Around the League: 2018 Season

[BBRT]

12 hours ago, Mike said:

I just find it kind of hard to *really* care about the Bombers anymore, to be honest. Most of it is that I have a new job and I’m never around, but the way this team is managed is just so uninspiring these days. 

We are loyal to a fault and it’s a major flaw that is costing us games at this point. There are no measurable consequences for playing poorly, unless you’re a young American (the exact kind of player you should offer up a longer leash to) like Poop who has been stapled to the bench. We sign veterans to heavy money deals and when they don’t fit our scheme or play the role that was envisioned, instead of cutting bait (see: Purifoy, Reed, etc), we just hang onto them and ruin our cap flexibility. We don’t make the moves necessary for midseason talent additions, we just deploy the PR guys even though our scouting is so poor that it forces us to rely on adding so many veterans in the off-season. We’ve now missed on Posey and Matthews, who are two guys who quite likely would’ve been huge boosts to our team and why? To keep playing mediocre guys like Darvin who is having a total down year?

I just don’t really care anymore. It’s too difficult.

And this is what really scares me. When guys like Mike makes comments like this  and others that have been long time posters and Bomber True Blue Fans no longer even bother to post here - I take notice. I will and still am a Bomber Fan - just not as emotionally invested these days. I have zero faith that the Bomber Management Team is capable of turning the ship around however will always cling to the hope that at some point in time the Board will bring on a competent management team. Until then I will enjoy all of the pros and cons posted here but at the end of the day whether the Bombers win or lose really does not make my list of important issues of the day.

[Bomberfan85]

7 minutes ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

I mean...is 154 vs 138 really that big a difference over the course of a game?

No, it's that both numbers are ridiculous. Not surprising coming from Rod Black but still ridiculous. I've noticed the difference between watching the two leagues too. You watch an NFL game and they actually talk about what is going on in the game. Seems so simple. You watch a CFL game, particularly one called by Rod Black, and you hear a commentator who fixates on one or two players and just won't budge. It's really frustrating, especially when they just talk about whatever while the play is going on.

[NorthernSkunk]

14 minutes ago, Bomberfan85 said:

No, it's that both numbers are ridiculous. Not surprising coming from Rod Black but still ridiculous. I've noticed the difference between watching the two leagues too. You watch an NFL game and they actually talk about what is going on in the game. Seems so simple. You watch a CFL game, particularly one called by Rod Black, and you hear a commentator who fixates on one or two players and just won't budge. It's really frustrating, especially when they just talk about whatever while the play is going on.

Kinda like when Gretzky was playing..... 

[FrostyWinnipeg]

15 hours ago, Atomic said:

I would have liked to see Chris Matthews sign here but I don't think it's that big of a deal missing out on him.

He'd be the best receiver on our team instantly?

 

[Bigblue204]

35 minutes ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

He'd be the best receiver on our team instantly?

 

Not sure about that. Dressler still gets my vote, but he may be an improvement (assuming he can bring the same stuff to the table as his previous CFL stint) over this years version of Darvin Adams. He'd also be better then Lankford. Not sure why/how he's been able to stick on this team for so long.

Edited October 2, 2018 by Bigblue204

[CodyT]

59 minutes ago, BBRT said:

And this is what really scares me. When guys like Mike makes comments like this  and others that have been long time posters and Bomber True Blue Fans no longer even bother to post here - I take notice. I will and still am a Bomber Fan - just not as emotionally invested these days. I have zero faith that the Bomber Management Team is capable of turning the ship around however will always cling to the hope that at some point in time the Board will bring on a competent management team. Until then I will enjoy all of the pros and cons posted here but at the end of the day whether the Bombers win or lose really does not make my list of important issues of the day.

Wanted to quote both of these because it sums up perfectly how I feel.

I love the team but just don't care anymore . Becoming apathetic. I always start the season excited and hopeful and always end up feeling the same way.

Fire osh, then what start over again and re evaluate our expectations for another 3 years.  It's exhausting

[Brandon]

14 hours ago, Mike said:

I just find it kind of hard to *really* care about the Bombers anymore, to be honest. Most of it is that I have a new job and I’m never around, but the way this team is managed is just so uninspiring these days. 

