It would be nice to have Duron Carter, Ryan Smith (Or Chris Matthews) and Clarence Denmark

Carter would be a huge addition.

I would take Smith over Dressler at this point in his career.

13 hours ago, Bigblue204 said:

yes in the same way the fanbase was eroded in 09 and 10, but as soon as the winning started...guess what happens??

Define winning? Certainly the 2011 season proved it was a fluke. 

31 minutes ago, iso_55 said:

Define winning? Certainly the 2011 season proved it was a fluke. 

One winning season is all it will take to fill the stadium again. Just give Manitobans a reason to cheer - they'll be back.

 

Stadium would never be filled for a WSF or WDF after a single season of winning. Maybe 25,000 tops. On a good day. If we were to build a perennial winner & were on the verge of winning a championship then maybe. 

Edited January 13, 20169 yr by iso_55

I think you underestimate the fan base here and how starved they are for a good team.  If we have a season where we are good enough to host a playoff game, the fans will come out. 

In fact in the early / mid 2000's playoff attendance dwindled only after multiple years with playoff games as it wasn't a novelty anymore.  The opposite of what you suggest  

It has been long enough that it would be a novelty again. Especially the first Bomber playoff game in IGF. 

19 minutes ago, iso_55 said:

Stadium would never be filled for a WSF or WDF after a single season of winning. Maybe 25,000 tops. On a good day. If we were to build a perennial winner & were on the verge of winning a championship then maybe. 

I gotta agree to disagree with you on that one - I think people are starved for a winning team and looking for a good excuse to party.

I don't underestimate the passion. I juat think people won't shell out $$$ until they're sure winning isn't just smoke & mirrors. 

Edited January 13, 20169 yr by iso_55

1 hour ago, iso_55 said:

I don't underestimate the passion. I juat think people won't shell out $$$ until they're sure winning isn't just smoke & mirrors. 

I don't think everyone is jaded as you, to be honest. Most are desperate to be enthusiastic about a winner. 

The fans who end up selling out a playoff game aren't the hardcore who may be jaded and fooled once too many times. 

They are the fans who come out to watch a team win and don't even pay attention when the team is losing.

If we are hosting a playoff game it means we are top 2 in the West. There will have been enough wins to achieve that to generate buzz and excitement. 

27 minutes ago, Mike said:

I don't think everyone is jaded as you, to be honest. Most are desperate to be enthusiastic about a winner. 

I'm not as jaded as you think. I'm just trying to be realistic. Anyway, let's hope we have this discussion sooner rather than later. It means we're going to host a WSF or WDF.

There's no reason we can't make the playoffs this year if we can keep Willy upright. BC & Saskatchewan are both in shambles without a QB I trust.

Edited January 13, 20169 yr by Blueandgold

Jonathan Jenkins looks like a young qb to build a Lions team around. If Durant is healthy, he'll be back. Or perhaps even Trevor Harris with the Riders.

I don't think jaded is the proper word....   disinterested is more of the feeling I've had over the last year.

I don't mind the team losing if they actually had young promising players and at least showed something to get excited about for in the future.   The last few years when they trot out Boltus and Brohm at QB and other mediocre cast offs ....   it gives me zero hope or excitement.   

Bring in some unknowns who at least *may* turn out to be something special.

33 minutes ago, Brandon said:

I don't think jaded is the proper word....   disinterested is more of the feeling I've had over the last year.

I don't mind the team losing if they actually had young promising players and at least showed something to get excited about for in the future.   The last few years when they trot out Boltus and Brohm at QB and other mediocre cast offs ....   it gives me zero hope or excitement.   

Bring in some unknowns who at least *may* turn out to be something special.

 

ive felt the same up until we picked up nichols.  some bounces didnt go our way with him at the helm but we could easily have had a much better record/season even without willy.  This is where i think the right tweaks this offseason could go along way to seeing a fast turn around.  despite our record I dont think were that bad or far off. MB gone was the biggest most important step we needed to take and now well see how the rest shapes up

Yeah, not jaded. I just don't trust the management & coaches to build a winner. I want to be proven wrong. Believe me, I do.

Edited January 13, 20169 yr by iso_55

9 hours ago, iso_55 said:

Stadium would never be filled for a WSF or WDF after a single season of winning. Maybe 25,000 tops. On a good day. If we were to build a perennial winner & were on the verge of winning a championship then maybe. 

What? That's exactly what happened in 2011. And they were a mediocre team the second half of that season going up against a team that had just pounded a MTL team in MTL. And it was so damn cold my beer was freezing in the cup. 

6 hours ago, iso_55 said:

Yeah, not jaded. I just don't trust the management & coaches to build a winner. I want to be proven wrong. Believe me, I do.

Then I feel like maybe not living here has allowed you to become disengaged with the reality of what happens here. You can say it all you want, if the Bombers hosted a playoff game, we'd fill the stands. And the crowd would be insane.

1 hour ago, Mike said:

Then I feel like maybe not living here has allowed you to become disengaged with the reality of what happens here. You can say it all you want, if the Bombers hosted a playoff game, we'd fill the stands. And the crowd would be insane.

I guess that is how I feel. When we moved to Calgary from the Peg  about 15 years ago (I moved our small company here to get better engaged within the oil patch) I was really down. Had been a season ticket holder in the Peg ever since we moved to Winnipeg from Dallas (wife is from the Peg). Once we made the move to Calgary I even renewed my season tickets for about 5 years and gave them away to family members still in the Peg. Then during the Jeff Reinebold era I just got fed up and did not renew but watched every Bomber game and traveled back and forth each year to catch at least 2-3 games etc. Then slowly but surely over the years and now with the current state of the organization I seldom even watch them on TV and only post and follow things here from time to time. I guess what I am saying is at least related to my situation I am slowly trending downward and becoming less engaged and indeed more disengaged. To quote Herb Brooks "Fool me once shame on you - Fool me twice shame on me" !

I agree with the poster saying it would be a sell out if we hosted a playoff game. If not a sellout it would be damn close. I remember the 2011 season starting with very little expectations of a winning season.  By the time they were 7-1 there was so much hype around the team. Every radio station was talking about them and everywhere you went people were talking about the team. I even had several co-workers who have no interest in the CFL coming on board. By the time the playoffs rolled around the team had lost several games and there was still lots of hype and a sell out crowd. I had co-workers asking me where they could get playoff tickets.

The other factor in a sell out would be their opponent. If they play the Riders it's a guaranteed sell out. Edm/Cal would likely also be a sell out but I feel if they played BC it might not be.

that city is starved for a winner....Bombers start winning consistently, tickets will sell FAST.

Everyone gets enthusiastic when the season starts.  "This is our year, no really, *this* is our year" is the mantra of Winnipeg sports fans.

Khari Jones is OC in BC. MB is their receivers coach.

13 hours ago, iso_55 said:

I don't underestimate the passion. I juat think people won't shell out $$$ until they're sure winning isn't just smoke & mirrors. 

Nonsense. Even on tv you can tell that the stadium in Winnipeg is poised to explode if the team ever gives them anything to cheer about. Bombers pick up some wins and play an exciting brand of football the passion will ignite instantly because the fans are there and they are passionate. You are too much of a bitter old man but most people aren't so bitter.