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So Bastaja and Black get in as the guards, and Walby and a surprising Stanley Bryant are leading the way at tackle, so next we will consider the running back spot. Originally I was going to make the first category fullbacks, and leave only a single running back spot, which would have made an interesting debate when limited to one choice, but I am going to reverse course on that. The fullback spot is hard to research going back, I suspect people would have pretty much unanimously chosen Mike Sellers, and today the dual back set does not much exist with 5 receiver sets in vogue now. Even when two backs line up they often both can be a tailback. So I will just make one category for running backs and we will have 2 to choose from. Early nominees from me, without having done a lick of research on it, will include Fritz Hansen, Gerry James, Leo Lewis, Mack Herron, Jay Washington, William Miller, Willard Reaves, Robert Mimbs, Michael Richardson, Charles Roberts, Fred Reid, and Andrew Harris. I've tried to include those who won at least one rushing title, made an all-star squad, or were nominated as the team's MOP. Let me know of any others you'd like added. Bios up on Friday.

That's a nice concept in fairy tale land where everyone lives happily ever after, but we all know fans will lose their collective $#!+ when it's their team on the end of a blown call in a big game, and they know technology exists to fix these mistakes and isn't being used. Ask any Sabres fan if they are over losing the Stanley Cup on Hull's foot foul? Or if England has forgotten Maradonna's "Hand of God". Or if Saints' fans would like a do-over on the missed PI call in the playoffs last year? I don't mind the concept with the added challenge. It sucks to have to burn your challenge if the refs obviously miss something early in the game, and don't have it in the 4th on a 50/50 PI call. And if only goes from one gov two IF you get the first one right, it won't stall the game too much. What I could do without is the challenge for "illegal contact" halfway across the field from the play. I get the argument that any interference can disrupt the play, and maybe the QB was going to go that way before the infraction but had too look off it, but if 7 or 8 refs don't catch it in live action, then coaches shouldn't be able to hunt for an infraction. That's akin to challenging holding - if you look hard enough you'll find some kind of penalty on every play. Maybe they should institute a penalty for an incorrect challenge, like a delay of game penalty, 10 yards, automatic first down if the defensive team gets it wrong, or 10 yards and loss of down for the offensive team.

So nothing of consequence last night with the Wild winning. Lots of scenarios tonight, but bottom line Jets win and they are in the playoffs regardless of any other outcome.

Bryant in a very short time has achieved what only Walby before him had - 2 MOLineman awards. Give him 4 more all stat noms and one more MOLine award in the next 4 years and he steps into the conversation for top 2 all time. Hard to believe that a back-to-back lineman of the year “only” ranks anywhere from maybe 3rd to 8th right now, but as was said this category was loaded.

