It's time for the Riders to start sucking ...

[Noeller]

Other than Ritchie.........who he was forced to fire by Lyle Bauer............?

[WBBFanWest]

Other than Ritchie.........who he was forced to fire by Lyle Bauer............?

And there we have the "It's not Brendan's fault.  He was forced to do it".  If you sit in the big chair, then whatever happens falls on you.  

 

Just doing a quick check shows that while GM of the Bombers (2004-2008), there were head coaching changes in 2005 and 2008.  Since becoming GM of the Riders (2010), there have been three (probably four) head coaching changes, with the first two coming in 2011 and then again in 2012 and likely one coming in 2015.

[Mr Dee]

I'm with Noeller on this one. With the eyes of Lyle Bauer (never mind that evil goatee) upon him, Taman didn't have too many choices. When Taman took "a break from football", I'm pretty sure he meant - take a break from Bauer. (Kelly was coming)

[Ripper]

 

Other than Ritchie.........who he was forced to fire by Lyle Bauer............?

And there we have the "It's not Brendan's fault.  He was forced to do it".  If you sit in the big chair, then whatever happens falls on you.  

 

Just doing a quick check shows that while GM of the Bombers (2004-2008), there were head coaching changes in 2005 and 2008.  Since becoming GM of the Riders (2010), there have been three (probably four) head coaching changes, with the first two coming in 2011 and then again in 2012 and likely one coming in 2015.

 

Taman has made one coaching change here. In 2011 Marshall was Miller's hire as coach. Marshall fired as we go 1-7 out the blocks, Poppa Miller came downstairs as interim coach only for remainder of season. CC hired then to present and there is certainly somewhat of a possibility at this point Taman might be going the same day as Chamblin if things continue down the current trajectory. Taman's legacy here as well with the Bombers will be as a honest man and one who was too timid to take charge and run with it, more of a facilitator to others wants and needs. A nicer man you will never meet

[WBBFanWest]

I'm sure that Taman's a nice man, but I have never had sympathy for people who will take on a leadership role and then let someone else dictate to them.  If you want to be the GM then be the GM.  If the president tells you to do something and you disagree, you tell him to take a hike.  Sure you might get fired but what sort of leader are you if you are simply warming a chair and letting some one else call the shots that should be your responsibility?  The answer is: Brendan Taman

[Noeller]

Taman never made one coaching change in Winnipeg that he wanted to. It's been stated over and over that Dave Ritchie was fired, it was because Bauer wanted him gone. Ritchie was Taman's mentor and best friend in football. Then, when Bauer finally had his chance to get Mike Kelly in, he dropped the foot on both Taman AND Berry.....anything to the contrary is ridiculous.

[Noeller]

I'm sure that Taman's a nice man, but I have never had sympathy for people who will take on a leadership role and then let someone else dictate to them.  If you want to be the GM then be the GM.  If the president tells you to do something and you disagree, you tell him to take a hike.  Sure you might get fired but what sort of leader are you if you are simply warming a chair and letting some one else call the shots that should be your responsibility?  The answer is: Brendan Taman

LOL!! This is just fantastic....

[WBBFanWest]

 

I'm sure that Taman's a nice man, but I have never had sympathy for people who will take on a leadership role and then let someone else dictate to them.  If you want to be the GM then be the GM.  If the president tells you to do something and you disagree, you tell him to take a hike.  Sure you might get fired but what sort of leader are you if you are simply warming a chair and letting some one else call the shots that should be your responsibility?  The answer is: Brendan Taman

LOL!! This is just fantastic....

 

Hey, it's ok, some people want to watch marionettes dance around, others don't.  Personally, I'd love to have a job where I could sit in a chair collect a salary and have someone above me make all my decisions for me.  Oh wait, I forgot, I actually have a spine and a brain and I know how to do my job, so maybe not.

[gbill2004]

Rod only reports what the Riders tell him to report.

Rod is on the Riders payroll.

Might as well be.

I'm pretty sure gbill was serious - I think he's asked Rod that directly before.

Yes, I'm 100% serious.

[TrueBlue4ever]

 

 

I'm sure that Taman's a nice man, but I have never had sympathy for people who will take on a leadership role and then let someone else dictate to them.  If you want to be the GM then be the GM.  If the president tells you to do something and you disagree, you tell him to take a hike.  Sure you might get fired but what sort of leader are you if you are simply warming a chair and letting some one else call the shots that should be your responsibility?  The answer is: Brendan Taman

LOL!! This is just fantastic....

