Winnipeg Blue Bombers

In the wake of injuries to both Alex Brink and Stephen Jyles during their last game against the Toronto Argonauts, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed three new quarterbacks to their rosters this week.

With playoffs out of the picture for the Bombers, the team hopes to look to the future and find a starting quarterback for the 2011 season. The team signed Zac Champion to their active roster on Thursday, as well as adding Justin Goltz to their practice roster earlier this week.

Zac Champion spent his 2008 and 2009 with the B.C. Lions, where he went 6-of-17 for 46 yards. Champion also had one touchdown and two interceptions. This past offseason, Champion was signed to the Calgary Stampeders, where he accumulated 94 passing yards. as well as a rushing touchdown. As well, Champion through for a total of 4,725 yards and 27 touchdowns with Louisiana Tech during his college career.

Justin Goltz was a three-year starter at Occidental College and became their starting quarterback in his senior year. Goltz passed for 1,832 passing yards and 11 touchdowns during the year, and added 599 rushing yards while keeping the Occidental College Tigers to an undefeated season.

After leading the Tigers to their third Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship in four years, Goltz was named the 2008 SCIAC Offensive Player of the Year.

Additionally, the Bombers added Frank Wilczynski earlier this week.

During Tuesday's practice with the Bombers, Goltz and Wilczynski were introduced to the CFL style of football, having to cope with new dimensions of the field, the number of downs, the size of the ball, as well as the extra player for both teams.

"It's really strange seeing an extra person on the field," said Wilczynski, a mobile prospect from Rowan University (Division III). "I mean, you don't really feel like there's 12 on offence but you feel like there's 12 on defence. It's tough."

Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice didn't promise any spots at training camp to the new QBs next year, so this is being considered as more of an audition of sorts.

"I have to earn a spot to come here next year," said Goltz, who confirmed the next 10 days may be his only chance to make an impression on the Blue Bombers coaching staff.

Look to see the three rookie quarterbacks in action as the Blue Bombers head to Edmonton to face the Eskimos on Saturday night.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Edmonton Eskimos
Week Four: Game Three
Time: 6:30PM EST on TSN

Eskimos Desperate For a Win

Entering Week Four, the Eskimos have found themselves digging a hole, one possibly too deep that they may not be able to get out of. Following the first three weeks, Edmonton has managed to put up points on the board, however failed to finish out games and have lost their last two games by an average of seven points.

The B.C. game showed their quick flaws and inability to find the end-zone but moving forward, they were able to keep control of the first half against Montreal and then Saskatchewan. However, they would end up shooting themselves in the foot and falling apart in the second half, with dropped passes that could have sealed the games and costly penalties which only added to their loss.

A big stat to take a look at, is Edmonton has yet to score a single point in the fourth quarter, a key factor if Saturday's game should still be within their grasps.

Onto the Bombers, they've lost their last two of three games, which possibly have caught fans off-guard following their stellar 49-29 win against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to open the season at home.

Moving into Week Two, their game against Toronto was one that many felt should have been put away in the third quarter; however, they let the game slip out of their hands late and the Argos took care of the rest in the fourth. Following last Friday's game in Hamilton, the team has left many questioning where they are headed.

Buck Pierce went down late in the third, bringing in back-up quarterback Steven Jyles. Jyles ended the night nine-for-13 completions, 95 yards, and one rushing touchdown. A play in the third quarter which saw the Winnipeg defense cause a fumble on Kevin Glenn, was overturned by a whistle, which set up a TiCat touchdown and the 21-0 lead into the fourth.

With Pierce out this week due to a right knee injury suffered in Winnipeg's loss to Hamilton, all eyes are on Jyles to lead this team into Saturday's home matchup against the Edmonton Eskimos.

How long Pierce will stay out for is yet to be determined, however Winnipeg is hopeful to have him in Calgary for Week Five before facing Hamilton back-to-back and finishing off Montreal in Week Eight before the Labour Day classic with Saskatchewan.

