The MBB All-time Blue Bomber team: Mount Rushmore and the all-time Happy Honkers

[Floyd]

8 minutes ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

Accepted. But in the club's history, Brock holds pretty much all the career records, and Ploen is legendary enough to have both a street and a gate and the new stadium named after him. Not saying I disagree with you about Jacobs' impact, I am just going off of what the club has always laid out as the hierarchy of QB's here. Ploen was the second player ever inducted into the Ring of Honour, Brock 5th. Jacobs was 10th. So if you are looking for anyone to unseat Ploen, the most realistic defendable option would be the QB who set all the career benchmarks for passing on the club, and the only back-to-back league MOP in club history. Others may disagree - that is why I have Jacobs on the nominees list.

My three votes are Ploen, Jacobs, Brock anyway...

There was no passing game before Jacobs - that's a tough one to unseat... all time leading passer for his era, first QB to throw for 3000 yards, TD record, etc etc

He inspired Winnipeg Stadium ha

[SpeedFlex27]

4 hours ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

To me it boils down to Ploen (rings) vs Brock (numbers) and no one else will be considered best ever.

Tom Clements brought the Bombers to a new level with his play. Won the 84 Grey Cup & was dominant from 1984 thru 1987. He did what Brock couldn't do with the same team. 

[SpeedFlex27]

Where do I vote?

[TrueBlue4ever]

36 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Where do I vote?

I haven’t done the bios yet. Will put them up later this week as the 5th Receiver vote winds down. 

[TrueBlue4ever]

42 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Tom Clements brought the Bombers to a new level with his play. Won the 84 Grey Cup & was dominant from 1984 thru 1987. He did what Brock couldn't do with the same team. 

I am a huge Clements fan, and we won that one for one trade that sent Brock packing. Maybe the most cerebral QB we ever had. 

I think Clements had a better supporting cast offensively and defensively than Brock did, so I’m not sure they had the same team, and Brock had the misfortune to hit his zenith in the Eskimo dynasty, when neither he (or Clements in Hamilton) could get past Moon and Wilkinson. But a fun debate to have between those 2 for sure. 

[SpeedFlex27]

16 minutes ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

I am a huge Clements fan, and we won that one for one trade that sent Brock packing. Maybe the most cerebral QB we ever had. 

I think Clements had a better supporting cast offensively and defensively than Brock did, so I’m not sure they had the same team, and Brock had the misfortune to hit his zenith in the Eskimo dynasty, when neither he (or Clements in Hamilton) could get past Moon and Wilkinson. But a fun debate to have between those 2 for sure. 

Both were great qbs but I have to choose Tom Clements.  I honestly don't know if we would have beaten BC in the WDF in 84 if Dieter Brock was our qb.  Clements was indeed cerebral & he could scramble around extending plays something Brock could not do. Brock though was incredibly accurate & could put the ball into places other qbs couldn't. Two different qbs. Two completely different styles of play. I have to go with Clements as the second qb. 

 

Edited May 14, 2019 by SpeedFlex27

[TrueBlue4ever]

1 hour ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Both were great qbs but I have to choose Tom Clements.  I honestly don't know if we would have beaten BC in the WDF in 84 if Dieter Brock was our qb.  Clements was indeed cerebral & he could scramble around extending plays something Brock could not do. Brock though was incredibly accurate & could put the ball into places other qbs couldn't. Two different qbs. Two completely different styles of play. I have to go with Clements as the second qb. 

 

Alas, like Highlander “there can be only one”. 

[Floyd]

4 hours ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

Alas, like Highlander “there can be only one”. 

Both played in 'The House That Jack Built'

[Jesse]

6 hours ago, Floyd said:

Both played in 'The House That Jack Built'

I can't see Jacobs getting the support that Brock and Ploen will. But might make third?

[SpeedFlex27]

8 hours ago, Floyd said:

Both played in 'The House That Jack Built'

Jonas built the west side upper deck of Canad Inns Stadium.

[Mr Dee]

And Bob Cameron drywalled it..🙂

[Noeller]

7 minutes ago, Mr Dee said:

And Bob Cameron drywalled it..🙂

every year at this time, I watch the old "CFL Traditions" DVD that came out back around 2002, and Walby talking about how Cameron "came to the stadium with old nails and screws in his pockets. I swear he only played football so he'd have a place to shower" makes me laugh every time...

[johnzo]

22 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Both were great qbs but I have to choose Tom Clements.  I honestly don't know if we would have beaten BC in the WDF in 84 if Dieter Brock was our qb.  Clements was indeed cerebral & he could scramble around extending plays something Brock could not do. Brock though was incredibly accurate & could put the ball into places other qbs couldn't. Two different qbs. Two completely different styles of play. I have to go with Clements as the second qb.

I just watched that game, and I'm pretty sure we could have won it with Brock at QB.

BC had to start Tim Cowan -- DeWalt the bomber-killer was injured -- and Cowan played like hot garbage against our fired-up D.  We definitely did not face BC at their best on that day.

[SpeedFlex27]

Cameron used to live on my street in Riverview. I used to see him jog all the time on Churchill Drive. He used to go home & change though. Never ran in his cover-alls. Shorts or sweats. 

