OT: Winnipeg Blue Bombers 2024 Season Thread - Footnote it is. Another long off-season ahead.

[Holden Caulfield]

NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Toronto Argonauts sign Global DL Thiadric Hansen - 3DownNation

That one stings, IMO.

I see the logic. Thiadric likely wanted to be the highest paid Global in CFL, as rightfully he should (if healthy). But Bombers have their Global spot locked down with Sheahan. So no incentive for Bombers, plus you can probably go cheaper and better with an American rotational DE. But still, one of my fav players walking sucks.

 

[puck stoppa]

NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Toronto Argonauts sign Global DL Thiadric Hansen - 3DownNation

That one stings, IMO.

I see the logic. Thiadric likely wanted to be the highest paid Global in CFL, as rightfully he should (if healthy). But Bombers have their Global spot locked down with Sheahan. So no incentive for Bombers, plus you can probably go cheaper and better with an American rotational DE. But still, one of my fav players walking sucks.

Sheahan is awful. Surely we can do better.

 

[WolfHouse]

Hansen gave us good years... we should have paid him.

 

[macmaroon]

CJOB just reported Kenny Ploen has passed away, he was 88. While I was too young to remember him play, my parents often talked about what a great quarterback he was.

 

[bustamente]

Kenny Ploen was one of the greats in all of football.

 

[bustamente]

Hansen served the Bombers well but really didn't do much when he finally got back on the field last year

 

[sipowicz]

RIP Ken

 

[GNP]

Kenny Ploen was one of the greats in all of football.

Ken Pleon was a fantastic quarterback, during those 1959 - 1964 battles with Hamilton, where in that period, the Bombers won 4 Grey Cups. Ken used to be friends with my neighbour, and go over to his house all the time. One time they drove up my neighbours driveway, and I was playing football in my front yard. As they both got out of the car, my neighbour asked Ken to throw me a pass, and he didn't want to do it on his day off. My neighbour said, C'mon Ken, throw the kid just 1 pass, and he did, and I caught it. Made my day - he was a hero of mine.
True story.

 

[Ponds]

NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Toronto Argonauts sign Global DL Thiadric Hansen - 3DownNation

That one stings, IMO.

I see the logic. Thiadric likely wanted to be the highest paid Global in CFL, as rightfully he should (if healthy). But Bombers have their Global spot locked down with Sheahan. So no incentive for Bombers, plus you can probably go cheaper and better with an American rotational DE. But still, one of my fav players walking sucks.

He'll forever hold a place in my heart for his multi player hit in GC 107. What an absolute demolition job. Byfuglien esc.

CJOB just reported Kenny Ploen has passed away, he was 88. While I was too young to remember him play, my parents often talked about what a great quarterback he was.

Ken Pleon was a fantastic quarterback, during those 1959 - 1964 battles with Hamilton, where in that period, the Bombers won 4 Grey Cups. Ken used to be friends with my neighbour, and go over to his house all the time. One time they drove up my neighbours driveway, and I was playing football in my front yard. As they both got out of the car, my neighbour asked Ken to throw me a pass, and he didn't want to do it on his day off. My neighbour said, C'mon Ken, throw the kid just 1 pass, and he did, and I caught it. Made my day - he was a hero of mine.
True story.

He was before my time, but I've heard tales from the elders in my family as well.

The one memory I have of Ken Ploen is when my father asked my brother, myself and a buddy of ours to help move a chest freezer out of his then girlfriends basement. This thing was the size of a station wagon and to this day I'm convinced they built the house around it. My pops couldn't participate due to his bad back, so he called in his then girlfriend's son as the 4th man. (Which was also the first time we met him)

The guy shows up to the biggest feat of physical labor since Stonehenge, wearing socks and sandals and a Ken Ploen jersey. Not to be insulting, but this guy had the aura and physique of off-season Kyle Wellwood. That's ok, it just wasn't the type of cavalry we were hoping for, for this particular situation. I glance over at my brother and our buddy and I could tell the three of us are thinking "this is going to suck". It did. True story.

 

[jetsforever]

RIP to a WPG great

 

[jetsmooseice]

Back in the 50s CFL and NFL salaries were roughly on par with each other so you had situations like Ploen's where he opted to play in the CFL instead of the NFL. Ploen was among the greatest QBs of his era on either side of the border.

 

[The Blue Baron]

Perhaps the greatest blue bomber legend of all time, a truly kind and gracious man.

I actually got to meet him and chat with him a little bit during my cousin’s wedding at my lake no less years ago. Very nice man!

Plus he saw me dressed up as Goldmember one time in the elevator at a game and he giggled!! I told him we met at Doc Nielsen’s son’s wedding at Shoal lake Ontario. I don’t think he remembered lol.

Certainly an awesome guy to read about him my blue bomber books.

RIP kind sir

 

[jokesondee]

Gerry James, Kid Dynamite himself passed away yesterday aswell. Another legend and great Bomber gone. RIP to both.

 

[buggs]

CJOB just reported Kenny Ploen has passed away, he was 88. While I was too young to remember him play, my parents often talked about what a great quarterback he was.

Ah, bummer, Really liked Kenny and knew his daughter, she was/is a heck of an athlete. My dad and Mr. Ploen (to me) were friends.

