Jaxon

IIRC, he kicked Thomas Miles #52. That's the sort of thing that the CFL should review after the game and apply supplemental discipline to. It ought to have been called during the game, but it is possible that no official saw it. If an official saw it and didn't throw a flag, then that official should be called to account. A deliberate kick like that should lead to an ejection.

I see that Toronto released Evan Gill (Manitoba). They tried to convert him from D-line to O-line, but I guess it didn't work out. He was very highly evaluated out of college, but had some injury issues. It'll be interesting to see if he gets picked up somewhere.

Montreal wouldn't surprise me, but Edmonton seems a bit out there. Perhaps it's a 3-way with Glenn coming back here? (I have no information, just pure speculation)

Good to see that they are travelling all 3 of the Rifle players (74, 76, 78) I suspect that all three will get some decent playing time given the limited number of players going on the trip.

A CFL field is 150 yards long. 110 from goal line to goal line plus 2 x 20 yards for the endzones. The endzones are part of the field of play and have to be accounted for. You are correct in that they are 65 yards wide.

I know that last year all three Rifles got a few reps in the pre-season game. My understanding is that they are insured, so liability isn't an issue. If by "real games" you mean regular season, then yes, they have to be signed to a contract before they can do that. There is an agreement between the CJFL and the CFL which allows CJFL players to practice with CFL clubs (all season long) and to play in preseason games without counting against the # of player restrictions. This is capped at 4 CJFL players per CFL team.

I'm sad not to see LaFrance getting some time tomorrow. I was hoping to see Harris take the first series and then go to LaFrance for most of the balance to really see what our NI backup can do. I'm hoping to see some really good things from Demski, Simonise and Wolitarsky on Friday, as I'm convinced that having top caliber NI receivers is key to success. Also of note, I'm curious to see if they give the local Rifle players a few reps. I understand that they have stepped up in camp and have earned some respect. Andrew Ricard was in camp last year as well and got a few reps at safety in last year's pre-season game, so I'm hoping to see good things there as well. Finally, there are 2 Winnipeg based players on Edmonton: Curtis Krahn (Former Rifle) and Alex Taylor were drafted by Edmonton this year, and I always have a bias for the local guys.

I'm nervous. I'm optimistic. I'm excited. I'm distracted. I'm grateful. I'm hopeful. I'm ready for this darn game to get going, and It's still hours away.

Amateur Football does pay a significant fee to use the stadium. Much of it has to do with security costs, cleaning, power, lights, scoreboard operation etc. That being said, the Bombers are a significant supporter of amateur football in total, and those costs are real.

Joe Morrow, Joe Morrow We love you Joe Morrow, Your only a goal away!

"His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them." Mark 9:3

I'm old enough to remember too many unjustified firings of coaches in the past. Cal Murphy canned after losing a playoff game in Edmonton. We always contended under Murphy, and won our share of cups too.....but the sky was falling and the panic took hold of the decision makers. Horrible decision, but in their minds "somebody has to pay". We brought in Reinbold and that was the end of a successful era. Dave Ritchie canned after we couldn't win the big one. We went 14-4, 12-6, 11-7 in the three years prior to 2004. We got off to a bad start in '04, and once again we panicked and fired a good coach. We replaced him with Jim Daley. Doug Berry took us to a cup appearance in 2007, then after making the playoff in '08 we canned him too and replace him with Mike Kelly. Paul Lapolice took us to a cup appearance in 2011, so naturally when we struggled half way through 2012, we replaced him with Tim Burke. I firmly believe that Walters and O'Shea are one the right path. We're winning more than we are losing, and we are contending for the cup. It will happen sooner if we continue to build and offer a great program with consistency. The knee jerk firing of coaches rarely works out well. PS> I'm very pleased that the Jets didn't bow to the loonies running around last summer calling for Paul Maurice's replacement. Funny how they have all disappeared.