While it has been five years and things certainly have changed, Jyles might remember a couple things back when he played with Edmonton, which could be a useful tool Saturday. As well, being associated with head coach Paul LaPolice last season in Saskatchewan, the offensive schemes should be relatively quick for Jyles to pick up, as he will also take on the starting snaps during practice.

Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Ricky Ray has amounted 888 yards on the season so far, averaging 296 per game, with only one touchdown and two interceptions coming in their Game Two loss to Montreal. This could pose as a problem for the Winnipeg secondary if they are unable to contain the receivers or the run, otherwise look for Ray to fly through the air all night.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have managed, without much offensive production since Week One, to hold the opponent to an average of 106 yards rushing so far. Last week they were able to contain Marcus Thigpen, who had 18 yards on the night, and zero returns for touchdowns after securing a missed field goal and a kick-off returned for touchdowns.

If the Bombers want some assistance Saturday night, look for them to call on their front seven to provide pressure on Ricky Ray and get him mobile, as giving Ray time to find a receiver has proved to be costly in the past.

Look for the secondary to attempt to contain Fred Stamps and Kelly Campbell, as they will try to break the seam and find the end-zone any way they can. Edmonton will have to watch out for both Terrence Edwards and newcomer, Terence Jeffers-Harris, as they look to bring in the ball.

And don't forget about Aaron Hargreaves, who made some stellar catches against Hamilton last week, to continue drives. All this and possibly more should make this a great game.

This match-up will be beneficial to either team, as a win for Edmonton breaks their win-less streak, and a win for Winnipeg will improve their record to 2-2, therefore we could end Week Four with a possible three or four-way tie for first in the East.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Week Three: Game Two
Time: 7PM EST on TSN

Penalties, interceptions, blown replay review, and a lack of defense

You could pick any one of those options from the title as one of many reasons for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers loss tonight. What could possibly have been the game-turning point was the blown replay review that ended up resulting in a Tiger-Cat touchdown.

Let's review the play shall we? Glenn makes a run for it, ball is dropped as he's coming down to the turf, with both knees clearly off the ground. Winnipeg jumps on the ball but the play is supposedly ruled dead. The reasoning behind the lack of an overturn, being that the player did not jump on the ball fast enough before the play was blown dead. What?

This botched call ended up in a quick six for Hamilton, giving them a 21-7 lead before ending 28-7 on the night. We'll never know whether that call was the game-changer, but it could be on the list, along with a large assortment of plays.

Breaking down Winnipeg, there were many problems from all aspects of the game tonight, as there is little to be pleased about. However there were some highlights and we'll likely touch on them.

After four quarters, the offense generated 290 total yards on the night. That is one yard short of what Buck Pierce generated in Game One against Hamilton that resulted in a 49-29 win. The Bombers generated zero first downs and had several quick two-and-outs in the first quarter.

There were some bright spots during the second quarter that allowed our defense to rest a little, however that proved to be ineffective as the defense were out there for just over 19 minutes in the first half. A large problem on the night was the receivers inability to hang onto, or make any solid catches that could have resulted in first downs or more.

The game was about to change for the better, with a late drive in the second quarter, however a pick in the end-zone ended those chances, which is another possible game-changer. In the end, the offense just was unable to produce any strong numbers and at the end of the day, you need points to win football games.

The defense did nothing to help their offense tonight either, as they let Glenn go 12 for 12 to begin the game, gave up 28 points, and allowed 336 receiving yards. Still, a highlight was being able to contain Cobb and Thigpen tonight, who combined a total of 71 yards. Thigpen returned a missed field goal and kick-off in Week One for two quick sixes, none tonight.

Their lack of ability to get even any pressure on Kevin Glenn tonight was atrocious, as it allowed him to stay poised and bring in 340 yards of offense. Several big penalties on defense did not help the club in any way tonight, with many 10+ yards or more penalties.

