J5V

This is why I am anxious to see the results of this sample of the supplement he sent in for testing. It seems to be taking a long time and I don't understand why. I haven't heard a word from him regarding this issue. I really want to believe this was a case of cross-contamination. Come on Andrew, do you have the results or not and if so, what were they?

"Typical recovery time While some mild oblique strains can be resolved in just a few days, severe strains can require surgery with a recovery time of 3-4 months."

LOL!

To hear him talk football was so refreshing. He didn't mind explaining things and you could clearly tell that he knew exactly what he was talking about. He wasn't worried about other coaches figuring out his plans and he didn't feel the need to be secretive.

"Pulled back muscle keeps QB Cody Fajardo out of practice, status for Saturday in doubt" -- 3DN Oh oh! That's not good news for Rider fans. Has their luck finally dried up? It's not easy to diagnose back injuries. How do they know it's a "pulled back muscle"? They're hoping that's all it is and that it might heal in the next week or two, but I know back injuries and they are very hard to diagnose and almost always end up being worse that originally thought. Really they're just guessing. A lot will be determined by how much pain is involved. A pulled muscle can result in tears to the muscle tissue, the tendons, the fascia, etc. and the bones of the back are quite small and are easily fractured and disks are easily herniated. Let's hope it's nothing serious but don't be surprised if it turns out to be worse than originally thought.

Just unbelievable hypocrisy. How many uncalled head shots have Wpg QBs endured this year? C'mon Randy. Fix this ****.

What a bunch of dorks!

Holy hyperbole!

Since Speedflex hasn't commented on Charlie Taaffe perhaps I can and hopefully he'll follow up. What I remember of him was that he was a very smart, knowledgeable coach. He was a college QB that turned to coaching college ball for the Citadel Bulldogs for 9 years. In the CFL he was hired by the Als and won coach of the year twice with a very good team that featured Anthony Calvillo at QB and Mike Pringle as RB. After a stint coaching as an OC in college ball he was hired by Hamilton but had a horrible time (Casey Printers) as coach of the Ticats eventually getting fired after two years. He was known as something of an offensive genius with a "mountain of knowledge" and one of the things he was best known for was his ability to match his offensive schemes to the talent he had to work with. He was probably a better OC than HC and he went on to have a good career in US college ball.

Awww crap. Effin cancer! Grrrr

Just, wow! After we win the Grey Cup, or maybe just before or even during, maybe Andrew Harris can give a "shove it" speech to the Winnipeg media a la Henry Burris.

Moo point? Why? What have you got against cows?

When Adams throws the ball the D can't deal with it. An offense where Zach, Chris, and/or Adams could throw the ball would be ... interesting. Too crazy? LOL!

True. I'm suggesting you don't use Streveler as a QB. Designate Collaros as the QB and use Strev as a psuedo-QB.

Agree. My concern is that we have all seen Streveler takes some late, dirty, hellacious head shots, especially while he was defenseless at the bottom of a scrum. Defenses will take liberties with a QB to try to get him out of the game. The Simoni Lawrence hit on Zach being a perfect example. I don't see Zach surviving many of those.

I read this to mean that there is nothing stopping Streveler from going in as a running back/tight end/receiver while Zach is the designated QB. If Chris happens to pull up and throw the ball before he crosses the line of scrimmage so be it. I wouldn't want to be a DC trying to deal with something like that. Would give a D fits.

This. It is possible that Streveler will not be healthy enough to play. High ankle sprains are a ***** to heal. He could easily be into next year territory.

