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MBB comment predictions: Northern Skunk will post a lot about Big Chris, (everyone is talking about Big Chris!) 17 to 85 will slam Lapo, Tracker will question O'Shea, I will post some stuff in Climate change thread, and US politics thread. I heart will talk about the Jets in the Bomber game chat. Tburg will be gloomy, but make some good points. Noeller will make some good football observations, and praise O'Shea to the skys. The experienced football guys will be good as usual. Mike will drop in to slam somebody, then leave for a few weeks. speedflex will cover the glory days. (wink) 1 Wpg 2. Calgary 3. BC 4. Edmonton 5. Sask. (can a team be 6th in a five team division?)

Someone needs to clue them in...

Bombers 18-0 Riders 0-18 #AllThatMatters

Cactus: That BC player Mee-fee Cola....how do you say it? Bob Irving: Meffi Koloamatangi. Cactus: Right, Murphy Koala-mangy. Iirving: No, Koloamatangi. Cactus: Right, ColourmyTV, that it? Irving: No, it’s a tricky one for sure. I practiced all week on that one. Let’s just call him Meffi, Jack. Cactus: Well, suffice to say, Mr. Murphy Jack made an impact on today’s game... And then he’d call him Jack Murphy every time after that.

I'm pretty sure that antibiotics will take care of that for you but from now on watch who you consort with.

Drew Willy is a real tragic figure. Started out so well and then the lack of protection ended everything.

**** the NFL, indeed, but I want as much money in the WBB FC pocket books as possible, so this event will hopefully succeed...

I only wish Cactus was still alive.

I'll take 3 new faces who have had somewhere between months and years to practice with the team over the new to each other unit BC has.

There is a weird element on this board hoping this event fails, and it is really confusing. As a big fan of both leagues who likes the CFL more, it is cringy.

Standings West: Winnipeg, Calgary, B.C., Edmonton, Saskatchewan. East: Hamilton, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal. Winnipeg beats Hamilton in the Grey Cup. Harris wins most outstanding Canadian. MOS wins Coach of the Year. Gray rookie of the year. Captain Blue crashes the biplane in the north end zone, it’s totalled. Lucky performs a new style touchdown celebration into the north stands. After a week of celebrating the Grey Cup victory, Wade crashes through the doors at Royal Fork Buffet. He was not in a vehicle. It was bound to happen that scandal rocks Buzz and Boomer living arrangements.

Ed Herv- the new CHris Jones. Every league needs a heel.

add to it the big replacement..Johnson doesn't have the supporting cast that he had in CGY...so he certainly will have lesser numbers...and who knows what Hughes has left...he burns out by mid season last 2 years and being a year older..can't see that trend reversing Jefferson allowed that defense to do a lot of different things, and truthfully Eguavoen was probably their best all around defender too..so AC Leonard and whoever replaces Eguavoen is a major downgrade from last year...

Darrin Bauming, TSN.‏ @DarrinBauming 42m42 minutes ago Positive sign on 2019 first-rounder Jonathan Kongbo, running a lot today as he recovers from an ACL injury suffered in October while at U Tennessee. With the Volunteers Kongbo wore No. 1, and with the #Bombers he’s in No. 2.

As long as they beat BC I don't really care who plays, but having 3 new faces on the O-line is a frightening prospect, hopefully they can protect Nichols and make holes for Harris.

Winnipeg 20-0

Fell asleep in health class did we?

I remember that game. Everyone was predicting an Argo win. Ray at qb, Argos had Burke as DC. And bombers had a new Willy....who subsequently went out and absolutely torched Burke and his man Defense. It was fantastic. I was so high on Willy after that, stood in the pocket with authority back then. Stepping into throws. Oh if we only knew then what we know now. If you beat your Willy too much, it stops working.

Putting picks into the spreadsheet this week is going to be really easy.

I think the Riders are going to be disappointed by their defense this year. They lost a hell of a lot of playmaking ability in the offseason, and without the big plays they really weren't that fearsome a unit.

Easy for you to say.

Liam Neeson?

is the game not on Saturday? Or is this just about making the flight on Friday?