Got his autograph at Eaton's where he was working in the furniture department at the time. My sister tore it up years later when she was mad at me about something (probably deserved) and I was always sad about it. Told the story to a buddy years later and he actually knew Kenny and got me another autographed picture. Made my day.

 

[gojetsgo]

 

[gojetsgo]

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Tyrell Ford being back is actually low key huge. Guy has potential to be a starting corner with a Canadian passport. Well see how much rust is on him after a year off essentially, and he was a really raw prospect as it was before he left. So I don't think he's in any way a starter out of camp this year, but huge depth and upside there.

 

[bustamente]

Kinda sad to see Bailey go he’s a glue guy on the offence does a lot of the dirty work, Rose on the hand is no big loss

 

[Stumbledore]

Short yardage QB Dakota Prukop signing with BC. He was always expected to leave after the Streveler signing. Streveler is Brown (#2 QB) and Prukop (Short yardage specialist) all wrapped together in one package

The problem with having both skills "wrapped together in one package" is that one injury takes out both "guys". Last year, if Prukop or Brown got injured, we still had the other as a reliable backup. Now, if Streveler goes down, we're in sad shape.

 

[jetsmooseice]

Gerry James, Kid Dynamite himself passed away yesterday aswell. Another legend and great Bomber gone. RIP to both.

The youngsters out there might not know that Gerry James was a hometown boy who not only played for the Bombers, but he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs too. His NHL career overlapped with his time with the Bombers. He's the only person to play in the Grey Cup and the Stanley Cup in the same season (Bombers won, but Leafs lost).

 

[GNP]

Back in the 50s CFL and NFL salaries were roughly on par with each other so you had situations like Ploen's where he opted to play in the CFL instead of the NFL. Ploen was among the greatest QBs of his era on either side of the border.

This is very true about the wages back in the late 1950's thru the 1960's. For instance Joe Theisman won the Heisman Trophy back then, and there was a bidding war for him, between Toronto Argos, and some US team from the NFL. Toronto outbid the US team. Theisman then led the Argos to the Grey Cup, but I don't believe he ever won it ? ( could be wrong) ??

Theisman then after about 4 -6 years in the CFL, then went on to play for the Washington Redskins. I remember he started as a kick returner, believe it or not, but then got a shot at the starting quarterback position, and never looked back. He went on to win 2-3 Superbowls with Washington. He was a great QB.

From about the early 70's and forward the NFL really grew in the US, and left the CFL way behind in salaries. For instance, I was just reading that Patrick Mahomes makes $ 50 million per year with the Chiefs. WOW, hard to believe. Such huge money.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

The problem with having both skills "wrapped together in one package" is that one injury takes out both "guys". Last year, if Prukop or Brown got injured, we still had the other as a reliable backup. Now, if Streveler goes down, we're in sad shape.

This is true. But IMO the short yardage package guy isn't as hard to find as CFL people seem to think. Hell KC has a TE do it most of the time. Take a snap fall forward. Sure you wouldn't have the entire Strev package, but that's not world ending either.

The backup QB role is tougher. And a guy like Prukop doesn't really help that, if he's playing regularly your screwed, may as well go with a raw rookie to see if you have anything. But if Strev is being forced to play and gets hurt, we are already down Collaros and yeah nobody is gonna be 3 deep at QB baring a good showing from a rookie/young guy. So meh, IMO.

Other news is Bombers lost Canadian WR Brendan O'Leary-Orange. He had top end upside, IMO, but just could never put it together consistently. Maybe a change of scenery helps, but when given the chance he just always underwhelmed. It does leave a fairly significant hole at depth Canadian WR though. With 2 projected starters there (Demski and Wolitarsky) this is not a spot that can be vacant. Wonder if Bombers are thinking WR with their first pick this year...

 

[jetsmooseice]

This is very true about the wages back in the late 1950's thru the 1960's. For instance Joe Theisman won the Heisman Trophy back then, and there was a bidding war for him, between Toronto Argos, and some US team from the NFL. Toronto outbid the US team. Theisman then led the Argos to the Grey Cup, but I don't believe he ever won it ? ( could be wrong) ??

Theisman then after about 4 -6 years in the CFL, then went on to play for the Washington Redskins. I remember he started as a kick returner, believe it or not, but then got a shot at the starting quarterback position, and never looked back. He went on to win 2-3 Superbowls with Washington. He was a great QB.

From about the early 70's and forward the NFL really grew in the US, and left the CFL way behind in salaries. For instance, I was just reading that Patrick Mahomes makes $ 50 million per year with the Chiefs. WOW, hard to believe. Such huge money.

Rocket Ismail was pretty well the last time we'll see a CFL team outbid a NFL team for a star player. (There were some other guys who opted for starting roles in the CFL instead of backup roles in the NFL through the 90s, before even NFL minimum salaries started leaving CFL salaries in the dust.) Of course, these days there is a healthy gap between all CFL and NFL salaries.

 

[The Blue Baron]

Ford back is awesome!

He played on ST for the pack and even had spot duty. No rust worries.

RIP Gerry James another Blue Bomber top notch legend.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Ford back is awesome!

He played on ST for the pack and even had spot duty. No rust worries.

RIP Gerry James another Blue Bomber top notch legend.

Nope. Ford was released outta camp last year, he wasn't even offered a PR spot with the Packers. Was never on a roster nor PR anywhere last year during the regular season.