The special teams crew saw a lot of action tonight, punting away eight times, which saw Renaud's Week One average drop 10.5 tonight, to 49.9. Alexis Serna saw absolutely no chances at attempting field goals, which could be a saver, and could have had the score end even higher.

At the end of the game, a lot can be said about how Winnipeg played this game, after two weeks of pretty good action, and how Hamilton did everything right, so to speak. Obviously some injuries have plagued the team tonight, especially in their secondary. Could this set-up a tough match with Edmonton?

Highlights:
Doggett laying out Thigpen on the return.
No punt or kick-off returned for a touchdown.
Hargreaves brought in some great catches, utilizing his feet greatly to keep some drives going, but that was it.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Week Three: Game Two
Time: 7PM EST on TSN

Last year, both teams entered Week Three with a 1-1 record, when heading into Ivor Wynne Stadium. This time last season, Winnipeg's offense was run by Stefan Lefors, who has since been suspended by the club for failing to show up at Training Camp, and is now back down South.

In his first two games at the helm, Stefan was 27 of 58, a 46 percent pass completion, two touchdowns, and one interception. Although Henry Burris went on a rampage with almost 250 yards, the Bombers would prevail by 12 after four quarters to win Game Two, heading with momentum to Hamilton.

Meanwhile, Hamilton faced off with Toronto and B.C., and would also win their second game of the season.

For the Tiger-Cats, their offense was haled by Quinton Porter, who many feel is the future for the Ti-Cat regime and should be a great player in the years to come. For now, he was 45 for 64, a 70.3 percent pass completion, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Hamilton built an early lead heading into the fourth quarter that B.C. was unable to penetrate after Otis Floyd intercepted Pierce on their final possession and lost the game 31-28.

This week, each team is poised to move forward and continue their season, as the Bombers look towards Week Three and a chance to leave Ivor Wynne Stadium with a 2-1 record after losing by two to the Toronto Argonauts in Week Two.

As for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, they are still looking for their first win of the season and their first in the last three games since losing to B.C. last season in the semifinals.

Of course, Hamilton's last win came against the Bombers last season in Week 19, clinching themselves a playoff spot. When looking down the last five years, Hamilton is 5-11 against Winnipeg, and have lost three of their last five games at home by an average of 26-24, a two point differential.

The Bombers rushed for 211 yards on the night in the season opener, while the Tiger Cats were held to just 94.

In their loss to Calgary last week, the Tiger Cats again were unable to capitalize on the run game, as DeAndra Cobb was ineffective once again. Probably Hamilton's biggest problem was allowing the Bombers quarterback to rush for 89 yards of his own, including one touchdown. Pierce followed that up with 103 yards against Toronto in their Week Two loss.

Week Three will prove two different storylines, as the Bombers look for their second win of the season, which came in Week Five, by one against Toronto and ended their first eight games, with a 3-5 record. This season, their first four of eight games are against the Tiger-Cats. A sweep gives them a minimum of a 4-4 record.

For the Tiger-Cats, they started the 2009 campaign 4-4 after their first eight games, something that will be in the back of their heads come Friday night, as a loss sends them to 0-3 and into the basement of the East division, while Winnipeg will continue progressing forward.

This season is their first full season with Kevin Glenn at the helm after a late start in 2009. So far he has put up some simple numbers, but nothing exciting and his inability to get to his receivers with less than stellar pass-coverage, has proved to be a deteriorate.

Look for Pierce to get the offense going early and strong, as the Bombers want to come out and make a statement with touchdowns in their mindset. The Bombers have a tendency to beat the Tiger-Cats, however fall short the following game, only to flip-flop each time. So a big key to the Bombers victory will be shutting down the Tiger-Cats return game.

In Week One, the Ti-Cats returned a missed field goal and a punt for touchdowns by Marcus Thigpen. The addition of Derrick Doggett should prove to be one of the missing keys on Special Teams to shut down the return game. If Serna's mishaps continue however, I don't see his future with the Blue and Gold lasting much longer than two games.