CONGRATS to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for making the post season for the 4th straight season. While a first place finish and a bye to the WF is not possible this year a berth in the WSF is guaranteed. To be determined is our opponent and whether or not we will be hosting the game. Since we have a bye the last week of the season we can only be interested spectators. THE POSSIBILITIES If BC beats Calgary then Sask's game against Edmonton is meaningless as the Riders will have locked up first place and will host the WF. We would host the WSF against Calgary. If Calgary beats BC and Sask beats Edmonton then the Riders secure first place and host the WF and we will be going to McMann to play the Stamps in the WSF. If Calgary beats BC and Edmonton beats Sask then Calgary gets first place and will host the WF and we would be going to Mosaic to play the Riders in the WSF. We could be playing this WSF in Winnipeg, Regina, or Calgary. I hope I got that right. WHO STARTS? I don't think Zach Collaros is our starting QB by default. If Streveler is healthy he may get the nod. The concern with Zach is his ability to withstand a nasty blow to the head. In a playoff game I don't think it's a reach to suggest that, given the opportunity, someone is likely to risk it and test Collaros' melon if it means they can get him out of the game. The stakes are high. Depending on weather conditions, Streveler and his running ability may be the determining factor in who starts. Streveler's durability is not to be understated however, if he is unable to move the ball, he may be on a short leash. I can easily see a scenario where Zach takes the 1st and 2nd down snaps and Chris comes in to run the 3rd down conversions and perhaps run a few plays out of the hurry-up. Lots of possibilities here. I don't think there's any chance that McGuire starts. He is strictly an insurance policy. There's a lot to be decided yet and even once we know who we are playing and where we are playing them, I don't think it's a for-sure thing as to who starts, and how long the leash is. THIS IS IT! Not since this regime took control of this football team has there been this level of expectation to win and win now. A one-and-done and some fans will be looking to clean house. Even a WSF win and another loss in the WF may not be enough to save everyone. Expectations are definitely high. The future of this regime and it's supporting cast hang in the balance. HOW THE OPPOSITION MEASURES UP Calgary has not shown themselves to be the powerhouse they have been in previous years. Sask has surprised but they have had some good fortune with the schedule and the timing of when they have faced their opponents. They are a good team with a fortunate record. The Bombers are certainly capable of beating both these teams. OUR CHANCES The only real negative for the Blue and Gold is that they are going into this playoff season without their veteran leader and #1 QB, Matt Nichols. But with a bye the last week of the season the Bombers are going to be rested and should be well prepared for a strong playoff run. Collaros played very well in beating Calgary last week. Streveler has had a chance to develop and has shown flashes. The Bombers are staring at a golden opportunity to finally make it out of the West. This might be the year it all comes together.

Me either.

Yeah, he does have some receivers to throw to -- Posie, Green, Walker ... they made him look good at times.

I was thinking along the same lines yesterday. A bye rests some aches and pains. If we play SSK in the WSF it will be at Mosaic. I don't like SSK's chances of beating us there 3 times in a row. We ended their season at Mosaic last year too so we know we can do it. If CGY loses to BC we get them at home where we just beat them. If CGY beats BC we play CGY in the WSF it will be at McMann. I'm not crazy about that scenario but I don't think it's impossible, especially if we come in with a good game plan and are well rested.

It really is quite amazing, isn't it?

Agree. The roster (mis)management on this team is abysmal.

The point is that if your D can't get pressure on the opposing QB he is going to pick you apart. The better the QB the worse it will be. That is why the best teams in the trenches win. Not necessarily because they have a better Qb (see Cody Fajardo) but because he has the time to exploit your D. Fajardo has time. Yes the Rider Oline holds, all Olines hold, including ours. Sometimes it isn't enough though. You also need schemes to give your Qb the time he needs. Roll him out, screen plays, jet sweeps, misdirection, receivers in motion, timing throws, etc. When it comes to the Bombers, our Qbs never seem to have enough time. I blame that on poor coaching and lack of mobility. One of the reasons Collaros was successful was because he didn't just sit in the pocket and wait for it to collapse a la Nichols. He was mobile enough to avoid Calgary's rush long enough to find the open receiver (see Adams deep in the corner of the end zone). Its not that we don't try to do whats necessary, its that we don't execute well enough and our schemes aren't good enough -- too obvious and easy to counter. Our D doesn't get enough pressure on the opposing Qbs. Our Qbs rarely get the time they need to be successful.