Colin Unger

What I did was react to what you had said in my first sentence and then after that, I transitioned into a larger conversation about why some people don't like Ambrosie. I believe the vast majority of people who don't like him are simply scared of the change he's bringing. I'm scared of it to especially in terms of affecting the Canadian Ratio. However, there's definitely people out there who are both CFL fans and are Xenophobic. Believe me. Where I live there's a still a lot of Xenophobia and a lot of CFL fans and sometimes it crosses over. Just ask Andrew Harris what it was like growing up in Steinbach. Most of the people are great but there's still too many people who have old fashioned views. And when I used to live in Calgary it was the same thing.

You were being overdramatic. I just didn't choose my words carefully enough. I didn't mean to suggest that you were being xenophobic but I can see how people would have taken it that way based on what I had typed. I should have been more clear in terms of who I was specifically referring to rather than the way I wrote it. The way I wrote it clumped everyone who didn't like Ambrosie as being at least partially Xenophobic which was my mistake. The part where i think you were being overly dramatic is to suggest that if there's a strike then he should be fired. I would say that if there's a strike and it ends up costing the CFL games that's when his decisions may be negatively impacting the CFL.

Well yeah... if a strike lasted long enough to make that happen then he'd be fired I guess with a long with everyone else. Obviously, a one day or one week strike would have next to zero impact on the league. Many of the CFL fans who are highly critical of his handling of the labor negotiations have kept tying that into his Global initiative even though the two are completely unrelated. You see comments on facebook all the time of people saying "he's too busy spending time in Mexico to negotiate" and other similar red herring comments. These are people who are clearly irked by the whole Global Initiative. He didn't delay the negotiations because he was too busy it was obviously a pressure creating tactic. Just like not paying bonuses and just like the players threatening to strike. These are all tactics used to create pressure. With no pressure, there is typically no movement in negotiations. I have no doubt there will be an agreement with no games having to be rescheduled but it wouldn't surprise me if we ended up missing a day or two of camp.

I'm suggesting there has been more a reaction to Ambrosie's Diversity is strength and CFL Global initiatives and in some part there is an element of xenophobia that's coming out in complaints about the commish as a result of these initiatives. Not the majority of people who are against these initiatives are xenophobic not by a long shot. But I would imagine that there would be a percentage who are.

Little, Trouba, and Ehlers to Edmonton for Nugent-Hopkins, 8th overall pick, and Puljujärvi.

That may have been a bit strong. I would imagine the majority of what I'm referring to here would be in the change resistance category and only a minor element of it is in the xenophobia category.

Over dramatic aren't we? Fans are mostly angry with Ambroise do to Xenophobia and change resistance. The league needs to be proactive and look for new opportunities to grow the game. Better than any commish in memory he is doing that. Let him follow through on the CFL 2.0 and then judge him based on that.

Question for you guys. With all the attention Danny Mac has been getting lately on 3downnation and Bluebombers.com has he recruited into the CFL one top notch offensive player? I feel like he's found some defensive gems but overall our American scouting has been sub-par. Walters has been finding more all-stars in the Canadian draft then our American scouting department has done. When I look at the Americans we have on offense they are all free agent signings or guys we got in trade. Stanley Bryant, Hardrick, Nichols (trade), and Adams. That's something that's going to have to change very quickly or this team is going to be in trouble. Yes, there are a couple of promising backups in Streveler and Flanders but nothing impacting our starting offense has come from our American scouting department. Am I wrong? And if im not how is the possible?

Even Clark seems like a legit CFL prospect. Sounds like a hard worker but didn't play in division 1 but can run a 4.42.

Perhaps it has to be done now due to the cba as a lot of the changes being made for cfl global the players would need to sign off on?

At the very least it would be nice to have the option. However, I'm still holding out hope that Chris Ackie will sign here.

So Adam Konar is on the trade block. I don’t know how good this kid is but I do like the idea of Winnipeg having more options in terms of starting Canadians in case if injuries. Thoughts?

League wouldn’t do it. Wouldn’t benefit Toronto and montreal often enough

I would also have a category for top tier up and comers for guys like Gray. I know some people have this mindset that any player is just a prospect until they prove it. However, no CFL GM is going to trade their first round picks for 2nd round picks straight up. You'd be laughed off the phone if you proposed that trade. So yeah.. There's a difference between a guy like Gray and a guy like Couture/Speller. Id also have a separate category for Ratio Breakers Allstars and guys who were allstars at a position where Canadian starters are relatively easy to come by. I think all the proof we need that the bombers have good confidence in their replacement Canadians is that they seem to not have much of a plan for their first round picks this season and are willing to look at offers on them.

John Hodge responded to being called out on the bombers not being in SMS trouble in the comments. Here's what he said "Thanks for the comment, Gerry. I should have been more clear -- I think the Bombers have some cap space, but they have most of it set aside for cast-offs from the AAF and NFL. I don't believe they want to spend a lot of it on draft picks. Remember that Bighill wasn't the only big raise the Bombers handed out this off-season -- Jackson Jeffcoat and Brandon Alexander got paid, too. Geoff Gray will also be making first-round money as well." We were all right.

XFL is starting to remind me of Madden House rules events!

I would personally put Wolitarsky in the above average category. I believe he had the 4th most yards of any Canadian receiver despite playing on a low passing volume team and field side wideout. With the move to slot I see him as a 1000 yard guy this year. Probably a better receiver than any current American we have aside from Darvin.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/04/xfl-rules-overtime-9-point-touchdowns

No way bombers are at the ceiling.. They just may not want to put 200k into first round picks who won't be starting. Let's hope they can trade one of the picks for maybe a 2nd or 3rd round pick and an american receiver we need.

I think that's part of it.. But I think people also got exhausted from the long season and long playoffs last year. I know I did.

There was something extra special last season because it was the first time the jets made the playoffs with an actual good team. I feel like the obsession among fans isn’t as high this year.

I wouldn’t consider a guy like Gray as being last years backup. He was the most highly touted offensive lineman his draft year and then signed in the nfl. I was just as excited to have him when I thought Chung and Goosen were coming back as I am now. He will just start sooner than if we got everyone back. But eventually I expected him to be an upgrade over anyone we had as a Canadian on the offensive line.

I’d rather have the Jets completely fill the gap until bombers season.

Can't really blame them for that. The problem is that it's not a wealthy league and the league just had to take over a team to save jobs and a franchise. We all want the players to make more money. This is why I've been so supportive of the Global initiative which has the potential to significantly increase the salaries for all players in the CFL. Yes some tactics are being used and there were some pretty bad tactics used on players in the past. Just ask anyone who played for Cal! However, the league has never had a work stoppage and the league has survived and been able to pay players year after year after year. Unlike the AFF, XFL 1.0, USFL, Arena League ect ect.

It seems like you're trying to suggest that any young Canadian should be viewed the same. Yeah any player who hasn't proven themselves as a starter could be great or not great down the road. This statement isn't factually incorrect. But when you have a track record of drafting and developing elite level Canadian talent and we are looking at another very good crop of Canadian players there's no reason to worry. Track records matter. How highly regarded they were heading into the draft matters. By your logic, the Calgary Stampeders should be expected to be near the bottom of the league this season. They certainly lost more talent than Winnipeg included a Canadian that is near Bighill level and didn't add as much Winnipeg. However, based on their track record of developing replacements I'd still have them at the top right now until proven otherwise. How many of these Canadian All-stars were on the team when Walters took over the reins? Based on track records.. I maintain.. Not worried about the Canadian talent we will be better than most teams. Also based on track record I'm concerned about the American talent in our receiving core.