Angry Bomber Fans

Nov 9

Crappy Honker Award - Terrence Edwards

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.

I’ve heard people bitchin’ about this one already and I hadn’t even posted it yet.   We never should have been down as much as we were… the game plan was clearly “let’s give the Stamps a 17 point lead and WHAMO, we’ve got them right where we want them.” Over to you Defense to win the game… again. Except it doesn’t work like that. The Bombers luck with comebacks has run out.

If our Offense was half as good as our Defense, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Football Club would be in the position to be called a Dynasty. Say what you want about Swaggerville and you don’t like it because it’s too cocky. But think about this for a second… wouldn’t you love to see an offense with as much swagger as Brock or Dunigan brought back in the day.    Man, that would be A-W-E-S-O-M-E.  However this is clearly not reality. Case in point… how many times was our starting field position after a kick or punt to us better than the 40 yard line and we went two and out. Why was this happening? Drum roll please…

Last time I checked, receivers were paid to catch balls thrown to them. At the two minute mark of the 4th quarter, it was 3rd down. Brink dropped back in the pocket and threw a 30 yard missile that hit Edwards in the numbers on the Stampeder’s 15 yard line. You know what he did. He dropped it. Game over. Comeback snuffed. When I indicated Terrence Edwards was getting the Crappy Honker Award, people thought I was joking. “He didn’t even play the whole game?!?!!?” “He hurt his elbow and was all taped up?!?!!?” Boo freaking hoo.

Terrence, I like you. You are one of my favorite Bombers. If it was a mental error, check your head and get in the game for a whole 60 minutes. If it was related to your sore elbow, rest it. Just get your act together when we really need you the most… like when we are about to earn first place in the East rather than back into it.

Enjoy the Crappy…. and hope you don’t earn it again this year.

Two wins boys. GO BOMBERS!!!

Oct 29

Crappy Honker Award - Buck Pierce

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.

I hate issuing this award. Especially when I could just as well copied and pasted a previous entry. The more things change, the more they stay the same. As much as this should go to the CFL officiating crew, I’m not going to cop out with that one. We had our own destiny under control. Win against the 4 - 12 Argonauts and grab first in the East. Have a bye week. Get healthy, Go Blue!!! Simple right. WRONG.

We can’t ride our Defense to victory each week. We can’t put ourselves in a “need a major comeback” each week. We have to score points. Offense is important and our Offense is not carrying its weight now. We are the second worst passing offense in the league.

Buck Pierce got knocked out of the game. On the play he injured his leg he attempted to throw the ball to a receiver on the East sideline. He threw a wobbler off his back foot, and floated a gift up to Byron Parker, who intercepted the pass and ran it back 50 yards for a touchdown setting a CFL single season record for 9 interceptions for a touchdowns. It was a poor decision to throw that ball to that spot and it was an even poorer pass. Rookie mistake. Bush-league at best.

We only lost the game by 5 points. Turnovers are bad. Turnovers which yield points for the opposition are a guaranteed way to get a nomination or in this case the choice for this weeks Crappy Honker Award. Come on down, limping all the way to collect it Buck.

Sep 28

Crappy Honker Award - Offensive Line

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.

Sep 12

Crappy Honker Award - Buck Pierce

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.

Sep 6

Crappy Honker Award

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 I am the first to admit that our final record wasn’t likely to be 17 and 1, I am dissatisfied with our effort. Not only did we lose to the Green Riders, we beat ourselves. Two losses in one game… now that’s impressive. What, you don’t agree??? Come on…be honest…did it ever feel like we were in this one??? Nope, and as a result, ohhh baby we have lots of nominations for what is only the second Crappy awarded this year.

Lowlights include four turnovers and 16 (seriously?!?!!?) penalties for over 170+ yards that we were backed up. If you were watching, you witnessed Swaggerville turn to Staggerville before your very eyes. Heck, even the defense looked ordinary. To date and for the most part, the D has carried this team with it`s consistency, defensive points, and hard hitting all year. So as a result, “The Crappy” must go to an offensive player and luckily, we have just the candidate.

While I know rushing is down in the league this year, Fred Reid was brutal. Our total yards rushing was only 57 yards. TOTAL, not quarter or half time stat… 57 yards total. Even crappier, Reid’s 14 carries were for only 35 yards. For fans of math that’s 2.5 yards a carry and not good enough to be the bench-warmer on some Pop Warner football team. With no running game, covering the receivers becomes that much easier and presto, recipient for Stinky Staggerville Stew. Your response may be something like “oh it’s the play calls and Fred needs blocking to create holes in the O-line.” My retort is you are not an angry enough Bomber Fan and shame on you.

Sorry Fred Reid… you must do better. Hell… you can only do better.