One man's take - This is a stacked field, and some of the best players in club and league history will be left off of the top 2 due to the depth at this position. 9 Blue Bomber Hall of Famers, 6 CFL Hall of Famers, 2 members of the 75th Anniversary all-time team, and a third who was feted on the 80th anniversary team, plus a Ring Of Honour member. So if my dismissal of some seems flippant or harsh, consider who I am comparing them against and not just take it as disregard for their skill. With 18 on the list, some will pale in comparison to others. The also-rans: Elewonibi, Gauthier, Hardrick, Thompson - these 4 each have only one divisional all-star nom (or in Thompson's case a CFL nod too), and aside from Moe, none were regarded as the team's best lineman in any year, award-wise. Hardrick needs to put many more years before he can rank with the upper echelon. The "best on the team but not league-best" club: January, Perez - they both got 3 straight nods as the team's best lineman, and January added three divisional all-star noms, but they were not graded as the best in the CFL when they played with Winnipeg, despite being tops on the team. Perez went on to CFL all-star status after going to BC, and January was a warrior who played through some brutal injuries (and was a real gentleman when I met him at a Bomber dinner - a "player's player" for sure). The all-time great before he got here but winding down: Gorrell - Was league-best in his years with Ottawa and Hamilton, but by the time he came to Winnipeg he was not the same dominant player. That is not to say he was not good, or even very good, but just not as brilliant as with other teams (think Dominic Hasek with the Red Wings - still really good, but a shadow of his Buffalo self) Best in the league in their time but too short a tenure to compete with the legends (NOTE - with weaker competition they may have made an all-timer list): Bryant, Gainor, Goodspeed, Huffman - Gainor played only 4 seasons but was an all-star and Grey Cup participant every time, a pretty great success ratio. Huffman is a CFL Hall of Famer and had 4 consecutive all-star nods and one of only two offensive lineman to be named the team's outstanding player. Goodspeed was a legit star who blocked for Charles Roberts and had the league accolades to his credit, but his 5 year tenure needed to be tripled to approach the best on this list. Bryant deserves special mention because he is one of only 4 Blue Bomber tackles to ever win the award as Best Lineman in the CFL, and only one of 2 to win it twice (in fact, he is the only Bomber to ever win it in consecutive years), but with only 4 years on the Bombers, he will need to keep up that pace for another 6 years at minimum to enter the discussion as best ever. Check back in a decade to see where he ranks. A tier below the legends (NOTE 2 - again, on another team they may well top the list, but they are in tough here): Mudge, Norman, Savoie - Mudge was the glue on the line for a team that reached fantastic offensive heights with Roberts and Stegall, and was the team's best for a 3 year run that included a league best award in '01 and all-star recognition. He is just a shade ahead of the group before him due to his games and years played. Savoie has less award and all-star recognition than his counterparts, mainly because the awards were not around when he played. But no one on the list (save one) played more years or games, or had more Grey Cup success than he did. And he's in the CFL Hall of Fame. He is in contention for top 5 placement on this list, no small feat. Norman was the team's best for 7 years and had some league recognition as well spread out over that time, a giant of a man on the line. His longevity puts him higher on the list, his lack of team success or Best Lineman award probably puts him below the other 2 in this category. That leaves me with 4 superstars to choose from, all CFL Hall of Famers. Let's flip things and start with the easy choice as top of this field: The best ever Walby - Regarded as the best offensive lineman in CFL history. His stature now (6'7", 325 lbs.) would put him among the larger linemen in the league, but nothing outrageous, but at the time he was a giant in the tranches. Gaudy accolades - his 11 divisional nods are the best in club history at any position, and his 9 CFL all-star nods are the most of any tackle, tied for most of any o-lineman, and 2nd only to linebacker Willie Pless' (who had 11) in CFL history. Although not officially retired, his number 63 will not be worn again by any player for the foreseeable future. And the sole member on this list who graces the club's new Ring of Honour. He should be a unanimous pick here as not only top 2 but the best o-lineman in club history, regardless of position. So who joins him? For me, from 4 to 2 it is as follows: Bill Frank - if this list counted a player's accomplishments throughout his whole career, and not just with the Bombers, Frank would be #2 on this list I'd wager, and he still makes a pretty good argument anyway. He was a 3 time CFL all-star and best lineman nominee in 1967 with the Argos before coming to Winnipeg. He continued his dominance here, racking up 4 more league all-star nods and 4 club noms as outstanding lineman (the first 3 when he had to compete with the defensive linemen too). He also achieved something that almost no one ever has, being selected the club's outstanding player as an offensive lineman (granted the team was 2-14 that year). Splitting the thinnest of hairs, I rank him below the other 2 because he was not part of the all-time 75th anniversary or 80th anniversary teams, never got to the big dance, played a few less years than the others, and never won a league award for best lineman, none of which should detract from his amazing career. Buddy Tinsley - a legendary name in Bomber history (and part of grey Cup folklore for "almost dying" in the Mud Bowl - a "fact" he said was exaggerated), he dominated on both sides of the ball during the glory years. Named to the all-time 80th anniversary Bomber team, he played over a decade with the team and had an astounding 7 all-star nods. Had there been awards for best lineman at the time he surely would have won, and he also played in 5 Grey Cups, winning 2. Just outside the cut line for me. Frank Rigney - before Walby (who is the only offensive lineman other than Rigney named to the all-time Blue Bomber team that was selected in the team's 75th season), he was in the discussion for best offensive lineman of all-time in the CFL. With Walby, Bryant and Mudge, one of only 4 Bomber tackles to win the award for best lineman in the CFL. 7 divisional all-star noms, and "only" 3 CFL all-star noms because the league did not have that recognition until 1962 (he won his 3 in the first 5 years that they awarded it). He was also part of the greatest era of Bomber football ever, with 4 championship rings. Bonus points for coming from Iowa right after his QB Ken Ploen, and being the lead blocker for Leo Lewis. He will be my other selection as greatest Bomber offensive tackle ever. I will honestly be disappointed if he gets overlooked due to recency bias - he like Herb Grey deserves to be on this team.

