TrueBlue4ever

But his wife Shania will want to stay in Ontario, so I don't see us keeping him.

Well, nice to see that the Grey Cup win has stopped the 29 years of pent up over-reactionary bickering around here. I'm not a mod, but if I were this thread would have been locked pages ago for all the pointless back and forth. So I'll just keep my opinions about the merits of the QBs (well known to most I'm sure) to myself at this time and offer a few quotes that either side of the debate can throw out if they feel the need to bash the other side for their counter-opinion. 1. "There are lies, there are damn lies, and then there are statistics" - Mark Twain 2. "Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are much more pliable" - Mark Twain 3. "No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot" - Mark Twain 4. "Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience" - Mark Twain

You know, if you have to make up phony stats to make your point, then the real point is that you just have a hate on for the coach and won't admit when you are incorrect. I started the apology thread because for too long LaPo has been the scapegoat for a lot of Bomber woes that go well beyond him. Like Richie Hall (whose "bend but don't break" defense I was not a fan of, but he has forgotten more about defensive coaching then I will ever know, so who am I to judge? And once the personnel issues got fixed in the back end and he trusted his players to execute a man defensive coverage system, look how well it played out in the playoffs). So, to counter your "facts": We scored on 9 of 11 drives at one point in the game, including every subsequent drive in response to every Ticat scoring drive. In the 4th quarter when everyone complains that he goes conservative, LaPo's offence took the ball with 12 and a half minutes left and put together a 10 play drive that killed 6 and a half minutes off the clock and but for a 50/50 call by the command centre, ended with a TD pass to Bailey. But even still that FG got us up by 3 scores and put the final nail in the coffin for all intents and purposes. As for your stats, of the 6 drives of 4 plays or fewer, half of those came in the first quarter until the offence found it's legs, so he made adjustments it would seem. Two of those 4 play or less drives ended in TDs, so not good enough for you that we scored quickly? And the last one was the O'Shea mercy run at the end of the game to give Hamilton their only turnover. I assume you aren't counting the kneel downs as a short 4 play or less drive as well. As for the drive starts, we DID in fact score a TD on a drive that started at the Hamilton 50. The other drive that we started at the Hamilton 50 was in the last 3 minutes when we were up 33-12 and O'Shea wanted to kill the clock, so he ran 3 running plays rather than push for a first down passing or try a "rub it in" FG, so I'll forgive LaPo for not being a jerk and running up the score. The Hamilton 24 starting point was late in the 4th when again they were killing the clock and kicked the FG that made it 33-12. We never started a drive at the Hamilton 41. As for the FGs "deep" in enemy territory, Medlock's FG attempts were from 48 (miss), 45, 17 (right at the end of the first half), 39, 41, 17 (after the called back TD), and 18 (after the fumble recovery by Jeffcoat). Save for the last FG where we started at the Hamilton 24, the average drive start for the Bombers on Medlock's FGs was the Winnipeg 35 yard line, and no drive started beyond the Winnipeg 44. LaPo is not perfect, and his offence does not light it up. That is by design. He says "the ball is the Cup - protect the ball and you win the Cup" He took a QB with some limited mobility and above average game smarts and made him a very efficient high percentage QB who won games most of the time. He took a 2nd yr QB out of Division 2 who had raw running skills but questionable accuracy and used that skill set to create an offensive weapon that no other team has. He took a QB with more escapability but an injury history and opened up a deep passing game again. 3 QBs, 3 different skill sets, and 3 times he made the offence work around them in one season. He was given a powerful o-line and run game and built on those players who were his best players, and mixed in a pass game with decent but no superstar receivers. And he delivered the #1 scoring offence 3 years in a row prior to this. And he won the Grey Cup for the second time. Oh yeah, just in case anyone forgot he's also a decent human being, he and his family also made this their home, and he quietly did all this after losing his mother this year. So excuse me for asking people to maybe get off his back and cut him some slack instead of asking for his head on a platter after every loss, and even after a few wins (which the team has done a lot more of than losing these past 4 years). He made big adjustments at the half in Calgary, and we rolled to a win. Saskatchewan keyed against the run all game, so he and Collaros worked the deep ball to counter it, and we won. And his team protected the ball, dominated the line, and worked in 8 receivers (including a QB!) so no one guy could get keyed on in the Grey Cup. So forget the apologies if you aren't big enough to eat crow when you say he is predictable or never changes or changes too much when things are going well, but how about a thank you? Coaches and players on other teams seem to hold him in pretty high regard, maybe we could acknowledge that a bit instead of "knowing" how bad he is.

