Pac might be back on track, last week he went 3-1. His season total is now sitting at 28-25.
In a rarity this season, back is back the Blue on the road and likes them to cover the +4.5
Pac also likes Montreal to crush Toronto on Monday.
Pacnation likes BC to cover their -3.5.
Edmonton should win at home against the Riders.
GO BLUE. Crush your BOOKIE!
Mike Alexander
I was going to write a hateful comparison between high school battle of the bands and the officiating in the CFL. I read what I had wrote and decided that I wasn’t being fair to the kids. But what about those lousy useless refs in the CFL? Yeah..waht about them…
Let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the worst officials I’ve ever seen in my life. Because ladies and gentlemen, this season in the CFL is an embarrassment and after seeing what I saw on the field last week in Winnipeg, I can’t help but to think that these clowns in stripes calling plays on the field are just a bunch of dirty old perverts and scumbags who have no business living outside of a very small cage where small children are allowed to poke them with sticks and make them feel terrible inside. These referees and umpires have been terrible all season long, but last week was an outrage and it stunk to high hell.
Winnipeg first down at the Als one yard line with 8 seconds on the clock resulted in Winnipeg getting two plays out of three in before the refs finished the game even though there was time on the clock. And then the CFL’s boss of the refs, Tom Higgins goes on the record saying that he was glad that the game wasn’t decided by a blown call and that he was okay with Montreal winning the game. He said that Winnipeg shouldn’t have won the game on account of the horrible pass interference call against the Al’s. Which to me sounds like ol’ Higgins is fine with one mistake being cleaned up by another mistake. What? Really?
This is amateur hour at its worst. Refs are getting fired, games are being ref’d about as worse as I’ve seen and the league looks like a playground for buffoons and failed business school flunkies and idiots. It’s disgusting to look at.
Is there a game today? Who knows? Who cares? As long as the league continues with the blown calls and garbage refereeing, what’s the point? One would imagine that with the CFL being televised farther and wider than ever before that the league would be concerned with its image abroad, but apparently not. This week Higgins fired Rick Berezowski for having the nerve to blow a call against the Als. Big deal. Call me when Andre Proulx gets fired as well. Another useless moron with a job he doesn’t deserve a job as far as I’m concerned.
I’m done for this week. If Higgins and the league aren’t going to deal with this crap, then why should the fans give a rat’s ass either?
Go Blue. You’re going to need all the luck you can get. And then some.
- Mike A.
Hoo boy. Well kids, the very sad day we have been putting off has arrived. The moment we have been trying not to consider since the early days of training camp has finally put a brick through our window and if you have been listening to the smart people, you know that the 2011 Winnipeg Blue Bomber season is quite possibly teetering on the edge, staring down into the eternal abyss. Everyone and their grandmother predicted that Buck Pierce would be going down hurt at some point this year. Congrats to all the self-styled fortune tellers out there, your prediction just sailed in. Bunch of worthless Nostradamus’ if you ask me, an Angry Bomber Fan.
Last week we sat and watched a number of terrible things happen in Toronto one after the other. Buck Pierce went down. Backup QB Alex Brink went down. Running backs Fred Reid and then his replacement Carl Volny both went down. And Doug Brown went down as well. Oh and so did Brendon LaBatte and Rodney Fritz. Shee-EEsh. It’s not enough to get stabbed in the upper torso these days from what I gather. Multiple stab wounds are what is needed to put your opponent down for good. The fact that Winnipeg only lost by a point with less than ahem, 4 minutes on the clock is probably one of the better scenarios that could have been predicted if one could have foreseen the carnage on the field last week. Gotta give the Blue and Gold credit for dying with their boots on. I’ve seen them fold a lot worse than that over the years, all things considered.