Elsewhere, Hamilton will need to muster all they can from all phases of the game, in order to come out of the game victorious, as Winnipeg has not been kind to them on their own turf. Kevin Glenn will need more help from his front seven as he looks to complete passes and try to get DeAndra Cobb into the game, while the defense will need to do a better job closing seams and stopping Pierce from running his way to the red zone.

Random Game Prediction:
31-25 score for Winnipeg.
Buck Pierce: Two touchdowns.
Kevin Glenn: One touchdown, two interceptions.
Terrence Edwards: Two touchdowns.

Another chapter in the CFL's "Era Of New Stadiums" began with a sod-turning ceremony in Winnipeg.

By 2012, the Blue Bombers will be lodged in a new 33,000 seat stadium located on the University of Manitoba, which will also serve as the home field for the University's CIS Bisons team.

The stadium can also be expanded to 40,000 seats when necessary and Winnipeg has been promised a Grey Cup game within five years of completing construction.

The old stadium seats just over 29,500 and is in need of repair, so the new stadium is welcome news to the CFL which will ensure the long term survival of the Blue Bombers.

The new facility will also have 40 private boxes and some loge boxes, and lots more scope for raising advertising dollars, including naming rights, etc., welcome news to a franchise that lost $1.2 million last year.

The stadium is part of a sports complex which includes a new fitness centre. 

The entire package costs $137 million, with the stadium costing $115 million and the fitness centre $22 million. $90 million comes from a loan by the Manitoba Provincial Government.

Though it is not said, the new stadium reflects one thing about Winnipeg: It believes and trusts the CFL, not the NHL.

In this case, a proper CFL size stadium will be built that meets the exact conditions of today's league, with capability of expansion when necessary.

In contrast, when Winnipeg decided to build a new arena that became the MTS Centre, they deliberately chose to build one that suited themselves, not the NHL, because they did not trust that league to return, even if they built one that matched the NHL median.

Consequently, the MTS Centre is unexpandable, with 15,000 seats, too big for the AHL Manitoba Moose, and 3,000 seats under the NHL median.

The new stadium is part of a flock of new facilities that may or may not see the light of day for the CFL.

These include a permanent expansion of Montreal's stadium by 5,000 seats, and a new "temporary" 27,000 seat stadium for the B.C. Lions.

There is the proposed (and disputed) new home of the Hamilton Tiger Cats, to be part of Toronto's 2015 Pan American Games.

There is also the "temporary/permanent" stadium being built in Moncton, for this year's "Touchdown Atlantic" game, which many people hope will lead to a new CFL franchise in New Brunswick.

Also on the table is a new stadium for a revived Ottawa franchise, and talk about a new stadium for Saskatchewan.

The Winnipeg news is a great cause for rejoicing by the CFL. It will ensure the long term stability and competitiveness by the Blue Bombers in the coming two decades.

 The search for the a new Bombers Head Coach ended Friday as the club hired former Riders offensive coordinator Paul Lapolice.  Lapolice takes over a Bombers team that was a dysfunctional group last year with Mike Kelly calling the shots and Winnipeg finishing with a dismal 7-11 season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005. 

At 39 Lapolice is among the youngest coaches in the CFL but nonetheless has accomplished alot in a short time.  Last season he turned the Riders into an offensive powerhouse with first year quarterback Darian Durant leading the team to Grey Cup appearance and a near victory.  What was most remarkable was that the Riders offence was able to produce consistently despite having no real established star players on the offensive side of the ball.  Bomber fans will remember Lapolice in the Dave Ritchie era in Winnipeg as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2002 and 03.  During that stretch the offense put up some impressive stats including 46 touchdown passes throw by quarterback Khari Jones and a record 23 touchdown catches for Milt Stegall. 