NISSAN TITAN POWER RANKINGS: HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL IN WEEK 1 1. Calgary Stampeders Record: 0-0 Last Week: — Missing roughly two-thirds of their 2018 starting defence, the Stamps face an uphill battle in their quest to repeat as Grey Cup Champions. On the other hand, most of the offence is intact, led by highly-regarded coach Dave Dickenson and two-time Most Outstanding Player Bo Levi Mitchell, who’s back on a four-year deal. You just can’t count this team out. 2. Winnipeg Blue Bombers Record: 0-0 Last Week: — As the drought approaches three decades, 2019 may be the Bombers’ best chance yet to win a Grey Cup. They were close last year, falling to Calgary in the Western Final, and this off-season GM Kyle Walters has re-stocked the shelves, adding Willie Jefferson to the defensive line and Chris Matthews to the receiving corps. On paper this could be the CFL’s deepest, most talented roster. 3. BC Lions Record: 0-0 Last Week: — If the Lions are flying under the radar in the hotly-contested West, don’t expect that to last. First-time head coach DeVone Caybrooks has assembled quite the cast of characters in BC, with Mike Reilly, Bryan Burnham and Duron Carter leading what’s expected to be a highly-explosive offence. In the end, though, it’s the other side of the ball that will determine just how far the Lions can go. 4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats Record: 0-0 Last Week: — Will the Ticats miss June Jones? That’s the question in Steeltown, where a talented roster has new leadership on both sides of the ball in coaches Orlondo Steinauer, Tommy Condell and Mark Washington. If a league-leading offence led by Jeremiah Masoli can pick up where it left off, the Ticats are heavily favoured to win the East and contend for a long-awaited Grey Cup. 5. Edmonton Eskimos Record: 0-0 Last Week: — Despite missing the playoffs AND losing franchise quarterback Mike Reilly, the Eskimos are trending up after a busy off-season. Brock Sunderland transformed the team’s core over the winter, signing Trevor Harris, Greg Ellingson and DaVaris Daniels to lead the offence along with a trio of new linebackers on defence. The Eskimos may just be the dark horse of the CFL West Division. 6. Saskatchewan Roughriders Record: 0-0 Last Week: — Led by the projected No. 1 defence and a star running back in William Powell, the ingredients for success are in place in Riderville — but there are questions. Zach Collaros wasn’t the team’s first choice at quarterback after a forgettable first season in green and white, while the departure of Chris Jones affects multiple layers of the organization. There is no bigger wildcard in the CFL than Saskatchewan in 2019. 7. Toronto Argonauts Record: 0-0 Last Week: — Coming off a last-place finish, cautious optimism surrounds the Argos heading into the new campaign. Star off-season addition Derel Walker looks to be in top form coming off season-ending injury, while Jacques Chapdelaine’s offence has clicked all pre-season, leading the team to a 2-0 record. If Corey Chamblin’s defence returns to its 2017 form, the Boatmen could challenge for the East Division crown. 8. Ottawa REDBLACKS Record: 0-0 Last Week: — It’s been a tough few months in the nation’s capital, with little remaining of the core that won East Division titles in three of the last four years. The list of off-season losses for the REDBLACKS is too long for this space, but General Manager Marcel Desjardins has proven adept at scouting and developing new talent. If this team can contend in 2019, it will silence more than a few critics in the process. 9. Montreal Alouettes Record: 0-0 Last Week: — As surprising as it was to see Mike Sherman dismissed days before the season, the tone around the Alouettes appears to be positive. Young Antonio Pipkin has been named the team’s starting quarterback, while Khari Jones has worked hard for his first opportunity as a head coach. Perhaps laying low isn’t a bad thing for a team looking to finally break out and get back in the post-season.

Well fortunately, Rex no longer works for the CBC and I'm still not sure exactly when he lost his mind. I still enjoy CBC Radio as it's easy to learn about 10 new things a day if you're able to catch the right programs (The Current, Ideas, As It Happens, Quirks & Quarks). I still think there's a hangover from the Harper-appointed Board of Directors which didn't seem too keen on the notion of a public broadcaster - kind of like making Scott Pruitt the head of the EPA. The news broadcasts and online content have suffered since then.

contrarian gotta contrary!

As always... read it in a gloomy Eeyore voice. West: Calgary - Won't win as many as last year. BLM is still the difference maker. They are the best until proven otherwise. BC - Reilly will make a huge difference to a team that just missed last year. The defence will take some time to come together. Win or lose the games will be 36-38. Winnipeg - Losing 3 NI all stars will hurt worse than most think. Nichols doesn't get back to his level of play from 2 years ago. Edmonton - Did a good job of reloading in the off season, but Reilly is a huge loss. Riders - Worst QB in the west behind a make shift OL without Jones' defence to bail them out. East: Hamilton - Lost their OC late in the offseason, but had a replacement in house. Can't see any other eastern team coming close. Ottawa - Lost a ton of good players, but are in the right division. Toronto - Will have QB problems all year long, but they're good enough to stay out of the basement. Montreal - Made some good moves, but not enough to get them out of the basement. WSF - BC beats Winnipeg. Reilly breaks our hearts yet again. WF - Calgary beats BC in a high scoring affair. ESF - Ottawa beats Edmonton. EF - Hamilton beats Ottawa Grey Cup - Hamilton beats Calgary MOP - Masoli MOC - Harris

I, as always, will keep my posts short and to the point.

