over till labour day at the very least

You go 9 rounds and you go down swinging

Beaten, bruised and knocked down twice but I didn't here no final bell

Ding ding we fight till the end

Rocky rises off the mat in the waning seconds of the last round in Rocky II to win the heavyweight championship!

Maybe they need to bring Sly in for a psychological pick me up! YO ADRIAN!

[TecnoGenius]

We've had the worst injury virus of any team in 2024 in terms of total-team impact.  It doesn't always happen, but sometimes the injuries will even out over the full season.

For instance, BC could lose always-on-the-edge VAJ + Hollins + maybe-already-hurt McInnis.  Then they wouldn't win another game this season.  SSK could have just a hair more bad luck, maybe with some star D as Trevor gets extended.

You never know.  Bad things could happen elsewhere right as we're getting Kenny, Wilson & Parker back and some new FA insertions... the only problem is TIME.  We need the luck to change NOW.

[TBURGESS]

I'm not interested in backing into the playoffs this year. I'm interested in starting the rebuild so we have a good team next year. 

[blue_gold_84]

Not even going to entertain this conversation at this point of the season. Not a single team has pulled away. We're within 1 win of a play-off spot.

This. Way, way too early to start this discussion. It's not even midway through the season.

Silly.

[Blue In BC]

I'm not interested in backing into the playoffs this year. I'm interested in starting the rebuild so we have a good team next year.

Teams can re-build during a single off season. Starting one now doesn't specifically improve the odds of a successful 2025. As you can see from 2024, injuries can play a significant role.

Nothing suggests backing into the playoffs won't be a bad outcome. A 3rd place team has advanced to the Grey Cup and won before.  It's not the easiest route, but there is still an opportunity.

That may change quickly if we lose 1 or both games against the Lions. Bombers have an extended bye after this game so that MIGHT be the time to consider the rest of 2024.

Lose this week and it could be curtains. Win and there is still a chance.

Regardless, I'm not sure if we have players to replace some of those that need replacing at the moment.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

I don't think anyone seriously thinks we should tank or throw away the season. But on the other hand, I don't think it's prudent to spend cap dollars for some small incremental gains either. Ut's not going to get us over the finish line. The more options (dollars) we have to spend at the end of this season will help next year. Walters is talented enough to make gains quickly in Free Agency but he needs cap space to do it - especially because Collaros is already on the books for $250,000 in 2025.

[TBURGESS]

MOS took 4 years to rebuild our team. He won't do it in one off season.

There's lots to suggest that backing into the playoff will be a bad outcome. Calling Stats Junkie... how many 3rd place teams made the cup compared to how many 3rd place teams didn't.

Starting now has significant advantages:

• Dumping vets send a huge message to the ones that we keep.
• Dump some SMS to put to new players.
• NFL cuts are coming up in & that's where the best players come from.
• Playing half a season puts new players way ahead of rookies next year.
• Every new player isn't going to make it. Half a season should tell us which ones won't.

Collaros is on the books next year no matter what. His salary has no effect on if it's prudent to start now or to wait until the off season. 

[Blue In BC]

MOS took 4 years to rebuild our team. He won't do it in one off season.

There's lots to suggest that backing into the playoff will be a bad outcome. Calling Stats Junkie... how many 3rd place teams made the cup compared to how many 3rd place teams didn't.

Starting now has significant advantages:

• Dumping vets send a huge message to the ones that we keep.
• Dump some SMS to put to new players.
• NFL cuts are coming up in & that's where the best players come from.
• Playing half a season puts new players way ahead of rookies next year.
• Every new player isn't going to make it. Half a season should tell us which ones won't.

Collaros is on the books next year no matter what. His salary has no effect on if it's prudent to start now or to wait until the off season.

He was a rookie coach then. Now he is a seasoned coach. This is more about what Miller and Walters do in improving the roster and freeing up SMS space in free agency.

3rd place team winning Grey Cup? Check out 2001.

[TBURGESS]

He was a rookie coach then. Now he is a seasoned coach. This is more about what Miller and Walters do in improving the roster and freeing up SMS space in free agency.

3rd place team winning Grey Cup? Check out 2001.

The question wasn't "When was the last time a 3rd place team won the Grey Cup", it was "how many 3rd place teams made the cup compared to how many 3rd place teams didn't". I'm pretty sure the numbers are hugely on the side of 3rd place teams rarely make the GC let alone win it. 

[Blue In BC]

The question wasn't "When was the last time a 3rd place team won the Grey Cup", it was "how many 3rd place teams made the cup compared to how many 3rd place teams didn't". I'm pretty sure the numbers are hugely on the side of 3rd place teams rarely make the GC let alone win it.

Just because it doesn't happen often, doesn't mean it's pointless.

How about 2019 as a better more recent example?  Our 2022 loss was from a 2nd place finisher in the East.

In 2011 there was a 3 way tie for 1st, so that's odd.

[theaardvark]

This. Way, way too early to start this discussion. It's not even midway through the season.

Silly.

This is not a discussion about starting a rebuild, its is a discussion about when to we start discussing a rebuild...

[TBURGESS]

Just because it doesn't happen often, doesn't mean it's pointless.

How about 2019 as a better more recent example?  Our 2022 loss was from a 2nd place finisher in the East.

In 2011 there was a 3 way tie for 1st, so that's odd.

Pointless no. Probable no. 

We're not talking about 2nd place or 3 way ties for first. 

[Blue In BC]

This is not a discussion about starting a rebuild, its is a discussion about when to we start discussing a rebuild...

If we lose, the argument to " start " becomes more valid. What a re-build would look like is not easy to contemplate. In theory, players on the PR and / or current back ups would be given more opportunity to play.

Because we have so many players on 6 game IR, our choices are more limited.

Several vets salaries will be locked in after the 2nd Lions game, so it's a tipping point. Those players in question won't be viable in trade, so it's after this game or the off season IMO.

[TBURGESS]

Several vets salaries will be locked in after the 2nd Lions game, so it's a tipping point. Those players in question won't be viable in trade, so it's after this game or the off season IMO.

Good point. No advantage to cutting players if we have to pay them anyway.