Jaxon

The Rifles have tried several times to have "Amateur Football Day" by offering free (or really cheap) tickets to high school teams and to MMFA clubs but it has never worked well. A couple of years ago they spread many free tickets to WHSFL teams, only to watch their gate drop as some enterprising young men brought their team's tickets down to the stadium and sold them cheap or gave them away to fans who were heading to the box office. Papering the house doesn't usually work well, it usually just devalues your product further as people stop buying as they know that they can get cheap tickets at any time. I know that the Rifles would love to be able to bring groups of young players out at a very affordable price, but it is easier said than done! The switch to Saturday evening games this year has received support from more of the alumni as it seems to be a good time for them to get together for a couple of beverages and to watch the game. The crowd last weekend was decent, about 800, but it does get a bit overwhelmed in the big stadium. The Rifles typically get larger crowds against Regina as it is a shorter trip for that team's fans. Hopefully the Saturday night will attract even more. Both teams are 1-1 so it should be a good game.

or get the same sized crowd and watch your revenue dry up. The Rifles get the gate, but nothing from concessions at IGF. Stadium rental, security, production costs all come into play. The scoreboard and replay screens don't run themselves, they need techs and camera operators. What does a junior hockey ticket cost in Brandon? Why would football be so cheap? The Rifles work off of a $300,000 per year budget, most of which is for travel. Nobody's getting rich off of it.

I'm not aware of any US interest at this point. He certainly is on the radar of every CIS school, as all top CJFL players are. I'm hoping that he sticks with the Rifles and goes straight to the Bombers in 2018. Rifles play at home on Saturday night against Regina, and this will be a good test for the home team and for Richott. He put up over 100 yds in week one against Saskatoon (the top team in the country), and then the big game against Edmonton. No doubt that Regina will be game planning to try to limit him. Should be a great game. IGF field at 7:00 pm Saturday. Tickets at Ticketmaster.

Richott from the Rifles is currently eligible to be a territorial protected player for the Bombers. He attended the Bomber rookie camp this past year, and is very much on the Bombers radar. He's not only a great player, but he is also a great character/leader/lockeroom guy. I'm certain that the Bombers will invite him back to camp next spring as they really liked what he did this past year. If he goes to CIS next year, he will lose the territorial exemption, which strategically would not be his best move. Richott, in theory, could play this year and next with the Rifles, then jump to the Bombers. He could also play this year and next with the Rifles, and still have 2 years of CIS eligibility, so there is no reason for him to jump to the Bisons either this year or next. Lyles has physical talent, but I believe that Richott is a far superior athlete and teammate, and of course the Prairie conference of the CJFL is at a much higher level than the BC conference, so Richott is putting up big numbers against stronger talent.

I, for one, am very optimistic about this team right now, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the current winning streak. I've been a season ticket holder for many decades, and I've had plenty of ups and downs. My advice, for those who want it: Enjoy the current winning streak....there will be plenty of opportunities to be sour in the future. (that goes for life too)

Correct, the loss of picks for being significantly over the cap is a clearly defined penalty. I would suggest that the extra amounts that the Riders have paid for the "outlaw" players should be applied to the cap. If, at the end of the season, they are over the cap by the requisite amount, they should face this penalty.

Normally I wouldn't even suggest it, as it would seem unrealistic, but in this case Sask does need a kicker. I'm not sure I'd class Demski as an RB though. More like a SB, or perhaps a utility back who can go in at slot or RB if needed. Given that we start an NI RB, having another on the roster is prudent.

I agree that there is no way we'd trade Loffler. I think Loffler taking the field has added some needed energy to the team, and specifically created some fear over the middle. He is an exciting starting quality NI player with huge upside. You don't trade that. I'd be willing to trade Richards for Demski at this point. Maybe Castillo for Demski (1 for 1 in either case) I'd also be prepared to wait out the season and bring Demski home once he is a free agent.

My wife left, but I stuck it out to the end! Well worth it. Home by 1:30, and that 6:00 alarm wasn't welcome. Well worth it though. Feel like we may have turned a corner. Lots of Bombers played great, but for me it was Nichols who deserved the most praise. He is a leader out there.

