Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg at Calgary - June 29, 2024

[TecnoGenius]

We were talking earlier about something O'Shea said which was "follow the process". I think the process is playing the game the right way. It is not about the final result.

We're playing better and better and getting close to realising the result we want to see.

Our D is.  But I think our O took a big step back today compared to the BC game last week.  Vs BC our O had several drives where we were in full control and looking just like good ol' WFC from 2023.

And we can't just cite Zach leaving as the problem: our O had nothing going at all even with Zach in.  We basically had one good drive all game: Strev's TD one.

I get the whole "process" thing, but we've never been in this injury boat before, not even in MOS's early years here.  You may reach a point where the process can't handle the egregious exceptions you're faced with.  Every other team would be bringing in vets by this point... we seem content to ignore that option.

[TecnoGenius]

Yes it was 59 to 60 yards. HE booted it directly in front of me at McMahon. Was a decent breeze behind him too. Cleared with a lot to spare too. A MEGA BOOT! They just ruined a good comeback story by choking in Overtime!

Thanks for the first-hand comments.  Hope you had a good evening there!  A nice night for some CFL ball.  TSN had lots of shots of Bomber supporters in the stands having fun... watch the PVR and let us know if any were you!

[J5V]

Our D is.  But I think our O took a big step back today compared to the BC game last week.  Vs BC our O had several drives where we were in full control and looking just like good ol' WFC from 2023.

And we can't just cite Zach leaving as the problem: our O had nothing going at all even with Zach in.  We basically had one good drive all game: Strev's TD one.

I get the whole "process" thing, but we've never been in this injury boat before, not even in MOS's early years here.  You may reach a point where the process can't handle the egregious exceptions you're faced with.  Every other team would be bringing in vets by this point... we seem content to ignore that option.

Agreed. I suppose there are two ways you can go -- bring in vets or try players from your own talent pool. The decision seems to be the latter and I don't know enough about building a football team to say one is better than another. I do like the idea of fresh talent though.

[ichabod_crane]

Thanks for the first-hand comments.  Hope you had a good evening there!  A nice night for some CFL ball.  TSN had lots of shots of Bomber supporters in the stands having fun... watch the PVR and let us know if any were you!

Will try to watch the recording sometime this long weekend if I can withstand the horror!😝

I was like 15-20 rows up on the east sunny side. So many open seats I eventually moved to centre field.


An amazing day for football. Clear skies, about +23 but felt warmer. Lots of eye candy! 😋 many old timers too. Met and talked to several bomber fans. Some even from out of town. Stamps fans were groaning too what a snoozefest it was until late! Jake "the snake" Maier did not have a great game either. Bombers maybe did not have sacks, but I saw a lot of pressure often.

Hey we have not had much real summer weather in Calgary this year. Cool and rainy often. Not soaking rains,  but regular rains and drizzle. Including a mega doozy thunderstorm last
Monday which looked like Zeus or Thor was raining down lightning bolts! ⚡️⛈️🌩�🙃


So with a day/evening like today everybody including bombers fans were enjoying summer! Just in time for stampede! YEE HAW! 🤣

[Bomber Diehard]

Several areas of the bombers are not good.
The OL Does not give the quarterback enough time and he will also be injured.
With our star receivers injured it's very unfortunate.
I do not know why we have to give up two singles, I could possibly see one but not two?

[J5V]

Several areas of the bombers are not good.
The OL Does not give the quarterback enough time and he will also be injured.
With our star receivers injured it's very unfortunate.
I do not know why we have to give up two singles, I could possibly see one but not two?

Field position for an offense that is struggling mightily.

[dd]

Agreed. I suppose there are two ways you can go -- bring in vets or try players from your own talent pool. The decision seems to be the latter and I don't know enough about building a football team to say one is better than another. I do like the idea of fresh talent though.

I see us choosing from within our talent pool as a vote of confidence on our scouting staff. They found the first dalton schoen they ll find his replacement.

[J5V]

I see us choosing from within our talent pool as a vote of confidence on our scouting staff. They found the first dalton schoen they ll find his replacement.

Yeah, agreed. Some fans are panicking but that's never a good idea. It starts you down a slippery slope of not developing your own for the sake of signing cast-offs. I think we have found some very good talent. Unfortunately injuries have struck and it's put us in a bind. We seem to have come out of yesterday's game relatively uninjured so that's a positive sign that maybe we can remain healthy going forward. We are not getting blown out of games. We are competitive and I truly believe the wins will come. If we end the season out of the playoffs it'll be disappointing but after four grey cup appearances in a row I can live with that if I know we are trending in the right direction. This group brought us to the top before, they can do it again.

