Dieter Brock - Next Ring of Honour Inductee

[B-F-F-C]

I love this.  Great QB and nice guy. Sure he let under some controversial comments but that shouldn't diminish his on field contributions. 

Feel free to share your Dieter Brock memories. 

[do or die]

Well done.   Even though the guy left a small permanent cavity in my chest....while catching a ball from him, after joking that "he needs to put more mustard on it"

Great guy.....unreal arm.   Had 430 yds passing against Sask, during a windstorm - over 300 yds of it, into the wind.  Ron Lancaster was in awe....

Edited September 7, 2016 by do or die

[tacklewasher]

Is he still wearing all the gold chains???

Cannon doesn't come close to describing his arm.

[Noeller]

Isn't there an old story about him bombing it a long way from his knees......something to that effect? There's so many Billy Braski -type stories about Brock's arm...

[MyDogHasScheifeles]

I was just a kid but I remember him being traded for Tommy Clements and then the next season both parties faced each other in the Grey Cup. I still remember Brock rifling balls and his receivers not being able to hold onto the ball.

[B-F-F-C]

10 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Isn't there an old story about him bombing it a long way from his knees......something to that effect? There's so many Billy Braski -type stories about Brock's arm...

From Eddie Tait's piece today:

Quote

Just for the record, all the tales about Brock throwing a ball through the uprights from 55 yards away – while on one knee – are true. In Calgary, where Brock points out the air is thinner, he once threw a pass 93 yards in the air while fooling around the day before a game.

 

[TBURGESS]

Ralph was one of my all time favs. Man he could throw a football. Folks said he could throw the ball through a car wash without getting it wet. 

We won a lot of games in those years. Couldn't win the big games, but then again, a lot of them were against Edmonton during their dynasty. 

[TrueBlue4ever]

The cool nickname - The Birmingham Rifle

The cannon arm - 55 yard passes from his knees, Joe Poplawski saying Dieter once split the webbing between his fingers on a 20 yard pass it was so hard. Could hear the wind ripping as the ball sailed.

The off-season regimen - Supposedly he had a 16 lb. lead football he warmed up with in the winter by throwing it against a piece of plywood.

The NFL year - 33 year old "rookie" who set all kinds of rookie passing records and was one all-time great Chicago Bears team away from making the Super Bowl.

The awards - back-to-back CFL MVP awards and a single season passing record (at the time)

The games - At Ottawa, 41 of 48 passing; made Eugene Goodlow the first 100 reception receiver in CFL history.

The last "true" drop back passer to play in the CFL.

Edited September 7, 2016 by TrueBlue4ever

[MyDogHasScheifeles]

I remember him also playing one season for the Rams as a 33 year old rookie. He took the team pretty far that year but got shelled in the playoffs.

[do or die]

Saw with mine eyes....Brock throwing the ball to guys in the end zone....from midfield on his knees, during practice... 

He would throw the usual 10 yd out pattern, another 10 - 15 yards further down the field - the dam ball still got to the receiver, BEFORE the DB could make his break for the ball.....

In shorts and T-shirt.... the dude had a better build than most linebackers.  Dieter could/would stand in the pocket until the last nanosecond, and take hit after hit.

Knocked out Tommy Scott, who was not looking for the ball on a short slant, and had it smack him in the head..

As far as the Rams thing, they weren't really interested in Brock throwing down field....just having him handing it off to Eric Dickerson

Was told (unconfirmed) that some fan got it on with him in a Montreal watering hole......and was severely injured for his efforts. 

People talk about Mike Bishop or some others.   Forget it.  Brock had the strongest arm I ever saw.