[SpeedFlex27]

2 minutes ago, johnzo said:

I just watched that game, and I'm pretty sure we could have won it with Brock at QB.

BC had to start Tim Cowan -- DeWalt the bomber-killer was injured -- and Cowan played like hot garbage against our fired-up D.  We definitely did not face BC at their best on that day.

I felt so sorry for the Lions that day. Ha, ha. Not really. I was hoping for a Bomber **** kicking that day as they knocked out Clements in the WDF the year before with a broken collarbone. Karma was a *****.

[TrueBlue4ever]

Last roster category is up with the QB nominees. One choice only, voting closes Sunday. 

[TrueBlue4ever]

So the team is virtually complete, with the QB voting window closing down and Ken Ploen in command at this time. Nice to see a bit of love for Jacobs, Brock, and Clements in the voting, a shame that Jonas and Jones could not have at least squeaked out one vote for how they each resurrected the franchise during their respective careers.

But we move on to the final installment in our little off-season project. Before I get there, just wanted to give a shout out to a few members here who contributed to this endeavour. First to Rich, who helped with any technical difficulties I had with posts or polls that I screwed up (on more than one occasion), many thanks. To Stats Junkie, for insight into the history of the game and player positions from an earlier period which added immensely to making sure I got stuff right and made me look deeper into how to get the right players in the right categories, it was informative and educational, thank you.. To Speedflex, for being my unofficial auditor and catching my gaffes, and for being a champion of the entire 89 year history of the club, not just the last 30 years. Your input and enthusiasm for this topic was greatly appreciated, and thanks for keeping me honest with my efforts. And to everyone who took the time to vote or offer an opinion, thanks for keeping the board lively but civil during the long winter months.

The final vote will be the "Mount Rushmore" of the Bombers - simply put, if 4 faces had to be etched into a mountainside to reflect the greatest of the great in Bomber lore, who would go up there. I will put out a list of 20 Bombers and you select four choices from that list. No bios to compare, this is just about who you think should be up there. The criteria are your own. Longevity? Exceptional play? Success? A Winnipeg icon? It's your call.

I made 2 (controversial?) rules to keep the list manageable. The first is that the names are all selected from each position we just voted for in the MBB All-Time Blue Bomber team. I figure if a player is not good enough to make the squad at the top of their position, they won't make the rarified air of being immortalized in granite. So a Fritz Hansen, Tom Casey, or Jack Jacobs will not be included, despite their significant contributions and inclusion in the 75th anniversary team. If they can't beat out the likes of Ploen or Lewis at their position, why would they elevate above them on the mountain? I think as tough as it is, that is a fair way to do it.  Secondly, to get the list down from the 34 selected positions to a more realistic number, I eliminated any player who had less than 8 years or 100 games of service as a Blue Bomber. I believe that longevity does play a part in a player's legacy with the club in a vote like this. The only player who in my mind might raise an eyebrow with this exclusion process is Rod Hill, who fell 10 games short. But honestly, I can say with confidence that as great as he was, I can pick 4 names I would place over his in a ranking order. Likewise for some who meet the criteria and who will make the nominations list but really won't be considered in the "top 4" (like Stan Mikawos, for example, no disrespect intended). But I needed an arbitrary starting point for the nominations list, so there it is. And although voting is not closed, I am going to be presumptuous and list Ken Ploen, quite confident he will win out in the QB spot at this point

Any comments for "Mount Rushmore" can be confined to that voting thread.

[TrueBlue4ever]

The second task is not a vote, but just a nomination thread. After each game we put out a "3 stars and happy honker" thread, so I thought since we've identified the all-time stars, we need an all-time happy honker award, and keep 3 spots open for that. No voting, no rules, just offer your opinions - no wrong answers here. I just want people to voice their support for their favorites who have done "that little something extra special" as Blue Bombers.

[wbbfan]

27 minutes ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

The second task is not a vote, but just a nomination thread. After each game we put out a "3 stars and happy honker" thread, so I thought since we've identified the all-time stars, we need an all-time happy honker award, and keep 3 spots open for that. No voting, no rules, just offer your opinions - no wrong answers here. I just want people to voice their support for their favorites who have done "that little something extra special" as Blue Bombers.

Harris, can't count how many times he's put the bombers on his back and carried the team. 

Stanley bryant the cornerstone of the line and first step in our rebuild.

Medlock. Won us soo many games with crazy amounts of field goals and great punts. 

Hardrick. Allways down field on run plays never quits. 

Bighill. completely changed our front 7 and Ds performance.

A shout out to the under dog guys, JFG when he was here, chad remple, wade miller (on STs)

Mo, could have been our MOP every year he was here.

Randle island.

 

 

 

 

[TrueBlue4ever]

10 minutes ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

The second task is not a vote, but just a nomination thread. After each game we put out a "3 stars and happy honker" thread, so I thought since we've identified the all-time stars, we need an all-time happy honker award, and keep 3 spots open for that. No voting, no rules, just offer your opinions - no wrong answers here. I just want people to voice their support for their favorites who have done "that little something extra special" as Blue Bombers.