Here at the Ashburn Compound, I had actually hoped for Brink to get more reps in than he has so far this year. If you’ve watching Pierce week to week, you’ve often loudly exclaimed, “How ghastly to see the number of times that poor chap has been rocked hard!” It’s been open season on this Buck all year long and it was only a matter of time before he was to be helped off the field. The fact that Buck has managed to scrape himself up every time until last week is truly a feat of strength. Come November, a healthy Buck Pierce is more valuable than an unhealthy Buck Peirce tonight at Canad Inns stadium. So move over #1, it’s Alex Brink’s time to call the shots in this nerve-wrecked shithole town.
Winnipeg’s offense is clinically predictable and is making the rest of the team pay dearly with imcompletions, turnovers and horrid penalties. With Alex Brink hopefully in good enough shape to remain upright tonight, one quickly imagines the on-field horrors that await a city that has been gathering momentum and faith in the 2011 Bombers. To see it all dashed and destroyed at home against the Al’s seems cruel, horrible and even worse, familiar. Yours truly just finally lifted his head high enough to feel good about an 8-4 record. It’s not my intent to ring the bells of doom and gloom, it’s just that people like me are very much in the habit of watching seasons slip through our fingers like sands through the hourglass. The haunting specter of Death has not come to watch the game with us tonight, but you just know that the ‘79 two tone Coup De Ville hearse parked outside my house right now is most likely not the property of Jesus, in town with some encouraging words and a bottle or two of the Masi Campofiorin for all.
It seemed to me last week that Brink was much quicker in his decision-making processes than he was last year which is a notable improvement. Provided that he has time to do so, running speedy short passes against Montreal could throw the Al’s off. Coach Lapo will need to deep in his mitt of shit for better ways of keeping his off again, off again O Line on the field. Yes, I said “off” there twice in case you thought that was a typo or something. I’m still not sold on the O Line and with my expectations where they are, it will take an ofensive domination of the Al’s tonight to stop the sad sniffling and head shaking as far as I’m concerned.
And there are also doubts about Anthony Calvillo’s season as well. The man is a living legend and I will be sorry to see him go when he decides he’s had enough of all this. Until then, AC and the Al’s are a middle-of-the-pack team in the east with a 7-5 record coming into Winnipeg tonight. It appears that the Al’s are cashing in their chips this year, having lost to the Greg Marshall’s Riders as well as the Bombers twice and Hamilton twice as well. Montreal is no longer a sure bet and teams facing them need not worry about fielding a squad of Terminators to beat then. Having said that, Calvillo continues to throw some of the best strikes I’ve seen all year including a few last week in Edmonton against the Eskimos before being knocked the fuck out by Marcus Howard in the third. One takes no joy in seeing AC’s limp body literally bouncing off the turf after the initial hit and I’m glad that he was able to get up on his own power. Now that he’s up again, what damage is he possible of doing in front of another stadiu full of crazed and starving fans?
Things are feeling more than just a bit tense around here now. It’s too soon for the crowd to start gatheringdown the street from us. There is a calm in the air that is making me feel uneasy. A lot of really bad things happened last week that Winnipeg was unable to bounce back from despite our best efforts. Montreal comes in today in hopes of some revenge for two weeks ago. They are dangerous and I expect them to be poised and focused. Knuckles and jaws are clenched just a bit tighter in these fall weeks when the stakes on the field become increasingly higher. We are firmly re-positioned as the underdog once again. What message will be sent to the rest of the league tonight at Canad Inns stadium? Fasten your seatbelts ladies and gentlemen; this is not going to be a very smooth ride tonight. We hope to see you on the same side of the abyss when it is all said and done.
Go Blue!
The Pacman went 2-2 last week, to bring him to a season total of 25-24…just keeping his head above .500.
This week, Pac likes the Bombers to cover those +6.5 points against Montreal.
He likes BC to cover those -5.5 points at home against Edmonton.
Pacnation is hoping Calgary can cover those -5.5 points against the Riders.
Hamilton on the road to cover -4.5 against Tdot.