Since the start of the 2000 season, when neither Winnipeg or Hamilton has won a Grey Cup, the Bombers are only 5-18 in games played in McMahon Stadium, including the playoffs. But Hamilton is even worse, at 2-18, with a current 15 game losing streak.

No, that can’t be the reason. I mean, YOU’VE never been banned.

So the Bombers are the "home" team this week, get the home locker room and choice of uniform, and are opting to wear their road whites. Hamiotn will wear their home black on black (or maybe yellow pants, but I'd bet on the former). Bombers were 8-1 in their royal blues this year (only loss in them was to Hamilton, BTW) and 5-6 in their whites (including the playoffs - again, lost to Hamilton wearing the whites) Tiger Cats were 6-3 in their road whites and 10-0 in their home blacks, playoffs included. The team wearing the dark jersey has won the last 8 Grey Cups in a row. All were the "home" team and opted for the home jersey. The Bombers last 2 Grey Cup wins were in their royal blues, but their last Grey Cup in Alberta as the Western representative they wore white, and beat, you guessed it, the Tiger Cats (in 1984). SO, which superstition matters most? The cardinal rule (if Bull Durham taught me nothing else) is that you never mess with a streak, and they are on a playoff winning streak in white right now. But is it more important to mess with the opponent's streak if it is powerful too (Ticats are perfect this year in black), or is it all about you and who cares about the other team's mojo? Or do we just like the blue unit better? Finally, on a personal note, do any MBB posters have their own superstitions surrounding the Bombers, sports in general, or in life? Thoughts and opinions, please. And to answer that last question myself, I don't much go in for superstitions, but there is one biggie for me - whenever I board an airplane I have to touch the fuselage to the right of the entry door (and if there is one there, specifically any logo) with my right hand. Cannot board a plane without doing it, and have convinced myself that doing it is the good luck I need to not die in a plane crash. Once did not do it and literally had to go back and re-enter the plane, and the few times I've had to de-plane and come back, I have to touch the door frame again on the right side. Can't explain it, makes no logical sense, but damned if I'm ever not going to do it.

LAPO CHANGES AND MOVES AWAY FROM WHAT'S WORKING! (so I hear)

Nunes' opening statement today to Sondland was essentially "You are here today to get your character smeared by the Democrat liars on the other side for your testimony". Then Sondland gave his opening statement, the Democrats asked about the substance of his testimony backed up by his e-mail and text chain, and after the break it was the Republicans who spent their minutes in questioning smearing him.

I will never understand the "sexy" factor to fans being the end-all be-all. Nichols has come here and been a winner. Period. Brought the Bombers back not only to respectability but to the top of the West before he got hurt. If you want to diss him, go after his injury history. But people think that this team doesn't follow him and that he doesn't inspire? They were 7-2 and on top of the league with him, FFS!!!! Didn't see any malingerers on the team when he was running the ship. But Big Chris inspires - yeah, all the way to a 4-8 record as a starter the last 2 years. I think people here would fall all over Trevor Harris and his big yardage numbers and not consider that he is sub-.500 as a starter. I swear, if the internet existed when Tom Clements was QB here he would have been run out of town for being too boring and not putting the team on his back with his 3600 yard passing and 24 TDs, oh no don't look at his Grey Cup ring, he's not exciting enough.

My favorite part of the morning - Nunes' face right after Sondland's testimony.

