Rookie Camp Day 3 (Reports and Discussion)

[Tracker]

Hajrullahu and Maher both hitting some beauty 60-65 yard punts. Hajrullahu hitting 35 yard FGs with ease. Missed several wide from 42 yards out. Maher looking much more comfortable with FGs beyond 40.

Walters and McManus on the field today observing. McManus now involved in helping a bit coach the receivers.

Lots of construction going on the West side of the stadium. Looks like they're building some small balconies right under the ribbon below the upper bowl.

Quinn Everett lining up at RG during early drills.

Bob Wylie nowhere to be seen. Appears someone else is working with the OL today.

Willy I thought looked better today. Nice strong accurate arm. Takes longer than Hall to get rid of the ball though. Hall sees what he likes and makes his throw. Willy likes progressing through his reads and takes an extra second to get rid of the ball, compared to Hall. Willy threw a nice short pass on the run.

Jason Vega showed up and is chatting with fans in the stands.

I hope Willy shakes this habit of hanging onto the ball too long, if that's what it is. He is going to be behind an O-line which will take time to gel and this sort of thing nearly got Hall dismembered last season.

[Mr Dee]

Day 3 rookie camp, from the Mike O"Shea video:

 

Sum up the rookie camp..how was it?   -  Those last 12 plays were excellent. The effort is that last team period was what we need, guys were flying around….when they see it on film, they'll know what's expected, what they should expect of themselves.

 

Ed Tait says: O’Shea said he doesn’t need to try and temper his enthusiasm for the rookies’ collective work, knowing they’ll soon be going head-to-head against the veterans. Instead, he wants to embrace what he’s seen. -Wpg. Free Press

 

Quote - Mike OShea :"I don’t know that you should temper (his enthusiasm)," he said. "We talked about this after Day 1: everybody qualified things by saying, ‘Oh, it’s only Day 1.’ Sure. But as long as you don’t get blinded to the other facts that will arise as time goes on and the other practices take place, I think it’s quite OK to talk about a player who did well on the first day.

"I think it’s good to be excited."

Mike OS'hea is excited about our DBs. (explains this in video)

He says he'll talk to Kyle W. about potential cuts for Sunday.

"Canadian receivers will be held to a higher standard."

When talking about Canadian talent, Mike says they will not put anybody on the field based on anything other than 'do they make our team better' 

Mike feels that because they only have cut a couple of guys, that they have done a good job of bringing in the guys they wanted and that these players have come in and represented themselves well.

Excited for Sat. and the energy that players will be bringing in.

http://www.bluebombers.com/video/index/id/96503#

 

And to think - the difference in style and manner between Mike O'Shea and last year's coach……is extraordinary and we well deserve it.

[gbill2004]

I ran into Wade Miller today at the Bomber Fan Fest at IGF so I asked him about the construction on the west side. He said that the little balconies they are adding just below the banner/lower bowl are for TSN cameras. Makes sense, especially with the upcoming Grey Cup.

[Goalie]

quite a bit of people out there today it seems, estimated to be close to 10,000. That's pretty huge.

[Jpan85]

Day 3 rookie camp, from the Mike O"Shea video:

 

Sum up the rookie camp..how was it?   -  Those last 12 plays were excellent. The effort is that last team period was what we need, guys were flying around….when they see it on film, they'll know what's expected, what they should expect of themselves.

 

Ed Tait says: O’Shea said he doesn’t need to try and temper his enthusiasm for the rookies’ collective work, knowing they’ll soon be going head-to-head against the veterans. Instead, he wants to embrace what he’s seen. -Wpg. Free Press

 

Quote - Mike OShea :"I don’t know that you should temper (his enthusiasm)," he said. "We talked about this after Day 1: everybody qualified things by saying, ‘Oh, it’s only Day 1.’ Sure. But as long as you don’t get blinded to the other facts that will arise as time goes on and the other practices take place, I think it’s quite OK to talk about a player who did well on the first day.

"I think it’s good to be excited."

Mike OS'hea is excited about our DBs. (explains this in video)

He says he'll talk to Kyle W. about potential cuts for Sunday.

"Canadian receivers will be held to a higher standard."

When talking about Canadian talent, Mike says they will not put anybody on the field based on anything other than 'do they make our team better' 

Mike feels that because they only have cut a couple of guys, that they have done a good job of bringing in the guys they wanted and that these players have come in and represented themselves well.