 

Hey, it's ok, some people want to watch marionettes dance around, others don't.  Personally, I'd love to have a job where I could sit in a chair collect a salary and have someone above me make all my decisions for me.  Oh wait, I forgot, I actually have a spine and a brain and I know how to do my job, so maybe not.

 

 

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighttttttt. Suuure you would.

 

[Jacquie]

Hilarious:

 

 If anything this incident - and the scandalous atmosphere around it - is serving to galvanize this football organization.  The attempts by Winnipeg reporters to pick this franchise apart may backfire.  The Monday report by TSN's Gary Lawless that Jeremy O'Day could soon replace Brendan Taman wasn't much better.

 

Yes it's all a conspiracy, started by those evil Winnipeg reporters.  It's only going to "galvanize" them.  Right.  And when they go 0-5, 0-6, and then 0-7 they will be so galvanized they will be statues.

 

Pretty funny considering how much of a bromance Lawless and others here have with Taman.

[WBBFanWest]

 

 

 

I'm sure that Taman's a nice man, but I have never had sympathy for people who will take on a leadership role and then let someone else dictate to them.  If you want to be the GM then be the GM.  If the president tells you to do something and you disagree, you tell him to take a hike.  Sure you might get fired but what sort of leader are you if you are simply warming a chair and letting some one else call the shots that should be your responsibility?  The answer is: Brendan Taman

LOL!! This is just fantastic....

 

Hey, it's ok, some people want to watch marionettes dance around, others don't.  Personally, I'd love to have a job where I could sit in a chair collect a salary and have someone above me make all my decisions for me.  Oh wait, I forgot, I actually have a spine and a brain and I know how to do my job, so maybe not.

 

 

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighttttttt. Suuure you would.

 

 

Sooo, you're calling me a liar?  Not that it matters a bunch, but on what exactly???

[TrueBlue4ever]

No way you would ever tell your boss to take a hike if he asked you to do something and you disagreed, knowing it would cost you your job. 

[WBBFanWest]

Well, you don't know me so your opinion is nothing more than your own mindset, but understand that there are people who will not do a job if they are not given the tools (authority, resources) to do it.

[TrueBlue4ever]

Well, you don't know me so your opinion is nothing more than your own mindset, but understand that there are people who will not do a job if they are not given the tools (authority, resources) to do it.

No, I don't know you, so let me ask - do you have a boss, or are you truly self-employed?

 

If you've ever worked for a boss, you do what they ask you to do. Ever work late, through lunch, cover for someone else who is sick, get handed a project with a deadline you know can't be met without cutting corners somewhere? And you'd say no every time to any of that? Enjoy the unemployment line. 

[LeBird]

Man, do I hope they play Suber. If he plays like he did here Hamilton will get lots of free first downs.  And, Glenn is due for a genuine Glenn game. At 0-5 there would not be enough manure in the province to fertilize CC's lawn with a pinch on Taman's.

[WBBFanWest]

 

Well, you don't know me so your opinion is nothing more than your own mindset, but understand that there are people who will not do a job if they are not given the tools (authority, resources) to do it.

No, I don't know you, so let me ask - do you have a boss, or are you truly self-employed?

 

If you've ever worked for a boss, you do what they ask you to do. Ever work late, through lunch, cover for someone else who is sick, get handed a project with a deadline you know can't be met without cutting corners somewhere? And you'd say no every time to any of that? Enjoy the unemployment line. 

 

No I'm not self-employed and I think that you seem to have missed what I was talking about.  I'm not talking about the day to day stuff that every employee, management or otherwise, has to put up with.  I'm talking about the core stuff that one does.  If I'm hired to do a job and then I have a boss who wants to spend his time telling me how to do it, he and I would (and this has happened) have a conversation about why I was hired and what my expectations are for my job.  If we can't come to a satisfactory understanding, then yes, it's time to move on.  Fortunately, I've found that in most cases, if you show your superiors that yes, you do know your stuff and if you make sure that you keep them "in the loop" they tend to step back and let you do your thing.  If not, then why in the world would someone stay where they really aren't respected or appreciated.

[TrueBlue4ever]

Well, you don't know me so your opinion is nothing more than your own mindset, but understand that there are people who will not do a job if they are not given the tools (authority, resources) to do it.

No, I don't know you, so let me ask - do you have a boss, or are you truly self-employed?

 

If you've ever worked for a boss, you do what they ask you to do. Ever work late, through lunch, cover for someone else who is sick, get handed a project with a deadline you know can't be met without cutting corners somewhere? And you'd say no every time to any of that? Enjoy the unemployment line.

