The underrated career of Charles Roberts

[Stickem]

Leo Lewis ....Roberts......Harris.........some of the best talent ever to wear BluenGold and we've had some good ones.....Don't know why Roberts ended up the way he did...He sure gave us a 100 percent on the field ....lot of thrills ....His private life...not so thrilling...Though not football, Derek Sanderson (NHL) reminded me a lot of Blink....All the talent in the world and ended up essentially 'bums'

[Rod Black]

I appreciate Chuck’s play for the Bombers. I’d buy him a beer anytime. 

[Noeller]

12 minutes ago, Stickem said:

Don't know why Roberts ended up the way he did...He sure gave us a 100 percent on the field ....

Did he though? 

[wbbfan]

17 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Did he though? 

With out question. That guy never shied away from running head long into DL, never stopped fighting for extra yards and constantly turned plays that shouldve been a loss into 5-6 yard gains. 

[bigg jay]

1 hour ago, Noeller said:

Did he though? 

Did he use 100% of his potential? Nope.

Did he give 100% effort? Yep.

I can't ever recall seeing a time where it was clear that he took a play off or was just kinda going through the motions.  

[Plaxico]

This organization letting anyone after him wear #1 has always made me ashamed to be a Bombers fan. 

[SpeedFlex27]

When I was single back in the 80's I used to frequent a bar called The Marble Club. It was THE PLACE at the time. I saw a lot of pro athletes in that place but I'll just talk about two.

The first was former Ranger goalie & now hockey executive John Davidson. At that time he was an NHL analyst. I went to the bar to order a drink & while doing so he came up alongside me to do the same. I immediately recognized the guy & said hello. Told him I admired his play as a player & his work on television. He just gave me this look like. "Who the **** are you??" He just grabbed his drink & walked off without saying a word & barely acknowledging me. Needless to say that was a **** move.

The second was Morris Lukowich. I was with my girlfriend at the time & we were sitting at our table. She told me she recognized some friends standing near the bar & said she was going to talk to them. I saId okay, I'll save her seat. She was gone for awhile & the place was packed. A guy leaned over & asked if he could sit down. I said sure but when my GF got back he'd have to move & he said fine. Turned out it was Morris Lukowich & we had a nice chat about the Jets.  When she came back he let her have her seat back & he walked away. 

Two pro athletes. Two different reactions. We're only human. My only comment about Davidson is if you don't want to talk to anyone (especially people being polite) don't go out to a crowded bar on a Friday night. 

[Noeller]

I argue that Roberts ever gave 100%... I think he was just that good at 75%. And he never gave close to 100 when it actually mattered and we really needed him.... 

[Stickem]

34 minutes ago, Noeller said:

I argue that Roberts ever gave 100%... I think he was just that good at 75%. And he never gave close to 100 when it actually mattered and we really needed him.... 

You're only miffed at Charlie cuz he made Glenn reach for that ball, Roberts let slip out of his grasp, and the T.O. player jumped on it and Glenn's arm.... and we know the rest ...Probably cost us the Cup BUT I've thought about that play for a very long time, and I'm willing to cut Blink a little slack...Glenn was also part of that muffed play ...bad result for both of them and the Bomber faithful ...We were so close and 'boom' ...it was gone...A lot of us were down on Charlie at the time....and I was one of them ... However time gives us a dif. look, I find

[Rich]

43 minutes ago, Noeller said:

I argue that Roberts ever gave 100%... I think he was just that good at 75%. And he never gave close to 100 when it actually mattered and we really needed him.... 

If you are saying he could have gave more by actually training and not smoking, then sure maybe you could peg that at 75%. 

Was it 75% on plays where he didn’t get to touch the ball.  Maybe. 
 

But when he got the ball in his hands, it was 110% every time.  There is no other way for him to do what he did. 

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

Second page without a Blink mix video? For shame:

Remedied

 

[Tracker]

Roberts was the beneficiary of raw talent, having all of his parts glued securely together and a low center of gravity, which made him difficult to bring down. He was very, very good, but he could have been a legend in the CFL. He impressed me as someone who never thought he would survive long enough to plan for the future or condition himself for it.

[Super Duper Negatron]

The way Charlie could kill the clock at the end of a game all by himself was worth the price of the ticket alone.

[wbbfan]

7 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Roberts was the beneficiary of raw talent, having all of his parts glued securely together and a low center of gravity, which made him difficult to bring down. He was very, very good, but he could have been a legend in the CFL. He impressed me as someone who never thought he would survive long enough to plan for the future or condition himself for it.

He is a CFL legend. He ran for over 10k yards in 8 seasons. Holy cow. He's one of the best rbs ever. Maybe the most dynamic offensive weapon in history. 

People need to go look at the all time rushing list and see who is above him and if you'd pick them over blink in his prime. 

He was 165lbs and played with some awful ols. If he had this offense to run in he'd smash every record in the book. 

[wbbfan]

1 hour ago, Noeller said:

I argue that Roberts ever gave 100%... I think he was just that good at 75%. And he never gave close to 100 when it actually mattered and we really needed him.... 

Pro sports doesn't work like that. The majority of his runs were ugly cut back scrap through arms and tackles. You're bitter and letting it blind you.  

[Booch]

Know Charlie quite well ..and know a lot about him off the field too.

On the field ..he gave it his all every play...for a tiny guy he played like a Harris or a Joffrey Reynolds...took on guys head on..fought for yards..could move a pile..rare rare talent and almost cut cause Taman didn't care for him..actually said his hands were too small to play football and would be a fumbling machine...so wrong in that assessment.