Excited for Sat. and the energy that players will be bringing in.

http://www.bluebombers.com/video/index/id/96503#

 

And to think - the difference in style and manner between Mike O'Shea and last year's coach……is extraordinary and we well deserve it.

Every time you see or hear him talk it sounds like he is having a ton of fun

[Brandon]

Day 3 rookie camp, from the Mike O"Shea video:

Sum up the rookie camp..how was it? - Those last 12 plays were excellent. The effort is that last team period was what we need, guys were flying around….when they see it on film, they'll know what's expected, what they should expect of themselves.

Ed Tait says: O’Shea said he doesn’t need to try and temper his enthusiasm for the rookies’ collective work, knowing they’ll soon be going head-to-head against the veterans. Instead, he wants to embrace what he’s seen. -Wpg. Free Press

Quote - Mike OShea :"I don’t know that you should temper (his enthusiasm)," he said. "We talked about this after Day 1: everybody qualified things by saying, ‘Oh, it’s only Day 1.’ Sure. But as long as you don’t get blinded to the other facts that will arise as time goes on and the other practices take place, I think it’s quite OK to talk about a player who did well on the first day.

"I think it’s good to be excited."

Mike OS'hea is excited about our DBs. (explains this in video)

He says he'll talk to Kyle W. about potential cuts for Sunday.

"Canadian receivers will be held to a higher standard."

When talking about Canadian talent, Mike says they will not put anybody on the field based on anything other than 'do they make our team better'

Mike feels that because they only have cut a couple of guys, that they have done a good job of bringing in the guys they wanted and that these players have come in and represented themselves well.

Excited for Sat. and the energy that players will be bringing in.

http://www.bluebombers.com/video/index/id/96503#

And to think - the difference in style and manner between Mike O'Shea and last year's coach……is extraordinary and we well deserve it.

Every time you see or hear him talk it sounds like he is having a ton of fun

I'm curious to see how he handles the local morons (Friesen) when or if the team struggles early on.

[Guest]

While I was a bit concerned about O'shea due to him not having much coaching experience with exception to special teams, I love hearing him speak. He's clearly a players coach and each time I watch the post camp updates, he gets me even more excited for the season.

[iso_55]

Thought you guys would be interested to see how the Stamps treat their rookie camp .I guess when you are perennial winners & a veteran team you can afford to do this as only a handfulof rookies will actually make the team. If the Bombers did this I'd be concerned as rookie camp is important & the guys need their reps before main camp starts. Today, the Stamps shut down their rookie camp & all of the players & the Stamps coaches went to Drumheller, AB (where the dinosaurs used to roam) giving a football skills camp to kids in the area. There were over 120 eager players who took part. Great way for the team to get out into the community & give back to minor football in Southern AB. But like I said, if this was the Bombers I'd be concerned that the timing was bad for the team. We'd have to win a lot before I'd feel comfortable as a fan doing something like that. 

 

http://www.stampeders.com/article/rookies-spend-day-in-drumheller

[Guest]

Thought you guys would be interested to see how the Stamps treat their rookie camp .I guess when you are perennial winners & a veteran team you can afford to do this as only a handfulof rookies will actually make the team. If the Bombers did this I'd be concerned as rookie camp is important & the guys need their reps before main camp starts. Today, the Stamps shut down their rookie camp & all of the players & the Stamps coaches went to Drumheller, AB (where the dinosaurs used to roam) giving a football skills camp to kids in the area. There were over 120 eager players who took part. Great way for the team to get out into the community & give back to minor football in Southern AB. But like I said, if this was the Bombers I'd be concerned that the timing was bad for the team. We'd have to win a lot before I'd feel comfortable as a fan doing something like that. 

 

http://www.stampeders.com/article/rookies-spend-day-in-drumheller

When you're winning you can do stuff like this easy peasy, normally I'm always happy and proud that my team is involved with the community, but if they're craptastic they should be on the field.

[Jacquie]

Thought you guys would be interested to see how the Stamps treat their rookie camp .I guess when you are perennial winners & a veteran team you can afford to do this as only a handfulof rookies will actually make the team. If the Bombers did this I'd be concerned as rookie camp is important & the guys need their reps before main camp starts. Today, the Stamps shut down their rookie camp & all of the players & the Stamps coaches went to Drumheller, AB (where the dinosaurs used to roam) giving a football skills camp to kids in the area. There were over 120 eager players who took part. Great way for the team to get out into the community & give back to minor football in Southern AB. But like I said, if this was the Bombers I'd be concerned that the timing was bad for the team. We'd have to win a lot before I'd feel comfortable as a fan doing something like that. 

