GDT Ham at Cgy, Sat June 7, 6:00PM

[TecnoGenius]

Looks like the Stamps have been aggressively promoting the game with different ticket deals.

Let's see if it translates into butts in seats.

Nope.  Fail.  It's even worse than 2024.  I know the CGY fans arrive late, so I wait until around end of 1st Q to judge, and the crowd is still sparse.  Not good in cowboy land.

looks like a number of empty seats - too bad.

Calgary fans ... where are they?

They may need to invest in a new stadium before they come back.  CGY may need a rich owner like EDM got.  I prefer seeing the AB teams with packed stands like they were 5-10 years ago.  Prairies are supposed to carry the league.  We're the better fans! 

[TecnoGenius]

Classy mention to Ted on broadcast

Ya.  And I like that now I know why Ted/Woli had to stay together: guitars.

[TecnoGenius]

Haha, Thick Nik now Thicker Nik!  Awesome.  How can you not like Nik, down on the sidelines with the fans.

[TecnoGenius]

Vernon tossing up some ill advised throws. 

VAJ looking like, well, VAJ.  He's like Maier, but good and mobile.  They'll seem to be calm and smart for a long while and then go and do something boneheaded.  The difference is VAJ will get you some big yards in between screwups.

What stood out to me was Begelton > Kenny.  Begelton is so good and reliable that I'm shocked he didn't catch that tip ball.  Kenny whiffed on just under half his targets?  Mental lapses plus over-targeting and too much confidence by the QB/OC, just like when he was here in '24.  Ya, some great circus catches, but overall in a game is it better than a Begelton?

I know who I'd take: Begelton @$200k vs Kenny @$300k?  Begelton.

[TecnoGenius]

noodle arm.  this is the first week of the season...by mid season he may be done.  father time is cruel.

It's not so much noodle arm as it is a propensity to get un-dialed-in (dialed out?).  Note he overthrew just as many as he turfed.  That's not noodle arm, that's either a brain problem with judging distance, or a lack of touch on the ball to get the distance the brain desires.  I truly don't know which is BLM's problem.

He also isn't seeing the field all that great anymore.

He was the same last year, though he would have periods during games where he could dial it in.  So I guess the question remains: can he dial it in more often than not?

[TecnoGenius]

I have zero idea why everyone on TSN was talking up BLM and Hamilton all off season.

They were a terrible team last season and BLM only stacked offensive numbers because their defense was so terrible. Which looks to still be the case.

Ya, TSN and 3down were even picking HAM to make the cup.  I was like, wha?  Same with OTT.  They seem to pick HAM to have a resurgence every season and it never materializes.

I'm not building a team of nearly all ex-Bombers is the way to do it, either.  There's a reason they were considered expendable.  It's a shame to see Dobson so utterly wasted on this team.

Also, Kenny won't last a whole season taking the beatings he took in this game.  He's scrawny.  Have to use him more like WPG did.  Have fun losing all season for 300k Kenny.  When you want to come back for $225, give us a shout.

But let's put a ton of blame on the OC.  Who is the OC in HAM?  Simply awful.  Picks the wrong play every time.  Awful on 1st.  Awful on 2nd.  Ignores the run.  Who would have thought you could get an OC worse than Condell.

Hand it to CGY for being "most improved" so far.  Still, as always, ABC.

[TecnoGenius]

Moved quickly, no controversy, no stupid challenges, which was Dave Dickensen signature move in the past.

Oh, Dickenson The Greater did do a stupid challenge.  Right at the end they challenged the spot.  In the pile.  A challenge that virtually never wins because there's too many people obscuring the ball.  And he had no good video evidence to challenge it on, he just wanted to waste everyone's time because he could.

Dave doing Dave things.

[Blueforlife]

noodle arm.  this is the first week of the season...by mid season he may be done.  father time is cruel.

Disagree about noodle arm.  He had a great arm, got hurt and relearned the mechanics.  Not what it was but still decent.  Agree with what techno has said. 

[TBURGESS]

It's early, but Hammy looks bad, and the Stamps look better than I expected. 

VAJ was a difference maker for both teams. 

I LOL'd at BLM's half-time interview. Doubt his coaches liked it though. 

[Jesse]

It's early, but Hammy looks bad, and the Stamps look better than I expected.

VAJ was a difference maker for both teams.

I LOL'd at BLM's half-time interview. Doubt his coaches liked it though.

I missed it. Can you give me the tldr?

[TBURGESS]

A reporter asks a long-winded question about how the first half went and BLM just says YUP. Reporter tries again, BLM kinda ignores him & gives another 1 word answer. Thanks him and leaves. 

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

A reporter asks a long-winded question about how the first half went and BLM just says YUP. Reporter tries again, BLM kinda ignores him & gives another 1 word answer. Thanks him and leaves.

Sounds like he has a bone to pick with TSN.

[dd]

Sounds like he has a bone to pick with TSN.

I don't think he has a bone to pick with tsn- he's eyeing them up for a panel spot and visa versa. I think blm is just frustrated knowing his body can't deliver what it used to and he's struggling. Definitely not the Bo Levi of old but that's the way it goes

[Jesse]

Sounds like he has a bone to pick with TSN.

Sounds he's trying not to give them a soundbite.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Sounds he's trying not to give them a soundbite.

Which is pretty embarrassing for TSN, if Bo becomes a panel member after he retires as expected, he's not doing himself any favours. Rourke did almost the same thing last season avoiding an interview with Farhan, which caused a kerfuffle.