We are loyal to a fault and it’s a major flaw that is costing us games at this point. There are no measurable consequences for playing poorly, unless you’re a young American (the exact kind of player you should offer up a longer leash to) like Poop who has been stapled to the bench. We sign veterans to heavy money deals and when they don’t fit our scheme or play the role that was envisioned, instead of cutting bait (see: Purifoy, Reed, etc), we just hang onto them and ruin our cap flexibility. We don’t make the moves necessary for midseason talent additions, we just deploy the PR guys even though our scouting is so poor that it forces us to rely on adding so many veterans in the off-season. We’ve now missed on Posey and Matthews, who are two guys who quite likely would’ve been huge boosts to our team and why? To keep playing mediocre guys like Darvin who is having a total down year?

I just don’t really care anymore. It’s too difficult. 

Out of all the years this year is the one that makes you not care anymore?

The Mike Kelly era and the Lapo/Burke/Mack era was way worse then this...  

 

[blue_gold_84]

17 minutes ago, Brandon said:

Out of all the years this year is the one that makes you not care anymore?

The Mike Kelly era and the Lapo/Burke/Mack era was way worse then this...  

I don't think he was comparing - there's little use in doing so, anyway.

@Mike's comments lead me to believe he's just fed up with this regime and how it operates. A regime in year 5 still struggling to be consistently competitive, much less win a playoff game. Those are two pretty significant strikes against it.

Edited October 2, 2018 by blue_gold_84

[Brandon]

5 minutes ago, blue_gold_84 said:

I don't think he was comparing - there's little use in doing so, anyway.

@Mike's comments lead me to believe he's just fed up with this regime and how it operates. A regime in year 5 still struggling to be consistently competitive, much less win a playoff game. Those are two pretty significant strikes against it.

It's just crazy since he used to be among the highest amount of posts and now not much at all anymore....

[Bigblue204]

Noeller too...I stil see him liking things from time to time...but not posting.

[Mike]

11 minutes ago, blue_gold_84 said:

I don't think he was comparing - there's little use in doing so, anyway.

@Mike's comments lead me to believe he's just fed up with this regime and how it operates. A regime in year 5 still struggling to be consistently competitive, much less win a playoff game. Those are two pretty significant strikes against it.

I don't think I'm fed up with any one particular regime. I'm just exhausted with getting amped up every year and then watching some variation of the same old **** happening. This year likely isn't going to be our year either and that makes it however many in a row it is and I just find myself being more excited to watch the Jets and less excited to watch the Bombers.

I just find it hard to get excited. I used to refresh spam the hell out of my Twitter feed the day before every game so that I could come post the depth chart on here and we could all discuss it, now I find myself not even bothering to look. I don't get excited when we win, I don't get frustrated when we lose, because it all seems like it's just going to be an end result of the same thing it's been for the last 20-whatever years. I find myself uninspired by a Matt Nichols-led team and I find myself having difficulties getting excited about how we seem to be wasting our hometown star's last years on a roster that isn't built to be anything other than a first-round exit. We don't seem to find any new players to be excited about - it doesn't have to be the next Milt or Charlie, but when's the last time we found even a Chris Matthews? We don't seem to be interested or pursuant enough to make improvements mid-season, while every team around us does. I like the fact that we've got some new pieces like Wolitarsky, Petermann or sure, even a guy like Sayles who seem to have some great potential, but they're not the kind of players that are going to be franchise cornerstones. We seem to excel at finding complimentary pieces and trying to turn them into pillars of our team and it just bores me to watch, to be honest. I watch exciting new players come into the league every year ... Kamar, D. Daniels, Devier Posey, Wilder, Duke, etc etc and it never seems to be Winnipeg. I love watching a guy like JSK play, but for new blood, it just isn't enough.

I still went to Labour Day this year, still had a great time and I still cheer for the Blue without fail, but I just don't find myself being as invested as I once was. I used to never miss a game and now I don't even get bummed out when I can't go (which is more often than not these days) and that kind of indifference surprises me but I don't see it changing any time soon the way this team is going. I'd probably be more invested if we actually played our best QB (no I'm not going to get into the argument about it, it's just my opinion) but that's a whole other story as well. Jets season starts in two days and I can honestly see myself just losing track of much to do with the CFL at that point.

Sucks, but it is what it is. 

[blue_gold_84]

3 minutes ago, Mike said:

I don't think I'm fed up with any one particular regime. I'm just exhausted with getting amped up every year and then watching some variation of the same old **** happening. This year likely isn't going to be our year either and that makes it however many in a row it is and I just find myself being more excited to watch the Jets and less excited to watch the Bombers.