 

http://www.stampeders.com/article/rookies-spend-day-in-drumheller

 

It's great that they went out to Drumheller but rookie camps ended on Friday so they didn't end it early.

[iso_55]

Okay, interesting Jacquie. Thought the Stamps would be back at it again on Sunday with the rookies. Gotta wonder why CFL teams like the Bombers don't do serious position skills camps for high school & younger players in the off season in later April thru mid May. Or rent the new fieldhouse & do a camp or a series of camps in the late winter & early spring. A lot of veterans are in town all year & I'm sure they'd give their time if asked.

[Jacquie]

All teams' rookies camps are three days. Saturday was the days the veterans arrived for physicals.

 

What makes you think the Bombers don't. In May, they just held a free National Coaches Certification Program clinic (Bombers paid the fees for all coaches) at IGF. The Bombers are very involved with Football Manitoba.  Also in May, Wade Miller and Kyle Walters were coaches for this year's Seniors Bowl (high school) and they were running practices. There are players (current and former) who do football clinics in the off-season (as a business as well as for free). Thing is the media doesn't report on stuff like that or if they do it's just a small blurb.

[iso_55]

What makes you think they don't. They just held a free National Coaches Certification Program clinic (Bombers paid the fees for all coaches) at IGF. The Bombers are very involved with Football Manitoba. There are players (current and former) who do football clinics in the off-season (as a business as well as for free). Thing is the media doesn't report on stuff like that or if they do it's just a small blurb.

So, maybe I'm misunderstanding your first sentence as I sure hope you aren't criticizing me for my comment like I somehow think that Bomber players don't do enough when I don't. Don't read anything into my comments other than I'd like to see more players run camps in the off season. That's all I was saying. Besides, how am I supposed to know allllll the way from Calgary about camps if they're not reported in the media?

I knew the Bombers were helping out with the Senior Bowl. However, I was talking about any general skills camp for any player regardless if they're all stars or first year kids. At the same time it sounds that you really don't know if they do run camps like that for sure. I'm also not talking coaching certification as any coach can get certified thru Football Manitoba anyway as there are more than one Level1 & 2 clinics offered over the winter & spring in Winnipeg & probably Brandon. There are plenty of qualified instructors to teach those courses other than Blue Bomber coaches.

What I'd like to know (since you brought it up)... are there any quarterback camps run by the Bomber players or coaches? Any receiver camps run by the Bomber players or coaches? Any Big man camps run by the Bomber players or coaches? You say some Bomber players run "clinics" & get paid. Are  you talking lecturing just coaches on football or actual skills camps? Who runs them & what kind of camps are there?

Dave Dickenson runs the Dave Dickenson Passing Academy here in Calgary for 6 weeks in February & March. My son attended the first two years he ran it when he was in grades 11 & 12. He works with young kids in bantam in one camp & then in another for the older high school players. His practices are back to back twice a week. Two hours a practice for 6 weeks with each group which is a huge time commitment for him & his coaches. Dave's camp is reported in the Calgary media every year &  it keeps getting bigger & bigger now in its 6th year, I believe. It sells out very quickly.

Dave & his staff work with qbs, receivers & running backs. Guys like Jon Cornish, Stamps receiver coach Pete Costanza, Rob Cote, Bo Levi Mitchell, Drew Tate & Ryan Thelwell as well as local high school, junior & CIS coaches help out at his camp. Dave also helps out in the selection of Alberta's U18 team for the Canada Cup in July. 

As far as I know he is the only Stamps player or coach who organizes anything serious in the Calgary community with kids trying to  help them improve as players. Other than the Stamps rookies do a 1 day fun camp in different communities like the one they held in Drumheller yesterday.

Again, I'm not being critical  about the Bombers in any way. I just would like to see more players give back to the game that rewarded them so well. I wish more  players were like Dickenson working with young players. Not just for 1 day or a weekend but over a period of time. Six weeks twice a week at 2 hours a session is 24 hours of quality coaching by a professional coach. I know guys have commitments, jobs, etc. I get that. It's just nice to see a guy like Dave do that when he doesn't have to.

[Brandon]

Didn't Joey Elliott do the same thing?

[Mike]

So does Carl Volny (and Poblah/Muamba while they were here)

 

Vega did one too prior to leaving and I can easily see him, Turner and Anderson starting one up again.