[dd]

Ya it definitely Italy looks like it isn't in the cards for this year, but who knows, lots of football left. Not expecting us to win like I'm the previous 4 years, we ll see where this ride takes us

[theaardvark]

Several areas of the bombers are not good.
The OL Does not give the quarterback enough time and he will also be injured.
With our star receivers injured it's very unfortunate.
I do not know why we have to give up two singles, I could possibly see one but not two?

Their punter kept booting it too deep.  I think they were trying to pin us, but the appropriate thing there was to give up the point and take the field position.

[ichabod_crane]

NO PANIC on my end. Next season is more important with the Home GC. Don't lose sight of that and do not make stupid moves that mess you up next season vis-a-vis SMS. Not giving up on this season, but next year is the magnum opus season. Bombers have never won the cup at  home nor ever even appeared in it at home. Need to break that "curse" next season.

Have followed the Bombers since 1976 and more intensely since 1980. So been through all the "wars" and ending of two long GC droughts! 1984 will always be the most magical season to me. 2019 not even close. The hunger in Winnipeg in 1984 blows the doors off 2019. Old Winnipeg arena packed to the roof shaking when they came back with the Cup that year. Winnipeg Airport PACKED to the brim upon them coming back from Vancouver winning the western final (I was there...intense!). Paul Robson coming down the escalator at the airport shaking his fist....WINNERPEG!! Even Cal Murphy commented later he had never seen such a powerful fan reaction even after him winning many cups in Edmonton as an assistant there.  Tommy Clements era, James Murphy, Jeff Boyd, Joe Pop still in his prime, Rick House, Willard Reaves. Chris Walby, John Bonk, John Hufnagel, Tony Norman (hero of 1988 GC win!). Shawba David Shaw a major character! All Bomber if not CFL legends.

[TecnoGenius]

The OL Does not give the quarterback enough time and he will also be injured.

Yes, our OL regressed for the CGY game.  They weren't great to begin with.  Ko-man and Lofton are still having issues, and we don't seem to be finding solutions.  It could be Lofton is just too slow to stop the long-way-around attack... surprising given that he's actually pretty lean for a hoggie.

At least half of Zach's woes are that he has no time compared to 2023 (which had less time than in 2022...).  And he's getting creamed way too often.  And the OL doesn't even give him an escape route during all of this.  Zach took way too many bad hits vs CGY.

While we work on the WR-replacement issue we also need to be objective and ruthless regarding OL moves!  If Lofton gets beat outside every time, he needs to go.

[TecnoGenius]

I see us choosing from within our talent pool as a vote of confidence on our scouting staff. They found the first dalton schoen they ll find his replacement.

MOS keeps repeating the "R scouting class in TC was the strongest I've ever seen".  Ya, I'm not sure anyone else sees it that way.  He might just be blowing smoke to placate the seething mob.

I have confidence in our process when it functions in the normal way: newest guys get PRd or dress as backup, dev a year, then slowly get more dresses/reps.  That's what we do (instant superstars like Schoen & Alford aside).  But what we're trying to do -- starting guys who were here for the first time in TC (some cut!) -- is not normal procedure, and should not be relied upon to give must-win-now results.

[TecnoGenius]

If we end the season out of the playoffs it'll be disappointing but after four grey cup appearances in a row I can live with that if I know we are trending in the right direction. This group brought us to the top before, they can do it again.

Ya, but how often do 4-year GC teams drop out of the playoff hunt one year and then get back to the GC next year?  Ya, never.

If we are so bad we miss the playoffs this season, then it'll be a slow climb back to GC-contender status.  I'm not saying a blowup or rebuild, but a moderate-paced climb back up.

Keep in mind that if we suck this year you start to lose top guys who bail to be with the up & comer winners.  And players stop taking discounts, too.  Ya, so it's pretty imperative by the end of the season we are competitive again.  A "lost year" would have drastic consequences.

[J5V]

Ya, but how often do 4-year GC teams drop out of the playoff hunt one year and then get back to the GC next year?  Ya, never.

If we are so bad we miss the playoffs this season, then it'll be a slow climb back to GC-contender status.  I'm not saying a blowup or rebuild, but a moderate-paced climb back up.

Keep in mind that if we suck this year you start to lose top guys who bail to be with the up & comer winners.  And players stop taking discounts, too.  Ya, so it's pretty imperative by the end of the season we are competitive again.  A "lost year" would have drastic consequences.

I believe that the reason we compiled the talent we did to be so successful the last four (five) years was because of the culture that has been built here. As long as that culture remains we'll be fine. Players want to be here not because they are paid the most but because they get a chance to play with a group of people that are special. There's a reason Lucky wants to come to the Peg and it's not money.