WBBFanWest

Just out of curiosity, what does that mean exactly? No tape? or the replay clearly shows good play but the challenge flag still comes out? Because if it's the latter, I've seen it on occasion. That's what I was getting at and I have to say that I've never seen a coach throw the flag on a play that was clearly "good" or in a situation that he had no evidence to base his decision on. Actually, it would make zero sense to do that so I would have to seriously question the acumen of a coach that would waste a flag, and a timeout on such a pointless exercise. If your guys need a stoppage, call a time out. If you don't have a timeout, signal for a leg cramp. The dumbest thing a coach could do would be to waste a challenge flag and then, a couple of plays or series later, suddenly have good reason to use it. Where I'm from we call that dumb coaching. The point I'm making is that because O'Shea had no evidence that the catch wasn't a catch, no video, no players screaming to throw the flag, he would not be smart to do so, as some people on here seem to suggest. Again, there are things that O'Shea does that I question, but calling him out for not throwing a flag when he didn't have any evidence to support throwing it is just plain dumb. And for the more sensitive folks out there, please make note of the fact that I'm calling the opinion, not the poster, dumb.

Can anyone show me where a HC has thrown a challenge flag with no evidence whatsoever?

I'm not aware of a CFL head coach throwing a challenge flag in order to "buy time for their D to regroup", nor am I aware of challenge flags being thrown simply because, "its a huge play that changed the game ". The only time I'm aware of that a HC throws a challenge flag is when he has good reason to believe that a decision by the officials was wrong, which O'Shea has already said that he didn't have. Care to list some examples of either of the situations you outlined?

I don't know, you'd have to ask him and yes I am serious. It's late in the game, my opposition just made a circus catch that I didn't get a view on yet, my opposition is all of a sudden running hurry up to get on the ball quick when they should be taking their time so I need to slow things down now, what's at my disposal? Time out or challenge flag. I choose the challenge flag because the bonus is there's a chance it could be overturned based on Calgary not wanting it reviewed. Little bit more than a whim.You'll probably find that very few professional level coaches use "the force" to make critical decisions. I'm thinking that they rely a lot more on evidence, which O'Shea didn't have available to him at that particular moment. The other way to look at it was he made a decision, without any evidence, to let the play go. If he didn't have time to compile that evidence (Calgary rushing to the ball), you simply let it go? No, you use your options to have time to collect that evidence especially being how critical that play was and the time we had left in the game. Yes I risk losing a timeout, the flip side is I risk letting Calgary move up the field on a non legit play. Doesn't the team have multiple people watching? I find it hard to believe no one saw even the possibility of a non catch? I think everyone was mystified by the circus catch. It was very obvious on reply. Id expect someone somewhere to raise an eyebrow at game speed since it's their bread and butter Have you not read the entirety of the thread? And in real speed it looked like a good catch. It wasn't until after the Stamps ran their next play that TSN showed a definitive replay that looked like the ball hit the ground. And those two idiots (Black & Suitor) were still sporting chubbies over the non catch. One of the best reasons I can think of for NOT watching the game in high def.

I already qualified that with one of my posts above so thanks for the judgement. And your point about things going hundred miles per hour provides more evidence that if things were going to fast for our head coach (i.e., Calgary running up to the ball after the catch, no word from the spotter, no replay available, no word yea or nay from a player) you need to slow the game down at that point. How? With a challenge flag. Moreover, the logic I'm hearing here from some people is if you have no word from your sources (see my info in parenthesis above) and the opposition is wanting to hurry up to get the next play off, you simply let it happen because your info hasn't come in yet from a play you don't know yet if it was legit. It was at a crucial point in the game, I don't have my info to make a decision, I throw the challenge flag with the risk of losing a timeout. And this is why you'll never be a professional head coach. Seriously, you can find fault with O'Shea for a lot of things, but not throwing the challenge flag because he "thought that they were hurrying up when they shouldn't" is beyond silly. I guess you've never heard of a team speeding up to take advantage of momentum, because they thing that they've got the opposition on their heels? I have.

As disappointed as I am with those two calls, they don't compare with our offence giving Calgary the entire 3rd quarter and most of the 4th too. In fact, I got a really bad feeling when Stoudermire misplayed the opening kick off in the 3rd and we quickly went 2 and out. They looked flat and they played that way for a long time. So those calls by the refs did not help us, but when you only play about 30 or so good minutes of a 60 minute game, bad things are likely going to happen. And no, there was no "fix" on those calls, just people wearing stripes that made mistakes. Crap happens. Good teams find a way to rise above it. We almost did

Well, the verdict is in and my son said that he really liked the game and thought that the stadium was great. He even wore the Bomber hat. Another soul will wear the blue and gold and feast on disappointment and tears. I don't know if I should be happy or not, but at least I'll have someone to share the driving with!

I don't know, you'd have to ask him and yes I am serious. It's late in the game, my opposition just made a circus catch that I didn't get a view on yet, my opposition is all of a sudden running hurry up to get on the ball quick when they should be taking their time so I need to slow things down now, what's at my disposal? Time out or challenge flag. I choose the challenge flag because the bonus is there's a chance it could be overturned based on Calgary not wanting it reviewed. Little bit more than a whim. You'll probably find that very few professional level coaches use "the force" to make critical decisions. I'm thinking that they rely a lot more on evidence, which O'Shea didn't have available to him at that particular moment.

