Labour Day / Banjo Bowl 2008. Lets get it on!

[Only The Lonely..]

And on that note..

Calling for cavalry: Outgunned in Regina, Blue need to bulk up offence

By JIM BENDER | Winnipeg Sun

It was like taking a paring knife to a gunfight.

Scoring six points in a CFL game just does not cut it.

But for Winnipeg's lone two victories this season, its offence has been rather pathetic.

There is a reason that starting quarterback Kevin Glenn was benched for three games, that head coach Doug Berry got more involved in the offensive gameplan and is now allowing Glenn to call his own plays.

But after what looked like an offensive revival against Hamilton, the Blue Bombers reverted to their old habits. They could manage only six points on a pair of field goals in the 19-6 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the annual Labour Day Classic in Regina on Sunday.

"We've got to make plays," said a frustrated-but-composed Berry after the loss. "Bottom line, we did not make plays. Whether it's the quarterback (Glenn) with his accuracy, whether it's the receivers (Romby Bryant, Terrence Edwards) not catching the ball, the offensive linemen blocking, whether it's the running back (Charles Roberts) getting to the correct hole, we didn't make enough of it happen.

"I felt we were consistent defensively and I felt we were consistent in the kicking game. We were inconsistent offensively and we've got to be able to get that thing going."

But nine games into the season and they still have not found a long-term answer? That, in itself, speaks volumes.

"It's about consistency because, in the first quarter, too, we had a pretty long drive and then did it at that end," said veteran offensive tackle Alexandre Gauthier. "But it's not about doing it twice in the game, it's about doing it every single time that the offence goes out there. That's what we're not doing. Like, we lose a few games, win one. Lose a few games, win one. We win one series and we lose three. It's about consistency and making sure nobody is making any mistakes.

"We just can't point any fingers. It's not one person. Everybody's working hard and giving an honest effort. That's the thing. What the problem is, I don't know. Maybe we're not playing together or whatever. The good thing is everybody still believes in each other but we need to stop saying that after every game. We need to win some games in a row."

And they need to cap off drives with touchdowns, not three-pointers.

"We need to work a little harder this week but we'll get it fixed," Gauthier vowed.

But they will have to get it fixed in time to be able to beat the CFL's top team in a re-match in this Sunday's Banjo Bowl.

"We've got to find a way to put it behind us and move on because we've got them coming in again next week," said veteran slotback Milt Stegall, who caught four passes for 44 yards.Although the Bombers fell to 2-7, the incompetence of both Hamilton and Toronto are keeping them in the playoff hunt.

"We're not out of it," Stegall said. "We'll stay optimistic and positive about our situation so, we'll watch this film, put it behind us and move on. That's all we can do."

Actually, we beg to differ. We'll stay pessimistic, not forget the recent ugly past and urge those in power to move some players on -- if they want to save their own jobs.

[Only The Lonely..]

The Regina Leader-Post did a nice number on us..

Blue Bombers struggling

Greg Harder, Leader-Post

Published: Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Milt Stegall got a little defensive when asked about his team's struggling offence.

"Did you watch the game?" he barked after losing 19-6 to the home-town Saskatchewan Roughriders. "You tell me what (the Riders' defence) did well. They stopped us from scoring points. It's not profound. It's not rocket science. They stopped us from scoring points, plain and simple."

Kevin Glenn wasn't much more enlightening.

"We didn't make enough plays to win the game, simple as that," said the former Riders' QB. "You have to give them credit, they won the game. That's it. We didn't make enough plays to win the game. We have to score more points than the other team. You score points on offence. We didn't score enough points on offence."

Over to you, Charles Roberts.

"We moved the ball, I thought, pretty well at times," said the veteran tailback. "We got a penalty here, a penalty there, that took us out of field-goal range. Things like that really hurt your drive. Even if you come out with a field goal that's big momentum for a team that's semi-struggling on offence. We shot ourselves in the foot a couple times and weren't able to capitalize on some pretty good drives that we had. It just wasn't our night offensively."

That said, Roberts believes the Bombers' time will come. Perhaps even during Sunday's rematch in Winnipeg.