McDavid is the real deal as a player but.....I believe it was a huge mistake to give him the "C" so early. Edmonton lacks leadership. A captain should be a guy that other guys can go to just to talk about on-ice and off-ice situations. An NHL season is a long grind, and various issues can affect their play. Marital issues, family issues, travel fatigue for example. He just turned 21, so it's tough for the 23-24 year old coming up to go to him for life advice. I'm also in the camp that thinks the Oilers have structural issues that aren't ending soon.

Much Ado About Nothing

I'm not sure what to think of Simonise. He has the physical tools, but even in the CJFL, he got shut down by better teams. They got in his head, and he was ineffective. He's been called the "Canadian Duron Carter", and I'm not sure that works in our lockerroom. http://3downnation.com/2018/03/21/five-players-lose-cfl-combine/

That's exactly right. Kyle, very politely and very professionally, just effectively told Hardaway that he doesn't appreciate the way Hardaway is playing the game. He virtually told all the other teams what he was willing to pay, and that it was in fact a big, generous offer, but that the Bombers are not going to get into a bidding war. He left the door open just enough that Muamba can come back in if he wants to, but there are no further negotiations to be had. Well Done Mr. Walters!

I think it is the right decision to play Comrie tonight. We need to get Helle some days off, and get him primed up for the playoffs. We're in the middle of a six game home stand, so it's the right time to do it. It is unfortunate that both Hutch and Mason are injured, but it is what it is. Our need to rest Helle > our need to win this one game. Comrie still gives us a decent chance to win, but clearly not as strong as Helle.

IMHO Morrisey is the best skater of our D-men.

I suspect that Henoc will wait until just before training camp to sign.

While we don't have a great O/T record, I'm not worried about it. There is no 3 on 3 format in the playoffs, so I wouldn't use much practise time on it.

I believe it is 8 http://www.playoffstatus.com/nhl/jetswhatif.html

Alex Taylor is the top RB available in the draft. Local Winnipeg kid who played St. Vital Mustangs and then went to St. Paul's. He played on the Provincial team several years. He then went to Western, where he consistently performed as the top RB in the OAU. He was a dominant force in the Vanier (154 yards in 26 carries). He has power/speed/balance. Had the Bombers not taken LaFrance, I would have been all over them to grab Taylor. If he's still on the board in the second round, I think he'd be a good pickup. IIRC, he still has 1 year of CIS eligibility, so they might grab him and wait for next year. With all these 1 year contracts out there, having depth is good, especially with Normand signing in Edm.

MLB Still an area to be looked at either through FA, (Muamba, Reed, Woods) or other adjustments (draft, available Americans, re-positioning current players) I think you've underestimated Demski's potential. Before he got hurt, in game one last year he went 7 catches for 87 yards. Game two he went 7 catches for 82 yards and a TD. That was on a team that was loaded at receiver, so it wasn't like he was the only target. If he stays healthy (a legit question for any football player). I think he is an 800 yd guy receiving plus punt and kick return rotation. The price paid was very much in line with what teams pay for starting quality Canadian receivers. This will be his 4 season in the league, so he ought to be in his prime. LaFrance has shown that he's a good RB (Career averages 4.1 yards per carry, Total 453 yards on 111 carries). Those aren't Harris numbers, but they're decent given that he's primarily been in a back-up roll. We also saw him go 157 yards on 25 carries in the eastern final back in 2016 when he was pressed into the primary spot. He's also got 28 catches for 200 yards, which is a good average coming out of the backfield. The rumoured salary is very much in line with backup salary. Don't forget that the Bombers have had Chris Normand in this roll and he is yet unsigned, so they needed to fill that spot. Personally, I'm very sad to see Bond leave. I thought he was a significant part of our O-line improvement and would have been much happier if he was still with us, so I agree with you there. Heath for Fenner is a reasonable adjustment. Time will tell. We also do need more depth at DL with Westerman gone and Jake Thomas still unsigned.

Henoc Muamba would be an excellent option for the Bombers. I suspect that if Sask cut him over the bonus, that we will be in great shape to scoop him up. Nice thing is that it's due tomorrow, so there isn't much time.

Ted Laurent must be re-thinking the lousy $200,000 he got from the Hammer