The Unknown Poster

Wheeler is a top line player on any team. Kane is too, this season aside. Bogo is a top pairing d man on a lot of teams, again, this season aside. Our Schtick is to be humble but we we do have legit superstars. I expect an 80 point season out of wheeler next year and 30-40 goals for Kane.

I could take or leave jbl on commentary. Not just him, the whole new school way of announcing is awful. They bury the product too much. Right Brock/Bryan seems to be the money match in my mind. It will depend on Bryan staying over and wwe not screwing up his push. If I'm wwe I have Brock murder everyone including hhh and cena since he should never have lost to them in the first place. Then have Brock win the title no later than royal rumble (and really should be summer slam or survivor series so Bryan can win the rumble). Bryan ends up as the underdog that has to stop the beast and save the wwe. If they can make a deal with punk if bring him back as a heel too, link him with AJ since they are now engaged and have them programmed with Bryan and Brie in the interim until Brock is ready. In fact punk losing the Bryan feud but "costing" him the title (getting punk linked back with Heyman) works for me. Cesaro would be good too but I think they should just let him be a face right now.

I dated a bombers cheerleader once. Great girl. But they do it because they like it (and I guess the attention is nice) and not for money.

A lot of team would love to have Kane, Ladd, Buff, Wheeler, Little, Enstrom and Bogosion so yeah, its a pretty good core.

Mike, what are predictions at this point for the Bombers in the draft as far as what you'd do, what you think they will do and what you think they might do if their guy isnt available?

Absolutely no doubt. Every expert said if Petan had any size he's a top 10, if not top 5 pick. He was the steal of the draft. Winnipeg likely took him for two reasons: 1) they couldnt believe he was still available 2) the Jets are actually pretty big and strong so they can afford to take a chance on a small guy. If he turns out to be another Marty St Louis, we're looking very good. I also agree his talent has surpassed Junior but at his size and age he's unlikely to make the Jets, not to be a part time player anyway. But crazier things have happened. Maybe he shows incredible at training camp and ends up the 3rd line centre. Have Buff and Frolik or Lowry ride shotgun and you can spare a smaller guy that can get them the pucks in front. Worse case scenario, its never a bad thing to go back to Junior and dominate. Thats what a lot of fans have to realise. As good as much of our core is (Buff, Wheeler, Ladd, Kane, Little, Bogo, Enstrom), we lack depth. In time, the "core" will be role players to an extent with guys like Scheif, Trouba, Petan and others putting us over the top.

There is a big risk in turning John Cena heel in that the segment of the audience that is heeling on him might be the "smarky" crowd who will then cheer him when he's a heel and the kids who love him will be alienated. Cena is the top merch seller by a wide margin , outselling the #2 seller by 5 times. Though the #2 seller is currently Daniel Bryan who, up until very recently, had terrible merch. The could just do what they are doing, having him feud in the uppermid card but away from the top spots. He's 37 years old. But this year might represent the best opportunity to turn him with Bryan being so over. If Bryan's popularity sustains, then I think turning Cena is worth the risk. They have the added opportunity of the Bella's involved too (though they've done an awful job of linking Brie with Bryan). One of Cena's problems is, by all accounts his niceness is sincere and yet he always comes across like a pandering fool.

He wrote Brock's book. He could easily be a face. He's a face to half the audience already.

Paul is a genisu. The fact he begins every promo with "My name is Paul Heyman" is so incredibly smart. He's made the "Paul Heyman" brand so valuable. Think about this, Brock was brought back without Paul. They brought Paul in to cut one promo for Brock, decided to have him do a few, decided to keep around for Brock programs, put him with Punk to get Punk over as a heel and now he's a full time character helping to get Cesaro over. Just incredible. Paul had the right idea when he was in creative last. He was head of Smackdown creative during the so-called brand extension and treated RAW and SD like competitors which is how it should have been. SD out drew RAW and put on incredible shows. I think, if I recall, Vince likes Paul but Steph doesnt. Paul hacked into a RAW creative conference call to hear their "secrets" so he could counter-program them on SD. Just an evil genius. lol

The twist was I stiffed the booking agent ;-) Sarah worked for us many times and then sporadically when she was in town. I remember he calling me and asking if I minded if she worked our show that week so she could get some recent footage for resume tapes. She worked Chi Chi Cruz who she was dating at the time (most local fans will know the name). Cheech was a great worker but they clashed. She asked if she could do another match and have me pick the opponent so I put her in with Robby Royce (a great worker) and they had a hell of a match.

There are many examples of the beginning of the end for TNA but the most glaring might be not hiring Paul Heyman when they had the chance a couple of years ago. he is easily the best performer in the business right now. One certainly wonders if Brock would have gone to TNA with Paul in charge (with Spike owning their own MMA company and throwing money at former UFC guys, it would not be a stretch to predict the network would have gladly covered the costs for him). Heyman wanted to cut all the "legends" except for one or two special attractions and go with a youth movment. TNA disagreed and yet here we are a couple of years later and all the legends are gone and they are pushing (poorly) their "young" guys while Paul Heyman almost singlehandedly makes RAW amazing every week.

