Open question for MBBers - direction of the franchise

[TrueBlue4ever]

Just curious, since there are many strong opinions about the current regime, past regimes, and how to build a winner and get us out of this funk. So here is my question:

As a Bomber fan, if you were told "This management team can get you a regular season division title and a Grey Cup appearance by next year, and back-to-back Grey Cup games, and win a Grey Cup in your home park within the next 5 years, but within those same 5 years you will also have to miss the playoffs with only 5 wins, and 2 years after your Grey Cup you will have to suffer an 0-9 start", as a fan would you take that offer?

[Mike]

Under normal circumstances ... no.

 

Under these circumstances? Absolutely.

[DR. CFL]

Any management team that makes a statement "promise" like that never should have been hired. The absolute first rule in sports management marketing is you sell one thing and one thing only HOPE. You can not guarantee or promise anything but that.

[bustamente]

After 20 some years yes please

[iso_55]

Just curious, since there are many strong opinions about the current regime, past regimes, and how to build a winner and get us out of this funk. So here is my question:

As a Bomber fan, if you were told "This management team can get you a Grey Cup win in your home park, but 2 years later you will have to suffer an 0-9 start", as a fan would you take that offer?

No. Want to build a winner with multiple championships.

[tacklewasher]

No. Want to build a winner with multiple championships.

 

 

I'll take a Grey Cup win period. Whatever it takes to get it one year. Even if it kills the team for 5 years.

 

I'm sick of rebuilding years coming after a piss-poor showing. Sucking through rebuilding years after success would be a fresh change.

[Harbaugh]

So would I be happy with Saskatchewan's past half decade? Yes.

[WestBattleJones]

As much as a Grey Cup win is needed and it's very tempting, I myself would say no.

 

I want to have sustained success and be a franchise that people look to as a perennially strong football team, like Calgary for instance.

 

I know that Grey Cups are obviously the goal but lets be honest, its not realistic to think we'll win it every year... I just want to know that we're almost always in the conversation like the Stamps.

 

They have changes, injuries, free agent defections, etc but they still put a winning product on the field year in and year out.  That's what I want.

 

To use an NFL example, I want to be the Steelers or Packers and not the Browns who just always seem to fail no matter what they do, who they draft, etc (sorry to Browns fans)

[WestBattleJones]

And of course my answer assumes that we win at least one Grey Cup every 5-10 years!

 

I think that would be realistic in a 9 team league

[Harbaugh]

And of course my answer assumes that we win at least one Grey Cup every 5-10 years!

I think that would be realistic in a 9 team league

It simply isn't. If you're drawing lottery balls then yes, but there's more to it.

[WestBattleJones]

 

And of course my answer assumes that we win at least one Grey Cup every 5-10 years!

I think that would be realistic in a 9 team league

It simply isn't. If you're drawing lottery balls then yes, but there's more to it.

 

Well for sure and maybe every 5 years is aggressive.   But should we expect one every 10 years, I would say yes.

That's what a franchise like Calgary expects and has been doing for the past 20 years... again that's the type of franchise I want.

[Logan007]

I would say no.  Because we would all ***** if we had to endure more bad seasons like this.  Build a winning team with a winning staff and do it.

[Harbaugh]

When teams are really good they tend to stick around and win a couple of grey cups in a decade. Let's just say I totally agree that winning once per decade is reasonable in the CFL, which the Bombers have actually done. It's just that those little dynasties create droughts for someone and unfortunately WPG is the victim right now.

[Harbaugh]

I would say no.  Because we would all ***** if we had to endure more bad seasons like this.  Build a winning team with a winning staff and do it.

More bad seasons? Read the post we've just won a Grey Cup and had two appearances before that!!! Lol hypotheticals are tricky.

[Captain Blue]

Absolutely. I wouldn't turn down guaranteed Grey Cup appearances and wins.

[WestBattleJones]

When teams are really good they tend to stick around and win a couple of grey cups in a decade. Let's just say I totally agree that winning once per decade is reasonable in the CFL, which the Bombers have actually done. It's just that those little dynasties create droughts for someone and unfortunately WPG is the victim right now.

Yeah I would agree with that for sure, Eskimos with Warren Moon won like 5 in 6 years or something so everyone else had a drought during that time.

 

However I don't think those Grey Cup droughts should equal seasons like we've had the last 10 years.  Sorry to keep using the Stamps example but I don't think everyone expects them to win the cup every few years but they do expect them to be competitive.  I wouldn't call them a dynasty by any means but they're almost always good, and have been for the most part of the last 20 years

 

I just want some hope and not know that the season is over by week 6 every year

[blueandgoldguy]

stamps are basically  the bombers from the late 70s to the mid 90s

[pigseye]

I'm willing to let these guys have their 3 years provided someone better than Marcel is the OC in year 3. I think Hall could be the guy for the defense and I don't see why O'Shea can't stay on as the ST coach/HC. I want a playoff spot next year though.

