Official Game Day Thread - Winnipeg @ Hamilton, July 5, 2026

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Is there a story to go with that?  My buddy made it sound like it was a storyline somewhere?  I missed it.

We joked that the reason Castillo was short was he got the glasses on for the first time, went out, and looked at the uprights and said "holy bleep that's far away!".  Or... he has high magnification and he thought they were 10Y closer than they really were.

In any event, I can't help but think of Sheen in Major League.

Sergio mentioned the special glasses during a Bomber podcast as part of a local sponsorship deal, I guess he's been using them in practice but the sponsor probably offered him more money if he'd use them in games. Great to give kids with poor eyesight that play sports a better option, as I've seen many wear regular glasses under their helmets.

[dd]

Wasnt impressed with Perkins arm strength in pre season. If ZC8 is out, Brown goes in, backup is Elgersma, big, strong arm, young NAT kid who needs experience. Perkins at #3 is best he can hope for at this point in time, and if he was released tomorrow, nobody would pick him up, so he's got to be happy to be on a roster.

[Tecno]

Perkins at #3 is best he can hope for at this point in time, and if he was released tomorrow, nobody would pick him up, so he's got to be happy to be on a roster.

You bet.  Perkins is please as punch to be employed.  And if Bad Things Happen he will even get to take every snap to close a game.  He also might get "garbage season" time.

He's 100% so far that and means he's a keeper in my books.  And we're designing some trick packages for him.  I think he'd be a better passer than Prukop and The Feve.

No one will trade for him to be their #1.  Almost certainly not a #2 either.

[Tecno]

Everyone on the field knew it was Brady Ball time, yet they couldn't stop it until we got the FG for the win.

Strangely enough, no one told HAM braintrust.  They didn't start doing run blitz until we were at like the 40, which was way too late to stop our FG.  I thought that very odd.  After our first, or maybe second run, wouldn't you get the hint we aren't passing anymore?  Anyone who knows MOS knows that once anywhere near FG range MOS will go all-run.

[Tecno]

Neither! I want to keep Brown. I was saying we are lucky to have gotten him at the price we did.

So easy to say right now.  I'll check back in when our first pick in '27 and '28 is around #15 overall and a ton of superb 1st-week-starters go in round 1.  That forces us into buying NAT talent.  By '29 this may have put us in a tough bind.

You think our NAT OL situation is bad now?  Just you wait!

[Tecno]

Depends. We are a little light on Starting Canadian OLs. Do you think Hamilton would trade Revenberg or Duquay?

I thought Revenburg was washed up 2 seasons ago, but here he is on an OL that protects BLM better than any other.  Weird.  Duquay I know nothing about at all, but he's clearly also good.

But yet... the HAM run block game was horrible last night.  And ours good?  Also weird.

[Tecno]

And then who do you trade ZC8 or Dru?

Or Elgersma?!     

HAM would give their left nut to get Zach.  He'd keep them in contention.  Imagine... Zach with a lock-down OL and top notch RECs.

Heck, even Dru would do well in that situation.  Come to think of it, QBs should pay HAM to be able to go in and be their starter!  It's a dream job.

[bunker]

So easy to say right now.  I'll check back in when our first pick in '27 and '28 is around #15 overall and a ton of superb 1st-week-starters go in round 1.  That forces us into buying NAT talent.  By '29 this may have put us in a tough bind.

You think our NAT OL situation is bad now?  Just you wait!

I'm old, I could be dead in 2029! I'll take Dru.

[Tecno]

His foot was hanging by tendons and muscle. He is done.

That's my take too.  Nothing was holding it where it was supposed to be.

Not much in the news releases yet except he had successful surgery today?  Are we thinking bolted-in plates and stuff?  Or is this not like that?

[Tecno]

I'm old, I could be dead in 2029! I'll take Dru.

Thanks a lot!
  -- The younger generation

[J5V]

That's my take too.  Nothing was holding it where it was supposed to be.

Not much in the news releases yet except he had successful surgery today?  Are we thinking bolted-in plates and stuff?  Or is this not like that?

Oh I think it's exactly like that. From what I could tell from replay, and maybe you can scope this out further, that foot/ankle bone was broke clean in two. As Goldie said, hanging by tendons and muscle. It's gotta be pieced together with rods, plates, screws, etc. That leg is never going to be the same. I'm thinking he's done and there's no chance he plays again this season despite what Hamilton is saying. I hate to say it but he may be limping the rest of his days, poor guy. 

If he does retire he's going out on a high note as he was on an absolute tear and playing some of the best ball of his career. It can be a cruel game and if he is finished I wish him all the best in his post playing-days. He's got a lot to be proud of and was one of the best.