One thing is for sure, the Jets are taking their time with their farm team kids. And its likely to pay off. O'dell looked like a fill-in at best but the more he got called up and sent back down, the more he improved every time. He's got to be considered for an opportunity to make the Jets out of training camp in a bottom six role. Lowry likely needs some time in that emergency call up role but there is reason for optimism with him as a potential 2nd line player. Same with Klingberg and Telegin (if his head is on straight). In fact, Telegin has all the tools to be a top six player except for desire seemingly. Buff as a forward all season vastly improves this team. And I wonder if they start him back on the 3rd line or swap him as Frolik. Buff seemed better as a LW which seems to preclude a top six role (With Kane & Ladd entrenched). I suppose 3rd line makes sense with the amount of minutes he plays on D with special teams. A true hybrid player. Kane-Scheif-Wheeler seems a lock at #1 Ladd-Little-Frolik could be #2 (though moving Frolik back to 3rd line if we find a better 2nd line RW would be ideal, especially with him playing plenty of PK) Buff-???-??? Would like Frolik at the RW spot. Im not opposed to Jokinen here at the right price who seemed to play well with Buff. Its likelyt a scenario of re-signing Jokinen because you know what you're going to get and having increased depth (plus a guy who can fill in on the top lines in case of injury) versus using a youing guy who might start off lower on the depth chart with the potential to surpass Jokinen's skill set by mid-season (thinking O'Dell, Lowry, Burmi). if Burmi's KHL contract allows a return, I'd pursue him heavily. For depth a lone, he's an easy third line Centre/Wing who can play top six minutes, PK, PP etc. Im very much looking forward to seeing Nik Petan make the team in a couple of years. He could be anything from a bust (unlikely) to a top line Centre.

Didnt Bob Murdoch win coach of the year (or was a runner up)? I think John Paddock was a very good coach and was screwed in Ottawa. Shame for him to find himself in two poor situations (the downside of the Jets 1.0 here and the Emery fiasco in Ottawa). But I would agree as far as NHL pediigre that Maurice is likely the best coach we've had. I would have gone after Carlyse had he been available but I now question whether he'd be the right fit for this group. The Jets are an odd bunch. We need a coach that can teach and develop but also deal with some egos that came from the no-expectations, no-consequences, anonymous-land of Atlanta.

I dont have a problem with the Neufeld trade. I think Walters explained it well by basically saying for the 2nd round selection we get a known commodity in Neufeld over a crapshoot at the draft (a draft Walters didnt feel was strong enough to provide someone that was better than Neufeld right now at that position). Id like to think Neufeld will be coached up to be the best he can be this season so we shall see...

I seem to recall Angel being in WWE developmental but I could be wrong. I used to talk to her when she was working Canadian indys back in the day, trying to book her but it just never worked out. We were lucky enough to have Sarah Stock work for us several times though she worked men because of the lack of women workers in Winnipeg at the time. I always hoped to book Sarah vs Gail Kim and would still consider it. Sarah would have done very well in WWE but im sure their development offers are far less than she makes in Mexico. I actually had a falling out with TNA (I had booked several TNA guys) and their then-third-party booking agent Bill Behrens. He was a real piece of work. My falling out culminated in a blog I wrote entitled "Samoa Joe Can Go F**K Himself" which got wide coverage around North America (which wasnt my intent). I received a lot of emails that were split 50-50 between "good for you" and "please kill yourself". lol TNA is as good as dead. If they lose their Spike TV deal its all over. Its beyond the time that a re-upping should be announced if both sides are happy and theres a belief that Spike might make WWE an offer (though I cant imagine they would leave USA). Jeff Jarrett is also friendly with Spike officials but im not sure Spike would go with an upstart over TNA if those were the choices. Plus, nothing about JJ's new promotion sounds remotely promising aside from the rumour of Toby Keith's involvement (he tried to buy TNA but the deal fell apart when Panda, TNA's parent, insisted Dixie Carter be kept on).

Exactly my point. If the Jets develop to the point that ladd is on the 3rd line, it means we're doing something very right. Klingberg and Lowry are potential 3rd line guys next season.

Isnt that what whatshisname does, defer, defer, defer and then get out of dodge before the chicken's come home to roost?

I dont think anyone would argue that he's been asked to do more in Winnipeg. But he *has* responded, scoring, what, 30 goals one year? That's top line production. But if the Jets were good enough that Ladd was the 3rd line LW or even 2nd line LW, then it would bode well for the team. In fact, Ladd is basically the defacto 2nd line LW now as Kane-Scheif-Wheeler is the number one line. Ladd-Little-Buff/Frolik is a good 2nd line, though a scenario where Ladd and Frolik are the 3rd line wingers who play special teams would be a very good development

Nate - Ladd is the type of player a lot of teams would love to have in the Playoffs.

I met them both and they were cool. Good performers. But wwe has half a dozen divas who are as good if not better.

Agreed on the last two posts. It really is a Sad situation.

Oh please. The system has given us the country we live in today. I'd say the people of Canada are doing pretty damn well for themselves, wouldn't you? The Reserve system is what I was referring to. I love Canada. Our "guilt" is a big problem though and the system that endorses inequality is a problem too. Every aboriginal person I have ever known hated being on reserve. Its takes a special person to grow up in that atmosphere and be able to leave and be successful.

One could argue that any coach that makes it to Head Coach of an NHL team is a good coach. Different guys will be different fits for different teams. Tortz has been awful in Vancouver. Is he a terrible coach? I would never hire him but someone will. Paul Maurice seems like a great fit for what this team needs now. But every coach gets fired eventually.

Maryse had a lot of natural charisma. WWE seems to take the position that they can teach anyone to work and that its their efforts that make them stars. But its not always true. I agree about Fox. Tremendous worker. Could easily be the top female heel. But I suspect they look at her as an "older" Diva who isnt dating a top star so she's not getting that spot. Mickey James is another woman they could bring back tomorrow and she'd be gold. But she's "old". I wouldnt bring back Kong. Too many issues there. I also think Paige served herself no purpose by staying in NXT any longer. She was their best worker. Where they are failing her is in not having a heel for her to work, though AJ returning would rectify that. Summer Rae has potential too. Maria would be great also and had tremendous charisma and smarts but dont cross the Bella's...

I've been the biggest Pavs supporter of anyone and even I can admit he hasn't been good enough.