Montreal Fires Higgins, Popp to be Interim HC

[Brandon]

Fourth string starting and playing way above expectations... I hope this move bites them in their ass.

Maybe if Schoenart hates Cato they will trade him to us for Brohm lol.

[M.O.A.B.]

If this could mean that the Als will lose more games, it is a good news us since that could mean no crossover. All we need to do is stay ahead of BC and Sask.

[Ducky]

and hope springs eternal...

[Bigblue204]

The Bombers being 3 and 5 is not the end of the season, but losing games in the same old ways as last year is. Our O-line is suspect (to be charitable), our linebacking is lacking, we have the worst defence in the league, and an anemic offence which is predictable and unimaginative. Fans can put up with an awful lost of misery if there is reason to hope things are improving, and we are still waiting to see that. O'Shea is a good guy, but so was Reinbold and he was a disaster as a head coach.

 

Fairly sure the riders would have something to say about that.

[James]

Defence is coming along well and the linebackers are good. Hurl has improved immensely though still not and probably never will be dominant... however he's not a bad linebacker either.

Bass is one of the best in the league at his spot....

Randle was bad at first at slb but has improved to the point of being one of the... actually probably the best player we have ever employed as a cover linebacker..

DL is where we are weak.. Turner and Peach have been weak links... Anderson was bad at first but is coming along drawing the double teams and holding the run to little gains. Westerman is good though.

[mbrg]

A strange and questionable decision.

 

Then again, I thought he was a terrible hire in the first place, so this might just be two wrongs making a right.

[rebusrankin]

Defence is improving.

 

Sure we have problems but this is a year where somebody is getting in with a so so record.

 

If we can stay ahead of BC, Mtl and the Riders, we are in and heck I'd take that.

[bearpants]

Defence is improving.

 

Sure we have problems but this is a year where somebody is getting in with a so so record.

 

If we can stay ahead of BC, Mtl and the Riders, we are in and heck I'd take that.

 

If we finish 3rd in the West at... say 9-9... and we go into Calgary for the west SF... that's, surprisingly, not the scariest proposition... or even cross over and have to play in Toronto in the East SF....

[TrueBlue4ever]

It is kind of ridiculous that some of you are laughing at Sask (as well as other teams)...and who doesn't love to laugh at Sask...for like...ANY reason.  But still, you're laughing at Sask and yet we're only 3-5 and have the most point scored against us in the league.  And we have the second least points scored on top of that.  I'm always hopeful that we're going to come out on top, but come on, we're not any better then BC or Montreal.  Well, now Montreal might be worse since Popp is taking over.  Also, we could easily lose the next 3 games and Sask could easily win them and we'd be tied.  So let's not toot our horns too loud when we're so close to the bottom.  I'm not saying fire any coaches...except MB...I always want him gone...or demoted.

Careful, that sounds like "Rider fan" talk.

[TrueBlue4ever]

I'm surprised Higgins was let go. I still think he'd make a good GM (and that's what I wanted him for) and was surprised he did come back as a coach. Taking over a team when a 'legend' at QB retires, and a 'legend' at coach goes to the NFL (wondering here.... is Popp keeping Trestmans' seat warm for a return????) really is/was a no win situation for whomever was going to be the next head man there. I agree with Goalie that the Bombers probably said no to Higgins as I can't see Higgins (or anyone for that matter) preferring the Mtrl situation to Wpg's.

And why do some here insist on canning MOS? Hey, I get pissed at some of his decisions too - but IMO this team of ours, as I mentioned, it two years removed from, by far, the worst run 'pro' franchise is all of North America and quite possibly the world. I'm not over exaggerating. We have a rookie GM, rookie CEO, and rookie HC taking over (from last year) so I'm puzzled as to what the 'fire MOS' folks were expecting exactly.

I was/am expecting slow steady improvement and IMO we are much farther ahead then we were last year. Yes, we were blown out twice this year by Hamilton. But newsflash - and again I already said this - Hamilton is the #1 team in the league right now (it's not close) and have the best QB in the league right now (and again, it's not even close and Collaros as a lot of you know is the guy I wanted here and pined for and I was pissed when that 'release' and 'sign' thing happened before free agency) so there's no shame in that. Look what they did here to the Eskimos last night as proof as to how good they are.