With the Bombers being the subject of much controversy last season Lapolice hopes to bring respectability back to the Winnipeg franchise.  "We want to make sure we put a professional face on this organization," LaPolice said with his wife Tina - a Winnipeg native - and young daughter Payton by his side. "I'll do my utmost.

"I'm humbled by the opportunity. I'm going to work very hard for this community and I'm going to do my best to represent it in a positive light."  Evaluations and player recruitment has already begun for Lapolice who believes the team must improve in all areas of the game.  "This game is about you having to put points on the board . . . ," LaPolice said. "We'll do some things creativity-wise to force people to have problems and mismatches in coverage and we'll get people open."  Bishop will be among those evaluated at quarterback, Lapolice knows him well having worked with him in both Toronto and Saskatchewan. 

This off season has been a near carbon copy of last years with wholesale changes once again in the front office and their second head coach in as many seasons.  Lapolice brings with him a Grey Cup ring from his time as receivers coach with the Riders back in 2007 when they defeated the Bombers in heartbreaking fashion.  The Bombers will name on offensive coordinator later on in the week, though Lapolice will be the primary play caller.

In light of the Jim Balsillie ruling, once again baring Hamilton from the NHL, and the obsession of Canadians for getting another NHL team, it is refreshing to look at the Winnipeg situation.

There is a lobby group in Winnipeg called the Manitoba Mythbusters (with whom I've had frequent clashes) that wants the Winnipeg Jets back at any cost in their too-small arena which they insist in NHL size when even the management publicly stated that it was for the AHL alone.

When Winnipeg opted to build a new arena, they could have built a proper NHL size one of 18,000-plus and then gone after a team in trouble like Phoenix or hoped the NHL would offer them an expansion franchise.

But they did not. Why?

Because Winnipeg does not trust Gary Bettman and the NHL Board of Governors. So instead they built an arena that suits they own needs, one for the AHL Moose. Their decision is justified because we've all just witnessed how hard the NHL fought to prevent another Canadian team from joining their ranks.

Winnipeg remembered how too easily the NHL let the Jets, Nordiques, and Whalers depart and then contrasted it with how the NHL fought to the death to keep a bad franchise in Phoenix. They don't want that kind of trashy treatment.

Why should Winnipeg, like Hamilton spend millions of dollars building an NHL size arena to try for a franchise from a league that has shown anti-Canadian policies since 1967?

Why should they build an arena for a team that may never come back? They believed they should put their sports money elsewhere.

So instead of building an arena, they are building a new stadium for the team they already have, the Blue Bombers of the CFL.

Unlike the NHL, the CFL values its Canadian franchises and hopes they flourish.

They would welcome Balsillie or any other Canadian investor with open arms if they tried to build a CFL size stadium in a city like London, Kitchener, or Quebec.

Winnipeg opted to build for something solid, not something pie-in-the-sky. They are the least blinkered city in Canada about the NHL.

They chose to invest in the CFL. They made the right choice. They're getting something for their money that is going to be staying in their city for a long time.

So sorry Mythbusters. It seems your city isn't being taken in by your rhetoric. You'll have to pine away for the Jets on your own. You can drown your sorrows while watching a Blue Bombers game at the new stadium.

So Winnipeg is bringing in another new quarterback.  Since the Michael Bishop experiment has produced unsatisfactory results, the team has traded with Montreal to bring in Ricky Santos (instead of looking at Casey Printers as Glen Suitor pleaded) to be the Bombers' latest savior.

But after watching the Montreal-Winnipeg game on Sunday, it seems to me there is a lot more wrong with the Winnipeg passing attack than just the quarterback.  It's true Michael Bishop has a lot to be desired but Winnipeg has been making quarterback changes all season and has nothing to show to it.

To me, there are two other problems to be addressed.  First after watching Sunday's game, few receivers get open. 

You can blame the quarterback all you want but there were too many times when Bishop or whoever else quarterbacks the team had to throw the ball away, get sacked, or run out of bounds because there was no one to throw the ball to.