[Tecno]

Oh I think it's exactly like that. From what I could tell from replay, and maybe you can scope this out further, that foot/ankle bone was broke clean in two.

Yes, that is my take.

It's gotta be pieced together with rods, plates, screws, etc. That leg is never going to be the same. I'm thinking he's done and there's no chance he plays again this season despite what Hamilton is saying. I hate to say it but he may be limping the rest of his days, poor guy.

My buddy crashed a motorcycle in his youth, shattered his ankle in a similar way, got the plates & stuff, and limps to this day.  Ya, you probably don't want to play football in that state, even if you are a never-leaves-pocket R.Ray.

If he does retire he's going out on a high note as he was on an absolute tear and playing some of the best ball of his career.

It's the worst outcome because we all knew HAM was going to win the E and be in the cup if BLM kept up that level of play.  No way even MTL beats that.  The O was tailor built for BLM.

I really hate BLM since his "show them what kind of team they are" and endless cocky attitude when in CGY (mellowed since moving to HAM), but even I'm sad for him and especially the HAM fans who just lost their best shot at ending the drought.  Now I'll root for OTT, because TOR certainly doesn't need another cup, and while I like Alexander, I'm not fond of Maciocia or that frenchie-bird org.

Realistically though, MTL must be beaming from Maas ear to Maas ear, because they can now coast to the GC, unless some W xover finally beats the East (EDM? CGY? BC? us?).

[Big Daddy]

I really hate BLM since his "show them what kind of team they are" and endless cocky attitude when in CGY (mellowed since moving to HAM), but even I'm sad for him and especially the HAM fans who just lost their best shot at ending the drought.  Now I'll root for OTT, because TOR certainly doesn't need another cup, and while I like Alexander, I'm not fond of Maciocia or that frenchie-bird org.

Tecno I couldn't agree more with this.  I thought maybe I was the only one here holding on to bitter memories of that half-time chirp from BLM years ago, and I've never got past that.  But agreed - even I feel sad for him, and more so for the Hamilton fans

[Tecno]

Tecno breakdown:

Impact/good play, including "assists" (like good run blocks) as half a point:

good
brady 7     
major 5   
jones 5   
demski 4   
kelly 3.5
griffin 3 
elgersma 3 
smith 2.5 
white 2.5 
willie 2.5 
reese 2
mazzcua 2
broxton 2
daniels 1.5
kramdi 1
jones 1
vaval 1
kornelson 1
moxey 1
perkins 1
corcoran 1
ceresna 1
pokey 1
fletcher 1
cobb 1
cadwall 1
elsbury .5
stan .5

bad
demski 2
brady 1
smith 1
zach 1
elsbury 1
castillo 1
daniels .5

Way more good stuff than bad stuff, so much cleaned up, so much progress.  I can see the effort being put in, the studying being done, and the fixes being thought up and applied.  Execution way better than all other weeks.  I know we looked not so hot, even when Zach was in, but everyone was doing better.  Hope for the future, especially if we can start scoring more.

1Q6:10 Demski 2nd down whiff on the short in-stride out pass; I really appreciate the attempt to get Zach's in-stride game going.  It's one of our big weaknesses.  Zach put it out a bit too far, but other team players are regularly catching that by diving...

1Q3:36 OL play, seal 1st level properly, lots of crossing parts, 2nd level.  That fixes one of our problems in the previous weeks.

1Q1:28 HAM starts going deep, when the clear way to beat WPG is to dink & dunk, think SSK, and they continue the whole time BLM is in.  Stupid.  Could have easily won if they took what Younger gives them -- no matter which QB was in.

2Q2:58 HAM mugging on Major?  No replays of the mugging part, which is where they placed the ball.  Thanks TSN.  MOS might have challenged -- thought about it!

Zach always says "I need to be better", but is anyone anaylzing why exactly a quick routine curl is failing?  It's the same thing over and over for years.  I can tell you why it failed.  I go over it every time.  Why isn't anyone else doing this (and better than I possibly can!).  Every other team & QB makes that quick curl.  We fail way over half the time.  Extra mini-pump, not looking off long enough, not realizing the DB is too close... all of this is fixable.  And if it's not, get that curl (and most short passes) out of the O book.  To not do so is insanity.

[Waffler]

That's my take too.  Nothing was holding it where it was supposed to be.

Not much in the news releases yet except he had successful surgery today?  Are we thinking bolted-in plates and stuff?  Or is this not like that?

Surgery was to set the bone. They do that right away. Ligaments, tendons could be done later. Many examples of guys with torn ligaments waiting for surgery. As far as plates, screws etc and what it took to fix, only the Dr is going to know that. Everyone is optimistic but surely any return will be next year.