Willy - very impressed this year with him. Last year after game 6 he was beat up and terrible. Why they left him in game after game is now answered for me. This year he's a different QB. He has learned. Even in the Hamilton beat down (prior to his leg being broke) he was still playing well and competing and wasn't nearly as terrible as he was last year during a game like that.

I see a bright future ahead of us - and some of you want to blow it up and start yet again? Give your heads a shake. You may turn out to be right in the long run but for now unless Trestman or Mike Riley are willing to come coach here I'm in MOS's corner

Well I will answer you based on my imo. What concerns my most about MOS besides his poor game decisions and actions is his ethier lack of being able to discern talent or mere utter stubbornness when it comes to players and coaches. My 2 coaches are Etch last year and Bel this year and last.Both coaches are clearly have costed this team dearly.Leaving Willy in against Ham when it was turnstile time on the QB and Willy wasn't 100 percent to begin with also makes me ? MOS commonsense. Last he still refuses to name Marve our no 1 when Marve has shown more in one game than Brohm in 2 years. LAST we still have Brohm like Wtf for? I'm afraid MOS ain't the answer here but we are gonna wait as usual here till its too late.

How many times are you going to make the same point? Hardly anyone agrees with you.

Does that make him wrong?

No it makes him extremely repetitive!

So you agree that he's right, but because he doesn't share your mindset (which you are just as repetitive about) he's required to zip it? Nice mentality for a public forum. How about we all debate the issues rather than telling each other to shut up when our opinions differ?

[TrueBlue4ever]

A strange and questionable decision.

 

Then again, I thought he was a terrible hire in the first place, so this might just be two wrongs making a right.

Certainly there are reasons, some more obvious than others, as to the firing, but what is really strange is the timing. Axing him after a win is counter-intuitive. It would have been different if there was an outside hire who had been secretly courted and was finally ready to be put in place, but because it is Popp stepping into the role, it required no lead time to implement. So it might suggest that something happened after the game that triggered the move - except Popp has directly come out and said the decision was made before the game occurred. So why not bide your time until another loss and avoid the scrutiny of the move being motivated by "internal conflict" rather than the lack of success on the field? Much easier to sell it then.

[iso_55]

The Bombers being 3 and 5 is not the end of the season, but losing games in the same old ways as last year is. Our O-line is suspect (to be charitable), our linebacking is lacking, we have the worst defence in the league, and an anemic offence which is predictable and unimaginative. Fans can put up with an awful lost of misery if there is reason to hope things are improving, and we are still waiting to see that. O'Shea is a good guy, but so was Reinbold and he was a disaster as a head coach.

Losing Willy is the worst possible case scenario. He gave us a chance to win every game. We don't know if Robert Marve can do it. We just have to see. Now we'll see if this team has the character to overcome adversity or is it the same as every team we've had the last 3 seasons?

[sweep the leg]

 

The Bombers being 3 and 5 is not the end of the season, but losing games in the same old ways as last year is. Our O-line is suspect (to be charitable), our linebacking is lacking, we have the worst defence in the league, and an anemic offence which is predictable and unimaginative. Fans can put up with an awful lost of misery if there is reason to hope things are improving, and we are still waiting to see that. O'Shea is a good guy, but so was Reinbold and he was a disaster as a head coach.

 

Fairly sure the riders would have something to say about that.

 

BC too.

[HardCoreBlue]

 

http://montrealgazette.com/sports/football/cfl/montreal-alouettes/alouettes-fire-head-coach-tom-higgins

Not sure if Higgins really had lost the locker room...

Popp and Wettenhall must be living in a fantasy world to blame Higgins for not having Calvillo leading the team on the field. Higgins is not superhuman and has made a few mistakes, but if Popp thinks this is going to salvage the season and go 12 and 6 or such, he's off his meds. 6 and 12 is far more likely, considering the lack of talent and/or experience behind center.

 

Wasn't Higgins in the running for coach of the year last season . . .

[DR. CFL]

Coach of the Year in any league is the kiss of death. Check back in both the CFL and NHL and it is scary how quickly you can fall.

[blitzmore]

 

 

 

 

 

I'm surprised Higgins was let go. I still think he'd make a good GM (and that's what I wanted him for) and was surprised he did come back as a coach. Taking over a team when a 'legend' at QB retires, and a 'legend' at coach goes to the NFL (wondering here.... is Popp keeping Trestmans' seat warm for a return????) really is/was a no win situation for whomever was going to be the next head man there. I agree with Goalie that the Bombers probably said no to Higgins as I can't see Higgins (or anyone for that matter) preferring the Mtrl situation to Wpg's.