Most backup QB's get their shot, some take advantage, some don't. Sometimes it's just plain luck, good or bad. I've rarely seen a QB in this league go all 18 games. Usually, they get an injury somewhere down the line that allows the #2 guy to get some playing time. It's those situations where a #2 guy can get his chance to show what he can do. It is not illogical to think that Davis will get his shot either this year or next. Willy carries a big salary and has not won many games. The thought of him being traded or released is certainly within the realm of possibility. That makes Nichols the starter and Davis the #2. The odds are, in that scenario, that Davis would get a couple of starts before next year is done. I don't wish ill on anyone, but I would like to see more from Davis. I thought he played well in the preseason, albeit not with or against starters.

I certainly know that offences are complex and require coordination and team work, but receiver is the easiest offensive position to slide a new player into, especially a vet.

I thought that Nichols play a very good game. To me, it hinged on a great play when he hit Dressler on the first series on the play that took us down to the one yard line. We've been so used to dink and dunk that it was refreshing to go vertical with success. That play set a new tone for the offence that we can and will go downfield. IMHO, he brought a more aggressive attitude to the team, and played to win. I think that losing Dressler for the second half really hurt our production, as I think he was a big part of our game plan going in.

IMHO, the Bombers can win if we get a decent performance on offence, and a great performance on D. We need a couple of sacks, and a few turnovers. The Esk's are a bit nervous and their confidence has to be shaken. It's up to our whole team, not just the QB, to perform better and take advantage of the opportunity.

I've long been an advocate for dressing 7 OL. I fully understand the love of backup LB's and FB's because of their value on special teams, but with 44 dressing, I would choose to have 7 OL. The Bombers regularly have only dressed 6 OL, so I don't see it as a depth issue, more like a calculated risk.

Great man. I met him several times at coaching clinics and he always had time to talk. I had an observer field pass to training camp one year, and he recognized me, came over and talked to me before every session. He was just a great guy to talk to about life, family, football, and really anything. I was devastated when he passed.

I really do try to stay positive about MY TEAM, so in that light, I think the Bombers will pull off a couple of big plays, maybe a pick 6, or a punt return TD, coupled with a long TD on offence and we will squeek out a win.

Much better effort tonight in all phases. We still need to finish in the end zone, but a good solid effort. Andrew Harris, Legget, and Waggoner were outstanding.

I respectfully disagree. Holding is a very subjective call already....it's been said many times that holding could be called on every play. I think that this change will end some of the ticky-tack calls that slow down the game. I've played, coached, officiated, managed, and sat on boards, organizing committees and disciplinary hearings over several decades. I can honestly say that coaches are going to argue with officials either way. Giving officials a valid reason to not throw a flag will, in my opinion, lead to fewer penalties and fewer arguments than there are now. I think that there are too many flags for inconsequential situations in both the amateur and professional games.

Football Canada has made some rule changes for this year which apply to all amateur football. There are several, most of which are housekeeping in nature, but some will have some impact on the game. The one that I find most significant is the change to holding rules Rule 7, Section 1 Article 1 (page 41) they've added that holding should only be called "if the hold has an impact on the play" Thank goodness. Hopefully the CFL will make the same change. A full list of amateur rule changes can be found here: http://footballcanada.com/amateur-tackle-rule-book-changes-for-2016-17-season/

Sorry to hear about your experience. Mine has been pretty good over 4 decades, except for 1 snag moving to the new stadium. This has long since been taken care of. Mind you, I have a standard fan thing, 4 seats and a parking pass....not looking for the corporate extras.

Andrew Harris.

Players may well be moved on and off the PR and Roster before the game. (perhaps with some developing "injuries" as well) I'm not going to get worked up about 2 import kickers on the roster, or the depth chart at RB, or the list of WR's and DL until the actual game day roster/depth chart comes out. Could be lots of deals/trades in the works, and some players are more "protectable" than others.

CIS rules are complex, but basically they boil down to a player having a 7 year window when the graduate high school. They can play 5 years in total within that window. So, a player out of High School can play CJFL (Rifles) for 2 years without using up any CIS eligibility. That's why you see so many players go to the CJFL out of high school, it gives them the chance to develop and then shop the CIS schools with a higher level of training.

O'Shea isn't a "rager", but I would say that he is intense and passionate. The difference is that he keeps in under control.

One of the most entertaining interviews that I've seen in a while. My experience in years (decades) of coaching is that the position group with the most protective coaches is the O-line. They, as a group, always stand up for their guys. They are virtually always the tightest, where you don't break ranks, and you don't criticize a teammate in your group. Coaches included.