[Rich]

stamps are basically  the bombers from the late 70s to the mid 90s

 

It is interesting that the Stampeders had 3 seasons where they were the joke of the league.  The last year that Buono was there in 2002 (6 - 12) and the two seasons after that (2003 & 2004)  at 5 - 13 and 4 - 14.  Those were the Jim Barker and Matt Dunigan seasons.  Those were pretty much the years where Feterik owned the team, messed it up big time, and chased Buono away to BC.

 

In 2005 new ownership took over and the team has not missed the playoffs since and only had one sub .500 season since where they were 7 - 10.   In that time frame they've been 116-62 with a .652 winning percentage.  They made it to 3 Grey Cups, winning 2 of them and made it to the west final 3 more times that they lost.   So in the last 10 years, they've made it to the West final 6 times.  

 

Maybe the problem with the Bombers really does start with the BOD.  Look at what 3 years of bad ownership did to the Stampeders.  

 

What has been the one constant in the last 15 years in Bomber land?  Certainly not the head coaches, we've had 7 of them, changing them roughly every two years. 

 

Could it be the GMs?  Well, in that time frame we've gone through Ritchie, Taman, Kelly, Mack, and now Walters.  So that is 5 in 15 years.  We've changed our GM every 3 years.  

 

How about the CEO?  Well, in that time we've had Miller, Buchko, then no real CEO for a while, then Bauer.  BOD was directly responsible for hiring both Kelly and Mack.

 

Who could it be on the Board of Directors?  I really have no clue.  Trying to find a history on who has served on the board through the last 15 years is seemingly harder then it should be.  The Bombers website doesn't really say how long they've served, especially when they keep changing positions on it  

 

Even if you want to blame it on changing the coach and GM every 2 - 3 years, doesn't that still fall to the BOD for either being too impatient or making bad hires?  Throw in the whole stadium fiasco which hasn't even been resolved yet, and this organization needs to change from the top down.

[Floyd]

No need to go 'all in' for a grey cup like Sask did... that's what we were supposed to be doing this year, right?

 

If Chapdelaine shakes loose in Sask, I'd bring him in...  otherwise, Cortez will probably be available.  Need an experienced (and winning) OC.

 

Khari Jones or Jarious Jackson as QB coach as well

 

I'd sign Masoli as backup and bring in two new prospects (no injury history, 2x TD-INT ratio at least, good mobility - I like Phillip Sims-type)

 

I mean if Ray is available, pay the man... but I doubt he will be

 

Another season of free agency will help - add a guard and maybe a Cdn DT if one is out there

 

Sounds lame, but we have to stay the course we're on... at least for another 2-3 years

[pigseye]

Of course it's the board, they control the purse strings. In Cal's day he spent money like a drunk'in sailor because he knew that is what it took to compete and build a winner. Lyle had to dig the team out of the hole. Until we get back to spending maximum dollars on football operations, and developing the us scouting, nothing will change much. How can any coach build a winning team when you bring in guys like that lineman Tormino (ole), he's just one example. The change does need to start at the top but it needs to focus at the very bottom of the chain and that is finding talented players to arm the coaches with.

[Brandon]

I don't even think the fans expected a cup this season.

It's the fact that we are severely regressing and showing zero hope is what is the killer.

It's not our patience that needs work... It's the complete lack of competence and positive changes.

IMO Walters and O Shea can rebound... MB is way far gone and clearly has no upside and needs out asap.

[Logan007]

 

I would say no.  Because we would all ***** if we had to endure more bad seasons like this.  Build a winning team with a winning staff and do it.

More bad seasons? Read the post we've just won a Grey Cup and had two appearances before that!!! Lol hypotheticals are tricky.

 

I was responding more to the guys that were saying they'd take 5 years of bad seasons if they could win one Grey Cup.  Either way I'd prefer just winning more often then just winning a Grey cup once.  It's really difficult to go whole seasons where all you do is lose.

[Tracker]

I don't even think the fans expected a cup this season.

It's the fact that we are severely regressing and showing zero hope is what is the killer.

It's not our patience that needs work... It's the complete lack of competence and positive changes.

IMO Walters and O Shea can rebound... MB is way far gone and clearly has no upside and needs out asap.

Do you think that the man who chose Bellefeuille, Tracy and our previous defensive coordinator, and thought Marve and Brohm were good enough backups fpr Willy  has what it takes to do better next year when he isn't doing any better this year than last? The evidence says no.

[SPuDS]

nope. we need sustainability.... not one and done.