Noeller

Jesus, that's brutal about losing Wild. Efffffff. But hopefully we can recruit some more solid imports this off season....

Well that's certainly interesting...

That's why I'm surprised Picard would want to be involved here. He knows contracts aren't guaranteed and we can cut him at any time. It's not some kind of trick we can pull on him. This is a team that offers less job security for him than some, unless he's been hiding his talents as a guard all these years. Sounds like he really wants to play for Wylie again...

the Twitters seem to think Picard automatically starts at C, Goossen to one guard spot, and then Morley/Greaves battle for the other guard spot, Neufeld at RT, and then you're just looking for that big LT...possibly American. Personally, I don't think Greaves loses that Guard spot, but who knows...

Madani says Wylie is a big fan of Picard....makes sense.

Keeping in mind, folks, yet again...columnist vs reporter. Broadbeck is a Con-Slant Columnist, whose sole purpose is to elicit reaction from people. Similar to what Charles Adler does. Just sayin'......

I don't *hate* the move, as long as there's not too much in the way of guaranteed money. I'm still not exactly sure what this means for our roster, but if you're not guaranteeing much, and just saying "hey, come to camp, fight for a job, and we'll see what it looks like in mid June..." then that's not so bad...

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2015/01/05/stadium-money-pit-grows?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter by Tom Broadbeck Winnipeg Sun Jan 5, 2015 While the Winnipeg Blue Bombers made good last week on its $4.5-million loan payment to help repay the costs of Investors Group Field, the total amount owed to taxpayers to build the stadium is expected to jump to a staggering $185 million this year, up from the original loan of $160 million. That’s because the miniscule loan payments made to date have fallen well short of covering the soaring interest charges on the loan, which totalled $17 million as of March 31, 2014, and are expected to top $25 million this year. Two years from now, the total amount owing could be close to $200 million, an amount that may never be repaid in full. As my Winnipeg Sun colleague Kirk Penton reported last week, of the $4.5 million paid by the Bombers, only $1 million of that goes towards the taxpayer loan. The rest is applied to a $10-million CIBC bank loan the Bombers took out on top of the taxpayer loan for last-minute enhancements to the facility. Also, the city of Winnipeg has still not made a payment on its IGF loan obligation from taxes generated at the former stadium site at Polo Park. All new city taxes from the site, including the new Target retail outlet, are earmarked to help pay off the new stadium under the city’s Tax Increment Financing Zone agreement. The Winnipeg Sun has learned the city will make a small loan payment of $222,779 this month under the TIF agreement. Annual payments, the amount of which remains unknown, will begin about a year from now, the city says. In the meantime, only $1.2 million has been repaid to taxpayers so far. And with interest charges, calculated at 4.65% annually, now hovering at about $8 million a year, the total amount owing — principal and interest — is expected to be about $185 million by March 31, 2015. No one appears to know when the Bombers and the Polo Park development together will be able to cover even the interest charges on the loan, much less pay down the principal. Until then, the total amount owing to taxpayers will continue to grow. Of course, once the Bombers pay off the $10-million bank loan — expected in 2017 — the club should be able to make good on its full annual payments of about $4 million a year to taxpayers, largely from facility fees and amusement taxes charged on event tickets. And once the Polo Park site is fully developed, there will be additional tax dollars from the TIF agreement, although that amount is still unknown. It will depend on the assessed value of the properties and businesses that are developed there. In the meantime, every year that goes by where substantial payments on the taxpayer loan are not made and significant interest charges accrue, the balance owing will continue to grow. The taxpayer loan — which began to flow in the 2011-12 fiscal year — is actually broken down into two loans. Phase 1 of the loan is the city’s $75-million Polo Park TIF loan, which is due in 2038. Phase 2 of the loan is the Bombers’ $85-million loan, due in 2058. The Bombers don’t have to pay interest on their portion of the loan until 2017, which is another hidden taxpayer subsidy. Instead, the interest accruing on their loan is tacked on to the Polo Park TIF loan. So city property taxpayers will be repaying provincial taxpayers. Nice shell game. It has been argued new tax revenue from the Polo Park site is essentially “free” money because the old stadium generated no tax revenue at all. Actually, most of it is not net, new tax dollars. New commercial developments create costs for the city, including public works, police, fire/paramedic, administrative, etc. That’s why commercial and residential properties pay taxes — to cover their share of city expenses. So while “new” tax dollars from Polo Park go towards paying the stadium loan, taxpayers are left paying for the new ongoing costs associated with the Polo Park development. It’s one more reason why our property taxes will go up again this year.