[Goalie]

whats more impressive, the stamps going out to the dinosaur park or a few bomber players going all the way up to thompson.

[Mr. Perfect]

 

 

Day 3 rookie camp, from the Mike O"Shea video:

Sum up the rookie camp..how was it? - Those last 12 plays were excellent. The effort is that last team period was what we need, guys were flying around….when they see it on film, they'll know what's expected, what they should expect of themselves.

Ed Tait says: O’Shea said he doesn’t need to try and temper his enthusiasm for the rookies’ collective work, knowing they’ll soon be going head-to-head against the veterans. Instead, he wants to embrace what he’s seen. -Wpg. Free Press

Quote - Mike OShea :"I don’t know that you should temper (his enthusiasm)," he said. "We talked about this after Day 1: everybody qualified things by saying, ‘Oh, it’s only Day 1.’ Sure. But as long as you don’t get blinded to the other facts that will arise as time goes on and the other practices take place, I think it’s quite OK to talk about a player who did well on the first day.

"I think it’s good to be excited."

Mike OS'hea is excited about our DBs. (explains this in video)

He says he'll talk to Kyle W. about potential cuts for Sunday.

"Canadian receivers will be held to a higher standard."

When talking about Canadian talent, Mike says they will not put anybody on the field based on anything other than 'do they make our team better'

Mike feels that because they only have cut a couple of guys, that they have done a good job of bringing in the guys they wanted and that these players have come in and represented themselves well.

Excited for Sat. and the energy that players will be bringing in.

http://www.bluebombers.com/video/index/id/96503#

And to think - the difference in style and manner between Mike O'Shea and last year's coach……is extraordinary and we well deserve it.

Every time you see or hear him talk it sounds like he is having a ton of fun

I'm curious to see how he handles the local morons (Friesen) when or if the team struggles early on.

 

Oh he's already preparing to tell Mike O'Shea how to do his job....

 

Paul Friesen ‏@friesensunmedia  7m

Went to #Bombers camp today, and had a Mike Kelly flashback. Column on Coach O'Shea's rookie mistake, up later at http://winnipegsun.com 

[SPuDS]

Oh friesen, the ****** bag level.... She a rises

[Atomic]

O'Shea isn't letting the media talk to his coordinators... among other things he said the reason was to "control the message."  As soon as I heard that, I knew Friesen would be all over it.  That's definitely what he is referring to.

[rebusrankin]

Could Friessen even pass a basic test about football?

[JuranBoldenRules]

Could Friessen even pass a basic test about football?

 

Could he pass a basic test about journalism?

 

Transparent attempt to create controversy, and really no need for it.  O'Shea is a pretty laid back guy in temperment, and Friesen is really going to try to publicly antagonize the guy on his second day of training camp?  Can't the guy complain behind the scenes if he really disagrees with the media policy?

 

If you want to start a controversy, talk about the number of hamstring pulls in 2 days.  Too much, too soon?

[SPuDS]

Could Friessen even pass a basic test about football?

Could he pass a basic test about journalism?

Transparent attempt to create controversy, and really no need for it. O'Shea is a pretty laid back guy in temperment, and Friesen is really going to try to publicly antagonize the guy on his second day of training camp? Can't the guy complain behind the scenes if he really disagrees with the media policy?

How'd that sell papers or online subscriptions tho

I realllllllllly dislike friesen more so then any other "journalist" this city has produced. I only wish we could clone tait.

[Goalie]

Bauming is good .Tait is Fantastic. Penton is ok too.

 

Friesen is just terrible. Really really really piss poor excuse for a "journalist" but really, he's not a journalist, he's an opinion writer and unfortunately, i'm honestly not sure how many of them there are, hence why the sun is free in most areas there are some real people out there somewhere (i've never met one though to be honest) who do think friesen isn't awful.

 

It's sad they exist... i'm sure if you talk to any of them about football, you would quickly find out they know jack squat. lol

[B-F-F-C]

O'Shea isn't the only coach that doesn't allow his assistants talk to the media.  I know Huff doesn't in Calgary.  

 

His explanation made a lot of sense and quite frankly why shouldn't he be the single source of information.  I have absolutely no issue with it.      

[Mr Dee]

Could Friessen even pass a basic test about football?

 

Yes, he knows a lot about yards, especially…..something about keeping so many yards away from someone…or something like that.