Go Blue! Good luck…bust that bookie.
by H.F. Salisbury
In the great tradition of recognizing “Cactus” Jack Wells and the Happy Honker Award given out on C-Job radio here in Winnipeg, I present for you yet another installment of the Happy Crappy Honker Award given to an individual(s) for a fantastic unforgivable performance directly related to the continued floundering of our once beloved Winnipeg Blue Bombers. This award is handed out after every Winnipeg Blue Bomber loss.
Well (Black and) Blue fans, I have to say this is the hardest award I’ve had to decide on since ABF was born. I had to take a bit of time to think this one through. What a schmozzle of a game. I mean really. I didn’t think that I’d have to award the Crappy this week. Even during the dying seconds of the game I figured there would be some way back. It was a one point game but we got killed on the field. Seriously.
Out for the season is Reid. Yeah, I’ve bitched about him and his play but we are a weaker team with out him. Volny is our back up RB and it looks like he will be on crutches for a loooong time. A report today has him done for the year as well. Pierce is a “warrior” but is not fooling anyone… he’s banged up bad. Look at the footage before he was forced to leave the game. He winces every time a play starts. Our second stringer; Brink, has a non-throwing arm shoulder issue. Great. Fritz, LaBatte, and Brown, are not practicing when we have a game in three days. I could go on.
What does this have to do with the Crappy Honker… lots. There is something I’ve noticed consistently over our season. When I watch highlights on TV and they show the big hits of “Week Whatever” in the CFL, there are always Bombers getting run over in our offensive backfield. Easily the two biggest hits I’ve seen this year have both been QB sacks on Pierce. Untouched and run over by the opposition. Honorable mention goes to Anthony Calvio this past week and he was actually knocked out unconcious in Edmonton. One local article declared it is open season on Winnipeg QB’s.
For this reason, I’m giving the first group award of the season. The Bomber (appropriately named) Offensive Line, c’mon down. The only holes you create are not for our Running Backs to get through, they are landing strips for the enemy Defensive players to swoop in and get through to mow down your teammates. Half way into the season, your locker room colleagues are so beat up that they finally succumbing to injury.
ABF faithful, you may not agree with my decision but you don’t get a vote. It’s my blog and I’m tired of watching good players get leveled. To the Offensive Line I give you this challenge… get your shit together and do your job.
-Mike Alexander
Toronto really is an oddity as far as the Universe is concerned. Nice people I know live there and do well, so I don’t really want to include them in this rant that is as fair as it is balanced. Believe me, I’ve pored over the numbers late into the night over many moons and I was gob smacked when I discovered the absolute truth of the matter: Toronto has a bit of a complex about itself. Facts don’t lie. As the country’s most celebrated and well-known locale, whiney and mope-y citizens in the GTA, morons who just handed the country over to a dead-eyed Republican during the last federal election, still feel compelled to consider themselves as a bit of an underdog for reasons that annoy the rest of the country. Trust me, every time a baby shits its pants in Toronto, you know Peter Mansbridge will be covering it from every angle as the lead story that night on the National. It’s a false sense of entitlement and for the most part, it reeks to high heaven.
But check out the stands at Rogers Centre this evening and bear witness to the lamest, most bored and unenthusiastic spoiled idiots in the league. Tickets for today’s game going for $5 a pop? Give me a break. The sound of an audible yawn being carried into living rooms across the country from some fat-headed stooge being paid by his employers to be there? It happens. The place is a tomb. It doesn’t help matters that the lowly Argos are going into tonight’s’ match against the Bombers with an eyeball puncturing 2-9 record this season. Toronto may be lame and snobbish, but even the most uptight locals refuse to touch the Boatmen with a ten foot pole. And the menu tonight can’t possibly look good for those hoping for a nice, entertaining night out on the town. It seems that Buck Pierce and company are in town looking to feast on the hapless Argos and there isn’t a goddamn thing that can be done to stop them.