"We're confident," he said. "We're very confident in what we can do as an offence as a team. We came out here pretty sure of ourselves that we were going to come out with a win. It just didn't happen."

It's a recurring trend for the Bombers, who were expected to be Grey Cup contenders after losing last year's championship game to Saskatchewan. With Sunday's loss, Winnipeg fell to 2-7, last in the East Division.

"The thing I feel really positive about this football team is that week in, week out, these guys come to play," offered head coach Doug Berry. "They never, ever, ever say quit. As long as the game is within a couple of touchdowns anything can happen with this group and I know we will play until the end."

The same goes for this weekend's rematch.

"If there is a good thing, if we can qualify it as a good thing, we get to go against the same opponent again," added Berry. "(It's) similar to a year ago when we lost a pretty good football game out here and we came back to Winnipeg and we got it. I'm looking forward that we can do that. Two years ago we came out here and got embarrassed and then went back to Winnipeg and got our game. It's a matter of just regrouping ... and making sure we can put together another good gameplan defensively and try to do a little bit better executing with offence."

© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008

[Only The Lonely..]

Hectic week ends on right note

Murray McCormick | The Leader-Post -Tuesday, September 02, 2008

The emotion was evident as Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Ken Miller described the scene when the game ball was presented to Michael Bishop after Sunday's 19-6 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Veteran offensive lineman Jeremy O'Day made the presentation, which recognized Bishop's contributions and how the far the Riders had progressed in the days leading up to the annual Labour Day Classic at Mosaic Stadium. On Aug. 23, the Riders acquired Bishop from the Toronto Argonauts for a conditional pick in the 2011 CFL draft.

The transaction, which bolstered the Riders' struggling offence, made former starter Marcus Crandell expendable. The veteran quarterback was released on Thursday and Crandell's locker was left vacant for Sunday's game. The presentation of the game ball marked the conclusion to a trying and emotional week for the Riders.


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Font:****"We had someone who we cared about very much leave the team,'' Miller said after the Riders improved to 7-2 and maintained first place in the West Division. "One of his best friends presented the ball to the new guy so it showed that they are men of character, they care about the team and they are concerned about winning. That's what made it such a touching moment for me.''

It had been a chaotic week leading up to the Classic. The trade for Bishop rocked the Riders and followers of the team. The process of sorting out what to do with Crandell was part of the media's daily scrutiny. Players fielded many questions about what Crandell's subsequent release would mean to the team and its chemistry. Sunday's win, which snapped a two-game losing streak, answered many of those questions. The Riders left Crandell's locker empty on Sunday

"You hate to see a guy like Marcus go,'' said Roughriders running back Wes Cates. "It's nice to see a guy like Michael come into the organization because you know the things that he can do. The team rallied and pulled together instead of breaking apart in a situation like that. We just have to keep stringing them together like we did in the first third of the season.''

The Riders won six straight games to open the season. Two ensuing losses showed that the offence needed a more mobile quarterback than Crandell. That mobility was evident on Sunday. It also allowed Cates broader running lanes, which had been non-existent in the two losses.

"Michael is a great athlete and he opens up our offence,'' said Cates, who rushed for 72 yards and had 28 yards in receptions. "He has a great arm and he can make a lot of plays. We didn't put a whole lot into the game plan. We just put the ball into his hands and he did enough to win.''

Berry also felt that Bishop did enough to help the Riders win.

"Let's be fair, he has been in the system for a week," Berry told reporters. "He did what he was supposed to do. He didn't allow his team to be in a situation that he created that was a negative. In other words, you don't have to win it for us. That's what I thought Michael did a pretty good job of today. He used his speed and he advanced the ball. On a windy day you need to be able to move the ball for field position and he was able to do that for them."

[Only The Lonely..]

Bombers bore brunt of Bishop's mobility

Rob Vanstone, The Leader-Post
Published: Tuesday, September 02, 2008

The Labore Day Classic ended in the Saskatchewan Roughriders' favour, but with questions unanswered.

Following an atypically uneventful clash with the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers -- who lost 19-6 on Sunday -- Roughriders head coach Ken Miller was asked about his CFL team's ever-popular quarterbacking situation.