The Winnipeg receiving corps has a way of making any quarterback look bad.  The most obvious thing watching Sunday's game is that they don't get much separation from their defenders.

Then the quarterback either has to thread the needle, risk an interception, or run with the football.  This could be due to lack of speed and experience, or it points to a second problem which is the Winnipeg offensive game plan.

Mike Kelly has refused to hire an offensive coordinator and his play-calling has left lots to be desired.  If your receivers can't get open it means two things: bad personnel, or a bad game plan.

Since some of the Winnipeg receivers have had big seasons in other years, I vote for the latter.  Kelly has designed a passing attack that his receivers can't execute.

If they're covered all the time, no quarterback can complete passes, no matter how well he is protected.  Bishop, Lefors, and whoever else quarterbacks the team are constantly on the run and suffer coverage sacks, not in just one game but in every game.  Opponents find it easy to defend against Winnipeg and plan accordingly.

The Winnipeg defense and the running game are decent but the passing attack is laughable, confused, and lacks direction.

Since Kelly is personally responsible for it, he has to take the blame and it is no wonder that there are lots of calls for his head.

Something has to give.  I'm betting that Santos will find it no better than Bishop or the others.

Then there should be other changes made and the biggest one might not be on the roster but at the coaching level.

What a season for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

New coach Mike Kelly promptly made moves acquiring QB Stefan LeFors while releasing CB Stanford Samuels, DE Tom Canada, QB Timmy Chang, and QB Kevin Glenn.

The 2009 regular season, on the other hand, started with a bang as star wideout Derick Armstrong and Kelly did battle and Armstrong eventually earning his way out of town.

LeFors struggled so veteran Michael Bishop was brought in.

However, running back Fred Reid has been dominant and rookie linebacker Jonathan Hefney has been a pleasant surprise.

Through 12 games, though, they've struggled to a 4-8 record with LeFors hitting the 9-Game injured list and journeyman Casey Bramlet being brought in.

Don't get me wrong, the season hasn't been a total wash as the above-mentioned Fred Reid has been dominant, while Hefney's been okay, and Jovon Johnson and Ike Charlton have been tackling machines.

Fred Perry and Dorian Smith have also been wreaking havoc in the backfield with five sacks each.

Terrence Edwards leads the receivers in receptions (36), receiving yards (518), and touchdowns (1).

And no, the one touchdown is not the problem for Winnipeg as Fred Reid has six.

But the reason Winnipeg is struggling this year is new head coach Mike Kelly.

Not only was the Armstrong confrontation problematic but so was the most recent one.

This week, Kelly informed team leader Barrin Simpson (who leads the team with 58 tackles) that he'll be on the bench so they can shake things up.

Simpson obviously declined as he's blowing out his stats from last year and could contend with his career high 115 tackles in 2001.

So, Winnipeg responds by placing him on 9-Game injured list since they couldn't find a trading partner.

The issue, not only with the Blue Bombers handling of the situation, is that Simpson did not approve his placement on the injured list.

CFL rules require that a player okays the move before it can happen.

Not only is Winnipeg facing a rules violation and a road trip to Montreal, but they're also facing the dreaded "rebuilding" that plagued Hamilton for years.

Winnipeg fans better be prepared for the day Kelly tells Fred Reid that they decided to go with another player since Kelly and stars clearly clash, which just shows that he's slowly losing his mind by the day.

After head coach Mike Kelly announced that he would not be taking any more phone calls on his weekly coaches show on Winnipeg's local AM radio station CJOB, the Bombers have reportedly signed former Dallas Cowboy and bad boy Adam "Pacman" Jones to help with their punt return and special teams.

According to SIsports.com, Jones, 25, decided to sign with the Bombers for one year over the inaugural United Football League, which only has four teams playing a six-game schedule.

If the Winnipeg Blue Bombers season could take any more twists and turns, right now was the perfect time to take some..