And yet anything is possible in the CFL and last weeks’ game against the Alouettes showed that even teams with a somewhat questionable offense like the Bombers can march in, slap a few mothers in the face, rack up an impressive 440 yards in offense and walk out with a win. Yes, that was Fred Reid who finally found his legs and ran all the way to the hills for a sick passing touchdown. And no, you are not mistaken, that was Cory Watson with his second straight 100 yard game. For his efforts, Buck was handed the offensive player of the week award. It’s unusual to rack up these types of offensive stats when in Montreal, but this is the CFL, and that kind of thing happens from time to time. It was important game against the usually dominant Al’s, and makes recent Labour Day and Banjo Bowl blowouts against the Riders slink off back into a lonely black murky puddle, teeming with virus off in some long-forgotten nightmare.
So we head into Toronto to find the team chugging along at a relatively solid pace. Finding Winnipeg at the top of the heap in the league comes with a cost. Bumps, bruises, nicks and chunks have been pulled, peeled, hammered, stomped and knocked off along the way and some of it hasn’t been easy to watch. The weight of the season slowly learns further on the Bombers and the injury roster grows a bit longer every week. Jo Lobo is out for the season, and now Tim Brown is out as well. Questions are still being asked about Buck Pierce’s health related to his weekly Passion of the Christ highlight reel tape. Nothing in the world in terms of health is certain, and when you are paid to be a red-headed step child to every 300 pound crazed ape in the league who would like to put you in a hospital bed, lid-poppin’ concussions, rib injuries, and even worse can often be a persons’ reality. I have yet to see last nights’ hit on Anthony Calvillo, but I am assured that he has no memory of it either. Apparently it was a doozy. So as far as Buck Pierce is concerned, I fully expect to continue holding my breath until the end of the season before resting easy.
A quick glance at the Argos shows a painful reality for Coach Barker. That reality is named Steven Jyles. Jyles, as you will likely recall was released from the Bombers in a controversial pre-season shake-up when Lapo proudly announced that he had put all his chips on one Buck Pierce. It must have felt like being woken up by repeated hits to the face from a claw hammer to Jyles. No one really saw it coming and it’s one of those mysteries in life. How did Lapo foresee this unfolding the way that it has? There are clues.
When you see Jyles play, last year comes crashing back with vivid memories worse than seeing the mayor of this city grinning like an asshole at the front of a fucking conga line. Thank little baby Jesus that Jyles isn’t wearing a blue and gold Jersey today. Jyles has a problem with his brain. He is only able to work one play and is unable to scramble on the fly. As a result, he loses composure and then one of two things happen: He tastes the turf or loses the ball. Rattle Steven Jyles early and he will play himself out of what otherwise could be considered a football game. Not that I`m asking for a miracle here. Jyles has no one to throw to. Expect a few harsh turnovers, and small drives that stall and turn into punting situations often. Steven Jyles will experience a brain hemorrhage all night long much like last weeks’ sadsackery against the Riders, a game where the struggling Toronto pivot ruined any hope of an Argo win on account of 2 interceptions and a costly fumble in the second half. Winnipeg knows that Jyles is going to stall and wheeze out every time he touches the ball. The chances are good he doesn’t golf in the off-season either on account of his eyeballs that appear to see a universe that the rest of us cannot.
So while the rest of the league will be all poo-poo about it, Swaggerville is alive and well, without apology. Expect a long, painful four quarters for Jyles, Barker and the rest of the Argonauts. It’s going to be a quiet night in the centre of the universe over at Rogers Mausoleum.
Winnipeg by 18…because Toronto sucks.
The big Pac attack bounced back last week with a 3-1 record, bringing his total for the season over .500 again to to 23-22.
Montreal to cover the -1.5 in Edmonton.
BC over the Riders at home.
Wpg to cover the -5.5 in Toronto.
Calgary to cover the -1.5 in Hamilton.
Good luck. Go Blue
Mike A.
Four Bombers missed the plane to Montreal this week and I completely blew my deadline for Game day as well. Here at the Ashburn Compound I am just going to angrily hammer on the keyboard until kickoff. I have a policy of trying to get these entries into the hands of our loyal readership by the opening whistle and I am afraid that much like these four amateur hour goofballs who couldn’t make the flight with the team, my head has been filled with a wide array of things that have nothing to do with football this week.