Did he give 100 percent honing his craft and making himself better...sadly nope ..not in the least...smoked...ate crap..never trained...didn't get proper rest..weed...just went with his raw ability cause he knew he could...if he put in even half the effort of a typical football player his numbers would have been insane!! 

It was all good until his marriage fell apart...and family left Winnipeg...he was a solid family man and his off field life was okay save for lack of training..

In the last year here..year and a half he became a loner..many a night I had to make sure he got home from a night by himself where I bounced..sat quietly..had his drinks and smokes and looked lost...bummed out...in a bad place...was tough to witness.

When he was traded it had to be done as some things spiralled bad...and save the organization some very bad press....which is too bad...and too bad people didn't realize what was really going on.

Fact of matter tho...one of the best most of us will ever see..pound for pound one of the toughest rb's who played in Canada..

[Arnold_Palmer]

3 hours ago, Booch said:

Know Charlie quite well ..and know a lot about him off the field too.

On the field ..he gave it his all every play...for a tiny guy he played like a Harris or a Joffrey Reynolds...took on guys head on..fought for yards..could move a pile..rare rare talent and almost cut cause Taman didn't care for him..actually said his hands were too small to play football and would be a fumbling machine...so wrong in that assessment.

Did he give 100 percent honing his craft and making himself better...sadly nope ..not in the least...smoked...ate crap..never trained...didn't get proper rest..weed...just went with his raw ability cause he knew he could...if he put in even half the effort of a typical football player his numbers would have been insane!! 

It was all good until his marriage fell apart...and family left Winnipeg...he was a solid family man and his off field life was okay save for lack of training..

In the last year here..year and a half he became a loner..many a night I had to make sure he got home from a night by himself where I bounced..sat quietly..had his drinks and smokes and looked lost...bummed out...in a bad place...was tough to witness.

When he was traded it had to be done as some things spiralled bad...and save the organization some very bad press....which is too bad...and too bad people didn't realize what was really going on.

Fact of matter tho...one of the best most of us will ever see..pound for pound one of the toughest rb's who played in Canada..

Do you know how he’s doing now? Seems like he was in a bad place in life and I hope things have gotten better, he was one of my heroes growing up, I was always practising that first cut, spinarama, and all the other moves he had, he was definitely one of my heroes as a kid. 

[Noeller]

1 minute ago, Arnold_Palmer said:

Do you know how he’s doing now? Seems like he was in a bad place in life and I hope things have gotten better, he was one of my heroes growing up, I was always practising that first cut, spinarama, and all the other moves he had, he was definitely one of my heroes as a kid. 

Listen to the Handled Internally podcast... He's..... Surviving. 

[Booch]

Yeah he doing ok..I believe now works in healthcare in patient admitting and now I think as a Patient Communications representative...I think with a school of medicine place thru UCLA

[Brandon]

Does Fred Reid still run a cupcake store?  That was an awesome post football career story. 

[SpeedFlex27]

Maybe the most troubled Blue Bomber was Mack Herron. Such a talented halfback who came from The Hood & Mean Streets of Chicago. Caught up in drugs & gang life. Even though pro football got him out of a dangerous situation, he never left the lifestyle. He had behaviour & discipline issues in college, here in Winnipeg & New England. When he left football in the mid 70's he went back to Chicago & right back into the same lifestyle he had before college. He was arrested 20 times after football & spent more time in jail than he did outside & died in his 60's in the Windy City. A real sad story. 

[Mike]

13 hours ago, Booch said:

Know Charlie quite well ..and know a lot about him off the field too.

On the field ..he gave it his all every play...for a tiny guy he played like a Harris or a Joffrey Reynolds...took on guys head on..fought for yards..could move a pile..rare rare talent and almost cut cause Taman didn't care for him..actually said his hands were too small to play football and would be a fumbling machine...so wrong in that assessment.

Did he give 100 percent honing his craft and making himself better...sadly nope ..not in the least...smoked...ate crap..never trained...didn't get proper rest..weed...just went with his raw ability cause he knew he could...if he put in even half the effort of a typical football player his numbers would have been insane!! 

It was all good until his marriage fell apart...and family left Winnipeg...he was a solid family man and his off field life was okay save for lack of training..

In the last year here..year and a half he became a loner..many a night I had to make sure he got home from a night by himself where I bounced..sat quietly..had his drinks and smokes and looked lost...bummed out...in a bad place...was tough to witness.

When he was traded it had to be done as some things spiralled bad...and save the organization some very bad press....which is too bad...and too bad people didn't realize what was really going on.

Fact of matter tho...one of the best most of us will ever see..pound for pound one of the toughest rb's who played in Canada..

I’m pretty sure you were the one who made sure he got back to my friend’s place more than a couple times. You’re right. Tough stuff to witness.

[Booch]

6 minutes ago, Mike said:

I’m pretty sure you were the one who made sure he got back to my friend’s place more than a couple times. You’re right. Tough stuff to witness.

yeah....probably....was tough to see....

[wbbfan]

10 hours ago, Brandon said:

Does Fred Reid still run a cupcake store?  That was an awesome post football career story. 

Dont know if he does or not. But he is the RBs coach in toronto which is awesome. Thats a great guy for young RBs to learn from. 

11 hours ago, Noeller said:

Listen to the Handled Internally podcast... He's..... Surviving. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-7-charles-roberts/id1533831658?i=1000501412601

 

[Stickem]

After watching that film bit....I really think he might have been the best back we ever had....No taking anything away from our present guy Andrew...but pound for pound he has to be ranked close to the best this league has ever seen.....How soon we forget ....but watching Charlie cut it up field and making the opposition look silly, just brought back all of those thrilling moments he gave us