Miller's most-revealing response was also his shortest. When CJME's Mitchell Blair asked whether Michael Bishop is the established No. 1 quarterback with Darian Durant poised to return from a rib injury, Miller said: "I'll think about that.''

Not exactly a ringing endorsement. But, really, what else could Miller say?

The Roughriders' head coach correctly noted that Bishop's mobility was a factor in the game. He rushed 11 times for 51 yards, scoring the game's only touchdown on a quarterback draw.

"That's the reason we made the change,'' Miller said, alluding to last week's sacking of Marcus Crandell. "I just think that it's paramount in the state of our offence right now that we have a mobile quarterback. Steven Jyles is mobile. Darian has some mobility, too. So now we have three quarterbacks who have that physical ability to move around and be mobile.''

Now, if only the Roughriders' receivers were mobile ...

Saskatchewan's starting quarterback is going to be encumbered by a below-average receiving corps due to a spate of injuries. Without D.J. Flick, Andy Fantuz, Matt Dominguez and Weston Dressler, Saskatchewan played much of Sunday's game with only one pass-catcher -- rookie Adarius Bowman -- who has any capacity for threatening opposing defences. And now Bowman is reportedly nursing an injury to his left quadriceps muscle. Does it ever stop?

A receiving corps also consisting of Rob Bagg, Corey Grant, Michael Palmer and converted tailback Henri Childs is pedestrian, but the best Saskatchewan can assemble due to the adverse circumstances. Bowman, with a 25-yard catch following an impressive scramble by Bishop, was the only Saskatchewan receiver to gain more than 20 yards on one play against Winnipeg. The next-longest gain, excluding an 18-yarder by tailback Wes Cates on a flare pass, was a 14-yard advance by Palmer.

With only four practices as a Roughrider, Bishop was not going to resemble Kent Austin. The best anyone could expect, considering the circumstances, was roughly what transpired on Sunday: A serviceable performance -- including an interception that did not prove to be costly -- backed by stellar defence.

"As a team, we did enough to win,'' Bishop said. "As far as me, there's plenty of room for improvement for me to do better things to help my teammates and to put myself in a better situation to be successful on the field. Once I get all that down and keep giving the defence rest, I mean, you guys (in the media) have seen that we have an amazing defence. The more we can keep those guys on the sidelines and take care of the ball, the sky's the limit as far as what we can do this season.''

Bishop completed only 10 of 24 passes for 107 yards. The numbers were comparable to the 7-for-24 posted by Crandell in his farewell performance.

"There were points we left on the field, throws we left on the field and runs we left on the field,'' Bishop noted.

Bishop is looking for improvement during Sunday's rematch in Winnipeg. Considering the limitations of the supporting cast, one should not expect 300- or 400-yard passing performances. One should expect improved timing, accuracy and communication. Bishop misfired on routine, second-down tosses to Palmer and Grant.

If Bishop can make the plays that are there, while moving the chains with his running ability, that is all anyone can ask under the circumstances. The Riders' brass has been raving about Bishop's powerful right arm, but that attribute is largely negated by the receivers' inability to get open deep.

Winnipeg, by contrast, is blessed with an array of talented offensive players -- all of whom were neutralized by a superlative Saskatchewan defence.

That was a winning formula on Sunday. But how often will the Roughriders be able to rejoice after such an ineffectual offensive showing?




© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008

[Only The Lonely..]

Hilarious..

Marooned on Loser's Island
Nobody knows what will float Bombers' boat for winning run

By: Ed Tait | Winnipeg Free Press

Updated: September 2 at 12:40 AM CDT

Bear with us, please, as we unveil a concept for a new TV show that jumped out while watching the absolutely confounding Winnipeg Blue Bombers stumble and fumble through the first half of the Canadian Football League season.

Cue announcer...


"You've seen Lost, the popular serial drama that follows plane-crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island. And now, after making viewers ill in its summer-long run, we give you Marooned!, that gruesome yet gripping docudrama chronicling the travails of the SS Blue Bomber and the crew's 17-year quest for a Grey Cup championship.