Choose two from the list. Here are the bios: CFL all-stars first awarded in 1962. Most Outstanding Lineman first awarded in 1956 and included defensive linemen, Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman first awarded in 1974. Stanley Bryant – 71 games in 4 seasons (2015-18), 2 time divisional and CFL all-star (2017, 18), 3 time team nominee Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (2015, 17, 18), 2 time Western Division Most and CFL Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (2017, 18) Moe Elewonibi – 83 games in 5 seasons (2000-04), divisional all-star (2000), team nominee Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (2000), team nominee Most Outstanding Canadian (2000), Grey Cup appearance (2001) Bill Frank – 107 games in 8 seasons (1969-76), 4 time divisional and CFL all-star (1970-73), 4 time team nominee Most Outstanding Lineman/Offensive Lineman (1970, 71, 73, 75), team nominee Most Outstanding Player (1970), CFL Hall of Fame Martin Gainor – 34 games in 4 seasons (1937-39, 46), 4 time divisional all-star (1937-39, 46), 4 Grey Cup appearances (1937-39, 46), Grey Cup champion (1939) Alexandre Gauthier – 36 games in 2 seasons (2007-08), divisional all-star (2007), Grey Cup appearance (2007) Dan Goodspeed – 57 games in 4 seasons (2005-08), 2 time divisional and CFL all-star (2007-08), 2 time team nominee Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (2007, 08), Eastern Division Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (2007), Grey Cup appearance (2007) Miles Gorrell – 72 games in 4 seasons (1992-95), 2 Grey Cup appearances (1992, 93), CFL Hall of Fame Jemarcus Hardrick – 32 games in 2 seasons (2017-18), divisional all-star (2017) Richard Huffman – 58 games in 5 seasons (1951-55), 4 time divisional all-star (1952-55), team nominee Most Outstanding Player (1954), Grey Cup appearance (1953), CFL Hall of Fame Glenn January – 87 games in 5 seasons (2009, 11-14), 3 time divisional all-star (2011-13), 3 time team nominee Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (2012-14), Grey Cup appearance (2011) Dave Mudge – 89 games in 6 seasons (2000-05), 2 time divisional and CFL all-star (2001, 02), 3 time team nominee Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (2001-03), Eastern Division and CFL Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (2001), Grey Cup appearance (2001) Butch Norman – 97 games in 7 seasons (1974-80), 3 time divisional all-star (1976, 79 ,80) and 2 time CFL all-star (1976, 80), 3 time team nominee Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (1976, 78, 80) Christopher Perez – 54 games in 3 seasons (1997-99), divisional all-star (1998), 3 time team nominee Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (1997-99) Frank Rigney – 153 games in 10 seasons (1958-67), 7 time divisional all-star (1959-62, 64-66) and 3 time CFL all-star (1962, 65, 66), CFL Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (1961), 5 Grey Cup appearances (1958, 59, 61, 62, 65), 4 time Grey Cup champion (1958, 59, 61, 62), CFL Hall of Fame Roger Savoie – 191 games in 15 seasons (1951-65), divisional all-star (1962), 2 time team nominee Most Outstanding Canadian (1956, 62), 7 Grey Cup appearances (1953, 57-59, 61, 62, 65), 4 time Grey Cup champion (1958, 59, 61, 62) Bobby Thompson – 65 games in 5 seasons (1979-83), divisional and CFL all-star (1982) Buddy Tinsley – 161 games in 11 seasons (1950-60), 7 time divisional all-star (5 on offense, 2 as defensive tackle - 1950-52, 55-58), 5 Grey Cup appearances (1950, 53, 57-59), 2 time Grey Cup champion (1958, 59), CFL Hall of Fame Chris Walby – 249 games in 16 seasons (1981-96), 11 time divisional all-star (1984-87, 89-94, 96) and 9 time CFL all-star (1984-87, 89-91, 93, 94), 9 time team nominee Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (1986, 87, 89-94, 96), 4 team Eastern Division Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (1987, 90, 91, 93), 2 time CFL Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (1987, 93), 2 time team nominee Most Outstanding Canadian (1989, 96), 5 Grey Cup appearances (1984, 88, 90, 92, 93), 3 time Grey Cup champion (1984, 88, 90), CFL Hall of Fame