No I'm not self-employed and I think that you seem to have missed what I was talking about.  I'm not talking about the day to day stuff that every employee, management or otherwise, has to put up with.  I'm talking about the core stuff that one does.  If I'm hired to do a job and then I have a boss who wants to spend his time telling me how to do it, he and I would (and this has happened) have a conversation about why I was hired and what my expectations are for my job.  If we can't come to a satisfactory understanding, then yes, it's time to move on.  Fortunately, I've found that in most cases, if you show your superiors that yes, you do know your stuff and if you make sure that you keep them "in the loop" they tend to step back and let you do your thing.  If not, then why in the world would someone stay where they really aren't respected or appreciated.

I hear you and understand that viewpoint, so let's take it back to Taman's scenario. You get hired to manage a company. You have a boss (let's call him a CEO or "president") who is in control of the money, answers to shareholders, and wants a successful, profitable enterprise. You are in to be put in charge of the day-to-day stuff. You are given a budget to work with that is smaller and more restrictive than you would like, but the president says I can find another manager if you don't like the set-up, there are plenty of people looking to be managers and only 7 other companies like this one. You have grown up your whole adult life around this business and worked your way up to become a manager - do you turn this chance down on the principle that you have to make certain concessions to this president?

You are in charge of hiring the new workers and assembling a "team" that can make your company successful and profitable. However, there are foremen (let's call them "coaches") who were already hired before you came in, and were hand-picked by the "president". You as the manager make sure the operation runs smoothly, the foreman oversees the workers directly. Your concession is that you have to accept the existing foremen and can't overhaul the whole staff yourself right away, but you are in charge of them. Not a problem because you actually work well with the foremen, and they have done a good job so far.

Now fast forward a few years and the company has taken a hit, and the shareholders are angry. The president tells you he is pleased with your work, but hears about problems between the foremen and the workers, and recognizes that a culture change needs to happen. Calls you in and says that the foremen need to go because if nothing happens the shareholders pull out and the company collapses. You think the foremen can salvage the job, plus you have always had a good working relationship with them, but you know that the problems exist and status quo will not be acceptable to your higher ups. The president tells you point blank to fire the foremen and hire a new staff of your own choosing, and if you don't like it, we'll fire you instead, and then find a new manager who will fire the foremen. Remember that this isn't some McJob, this is your career and this ouster will follow you for the rest of your life in any future job interview. Do you really say "take a hike" on principle, knowing that every future job you apply for, the first thing your new prospective bosses will note is your defiance of authority? Or do you fire the guy who wasn't your pick anyway in the first place, bite your lip, and get on with your job? (Remember that Taman didn't run around yelling overtly about how his hands were tied, he used diplomacy and code-speak when everyone in the media knew anyway it was Bauer who pulled the trigger).

Finally, Taman in the end did exactly what you suggest he should do if unsatisfied, which is walk away. When Kelly came in, Taman knew he could no longer accept his changed and diminished role, and opted out. He was willing to accept the job that was originally offered to him, but when the rules changed around him again and again, he adapted until he no longer could tolerate it, and then he stepped away. Hardly the back-stabbing, save my own hide to secure my survival coward that has been suggested by some.

But I respect your point of view and was happy to engage in a thoughtful debate about it. I just think that it isn't so black and white in the real world that you can talk in absolutes like "if I disagree with my boss I tell them to take a hike, and if I lose my job, so be it - unlike Brendan Taman who would rather be a lap dog".

Sorry if the "liar" tag came across as harsh, was trying for humour. (I thought Airplane! was always your go-to if you wanted to lighten the mood).

[do or die]

Yes, but Taman, throughout his career..... has always seemed to have some form of big daddy around......who was supposedly the real culprit to blame.   10 years in, you can only play the victim card, so many times......

[WBBFanWest]

...

But I respect your point of view and was happy to engage in a thoughtful debate about it. I just think that it isn't so black and white in the real world that you can talk in absolutes like "if I disagree with my boss I tell them to take a hike, and if I lose my job, so be it - unlike Brendan Taman who would rather be a lap dog".

Sorry if the "liar" tag came across as harsh, was trying for humour. (I thought Airplane! was always your go-to if you wanted to lighten the mood).

 

No harm, no foul mate.  And yes, I get that my world view isn't universal (and let's all give thanks for that!).  If I was Taman, my big fear would be to someday look back on my life and regret that I often took the path of least resistance.  What might I have done and accomplished otherwise?  