I actually believe the Montreal/Edmonton game is a bit of a toss up. Montreal has a sneaky good D and Pipkin can make plays. If it's close late, I could the Als stealing one. But, I picked Edmonton.

Obviously, his eyesight was badly affected as a consequence.

I still have his first game in 2014 on my PVR. Not because it was his first game, but because we kicked Toronto's butt in that game. It was so sweet. Willy looked like a young Tom Clements in that game.

Lol ya this aged very well..

there is a lot of evidence to show that neither Donald Trump nor the Republican party care much about America's national security. They are well along a dismal path.

Yes I agree that there are a few worthwhile programs on the CBC. But I even heard a "debate" on the program "ideas" about the climate change issue, featuring deniers. I think that's when I lost respect for the CBC. Anyway......😂

thanks for that T-Burg. It did help to read it while looking at this guy...

Expecting it to fail and hoping for it to fail are two different things.

Speaking of the man... I just saw this documentary. I enjoyed it.

This. A guy like simonise is a great luxury to have. But what he gives you on the field on game day as the last guy on the roster is minimal compared to the likes of the rest. In the presser walters said they offered Simonise a PR spot and he declined. I feel like thats more then fair on both sides. You just cant always keep a guy on the active roster who has long term up side but contributes very little now and in the short term. We are no longer desperate for NI wr talent. Far from it.

Great news that every one is getting healthy just in time for week 1. Really hope Hardrick is good to go as well.

I don’t understand it either.

Played with and against Harris, coached against the rest and coached a few of them in provincial team program. Harris and Oliviera are workhorses that none of the rest compare to. The big test for Oliviera in terms of whether or not he gets the opportunity Harris did to be an every down tailback is if he can pick up the pass protections and become a great receiver out of the backfield.

Simonise would have been in direct competition with Petermann for the receiver spot and then for a bottom of the roster spot with guys like Exume, Janke and Hallett. Miller, Rush, Miles, Lalama are in a different category for special teams, Simonise can't play where they do on kick cover/return.

Don't normally do this, but I'll give it a try, acknowledging that luck greatly outplays skill in this sort of thing: The West Calgary - some question marks but until we can routinely beat them, they remain on top Winnipeg - We've got a real shot at it all this year, assuming Nichols regains his 2017 form. Even with 2018 form we should still end up here BC - lots of horses, but it remains to see if they all come together Edmonton - from Reilly to Harris is a pretty big drop off. I think that BC-Edm is really a coin flip in a lot of ways Saskatchewan - because Riders suck The East Hamilton - Not a bad team, but in the east, the tallest midget by far Ottawa - It will all go as Jennings and Davis go, but I like them better than Toronto's stable Toronto - The Raptors win and everybody in TO continues to forget they have a CFL team. Same thing if the Raptors lose. Montreal - the Saskatchewan of the west, except they actually have toothbrushes and indoor plumbing and things other than tractor pulls Playoffs West BC in Wpg - Wpg wins Wpg in Cal - Wpg wins East Edm in Ott - Edm wins Edm in Ham - Ham wins Grey Cup: Wpg beats Ham MOP - Mitchell MODP - Bighill MOCdn - A Harris

A good buddy of mine has coached Winnipeg high school football for many years and gone up against Harris, Coombs, Oliveira, Lafrance, Demski, etc. FWIW he's always said Coombs was the most dynamic and electrifying out of all of them.

No, it's because Saskatchewan sucks and the Riders blow. Always.

Re: Coombs To the shock of many, the Argos tried to move Anthony Coombs to wideout. Under the team’s previous regime led by GM Jim Barker, the Argos viewed Coombs, a Canadian, as an Andre Durie type who can line up in the backfield or move to the slot position. Coombs is a lot of things, but he’s not a wideout. Sadly, he’s been plagued by injury, but in the right system Coombs is a valuable piece. https://torontosun.com/sports/football/cfl/toronto-argonauts/argos-trim-their-roster-but-more-moves-looming#click=https://t.co/kJS2edbjaG Injury, my underlining concern...