So the GOP defence has now moved to: a) When Sondland asked Trump what he wanted from Ukraine in exchange for the meeting, he said "I want nothing, I want no quid pro quo" (that conversation occurred Sept. 9 - right AFTER the whistleblower complaint became public knowledge) b) Ukraine got a phone call, a meeting, and military aid for ultimately no investigation into Biden in return, so no delivery of quid pro quo (phone call was where quid pro quo discussed, the meeting DID NOT in fact happen, and the aid was released only AFTER the whistleblower complaint leaked) c) No one ever told Sondland directly that aid was tied to the investigations (so you saw Trump with the smoking gun in his hands standing over the dead body on 5th Avenue, but he never SAID he killed the guy, and no one else told you that he did it, so then there is NO MURDER, right?) The goalposts are in the upper deck by now.

If Winnipeg beats Hamilton on Sunday, they will have beaten 3 teams in the playoffs who won a combined 40 games in the regular season, which would tie the record for most won games combined by playoff opponents for a Grey Cup champion. Previously done in 1993 by Edmonton, who beat Saskatchewan (11 wins), Calgary (15 wins), and Winnipeg (14 wins), and in 1994 by BC, who beat Edmonton (13 wins), Calgary (15 wins), and Baltimore (12 wins).

Ten teams in CFL history have finished the regular season with 15 or more wins prior to this year. Of those 10 teams, 5 won the Grey Cup, 2 lost the Grey Cup game, and 3 never even got to the final. Edmonton: 16 wins, lost division final (1989) Calgary: 15 wins, lost division final (1993, 94) Calgary: 15 wins, lost Grey Cup (1995, 2016) Baltimore: 15 wins, won Grey Cup (1995) Toronto: 15 wins, won Grey Cup (1996, 97) Montreal: 15 wins, won Grey Cup (2012) Calgary: 15 wins, won Grey Cup (2014)

Hamilton, the city that smells like Regina sounds.

I have heard Doug Brown talk about turf toe being the most aggravating injury because you can do so little about it, the pain and debilitation is far worse than what you think it should be for a small digit, and even if it "feels" good you need to let it heal past the point of no pain so as not to re-aggravate it (like a groin pull, you don't play once it doesn't hurt, you play 2-3 weeks after it has stopped hurting because no pain doesn't mean fully healed). I know players who talked about wanting to cut off the toe and be able to play instead of being unable to play through the pain and being so frustrated.

Same with me. Picking up a buddy in Brandon, one day trip. Sec. 139 row 27 behind the Bomber bench on the 45 yard line. Tix were resale, $60 below face value each. First road playoff game ever.

I think Westwood actually was perfect in the 2007 game. In fact, except for one game in 2001 (we ALL know which one) he was very accurate in the playoffs. Fat lot of good that did though. The one time we needed him to come through he decides to have his worst game as a pro. What is irritating is to hear Westwood say he knew Roberts was out all night. And I've heard Milt Stegall talk about never winning a ring and say "All I know is that I came prepared and was mentally and physically ready to have my best game on Grey Cup day. Won't speak for my teammates, and I saw some of them take a different attitude, but for my part I made sure I was able to perform at my best on Grey Cup sunday" (paraphrasing but that is as close to accurate as I recall). So, as Speedflex asked, why couldn't these veteran teammates get Charlie in line and keep him in check on Grey Cup week?

We are 54 hours away. Do I sound excited? I feel like I'm getting excited.

Just got my seats too! And 33% off on resale. Saw them win the inaugural Canada Day game, now time to see the march to the Grey Cup.

Wait, didn't this guy get the last one?

I agree that this scheme is totally set up for this week, given how he NEVER showed he was going to throw last week. Simplest way to deal with a "run first" QB (which Streveler really started to become more and more as he progressed as a starter - Hamilton and Sask in their 3rd game against us figured this out, Montreal a little bit) is to spy the QB with the MLB and just ignore everything else. If the RB gets the ball, it is the job of the rest of the line to stop him, MLB keeps spying. So the way to beat that is more option tosses or the late throw. At this point I think very few expect to see a pass from Streveler (and the majority expect a QB keeper rather than a hand-off) when he enters the game. Will be fascinating to see what LaPo has devised to utilize both of his QB's strengths and weaknesses.

Booch, am I wrong that jamming at the line seems to be largely a non-thing in the CFL? Is it solely because of the unlimited pre-snap motion from the receivers, too hard to jam them when they are on the run like that? Or am I not seeing what I think I am not seeing?