"Watch as the crew of this once-proud vessel -- just a few months ago the pride of the East fleet -- scrambles to patch holes in the hull and steer clear of a rocky shoreline with a busted mast and a broken keel.


"Can Commodore Berry rally the crew to a playoff berth, or is there mutiny on the horizon?


"Will Captain Stegall's hunt for a cherished championship ring end in vain?


"How long before Admirals Bauer and Taman cut this bunch adrift and start anew?


"Stay tuned, as the tension will almost certainly lead to more ugliness in the second half of the season!


"Don't miss Marooned!, starring your Winnipeg Blue Bombers, every weekend this fall."




We're biased, but think it's got "hit" written all over it, frankly. Then again, watching the same storylines unfold from week to week -- one loss after another -- can get mundane in a hurry.


"ö "ö "ö




We suppose we could say we saw all this coming, this disastrous 2-7 first half of the 2008 season for the Bomb Squad. We could say we pointed to some warning signs during training camp (see 10 Questions Revisited) that had us concerned as the lid lifted on a new campaign.

But, to tell the truth, we didn't think the collapse would be this complete or come this quickly. We didn't think Kevin Glenn, a Most Outstanding Player candidate a year ago, would have just four touchdowns and 12 interceptions -- let alone be benched for three games -- through the first half of the season.

Who knew an offence that features Glenn, a hall-of-fame running back in Charles Roberts, three 1,000-yard receivers and a solid offensive line would look so challenged just to move the sticks, let alone consistently punch the ball into the end zone?

Or that from week to week the offence, defence and special teams rarely seem to be in sync? That Doug Berry, a Coach of the Year finalist in 2006, would struggle to pull the right strings and push the right buttons on a team which, on paper, is superior to the squad that went 9-9 in his first year?

Most of all, did anybody truly believe the Bombers would suck this bad through nine games?

"It's scary, because we're 2-7 and that's the same number of losses as we had all of last season," defensive tackle Doug Brown said. "A lot of guys are numb and in denial right now. We're in disbelief. There may be changes, and how could we dispute that? We've had every opportunity this season to let our play determine if this team could remain intact. Obviously, we have given them every reason to start changing personnel."

But it's here where Bombers management finds itself in a rather precarious position. No question something needs to be done to shake up a team in a serious funk, but where do you begin? And where do you begin knowing that in the CFL's Least Division, even the smallest win streak -- especially with dates against Toronto and Hamilton on the horizon after this weekend's Banjo Bowl -- puts them right back in the hunt?

"There's little room for error now, but we've still got an opportunity in the playoff race," Roberts reasoned. "It's not out of our hands by any means."

True that. Trouble is, while the defence appears to be re-establishing as a force, the offence continues to look completely discombobulated. Sunday's 19-6 Labour Day Classic loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders marked the fifth time this season the attack has been held to under 20 points. And though the recent win over Hamilton provided a brief glimpse at the potential of the offence's firepower, the overall creativity or innovation -- the stuff we see in Montreal, Edmonton and Calgary, for example -- is non-existent.

Too many drive-killing penalties, too many drops, poor play from the QB, an offensive line that has been injured and inconsistent, a running back who many are whispering has lost a gear and a legendary receiver who is hobbling...

Again, where do you start when a unit is this across-the-board bad?

"I don't know, but we've got to figure out something, because if we continue to play like this, it will be over," Milt Stegall said. "I don't know exactly what it is. If I had the answer, if I had the formula, we wouldn't be going through this right now. But we've got to figure it out.

"We WILL get it figured out. We're not out of it and we're still optimistic and positive about our situation. We have to watch this film, put it behind us and move on. That's all we can do."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

[DowntownWpg]

Congrats Sask. The Bombers played like a decent football team, until they were reminded of why they suck so much in the 4th quarter. It was a disgraceful and unacceptable 4th quarter, and because of it, the Blue deserved to lose.

In other news: the Bombers traded Tom Canada to Hamilton this afternoon, for middle linebacker Zeke Moreno. Apparently, Canada is refusing to report to Hamilton and thus, could be expelled from the league.

[Only The Lonely..]

They need to get rid of Serna.

His pathetic footwork and that lousy 28 yard punt is what allowed Sask a quick TD in the first quarter.