Jets playoff watch, as of 10:00 am March 22: Assuming all regulation or overtime wins: - Clinch a playoff spot with an 1-7 record - Clinch the top wildcard spot with an 1-7 record - Clinch 3rd in the Central with an 3-4-1 record - Clinch 2nd in the Central with a 5-3 record - Clinch 1st in the Central with an 6-2 record - Clinch 1st in the West with an 8-0 record, a 4-4 Calgary record or worse, and a 6-1-1 record or worse by San Jose Last night's results of consequence: - Blues, Avs, and Flames win, Preds lose in SO, Jets, 'Yotes, Hawks, Sharks, and Stars lose in regulation Tonight's games of consequence: Minnesota (Conf. #9) at Washington San Jose (Conf. #2) at Anaheim Magic # against other teams (combo of pts. gained plus opponent's points lost to secure a Jets' finish on top of the standings, factoring in current ROW): Blackhawks: 0 Wild: 1 Avalanche: 2 ///playoff line/// Coyotes: 2 Stars: 7 Blues: 11 Predators: 13 Knights: 14 Sharks: (-15) Flames: (-10) Elimination/clinching scenarios tonight: None

Regardless of one's opinion of who is better, as of now we have Ehlers locked up on a long term cap friendly deal, while Connor could be in line for a big pay day that might affect other signings (Laine, Morrissey, Trouba, Myers, Roslovic, Tanev, Lowry, Copp). I don't personally want to see either player go, but the cap situation in today's game has as much to do with trading or keeping players as skill level does.

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Because he's been tearing it up on the ice? Zero goals, 5 assists in his last 19 games. Let him sit for a bit.

This comparison is a bit apples and oranges though, since every American salary is for a starting player, and 2/3 of the Canadian salaries are for back-ups, so one would expect that the back-up salaries would skew those numbers lower. Wonder what the average salary is for the 7 Canadian starting players per team?

Remember that even if the number of Canadian starters gets cut from 7 to 5, EVERY back-up still has to be a Canadian. 3 QBs, 20 internationals, and 21 Nationals at the this point (with a minimum reserve roster of 2). That's 189 guaranteed Canadian spots right now in the league compared to 207 Internationals, provided that every QB is American (which is not the case right now, but is the norm). If Halifax joins the league and the Canadian starter ratio gets reduced, then the total number of Canadian jobs in the CFL actually goes UP, to 190. I like the ratio rules and feel that we need Canadians in the CFL, not for the CFL itself but to keep Canadian university football going and building.

The third QB gets so little playing time on any team. A 4th Canadian QB would just sit there until they got cut for a cheaper version, and no real progress in the position would be made.

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Truth be told, magic numbers don’t really work for hockey for a few reasons. First off, there is no such thing as “half a win”, literally speaking. Also, the Jets could lose every single remaining game but accrue enough points through overtime losses alone to eliminate Minnesota, so saying they need wins is technically inaccurate, when what needs to be counted is points. And third, because of the ROW (regulation or overtime wins) tiebreaker, you can have the same number of points as another team and be ahead of them based on the tiebreaker. “Magic numbers” are a baseball construct, and really the only place it can be properly used, since ties and loser points don’t exist, and if teams end up with the same record they play an extra game to break the tie and decide the playoff team, rather than falling back on tiebreaker rules. I use the total points system myself for hockey to determine what a team needs to do, but to each their own.

The guy we should have paid a lot more money to so we didn’t lose him to free agency and cripple our line for 5 years.

Patrick earns my vote based on his play and his success. He and Frank Rigney paved the way for Leo Lewis to weave his magic. And if Kenny Ploen’s 4 Grey Cups make him the all-timer at QB over more physically gifted pivots (as I suspect it deservedly might), then those 4 rings Patrick has count for a lot too. His genetic dynasty is just an added bonus for me. Honestly, no wrong choice with Black, Ceretti, LaBatte, or Butler on pure talent either pairing up with Bastaja, who was top of the heap IMO.

One man's take: One of the more anonymous positions on the field, many of these nominees never got the "name" recognition of their brethren, but provided solid and steady play and paved the way for some great running backs in their time, and in some cases displayed great durability. Working alphabetically: Bastaja - the most decorated of the guards with 6 divisional and 2 league all-star nods, and only one of two Bomber guards to win the Schenley for outstanding lineman in the CFL. Along with Black, Bonk and Walby, was part of a ridiculously strong o-line in the mid-80's that helped Willard Reaves become a star. Black - an ironman with a bit of a nasty streak, he anchored the line throughout almost all of the team's last great sustained run of excellence. Bond - two great years, but left for greener pastures (both in terms of money and uniform colour) and doesn't have the mileage of some other candidates Brown - effective in his half decade here, but his efforts could not translate into team success Butler - the other Schenley winner in the group, he was dominant in his time here, and also in his other league stops (not to be factored in) and considered one of the best linemen in the CFL, regardless of position. Only his smaller sample size in Winnipeg keeps him from top two consideration Ceretti - part of the original Bomber dynasty in the 1930's-40's and the most tenured candidate with 16 seasons under his belt, and if Vince Leah ranks you among the best ever, that's heady praise Kotowich - not sure if you want an o-lineman who has a "nice guy" award named after him, but his legacy in this city is very strong indeed LaBatte - the best lineman the Bombers had during his time here, and it took a while to recover once he left via free agency. Loses points for ditching us for the 'Riders. Lear - enjoyed the first taste of Bomber Grey Cup success, and made his name later as an NFLer and Stamps head coach in that perfect 1948 season. Lueck - two good seasons, but too small a sample size to contend here Mogul - in the group with Lear and Ceretti in the 30's, albeit less feted than the other 2 Patrick - a big part of the 50's-60's dynasty teams, playing both ways, and logged more games than any other candidate. Also won more Grey Cups than any other, blocked for Leo Lewis, and the only lineman in this group to get an Outstanding Canadian nom. His civic legacy and family tree put him a level above for me. Piper - Patrick's partner, matched his all-star numbers, but was never chosen as the team's best lineman like his teammate was Sheridan - the guy you'd most want on your side in a barroom brawl, no all-star nods, injuries and a sour departure hurt his standing Thorson - picked up the slack for Patrick and Piper when they retired, but could never reach the same level of team success they had In the end, it's Bastaja's awards and Patrick's family legend that clinch it for me. They are my top 2.

112 games in 8 seasons (1970-77), no all-star noms or award recognition, outshone by Bill Frank in that era.

I had overlooked Sheridan in making my list. He was twice nominated as the Bombers best o-lineman, so I have added him here, despite his lack of all-star nods. Injuries caught up with him, and after sitting for a year on injured reserve he was let go. Sadly, he was quite bitter in his departure and threw the Bombers medical staff under the bus. Signed with Calgary but retired a couple of months later before ever suiting up.