[Ripper]

I remember Brock playing, he was a good one. As the 70's wore on he just got better and better. Still would like to know why the Bombers traded him away, if anyone has a storey about that I would love to hear it. As far as the 85 Bears, no one on earth was going to beat that team in the playoffs, war machine...

edit..  dig some digging and found a storey about the trade etc..  thanks anyway

Edited September 7, 2016 by Ripper

[Tracker]

1 hour ago, Ripper said:

I remember Brock playing, he was a good one. As the 70's wore on he just got better and better. Still would like to know why the Bombers traded him away, if anyone has a storey about that I would love to hear it. As far as the 85 Bears, no one on earth was going to beat that team in the playoffs, war machine...

edit..  dig some digging and found a story about the trade etc..  thanks anyway

IIRC, Brockballs around in th made it clear that he was NFL-bound as soon as possible, so they got what they could for him. He built up his arms by tossing shot-put balls in the off-season, but he was not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He was one of the highest-rated NFL QBs before he got hurt- his back I think, and was never the same afterwards.

[blueingreenland]

Easily my favorite Bomber of all time (2nd would be Joe Pop, 3rd Stegall). I was devasted the day he was traded. I loved the '84 GreyCup, but did feel sorry for Deiter. Still remember the day I folowed him all over Polo Park Mall, finally getting up the nerve to ask for his autograph.

[no71]

My earliest memory of the Bombers is Brock passing to Poplawski.  I then couldn't understand how they'd traded him for a quarterback who couldn't throw the ball.  Didn't take long to learn to love Clements, though.

[Noeller]

Not so much about Brock, but man that looked like a good team. Check out the LT blocking on the first run...

[johnzo]

After everything that went down in 1983, it's kinda astonishing that Brock and Winnipeg weren't permanently estranged.

[Tracker]

29 minutes ago, johnzo said:

After everything that went down in 1983, it's kinda astonishing that Brock and Winnipeg weren't permanently estranged.

It was a trial separation that went on for awhile.

[B-F-F-C]

I was at that game and  I cant believe it was 40 years ago.   Holy crap I'm getting old. 

That was a good team, not a lot of stars just hard working lunch pail guys.     

 

[Mark F]

I'm too young to have any Dieter Brock stories???

 

 

Edited September 7, 2016 by Mark F
edit

[Pete Catan's Ghost]

1981; Alouettes stroll into Wpg Stadium with a bevy of NFL stars (Vince Ferragamo, David Overstreet, and White Shoes Johnson.)

Ralph Brock says "sorry...not today" and eviscerates them 58-2.

PS

1981 Wpg rookie of the year.....Pete Catan

 

[wbbfan]

3 hours ago, johnzo said:

After everything that went down in 1983, it's kinda astonishing that Brock and Winnipeg weren't permanently estranged.

absence makes the heart grow fonder. Besides it worked out very well for us and hes still the best qb in bomber history. 

[do or die]

2 hours ago, Pete Catan's Ghost said:

1981; Alouettes stroll into Wpg Stadium with a bevy of NFL stars (Vince Ferragamo, David Overstreet, and White Shoes Johnson.)

Ralph Brock says "sorry...not today" and eviscerates them 58-2.

PS

1981 Wpg rookie of the year.....Pete Catan

 

Was at that one.......WR Eugene Goodlow cracked back on a Concordes defender, sending parts of his equipment all over the field....

[Old Bomber Fan]

Good for Brock however a few comments here are puzzling but respected. First best QB Bomber ever had?? Well must have been from a younger fan as I remember Indian Jack before him and one Tom Clements who we traded for. Won a Grey cup or two with them both not so sure about Brock. Both the former left the city with positive legacies and fond memories; think I remember Brock leaving by saying bad things about Winnipeg and our zoo? Guess those things are forgiven. In any event congrats to him and hopefully the powers to be will remember the old timers that brought fame and fortune to the Bombers in the early days; they equally deserve recognition; perhaps a look into the history books of the Bombers is in order for this committee. Just my opinion and not trying to reduce the importance of the newer generations of players simply that there are others who in this case were much more successful that Mr. Brock.

[Fatty Liver]

5 hours ago, B-F-F-C said:

I was at that game and  I cant believe it was 40 years ago.   Holy crap I'm getting old. 

That was a good team, not a lot of stars just hard working lunch pail guys.     

 

You may be getting old but apparently you're less than half the age of "Old Bomber Fan".

[Rich]

I hope they do eventually put some of the older players like Indian Jack up but at the same time, I think it is nice they honour some of these players while they are still with us to have them enjoy the recognition.