I just find it hard to get excited. I used to refresh spam the hell out of my Twitter feed the day before every game so that I could come post the depth chart on here and we could all discuss it, now I find myself not even bothering to look. I don't get excited when we win, I don't get frustrated when we lose, because it all seems like it's just going to be an end result of the same thing it's been for the last 20-whatever years. I find myself uninspired by a Matt Nichols-led team and I find myself having difficulties getting excited about how we seem to be wasting our hometown star's last years on a roster that isn't built to be anything other than a first-round exit. We don't seem to find any new players to be excited about - it doesn't have to be the next Milt or Charlie, but when's the last time we found even a Chris Matthews? We don't seem to be interested or pursuant enough to make improvements mid-season, while every team around us does. I like the fact that we've got some new pieces like Wolitarsky, Petermann or sure, even a guy like Sayles who seem to have some great potential, but they're not the kind of players that are going to be franchise cornerstones. We seem to excel at finding complimentary pieces and trying to turn them into pillars of our team and it just bores me to watch, to be honest. I watch exciting new players come into the league every year ... Kamar, D. Daniels, Devier Posey, Wilder, Duke, etc etc and it never seems to be Winnipeg. I love watching a guy like JSK play, but for new blood, it just isn't enough.

I still went to Labour Day this year, still had a great time and I still cheer for the Blue without fail, but I just don't find myself being as invested as I once was. I used to never miss a game and now I don't even get bummed out when I can't go (which is more often than not these days) and that kind of indifference surprises me but I don't see it changing any time soon the way this team is going. I'd probably be more invested if we actually played our best QB (no I'm not going to get into the argument about it, it's just my opinion) but that's a whole other story as well. Jets season starts in two days and I can honestly see myself just losing track of much to do with the CFL at that point.

Sucks, but it is what it is. 

I totally get it, @Mike. It's easy to feel apathy/indifference towards the WFC these days. Things don't seem to be getting better - and that absolutely blows.

[Mike]

Just now, blue_gold_84 said:

I totally get it, @Mike. It's easy to feel apathy/indifference towards the WFC these days. Things don't seem to be getting better - and that absolutely blows.

To be fair, it has just as much to do with life in general as it does with the Bombers. I went from working an office desk job where I literally spent 95% of my time surfing the internet to a career where I'm literally never home and have very little access to a computer. I don't have anywhere near as much free time. When I do have free time, it's hard to want to spend it on the Bombers.

[17to85]

1 hour ago, Bigblue204 said:

Noeller too...I stil see him liking things from time to time...but not posting.

Yeah that has nothing to do with his enthusiasm for the Bombers. He'd have to be 6 feet under for that to change.

 

[17to85]

How anyone can lose their enthusiasm for the team I will never know. I get being busy and not having as much time to invest but my god even working and having a 2 month old I still get stoked on game days.

[Fatty Liver]

15 minutes ago, Mike said:

To be fair, it has just as much to do with life in general as it does with the Bombers. I went from working an office desk job where I literally spent 95% of my time surfing the internet to a career where I'm literally never home and have very little access to a computer. I don't have anywhere near as much free time. When I do have free time, it's hard to want to spend it on the Bombers.

Congratulations you've come to the realization that football isn't life or death and life goes on with or without the Bombers, in the end it's just sports entertainment, and following the team is little more than a pastime or a hobby.  I grew up a fanatic Bomber and Jets fan but I had at least a 10 year spell of college, career development and chasing various women when following sports closely or taking time out to watch sports or television was not a practical use of time, it only gets worse when you start a family.  In time you'll probably settle down, find some spare time and migrate back to what is enjoyable for you.  Good luck on your journey.

[TBURGESS]

I hear you @Mike. It's just as hard for us who've followed the team since before you were born and haven't seen us win it all in almost 30 years.

[Brandon]

1 hour ago, Mike said:

To be fair, it has just as much to do with life in general as it does with the Bombers. I went from working an office desk job where I literally spent 95% of my time surfing the internet to a career where I'm literally never home and have very little access to a computer. I don't have anywhere near as much free time. When I do have free time, it's hard to want to spend it on the Bombers.

I have no idea about your personal life...  but for myself after having two young children the amount of free time I have at night is completely non existent.   Unfortunately I am guilty of only watching the games on PVR if we win or if it's competitive...  I don't like burning my 3 hours of free time per week on watching the team getting creamed.

I do think we are close to being able to win a cup...  just a few small tweaks would make a world of difference for the club.  I'm a bit sad that Strelever didn't get the full season to grow and learn because long term I think he's the real deal. 

 

[Noeller]

[WBBFanWest]

2 hours ago, Brandon said:

Out of all the years this year is the one that makes you not care anymore?

The Mike Kelly era and the Lapo/Burke/Mack era was way worse then this...  

