Halfway there, livin’ on a prayer

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/09/2009 (5924 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The disappointment was obvious, the disbelief evident. And glancing around the Winnipeg Blue Bombers locker-room Sunday after their sixth loss in nine games it was easy to get the distinct impression this team is in the midst of a big-time mirror-gazing thing.

And what they are seeing looking back at them right now is becoming increasingly more ugly.

“It’s no one person in particular, it’s just everyone took their turn having an off play,” said guard Brendon LaBatte after Sunday’s Labour Day Classic loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. “You just can’t do that against a good team and it showed. There’s a lot of room for improvement after a game like that. It’s over, we learn from it and get back to the drawing board.

“Hopefully better times are ahead. We’ve definitely got to start winning games and it’s got to start this week. We’re running out of time and, for lack of a better term, it’s time to s or get off the pot.”

Blunt, Mr. LaBatte, put to the point.

Now, with the Bombers at the midway point of their season at 3-6 — if the playoffs started tomorrow they’d be spectators — we thought we’d check in with a brief update on the 10 questions/issues we presented at the beginning of training camp as critical to the franchise getting back to the winner’s circle.

1. MIKE KELLY: JEFF REINEBOLD REVISITED OR THE NEXT MIKE RILEY?

So many have made up their mind already on the new Bomber boss — a stoning at Portage and Main has been suggested — but beneath all the sideshow stuff and the tough talk, there have been some shrewd deals and solid additions. That gets lost because the boss has occasionally been at war with the media, has cut off fans from calling into his radio show and has yet to prove his offensive blueprint can consistently win games. That’s a big-time ugly trifecta.

Fans had to know there would be growing pains, it’s just that nobody thought they would be so excruciating as to make some folks pass out. Here’s the thing, though, as the Bombers hit the second half of the season: Doug Berry was fired despite three consecutive playoff appearances, including a berth in the 2007 Grey Cup, and a 27-26-1 record. And he was whacked because last year’s 8-10 mark and first-round playoff exit wasn’t good enough. Right about now getting back to 8-10 (5-4 in the second half) would be considered a dramatic turnaround.

2. AND THE STARTING QB IS…?

It was supposed to be Stefan LeFors, although as 2009 opened one CFL GM figured Bryan Randall would be taking the first snap by Labour Day. Turns out it was neither and a QB not even on the radar screen — Michael Bishop — is now the man at the controls. LeFors struggled, lost his job and had his pay cut. The team clearly has little faith in either LeFors and Randall. This is Bishop’s team, like it or not, until the Bombers are officially eliminated from the playoff run.

3. HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

For all their changes, the Bombers do have one more win than the 2008 bunch did at the midway point (Winnipeg was 2-7) a year ago. Some of the additions/trades have been brilliant (Siddeeq Shabazz, Jonathan Hefney, Mike Renaud) many others were just like treading water. Management insists much of what they did was to take the sting off what would have been a nightmarish situation with the salary cap. Trouble is, that doesn’t sell tickets. And neither does a 3-6 record.

4. THE ANNUAL SOAP OPERA — WHO HOOFS THE OL’ PIGSKIN?

Boy, did this story go away in a hurry. Arguably the best thing Kelly & Co. have done is throw their arm around Alexis Serna in support — he’s been spectacular this year — and then trade a conditional pick to land a punter in Renaud who could be here for another decade.

5. WHO MANS THE AIR DEFENCE?

Gone are Kelly Malveaux, Anthony Malbrough, Stanford Samuels and Willie Amos, among others. But this new crew of Hefney, Jovon Johnson, Keyuo Craver, Lenny Walls and Ian Logan (currently on the mend) has been solid. Another thumbs up so far. The Bombers had 15 interceptions last year, but already have 20 this season.

6. THEN AGAIN, IF THE FRONT SEVEN IS DOMINANT…

Tom Canada, Jerome Haywood and Cam Hall exited, leaving some gaping holes in the D-line and linebacking corps. Again, however, the work of Dorian Smith, Don Oramasionwu and Shabazz has been stellar. Fred Perry had five sacks before being lost for the season with a broken arm; Riall Johnson has shown some flashes but has been hurt twice in the first half.

7. NO MORE WOE FROM THE ‘O’?

Yeesh. Winnipeg was dead last in scoring last year (20.9 points per game) and the thinking was an offensive guru like Kelly would breathe life into the attack. The Bombers have had just 20 points or better in three of their first nine games and their passing attack has been nothing short of horrible. This is a one-dimensional team that won’t scare anyone unless they can beat people through the air.

8. CAN THE BIG EATERS OPEN GIANT HOLES AND KEEP THE QBS OFF A STRETCHER?

This is where most of the teeth-gnashing was directed in the off-season with the departures of Alex Gauthier, Dan Goodspeed, Kyle Koch and coach Bob Wylie. The new group has been decent, although the Labour Day Classic wasn’t their best effort of the first half.

9. GOT MILT? FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, THE ANSWER IS NO…

By all accounts this is a solid dressing room not lacking in leadership. But what the Bombers miss more is what Milt could provide to help a struggling receiving corps adapt to Kelly’s offence.

10. WILL THE DROUGHT END IN 2009?

There’s still a half-season left, but the schedule includes three games with the Montreal Alouettes. This team wouldn’t qualify for the post-season right now, let alone challenge for the big prize.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca