HardCoreBlue

For the most part, I don't think Etcheverry thinks in those terms, what the defense is willing to give or bend but not break. IMO, his scheme is all about throwing the offence off-balance and making them guess, basically having few tendencies that a QB can read pre-snap. That's basically the opposite of Burke's D, which relies heavily on players to win 1 on 1 battles and really doesn't break tendency or engage in psychological warfare too much. Etcheverry also has a lot of reads built into his scheme, so he's relying on his players to see certain things and react properly according to what he wants, anyone anywhere can basically end up doing anything, blitzing, dropping into coverage. If Etcheverry was a hitter in baseball, he's looking to slug an extra base hit or a home run every pitch, whereas a guy like Burke is going to take a couple pitches and just try to make contact or get on base. He has some other core beliefs too, smaller and faster is better than bigger, slower and stronger being a huge one, and he applies that to every position on the field. Which is interesting as I was chatting with Ed Hervey (with my Bomber cap on of course!) at my 10 year old son's football camp this past May and he wants the Esks to be Bigger and Stronger and way less on the smaller and faster. Would not a balance be ideal?

I listened for a bit and didn't get that impression at all. What kind of stuff did he say that was 'borderline racist'? i didn't listen so i'm just going on what 2 sort of overly dramatic friends say but they mentioned he said something about all the last names and comparing it to being at folklorama, is that racist? probably not but... didn't hear it myself so i have no idea. Based on a couple of posts now, I think you need new friends.

I know it's preseason and I know Etch doesn't want to tip his hand .. but honestly .. watching the Argos run on us (at will) on Monday night made me cringe .. Thing that bothers me is all the "everyone rally to the ball" stuff, but then you watch them on Monday and most runs right up the gut became 1 on 1 in open field, when you should have more guys in the middle of the field when the offense attacks there. If Wild misses one tackle, it's an easy TD. They rallied pretty well when the ball was outside the tackles, but the middle of the field was gaping. I guess we can take solace in the fact that no one will step out of bounds without being hit, but they can just take 10 yards right up the middle if they wish. The scheme was likely very vanilla, but that core principle of everyone rallying to the ball was missing for the most part. In reading this, it sounds eerliy similar to the 'buzz' defense Dallas Eakins tried to instill with the Oliers early in the season. Although a different sport, it also left gaping holes available for the opposition, i.e., 'look how much time I have in the slot'. He had to abandon it which he did. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have lasted the season.

I know it's preseason and I know Etch doesn't want to tip his hand .. but honestly .. watching the Argos run on us (at will) on Monday night made me cringe .. Indeed, hope it's not bend AND break.

If Ladd-Little-Frolik is out number 1 line, we're in trouble. That's our number 2 LW, our number 2 centre and our number 3 RW. Kane - Scheif - Wheeler is #1 across the board. If I looked at those players individually and not as a set, other teams, depending on their needs, may see Little as a 1st line centre, Ladd as 2nd to.3rd line left winger and Frolik predominatly a strong 3rd line right winger. I'm not giving Frolik much love but too inconsistent for me. Based on limited information, out of all the three, I think Ladd wins (Little a close second) for the intangibles he brings off the rink (e.g., Leadership, community work, hard working, comfortable to be around etc)

Are you suggesting hosting or panel member? I'd like to see him as a panel member. I always enjoyed his approach when he was with CBC, especially is disjointed fingers holding the mic for everyone to see, priceless. I like how he'd bring his support for the 'hogs' to the discussion. Always enjoyable banter. Plus, being a Bomber Blue and true could help minimize some of that argo feel you sometimes get from TSN.

I love O'Shea. His players are going to go to absolute war for him. My educated guess in observing O'Shea's approach with his players is he'll find it extremely difficullt to cut/demote a loyal, hard working, high effort player who just isn't performing to the level needed. I've always said this was one of Jeff Reinbolds biggest achilles heals that did him in as a Head Coach.

Good point, why even bother showing up? Quick, someone email Wade Miller now to let him know we can just sit out 2014 to make it a nice even 8-team league again... One way to package it, if we do indeed win 6 games this year, we just doubled our wins from last year's record.

We here in Alberta like to think we don't live in some socialist utopia like you guys in Manitoba. We used to be free enterprise, pro business & anti unions. But Red Tories & closest NDPers like Ed Stelmach & Alison Redford changed all that. Now, we're just like everybody else. The Alberta Advantage is dead. Me thinks you over generalize a bit on behalf of Albertans.

Exactly my thought. Let's hope Sears isn't next.

Mr. Cohon (avatar), you have to be on the negotiating table to hammer this CBA deal out. You are not needed here in this Bombers Rookie Training Camp. LOL! I called off talks yesterday so I could have a long weekend, check out Bomber camp and hit the tanning salon! About those tanning salons, I have have some bad news for you . . .

I see it much differently. As much as the world frustrates me at times, in this particular case, I have no worries, it's called progress. It's called responsibility, it's called accountability in being a well-adjusted member of society. It has little to do with agreeing or not agreeing with one another or talking privately or talking in public. Ever hear the suggestion to ask yourself before speaking would I say what I think to be true/valid/appropriate to a wider audience other than saying it to my like-minded friends? Other than 'Hey I'm allowed to say this, it's called freedom of speech', do I have the confidence, do I have the necessary information, do I have the necessary understanding to support what I say that adds value to the issue, to the discussion other than 'this is what I think, this is how I feel'? If there is any question, any voice (yours or someone else's) that says either no or I don't know, more critical thinking, more understanding is needed. We all make mistakes when it comes to this, though some are better than others in how they formulate their opinions and articulate their feelings. Finally, if one's answer to these questions I just posed is 'I don't care, I can say anything I want' then that person has much bigger issues to deal with imho.

Ever since the Mike Sellers era ended, we've never utlized our full back much, probably because we haven't found the necessary player (s). Any worth on the Bombers part to shore up that position more in efforts to utlize more? Or are the cupboards empty when it comes to that position? We tried out a fullback at the Florida mini camp, his name eludes me right now but he was a LSU alumni with NFL experience. Just doesn't seem to be much use for them anymore. That's too bad I'd like to utilize that position more to keep the defense off balance.

Ever since the Mike Sellers era ended, we've never utlized our full back much, probably because we haven't found the necessary player (s). Any worth on the Bombers part to shore up that position more in efforts to utlize more? Or are the cupboards empty when it comes to that position?

DB could see a surprise cut too, we have a hell of a lot of rookie DB's. 9 rookie imports, plus guys like Markett, Dunn and a whole bunch of new NI's too. Kent and Hefney cut the last two years in training camp... Speaking of Hefney, any appetiite to bring him back for another look considering the amount of DB rooks we have or has that shipped sailed?

Who impressed you the most when it came to "I'm here to make the team' . . .

I guess I'm wondering if there is any differences between off-season and season when it comes to legal/injury insurance issues for the players . . .

Nice leadership statement coming from our new QB. Wonder what facility they would be able to get to practice in. Are all the players still flying in? Who is paying for their flights if there is a strike? Okay wet blanket here. Although admirable on Willy's part, would there not be some injury insurance and legal issues if an agreement is not in place to hold such a thing? I know, how to ruin a good news story. Carry on.

I've always admired Barry Trotz's approach to the game. Very good hire. If Maurice had not worked out, I wonder if there would have been any chance he would have landed here. Moot point I know. I do believe the nucks missed out though.

Gotta love the professionalism of an official statement including FOUR exclamation points at the end of a sentence. These players are showing how out of their league (no pun intended) they are in these dealings. They're throwing around "facts" that not only leave out important information, but also still don't completely support their position. Let's hope they smarten up before we lose real games. Higher minimum salary than the league is offering, slightly larger increases overall, and a compromised contract length (5-6 years) should do it! You forgot to add three exclamation points!!!

Compared directly to other goalies nothing about Pav or his deal will look favourable. However when you view it within the context of the Jets' build-thru-the-draft philosophy it isn't the disaster some make it out to be. If they are going to stick to their guns on avoiding free agents with high price tags, and it looks like they will, then consider the following points: - When the deal was signed the Jets didn't really have any prospects at goalie. - While Pav will never ever ever ever be an elite NHL goalie, I can see what Chevy sees in that he could become a pretty good one. He will need better coaching to get a handle on his rebound control and he will have to apply himself in the offseason. This may never happen, but if it does I can see him being a middle of the pack NHL goalie. - The timeline on the development of our prospects is still long enough that the length of Pav's contract is a non-issue. Of the three guys we have my money's on Hellebuyck as our future starter, but that doesn't mean it's happening this September. More likely in the 2016/17 season after a season with the Icecaps and a season as backup. Comrie seems to be less ready than Hellebuyck right now. Hutch is still entirely unproven at the NHL level. If he can put together a nice run in the playoffs he might make Montoya expendable, but he does not push Pav out of his job. By the time any or all of these guys are ready to start in the NHL there will probably only be a year left on Pav's contract. If necessary we can eat that. - The non-goalie prospects on this team are still a year or two away from impacting the Jets' fortunes in a meaningful manner. This team is not likely to be a playoff team this season or next. That will piss some people off, but if it's part of the process of turning the sad-sack Thrashers into perrenial cup contenders then I can wait. Jets 1.0 gave us 17 years of scraping into the playoffs only to flame out in the first round over and over again. Making the playoffs this season is a short-sighted goal. - Montaya was the 6th overall pick in 2004 (Ladd was 4th and Wheeler 5th) and the highest rated goalie prospect of that draft year. He has been typecast as a backup at the NHL level. While he's currently scheduled to become a free agent, IF the Jets re-sign him (Hutch's playoff performance is probably the biggest deciding factor) he potentially could take over the #1 job if Pav falters once again. Chevy/Maurice aren't annointing Pav as an undisputed starter when they call him the man going into next year; they are trying to cut out the legs of the news hacks in wpg who want to get pageviews by crying "goaltending controversy" everytime Pav lets in a bad goal. They have eyes. They know who's playing well and who isn't. They also want to be driving the bus, not letting the ginger wonder over at the Winnipeg Stunned try and make the coaching decisions. None of this sounds particularly appetizing in the short term. Pav remains the starter. He might not get better. The Jets will continue to finish 10th in their conference. When you step back and look at the long term philosophy it is possible to say that neither Pavelec's play or his contract go against the Jets plan for building a winner, and that rolling the dice on him being the goalie of the future was never really the high-stakes gamble that it seemed like at first glance. While it would be nice for Jets fans if Pav would play better, things are still largely going according to plan. And if you really want to take a long term view, Pav's play might be helping build this franchise thru higher draft picks. Compared directly to other goalies nothing about Pav or his deal will look favourable. However when you view it within the context of the Jets' build-thru-the-draft philosophy it isn't the disaster some make it out to be. If they are going to stick to their guns on avoiding free agents with high price tags, and it looks like they will, then consider the following points: - When the deal was signed the Jets didn't really have any prospects at goalie. - While Pav will never ever ever ever be an elite NHL goalie, I can see what Chevy sees in that he could become a pretty good one. He will need better coaching to get a handle on his rebound control and he will have to apply himself in the offseason. This may never happen, but if it does I can see him being a middle of the pack NHL goalie. - The timeline on the development of our prospects is still long enough that the length of Pav's contract is a non-issue. Of the three guys we have my money's on Hellebuyck as our future starter, but that doesn't mean it's happening this September. More likely in the 2016/17 season after a season with the Icecaps and a season as backup. Comrie seems to be less ready than Hellebuyck right now. Hutch is still entirely unproven at the NHL level. If he can put together a nice run in the playoffs he might make Montoya expendable, but he does not push Pav out of his job. By the time any or all of these guys are ready to start in the NHL there will probably only be a year left on Pav's contract. If necessary we can eat that. - The non-goalie prospects on this team are still a year or two away from impacting the Jets' fortunes in a meaningful manner. This team is not likely to be a playoff team this season or next. That will piss some people off, but if it's part of the process of turning the sad-sack Thrashers into perrenial cup contenders then I can wait. Jets 1.0 gave us 17 years of scraping into the playoffs only to flame out in the first round over and over again. Making the playoffs this season is a short-sighted goal. - Montaya was the 6th overall pick in 2004 (Ladd was 4th and Wheeler 5th) and the highest rated goalie prospect of that draft year. He has been typecast as a backup at the NHL level. While he's currently scheduled to become a free agent, IF the Jets re-sign him (Hutch's playoff performance is probably the biggest deciding factor) he potentially could take over the #1 job if Pav falters once again. Chevy/Maurice aren't annointing Pav as an undisputed starter when they call him the man going into next year; they are trying to cut out the legs of the news hacks in wpg who want to get pageviews by crying "goaltending controversy" everytime Pav lets in a bad goal. They have eyes. They know who's playing well and who isn't. They also want to be driving the bus, not letting the ginger wonder over at the Winnipeg Stunned try and make the coaching decisions. None of this sounds particularly appetizing in the short term. Pav remains the starter. He might not get better. The Jets will continue to finish 10th in their conference. When you step back and look at the long term philosophy it is possible to say that neither Pavelec's play or his contract go against the Jets plan for building a winner, and that rolling the dice on him being the goalie of the future was never really the high-stakes gamble that it seemed like at first glance. While it would be nice for Jets fans if Pav would play better, things are still largely going according to plan. And if you really want to take a long term view, Pav's play might be helping build this franchise thru higher draft picks. Wow, nice way to package it, clever :-)

I was excited to see him play last season... very disappointed by the pre-season injury Agreed, even he was so excited about camp last season, which made me feel worse for him when he sustained his injury. As I haven't seen him play and how he handles himself, any worries about his size (I saw he was listed at 5'9) when playing in the CFL?

Guys make $45,000 a year & you want to break them? That's utterly ridiculous. Why not just find another league to follow? If Cohon's figures are in fact true in his release, the league average is just shy of $93,000. That's plenty. As a hardcore CFL fan, I struggle with how to really determine if a fair agreement is in place to address short, mid and long term needs. I do know the obvious, there has to be a balance of give and takes on both sides and Mr. Cohon going around the Union, straight to the players (and public), getting reaction, has taken it to the next level.

Other than your observation of your stoner friends, what evidence do you have to suggest this is true?

Which is baffling to me when it comes specifically to him. I understand and appreciate why GM's do this, i.e., 'you're my guy' but it's not warranted for him imo. It also drove me nuts that Pavelec implied in the Media that Noel didn't tell him how great he was unlike how Maurice does. Please . . .