The main difference concerning Canadians playing in the NFL or NHL is that positions are awarded on the basis of skill and skill alone, versus the CFL which awards positions based on skill and on nationality (ratio). Therefore if a Canadian can demonstrate that he has the skills to do the job in thr NHL or NFL, and there is not an available American that can do it better, the job is theirs. It helps that the determination of skill is completely subjective and therefore, very difficult to argue against. Easy to do in hockey, not so easy in the NFL.

Well, considering the extra costs in travelling down to the US for the entire league, the issue of US vs Canadian currency, and the fact that the foray into the states wasn't exactly a long term boon for the league, colour me extremely, extremely skeptical that the CFL would even remotely entertain the idea.

#freeISO I remember the good old days when we spent most of our time making fun of the Riders and Regina. Good times... good times... Oh, and yay me - 500th post!

I don't know if the league needs longer contracts. a 2 year minimum for rookies would work if the team maintained their rights for a minimum of five years, or as has been said, has the right to match for the first five years. That way, they can go a chase the dream and if it doesn't work out, they're back where they belong, so to speak. It really isn't something that should concern the PA at all.

I'll be there too and, like I said in my rant thread, I'll be bringing my son for his first CFL game. I'm praying that it's at least watchable and not a blow out by the 3rd quarter. Told him that if he played his cards right I'd buy him a Bomber hat. I'd hate to have him say, "Thanks, but no thanks."

I am neither for nor against Dragon. You might say that I'm Dragon neutral. Having said that, Mr. Dragon, you do realize that he reports rumors, but that's because he leaves the reporting of facts to the reporters, while he looks for scoops. Pretty hard to "scoop" a Bomber media release, right? I think it's fair to say that he doesn't just hear something and then broadcast it. It does seem that he'll only talk about stuff that has either multiple sources or is from someone who would be in a position to know what they are talking about. It seems to me that when he reports on these rumors, he turns out to be right a lot more often that random chance would allow for.

Agreed. And it's seriously a dumb question to ask. It was a softball question. All O'Shea had to do is give him one of those sideways glances and say something like "Our record is our record". He's refused to play along with questions he thinks are silly in the past. This was one of those times where he should have.

Not sure which is sadder: The play of the Bombers or people who think I was really trying to contact the Bombers.

No, I don't think that they are actively trying to lose, it's worse. They're trying to win and too often, are failing miserably. I posted this thread tongue in cheek, but at the same time I am really disappointed in this team, especially the last game because it really didn't look like a team playing with a sense of urgency, a sense of we have to dig in and win this thing. And when they are hit with adversity, they just seem to immediately and completely fold. And that is discouraging because that speaks directly to the heart of this team, and this is a team, with the exception of the defense, that is not showing a lot of heart. And that to me is a puzzle because I had assumed that when O'Shea was hired, that, with his history, heart would never be something that we'd have to worry about with him in charge. But it's like he just assumes that everyone is wired like him, and when they are not, he doesn't know how to motivate them. And from my experience, a team with no heart, regardless of talent, will go nowhere.

Gotta say that it takes a lot of chutzpah to say that after the last game. Not to mention the fact that it's a completely illogical thing to say because as others have pointed out, you are exactly as good as your record. Mike needs to work on a lot of things with this team, including, it would seem, his silly platitudes.

What I expect is that they at least look like they are embarrassed by their performance and do everything they can to try and fix that. When I watched them play Montreal, they didn't look like that at all, especially in the first half. O'Shea himself suggested that they were flat. If they can't bring up the level of their play when they're looking at a game as important as this last one, I'd submit that there are some, more than a few, that are not "trying as hard as they can".

Be a pal and pass it on to him, would you? A few callers voiced the exact same sentiments as you on last nights CJOB Coaches Show. And I'm sure that O'Shea said that he'd have to look at the tape of the coach's show before he would be able to respond? He actually acknowledged that the players haven't been living up to expectations, and that him and the players all appreciate the Winnipeg fans in that we have a very different fan base here in Winnipeg who are extremely passionate and knowledgeable. Well then, all I can say is that they have a strange way of showing it.

Be a pal and pass it on to him, would you? A few callers voiced the exact same sentiments as you on last nights CJOB Coaches Show. And I'm sure that O'Shea said that he'd have to look at the tape of the coach's show before he would be able to respond?

Be a pal and pass it on to him, would you?

Dear Blue Bombers, On Friday, September 25th, I'll be coming to Winnipeg for the game and bringing my adult son for his first ever taste of CFL football. I'm not asking you to win, but please don't stink it up like you did in Montreal. At least try and act like you actually want to put on a good show for your fans, ok? Can we do that one little thing? Also, if it's not too much to ask, could you do a public firing of Marcel Bellefeuille before the coin toss? Thanks a bunch. A loyal but very discouraged fan.

Hate to pile on, but no, MB's offences did not look really good. They looked adequate at best. All MB needs for success is to have the very best people perform at near flawless levels and then, he looks like a good OC. Of course one could also describe that situation as very skilled people doing well despite of the system, not because of it. MB needs to go at season's end if O'Shea wants any chance of being the HC of the Bombers beyond this year. It might be too late for that even now, but my gut tells me that if O'Shea dumps MB asap after season's end, he'll be kept around for the start of 2016. If MB is still on the payroll by December, I'm thinking that Walters has little choice but to pull the plug on the whole thing.