[Only The Lonely..]

Banjo blow: Bombers choke, drop second straight to Riders

By KIRK PENTON | Winnipeg Sun

It appeared, for three quarters anyway, that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were going to celebrate the Charles Roberts-for-Joe Smith trade with a much-needed victory over the CFL-leading Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The Roughriders, however, woke up and spoiled the party with a wild victory that sent most of the sellout crowd of 29,770 home with scowls on their faces today.

The Bomber defence absolutely imploded in the fourth quarter, allowing the Roughriders to score 20 unanswered points in the final 11 minutes and win the fifth annual Banjo Bowl 34-31 on Luca Congi’s 29-yard field goal as time expired.

Riders quarterback Michael Bishop set up the winning play with a 45-yard completion to Gerran Walker with five seconds remaining.

Saskatchewan, which beat Winnipeg 19-6 in last week’s Labour Day Classic, improved to 8-2. The Bombers, meanwhile, fell to 2-8 and shouldn’t be suprised if big changes are made in the days ahead.

Smith, acquired a week ago today, scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the third quarter that gave Winnipeg a 31-14 lead.

The party was on, but little did the hosts know then that disaster loomed.

Bisphop first hit Westwon Dressler with a 45-yard bomb with 10:53 on the clock and then found Vincent Marshall for a 32-yard strike that made it 31-28 with 4:50 remaining.

The Riders got the ball back and tied it up on Congi’s 17-yard field goal with 1:14 left. After Winnipeg receiver Derick Armstrong dropped a pass on second-and-four with 50 seconds to go, the Bombers had to punt once again.

Bishop hit Walker three plays later, and Congi then finished off the reeling Bombers, who fittingly had too many players on the field for the winning play.

The Roughriders waltzed all over the Bombers on their opening drive, strolling 65 yards on six plays, capping the march with a three-yard touchdown run from Wes Cates.

But it didn’t faze the Bombers, who scored on their next two possessions to take a 14-7 lead. Quarterback Kevin Glenn, who struggled mightily in last week’s 19-6 loss to the Riders, completed all six of his passes on the drives.

Starting running back Fred Reid showed great power, pushing a pair of Rider defenders two yards for a one-yard touchdown, and Terrence Edwards hauled in a 13-yard pass for a major that put the hosts ahead.

Alexis Serna’s 41-yard field goal in the second quarter pushed Winnipeg’s lead to 17-7, but Saskatchewan responded when Bishop hit Dressler with a 31-yard touchdown toss with 56 seconds to go before the half that cut Winnipeg’s lead to 17-14 at the break.

Winnipeg increased its lead to 24-14 on its first drive of the second half. Glenn threaded the needle on a pass to Edwards, and last year’s Bomber receiving leader turned it into a 41-yard score.

The Bombers not only lost the game, but middle linebacker Joe Lobendahn suffered a severe knee injury in the second quarter. Winnipeg lost its first middle linebacker, Barrin Simpson, for the season in July.

Smith had 33 yards on 11 carries in a debut that he soon won’t forget for all the wrong reasons.

Bishop completed 24 of 30 passes for 370 yards and the three scores, while Glenn was good on 21 of 29 passes for 256 yards and the two majors.

Edwards had seven catches for 103 yards.

[sledhead35]

an email i got at work:

Winnipeg Blue Bomber football practice was delayed on Sunday for
nearly two hours at Canada Inns Stadium. One of the players, while on
his way to the locker room, happened to look down and notice a
suspicious looking, unknown white powdery substance on the field.

The head coach immediately suspended practice while the RCMP were
called in to investigate. After a complete field analysis, the RCMP
determined that the white substance, unknown to the players, was the goal line.
>
> Practice was resumed when the RCMP decided that the team would not be
> likely to encounter the substance again.
>

[Only The Lonely..]

Awesome.

[Boreal]

And the Bisons got hammered by the Dinos. Yuck.

[saskdave]

Sorry guys as a Rider fan I have no sympathy for you....The Bombers are playing how the Riders did for about a decade....


Lets start the trade Milt to the Riders so he can actually win a Cup rumour....