Choose two. Here are the bios: CFL all-stars first awarded in 1962. Most Outstanding Lineman first awarded in 1956 and included defensive linemen, Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman first awarded in 1974. Nick Bastaja – 143 games in 9 seasons (1980-88), 6 time divisional all-star (1981, 82, 84, 85, 87, 88) and 2 time CFL all-star (1984, 85), 4 time team nominee Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (1979, 82-84), Western Division Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (1983), CFL Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (1985), 2 Grey Cup appearances (1984, 88), 2 time Grey Cup champion (1984, 88) David Black – 166 games in 11 seasons (1985-95), 3 time divisional all-star (1989, 93, 94) and CFL all-star (1993), 4 Grey Cup appearances (1988, 90, 92, 93), 2 time Grey Cup champion (1988, 90) Travis Bond – 28 games in 2 seasons (2016-17), divisional and CFL all-star (2016) and CFLPA all-star (2017), team nominee Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (2016) Buddy Brown – 53 games in 4 seasons (1975-78), 2 time divisional all-star (1976, 77) Larry Butler – 32 games in 2 seasons (1980-81), 2 time divisional all-star (1980, 81) and 2 time CFL all-star (1980, 81), CFL Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (1981) Bill Ceretti – 71 games in 16 seasons (1931-41, 45-49), 3 time divisional all-star (1938, 40, 46), 8 Grey Cup appearances (1935, 37-39, 41, 45-47), 3 time Grey Cup champion (1935, 39, 41), referred to by Vince Leah as “one of the finest Canadian-born linemen in the history of the game”, nicknamed “Red Dog” because of his card-playing skills Ed Kotowich – 99 games in 7 seasons (1955-61), divisional all-star (1959), 4 Grey Cup appearances (1957-59, 61), 3 time Grey Cup champion (1958, 59, 61), after retirement, was a St. Boniface alderman from 1968-77, Winnipeg Rods asst. coach as well as involvement in Winakwa and Windsor Park football programs, multiple community board positions, the club’s “Good Guy” award for “football ability, team camaraderie, and extraordinary effort off the field” is named in his honour Brendan LaBatte – 69 games in 4 seasons (2008-11), 3 time divisional all-star (2009-11), CFL and CFLPA all-star (2011), team nominee for Outstanding Rookie (2008), 3 time team nominee Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (2009-11), Grey Cup appearances (2011) Les Lear – 30 games in 7 seasons (1937-43), divisional all-star (1941), 6 Grey Cup appearances (1937-39, 41-43), 2 time Grey Cup champion (1939, 41), CFL Hall of Fame, became the first Canadian trained player to play in the NFL, was head coach of the undefeated 1948 Calgary Stampeder Grey Cup championship squad Bob Lueck – 29 games in 2 seasons (1971-72), 2 time divisional all-star (1971, 72) and CFL all-star (1972) Brett MacNeil – 151 games in 10 seasons (1992-97, 1999-2002), divisional all-star (2001) and CFL all-star (2001), 3 Grey Cup appearances (1992, 93, 01) Lou Mogul – 57 games in 11 seasons (1932-42), 2 time divisional all-star (1937, 41), 6 Grey Cup appearances (1935, 37-39, 41, 42), 3 time Grey Cup champion (1935, 39, 41) Steve Patrick – 172 games in 13 seasons (1952-64), 2 time divisional all-star (1958, 59), team nominee Most Outstanding Lineman (1958), team nominee Most Outstanding Canadian (1959), 6 Grey Cup appearances (1953, 57-59, 61, 62), 4 time Grey Cup champion (1958, 59, 61, 62), member of Manitoba Legislative Assembly from 1962-77, sons Steve Jr. and James played in the NHL, grandson Nolan currently in the NHL, and daughter Tara played university volleyball Cornel Piper – 163 games in 11 seasons (1957-67), 2 time divisional all-star (1960, 61), 6 Grey Cup appearances (1957-59, 61, 62, 65), 4 time Grey Cup champion (1958, 59, 61, 62) Matt Sheridan – 86 games in 8 seasons (2001-08), 2 time team nominee Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (2004, 05), 2 Grey Cup appearances (2001, 07) Sherwyn Thorson – 91 games in 7 seasons (1962-67), divisional all-star (1962), 2 Grey Cup appearances (1962, 65), Grey Cup champion (1962)

Well, the way they played against the Ducks and the Coyotes, maybe we should hope for more games against weak teams.

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