 

Maybe Brendan's comfortable with that, and that's fine... for him.  I want the GM of my team to be a guy who does what he does for the Bombers because he believes it's the right thing to do and wears the result without excuses.   As I said, I have no doubt that on a personal level, Taman is a real nice guy and I'm happy that he's being a real nice guy, in Saskatchewan, and I hope that he's there for a long, long time to come.  

[Goalie]

Has Taman ever been GM of a team that actually had an owner? I mean in Winnipeg, no real owner, kind of a board to answer too, in sask, same thing. Taman ever actually been a GM anywhere that just had 1 guy in charge really instead of a bunch of them? I mean, not sticking up for Taman here but... that can't be easy to deal with. 

[Rich]

 

...

But I respect your point of view and was happy to engage in a thoughtful debate about it. I just think that it isn't so black and white in the real world that you can talk in absolutes like "if I disagree with my boss I tell them to take a hike, and if I lose my job, so be it - unlike Brendan Taman who would rather be a lap dog".

Sorry if the "liar" tag came across as harsh, was trying for humour. (I thought Airplane! was always your go-to if you wanted to lighten the mood).

 

No harm, no foul mate.  And yes, I get that my world view isn't universal (and let's all give thanks for that!).  If I was Taman, my big fear would be to someday look back on my life and regret that I often took the path of least resistance.  What might I have done and accomplished otherwise?  

 

Maybe Brendan's comfortable with that, and that's fine... for him.  I want the GM of my team to be a guy who does what he does for the Bombers because he believes it's the right thing to do and wears the result without excuses.   As I said, I have no doubt that on a personal level, Taman is a real nice guy and I'm happy that he's being a real nice guy, in Saskatchewan, and I hope that he's there for a long, long time to come.  

 

 

I think you are making a lot of assumptions on Taman's motives and decision making based solely on what is reported in the media (unless you have some kind of inside knowledge).

 

When you are in a job like GM that has so much media exposure, what you say and do externally doesn't always match with what you say and do internally ... and for good reason.

[WBBFanWest]

 

 

...

But I respect your point of view and was happy to engage in a thoughtful debate about it. I just think that it isn't so black and white in the real world that you can talk in absolutes like "if I disagree with my boss I tell them to take a hike, and if I lose my job, so be it - unlike Brendan Taman who would rather be a lap dog".

Sorry if the "liar" tag came across as harsh, was trying for humour. (I thought Airplane! was always your go-to if you wanted to lighten the mood).

 

No harm, no foul mate.  And yes, I get that my world view isn't universal (and let's all give thanks for that!).  If I was Taman, my big fear would be to someday look back on my life and regret that I often took the path of least resistance.  What might I have done and accomplished otherwise?  

 

Maybe Brendan's comfortable with that, and that's fine... for him.  I want the GM of my team to be a guy who does what he does for the Bombers because he believes it's the right thing to do and wears the result without excuses.   As I said, I have no doubt that on a personal level, Taman is a real nice guy and I'm happy that he's being a real nice guy, in Saskatchewan, and I hope that he's there for a long, long time to come.  

 

 

I think you are making a lot of assumptions on Taman's motives and decision making based solely on what is reported in the media (unless you have some kind of inside knowledge).

 

When you are in a job like GM that has so much media exposure, what you say and do externally doesn't always match with what you say and do internally ... and for good reason.

 

You might be right, but at the same time, he has certainly never said anything to my knowledge to refute those rumours.  And then of course there's the point of how would rumours like that get started in the first place and who might want to see them spread.

[TrueBlue4ever]

I want the GM of my team to be a guy who does what he does for the Bombers because he believes it's the right thing to do and wears the result without excuses.

Fair enough, and that's great if it works. Always nice to be the genius who thinks outside the box and challenges the status quo - if the results are there. Sadly, the past recent history of the Bombers is that when they get guys in player personnel who march to the beat of their own drummer (Reinbold, Mack) and don't care what anyone else thinks about what is the right way to do things, their contrarian way of doing things has proven disasterous for the franchise.

[Jacquie]

Taman has always been a media darling so it wouldn't surprise me if most of what is said in the media comes directly from him. When the process of hiring a new GM happened in 2010 there was so much lobbying for Taman by the media and constant updates on what was going on in the process with respect to Taman it was sickening. Then came the reports on Taman turning down the position because he wanted autonomy and didn't want to have to report to the BoD (which was funny in a way since he didn't have autonomy when he became GM in SK because of Miller). Bauer here and Hopson in SK both had their noses in things when they were Presidents of their respective teams. I don't know what the new President of the Riders is like but this could be the first season where Taman is truly operating without a net.