One man's take:

So my first 2 spots are easy here for me.

The first is Jeff Nicklin. The man laid down his life for this country so we could enjoy our freedoms. I think WBBFanWest put it best: "Nicklin because there are all stars in games and then there are all stars in life.  Greatest Bomber ever." Only Bomber to have a league trophy named after him. God bless.

The second is Tom Casey. Did not get voted on to the all-time team, because he was too versatile to dominate at just one position and leave his mark there. He was a running back, receiver, punter, and defensive back and was an all-star at each position. Also placekicked and threw the odd touchdown pass. And just so he didn't define his legacy by his football prowess, he graduated in the same medical class at the U of M as my father and dedicated his later life to helping others as a dedicated doctor.

I am tempted to just leave the third spot open, since an unsung hero comes up every game and deserves recognition, so I don't want to lock it down forever. But I'll throw out a few honourable mentions who, any one of them, could have the happy honker bestowed upon them:

Pete Catan - for firing model rockets off his helmet into the stands during practice. I always thought this was the coolest thing growing up.

Willard Reaves - for sharing his touchdown moments with the special needs children in the end zone, before the club commercialized it with non-game balls and corporate sponsorship. Another great sincere spontaneous moment that got re-packaged as a corporate branding opportunity.

Cactus Jack Wells - for inventing the happy honker in the first place

Bob Irving - how blessed are we to have this voice as our own for the past 45 years calling Bomber games? Whether I am in the stands watching the live action with my radio ear buds in, or listening to a short wave radio at the lake in mu childhood, or live streaming CJOB from across the globe, or even his foray into TV with the CFN, his call was the constant that brought me into that game and made me feel like I was "home", and was professional and top notch every time.

Joe Pascucci - the unofficial club historian, thank goodness he had the foresight to save all the video from his time at CKND so we have a living video history of the club.

"Carol" - Carol Barrott, but everybody knows her as just "Carol", and I swear she knows each and every fan personally in her role as ticket manager. She was born for that job, and has always gone the extra mile with any request, and is the not-so-secret engine that keeps the fan services and likely the whole club running.

Dancing Gabe, Plungerhead, "Dave's Disciples", Jack Skelly, and every other "exceptional" Blue Bomber fan who stand out in a sea of Blue and Gold - also a shout out to any fans who have sat through 3 hour rain delays, or cut out of work to watch (and report on!) training camp. Diehards all, they are the lifeblood of this league.

 

[Rod Black]

TB4 - kudos to you on the effort, thought, balance and commitment you displayed in this entire thread. An enormous task that is appreciated. Thank you. 

[Noeller]

10 minutes ago, Rod Black said:

TB4 - kudos to you on the effort, thought, balance and commitment you displayed in this entire thread. An enormous task that is appreciated. Thank you. 

Seconded...this provided some desperately needed content through a boring offseason. It was highly enjoyable...

[SpeedFlex27]

Thanks TB4. Ya done good!

I have some Happy Honker Awards to give out...

 

To #29 Paul Williams, wingback, corner & KO Return Extraordinaire. Played for the Bombers from 1971-73. Thank you for your TD Dance. If anyone remembers the "Winnipeg Wiggle".

To #35 Bob "Hoss" Houmard, fullback He played only one season for the Bombers in 1970. For being such a character guy. One of the toughest runners straight ahead runners I have ever seen. There wasn't a middle linebacker he didn't love to run over. He earned the nickname "Hoss", that's for sure.

To #24 Ed Ulmer, cornerback & punter.  Played for the Bombers from 1965 to 1971. For his booming 91 yard punt vs the BC Lions in September of 1969.  I was sitting in the Salisbury House End Zone seats behind the south end zone so he punted the ball right in front of me.  Well, he hit that football on its sweet spot & it took off like a rocket. Right over the heads of the frantically backpedalling Lions punt returners.

To #32 Mark Bragagnolo, fullback. Played one season for the Bombers in 1980 For his clutch game winning 90 plus yard TD run in the 4th quarter on a muddy field at Canad Inns Stadium vs the Calgary Stampeders in the Western Conference Semi Final.  Hit the whole then booked it to the end zone much to the chagrin of a stunned Stamps defense.

To #10 Bernie Ruoff, kicker. Played for the Bombers from 1975 to 1979. For successfully kicking a 58 yard field goal on his very first attempt as a professional kicker vs the Stamps at McMahon Stadium in 1975 & for wearing his glasses & wristwatch when he kicked.

Edited May 25, 2019 by SpeedFlex27

[Eternal optimist]

I'm nominating TrueBlue4ever for happy honker - there were many a bleary, cold January days this off-season I'd randomly logon and your content would be a breath of fresh air during arguably the worst time of the year to live in Winnipeg.

[TrueBlue4ever]

3 hours ago, Eternal optimist said:

I'm nominating TrueBlue4ever for happy honker - there were many a bleary, cold January days this off-season I'd randomly logon and your content would be a breath of fresh air during arguably the worst time of the year to live in Winnipeg.

http://replygif.net/1501

Edited May 27, 2019 by TrueBlue4ever