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/cfl-55-yard-line/five-crucial-cfl-questions-for-2015-201850883.html?soc_src=mediacontentsharebuttons&soc_trk=tw by Andrew Buckholtz 2015 will be a time of drastic change for the CFL, which is more stable than it's ever been on some levels thanks to a new TV contract and CBA, but still has some significant issues to address. Here are the five most important questions to keep an eye on from a league-wide perspective. 5. Will David Braley move to sell one or both of his teams this year? The owner of the B.C. Lions and Toronto Argonauts has spoken of selling both teams by the time he's 75, and he'll turn 74 in May. 2014 saw lots of discussions of Braley selling the Argos to Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, but although the sides partnered on a new practice facility, talks of an outright sale didn't seem to get too far. MLSE isn't the only potential buyer out there, and Braley said in September that he had two other offers for the team, but a sale seems unlikely to close until the team's stadium situation is resolved (see #2 below). There's been less open talk about selling the Lions, but that would seem likely to happen at some point soon too if Braley can find the right buyer. It seems improbable that Braley will completely exit the CFL in 2015, but he may well be able to get rid of one of his teams this year and come up with an exit strategy for the other one. 4. Will concussion lawsuits spread? 2015 is likely to see plenty of further developments on Arland Bruce III's concussion lawsuit against the CFL, its teams, andassociated figures and researchers, and how that case plays out could have significant impacts on the league. An even more important question may be if other CFL alumni will follow Bruce's lead, though. At least seven former players have been reported to be preparing lawsuits, including names like Terry Metcalf, Phil Colwell and Eric Allen, but none of those lawsuits appear to have been filed yet. The Bruce case is notable in its own right, especially for his claims about how poor CFL concussion protocols and treatment were in the last few years when concussion science was advanced enough that the league and its teams should have known better (and when they publicly said that they were taking substantial measures to prevent and treat concussions properly, including protocols which Bruce alleges they didn't actually follow), and it could well end up costing the league money, drastically changing its procedures, or both. Lawsuits from numerous CFL alumni could be even more significant, though, and perhaps more damaging to the league. The concussion front will be a key area to watch in 2015, especially to see if others get involved or if Bruce remains the only one actively suing. 3. Will TV ratings and in-stadium attendance rebound? What about offence? CFL TV ratings had some good moments this year, but fell slightly overall for the season and took particularly concerning drops in the playoffs and the Grey Cup. Now, this isn't a disaster; those ratings are still very good by Canadian sports standards, indicating that the CFL's still one of the biggest Canadian properties out there, and the league is also TSN's particular crown jewel now that they've lost national NHL rights. TSN is also locked into a five-year deal with the CFL through 2018, so it's not like these ratings came in a contract year. However, if the slide continues in 2015, that could be problematic. It's also worth watching the in-stadium attendances, a key revenue generator for the league, but one that's seen some notable declines lately. A factor many cited for 2014's lower TV ratings and attendance numbers was the decrease in scoring; will that change in 2015, and if it does, will that be enough to get the TV and attendance numbers heading in the right direction again? 2. Will the Argonauts solve their stadium situation? The Toronto Argonauts' quest for a new home may seem like a one-team issue at first, but it's actually one of the biggest issues facing the CFL. Having a Toronto presence is important for the league on a variety of fronts, from sponsorship to television to maintaining a national image. The Argos' situation got somewhat better this year thanks to the new practice facility and the end of the Bills in Toronto series (plus the failure of the Bon Jovi bid for the Bills that might have moved them north of the border permanently), but they still need a place to play; the Rogers Centre is a terrible football venue at this point in time, and its booking schedule means the team often winds up with a host of awful dates. Moreover, their lease thereexpires in 2017. It looks like the most likely solution is moving the team into a renovated BMO Field, something that's been backed and funded by Toronto council, but is under question thanks to federal funds not coming through. Braley is still working on the idea, and MLSE still seems open to it, so if the money's found it, it looks like that will happen. It hasn't yet, though, and the Argos have come close only to have Lucy pull the football away at the last minute before. 1. Who will replace Mark Cohon as commissioner? The biggest question about the CFL in 2015 is who's going to be leading it. Commissioner Mark Cohon announced in August he wouldn't seek a third term, and president/COO Michael Copeland said he wouldn't apply for the top job. Cohon is officially exiting the job Jan. 9, earlier than initially planned thanks to a deal with the board, and board chair Jim Lawson is stepping in as interim commissioner while the search for a full-time replacement continues. There are plenty of intruiging candidates both inside and outside the league, but Cohon leaves big shoes to fill, and while the league's stable on the TV and CBA fronts for now, it still has plenty of challenges. The new boss will have to understand the CFL from a football side and a fan side, but they'll also need a strong background in business. Keeping a group of owners with different interests and agendas united is no easy task, either, and that's a big part of why the CFL had five different commissioners from 2000 to 2007. Cohon brought stability to the league; will his successor be able to maintain that, and where will the league go under new leadership?

I thought this was decided like 2 weeks ago, that it was a girl who was fired about 6 months ago and was getting revenge...?

... Graig's evil twin...?

Much rather start Goossen...

5 years ago, maybe...

Yep Joe Mack would have been lying on a beach in Mexico the entire month of December.such an ignorant, useless statement. Instead of shitting on someone who's no longer here, I'm gonna just praise Walters for continuing to prove why he's good at this job. Glad we've got him...

Good move for the Oilers. Perron was a negative voice, so good to part with him, and pick up another 1st rounder that can likely be packaged with something else to either move up higher than the Pitt pick, or grab a more vital cog (quality D)...

I desperately want the new DC to come in and talk about how great IW38 is gonna be at MLB/MAC for us this year...

Dunno about Etch (didn't coordinators only have 1 year deals?) but everyone else is off the books. Miller wiped the slate clean.

Now, now...we suck, we've always so key, and we'll always suck. Now THAT is Bomber fandom. Gotta not be afraid to tell the truth around here!! Rabble Rabble herp derp...

Same gut said 4 burgers was a good idea....

This is the first I've heard of a meeting between the Bombers and Claybrooks. There was a rumour from one of our media guys (can't remember who) that Claybrooks was in town shortly before Etch was fired. This is the tweet by Scott Mitchell of the Calgary Sun that said Claybrooks had been to Winnipeg: Scott Mitchell ‏@SUNMitchell Dec 17 According to a source, DeVone Claybrooks was in Winnipeg recently for a "meeting." #CFL #Bombers ow ow ow ow....

When did we meet with Claybrooks?

Got a Moore jersey tee...now stay healthy damn it.

Merry Christmas, all. Here's to a 2015 that includes a winning summer AND fall for a change #GoBlue

Looking forward to seeing this kid push for a starting spot in camp. He's gonna be real interesting to watch.

Khari's in the running for smartest player to ever wear Blue and Gold......