And what a week it has been. I feel like I am still aching all over from the effort required to stand upright during last weeks’ punishment on the field at Canad Inns stadium. Many questions arose from this dismal outing. Was that the last time I’m ever going to urinate on a hotdog bun in a trough? Will that be the last time that I face ejection at a football game for being angry and vocal? What sort of lessons are to be learned when your quarterback throws five interceptions, two of them the worst this humble narrator has ever seen in his life? Last weeks’ loss against the Riders at home at the Banjo Bowl was pretty hard to swallow. Everyone saw an offense that failed to produce and instead, chose to stand around while Buck took his newest hit of the year, a monster of a lid poppin’ slammer by Saskatchewan safety Craig Butler. It was horrible and perhaps deserving considering the fact that we are now 0-2 against the Riders. If you’re going to hand the Riders a game like that, maybe they should get a free shot at your QB on his home turf as well.
Bomber QB Buck Pierce is simply not going to be able to sustain the kind of beating he continues to take on the field week after week. I can’t imagine how he is possibly going to be starting at 100% this afternoon against the Al’s. I would hope to see Brink come in to take a few snaps throughout the afternoon.
Look, the facts are still very simple here. We are still number one in the east. We are sill 7 and 3 on the season. There will be football to play after the regular season. And from time to time, Montreal has looked human so far this year. However Winnipeg is going to have to show up and pour the running game on Montreal and shut them down out of the gate. If you’ve been paying attention over the last three weeks, you understand that the offense continues to fall apart more and more week after week. Will the bleeding continue this afternoon? Questions about the remainder of the season will be answered today. The Buck stops here. Losing this afternoon is fairly unforgivable here, folks.
Game time at Molson Stadium starts now! Let’s go Blue!!!
Pac had another tough week, going 1-3. He is sitting below .500 for the first time this year, with a record of 20-21. Good luck this week fellow degenerates, the CFL can erase your bankroll in the blink of an eye.
Edmonton to cover in Hamilton.
The Riders to cover at home.
BC to cover in Calgary.
Montreal to cover at home over the Blue and Gold.
by H.F. Salisbury
In the great tradition of recognizing “Cactus” Jack Wells and the Happy Honker Award given out on C-Job radio here in Winnipeg, I present for you yet another installment of the Happy Crappy Honker Award given to an individual(s) for a fantastic unforgivable performance directly related to the continued floundering of our once beloved Winnipeg Blue Bombers. This award is handed out after every Winnipeg Blue Bomber loss.
During the game, Tee Martin and I were talking as the 10 - 0 lead the Bombers built slowly started slipping away. At that point I remember saying “The secondary was going to get the Crappy if this keeps up.” Ultimately they played poorly, but then again so did our punter and our (appropriately named) offensive line. Odell “The Mayor of Swaggerville” Willis has been completely neutralized for three games going back to the win against Hamilton, and the list goes on and on.
However, Buck Pierce threw 5 interceptions. What is worst than brutal? (I have to ask cause he was it.) Even banged up and injured to the point of having to wear a Flak Jacket to start the second half of the game the Bomber coaches kept him in (hmmmmm… maybe they should get this award). His passes were always high, wobbly, and set the receiving corps up for some massive hits by the Green Riders. In the post game interview on C-Job, Bob Irving said that his performance was “the worst display at QB he can remember.” I’ll say it a different way. On Sunday, Buck sucked.
Early reports have Buck not starting in Montreal next week. I support this too little, too late decision. He needs to be healthy in order to be better. And there is no where to go but better for him after that Crap-tastic display.
C’mon down and collect your award Buck… assuming you are healthy enough to get here and lift it.
PS… Honorable mention goes to the Hugh McFadyen’s campaign team for that stupid “banner from a helicopter” idea. It flew over the stadium all afternoon long, but the banner was the size of a Kleenex. You had to have binoculars to read it. For more information on the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, click here.