 

I can't speak for anyone else but for me, the issue has been the raising of expectations over the past couple of years.  We really did seem like we were on an upwards trajectory and that finally, we'd be seeing this team put it all together.  I still have hopes, but I think that it's fair to say that at this moment, the team is not where most of us expected them to be at this stage of the season.  Yes, things have looked better these past few games, but I know that my confidence in the team is not what it was in June/July.  At the same time, I'm really beginning to get the feeling that O'Shea is a good coach, but he's not quite good enough.  I'm not sure he's the guy to get us to the next level, but the idea of tearing it all down just depresses me.  Not as much as living in Regina would, of course, but depressing never the less.

At the same time, I know that there are more than a few "fans" on this board who are clearly loving the current state of the team because it gives them the chance to come on here and rail about all the things that are wrong, and how they are just so darned clever that they could see how much this team sucks before anyone else did.  There are some regular "downers" on the board, and one or two contrarians (ok, really, just one), but there are also a few posters that you don't often see here when things are going good, but boy howdy, do they love to post when things are going tough.  To me, that's why it's getting harder and harder to come one here. 

[Mike]

14 minutes ago, Brandon said:

I have no idea about your personal life...  but for myself after having two young children the amount of free time I have at night is completely non existent.   Unfortunately I am guilty of only watching the games on PVR if we win or if it's competitive...  I don't like burning my 3 hours of free time per week on watching the team getting creamed.

I do think we are close to being able to win a cup...  just a few small tweaks would make a world of difference for the club.  I'm a bit sad that Strelever didn't get the full season to grow and learn because long term I think he's the real deal. 

 

Personal life is great, but I'm typically working about 80-90 hours a week and I'm home maybe 3-4 evenings a week at best. Can't imagine it's going to get better once kids get in the mix.

[Mr Dee]

It’s the life of a sports fan. Especially for those who didn’t witness the good years. 

But how about those who are old enough to remember our first 20+ years without winning? Before the internet and fan forums. Between the 60’s and 80’s. Before the SMS where a team like the Eskimos could “buy” players. We had good teams but nowhere near the money that the Eskimos had. 

24 Grey Cup appearances.. 10 wins

And now? We own the Frustration Cup. 27 years.

Do I get weary and down? Oh yes. Does my enthusiasm always come back? 

Yep. I’m a Bomber fan.

 

[Brandon]

26 minutes ago, Mike said:

Personal life is great, but I'm typically working about 80-90 hours a week and I'm home maybe 3-4 evenings a week at best. Can't imagine it's going to get better once kids get in the mix.

What the hell are you doing that requires 80-90 hours a week of work...  nobody can sustain working like that for a career.  

If you decide to have kids you would either need a very understanding wife or a good divorce lawyer with a work schedule like that.

 

[BBRT]

35 minutes ago, WBBFanWest said:

I can't speak for anyone else but for me, the issue has been the raising of expectations over the past couple of years.  We really did seem like we were on an upwards trajectory and that finally, we'd be seeing this team put it all together.  I still have hopes, but I think that it's fair to say that at this moment, the team is not where most of us expected them to be at this stage of the season.  Yes, things have looked better these past few games, but I know that my confidence in the team is not what it was in June/July.  At the same time, I'm really beginning to get the feeling that O'Shea is a good coach, but he's not quite good enough.  I'm not sure he's the guy to get us to the next level, but the idea of tearing it all down just depresses me.  Not as much as living in Regina would, of course, but depressing never the less.

At the same time, I know that there are more than a few "fans" on this board who are clearly loving the current state of the team because it gives them the chance to come on here and rail about all the things that are wrong, and how they are just so darned clever that they could see how much this team sucks before anyone else did.  There are some regular "downers" on the board, and one or two contrarians (ok, really, just one), but there are also a few posters that you don't often see here when things are going good, but boy howdy, do they love to post when things are going tough.  To me, that's why it's getting harder and harder to come one here. 

While I tend to disagree with the majority of your posts - I do want to 100% agree with your comments "I'm really beginning to get the feeling that O-Shea is a good coach, but he's not quite good enough" - Got to agree with that 100%. The balance of your post not so much! There are a number of us that have been here and on other Bomber sites over the years that hang around when things are bad and post when things are good (which they have not been for a very very long time). Whether you agree or not - moot point!

[17to85]

1 hour ago, Brandon said:

What the hell are you doing that requires 80-90 hours a week of work...  nobody can sustain working like that for a career.  

If you decide to have kids you would either need a very understanding wife or a good divorce lawyer with a work schedule like that.

 

If he's working 80-90 hours a week probably no time for baby making anyhow.