And why do some here insist on canning MOS? Hey, I get pissed at some of his decisions too - but IMO this team of ours, as I mentioned, it two years removed from, by far, the worst run 'pro' franchise is all of North America and quite possibly the world. I'm not over exaggerating. We have a rookie GM, rookie CEO, and rookie HC taking over (from last year) so I'm puzzled as to what the 'fire MOS' folks were expecting exactly.

I was/am expecting slow steady improvement and IMO we are much farther ahead then we were last year. Yes, we were blown out twice this year by Hamilton. But newsflash - and again I already said this - Hamilton is the #1 team in the league right now (it's not close) and have the best QB in the league right now (and again, it's not even close and Collaros as a lot of you know is the guy I wanted here and pined for and I was pissed when that 'release' and 'sign' thing happened before free agency) so there's no shame in that. Look what they did here to the Eskimos last night as proof as to how good they are.

Willy - very impressed this year with him. Last year after game 6 he was beat up and terrible. Why they left him in game after game is now answered for me. This year he's a different QB. He has learned. Even in the Hamilton beat down (prior to his leg being broke) he was still playing well and competing and wasn't nearly as terrible as he was last year during a game like that.

I see a bright future ahead of us - and some of you want to blow it up and start yet again? Give your heads a shake. You may turn out to be right in the long run but for now unless Trestman or Mike Riley are willing to come coach here I'm in MOS's corner

Well I will answer you based on my imo. What concerns my most about MOS besides his poor game decisions and actions is his ethier lack of being able to discern talent or mere utter stubbornness when it comes to players and coaches. My 2 coaches are Etch last year and Bel this year and last.Both coaches are clearly have costed this team dearly.Leaving Willy in against Ham when it was turnstile time on the QB and Willy wasn't 100 percent to begin with also makes me ? MOS commonsense. Last he still refuses to name Marve our no 1 when Marve has shown more in one game than Brohm in 2 years. LAST we still have Brohm like Wtf for? I'm afraid MOS ain't the answer here but we are gonna wait as usual here till its too late.

 

How many times are you going to make the same point? Hardly anyone agrees with you.

 

Does that make him wrong?

 

No it makes him extremely repetitive!

 

So you agree that he's right, but because he doesn't share your mindset (which you are just as repetitive about) he's required to zip it? Nice mentality for a public forum. How about we all debate the issues rather than telling each other to shut up when our opinions differ?

 

yes...let's do that...but you're not!

[DR. CFL]

We have just moved this crap to another thread or what?

[Tracker]

Girls, girls, you're both pretty. Now say you're sorry and hug.

[bearpants]

Wasn't Higgins in the running for coach of the year last season . . .

 

 

Coach of the Year in any league is the kiss of death. Check back in both the CFL and NHL and it is scary how quickly you can fall.

 

I wouldn't say it's the kiss of death.... but coach of the year in 2014 certainly means nothing in 2015... I think Lapo was in the running in 2011....

[Fraser]

Awards mean nothing. What you did last week means everything.

[M.O.A.B.]

Can we replace Tracy with Higgins? Did he coached special teams before?

 

EDIT: Found out he did but that was along time ago.

 

Prior to joining the Eskimos (1993), Tom worked for the Stampeders in various capacities including special teams coordinator, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at various times during his time with the Stampeders.

[HardCoreBlue]

Awards mean nothing. What you did last week means everything.

mmm I guess, it may mean something to the person receiving it.

 

My point though was he must be doing something right that suggests he didn't all of a sudden become a bad coach moving his team from Elite to Crap.

[rebusrankin]

Popp 0 and 1 after tonight?

[Guest J5V]

Can we replace Tracy with Higgins? Did he coached special teams before?

 

EDIT: Found out he did but that was along time ago.

 

Prior to joining the Eskimos (1993), Tom worked for the Stampeders in various capacities including special teams coordinator, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at various times during his time with the Stampeders.

I suspect that would make our head coach rather ... nervous. 

[Tracker]

Can we replace Tracy with Higgins? Did he coached special teams before?

 

EDIT: Found out he did but that was along time ago.

 

Prior to joining the Eskimos (1993), Tom worked for the Stampeders in various capacities including special teams coordinator, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at various times during his time with the Stampeders.

No way Higgins ends up in Wpg in any role under O'Shea. Why would O'Shea hire his potential replacement?