Buck is Back in Winterpeg

[bluto]

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=386716
http://bluebombers.com/article/blue-bombers-re-sign-quarterback-buck-pierce

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are pleased to announce that quarterbackBuck Pierce has re-signed with the team after leading the Blue Bombers to an East Division Championship last season. As per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Pierce was scheduled to become a free agent on February 16th.

“This organization gave me an opportunity two years ago and I am very grateful to them for that and very happy to be remaining a Blue Bomber,” said Pierce. “Winnipeg is my home now and I can’t wait to get back on the field and do everything that I can to help us return to that Grey Cup game and defend our East Division title.”

The 2011 season saw Pierce record career-high numbers in many different categories including starts (16), completions (261), attempts (411), passing yards (3,348) and rushing yards (324).

“We are thrilled that we were able to get a deal done with Buck who is a tremendous competitor on the field and a great ambassador for this organization in the community,” said Blue Bomber Vice-President and General Manager Joe Mack. “His experience and leadership is invaluable in our locker room and we look forward to having him return in 2012 and help our team compete for a Grey Cup championship.”

Pierce has thrown for 13,162 yards and 68 touchdowns in his seven-year career which started in 2005 with the BC Lions. He originally signed with Winnipeg in April of 2010.

The oft injured QB re-joins his backup Joey Elliott (who missed much of last year after a bad knee injury) in the Bomber QB stable.

Lots of speculation about Alex Brink and whether or not he re-ups there. Have to admit that i'd rather have Brink than Bell or Hall.

[zontar]

Real story here is how awesome Mack is.
He's just so, sigh,you know ?

[bluto]

Real story here is how awesome Mack is.
He's just so, sigh,you know ?

He's a terrific match for the Bummers. He -like they- haven't won bugger all in over 20 years.

imagine getting lucky enough in your first year as a football executive to take over a talent laden team that wins the Grey Cup then you cruise on that for a couple of years until you get a big paycheque to go be a director of scouting at a team that again, has lots of talent already in place and wins a Super Bowl...
...then you manage to drift from one lousy team to the next in various personnel/scouting front office gigs and dining out on those early successes for 20 years... to say nothing of the fact that he was so sought after that he was out of football for 10 years after his stint in the XFL and the Bombers welcomed him back as the proven genius that he is...

but back to Buck... he did set a career high in passing yardage last season... 3348!
(didn't Cleo Lemon have 3400 in 2010...? )

[KCargosfan]

Real story here is how awesome Mack is.
He's just so, sigh,you know ?

Zontar: How much coin did Pierce get?

[Area 51]

I guess this means Brink is out in Winnipeg? Surely they're not going to resign all three of their FA QBs - - unless Elliott was willing to take something pretty close to the minimum it doesn't make any sense for them to bring Brink back. What's reasonable to expect they signed for - - Elliott for $100? Buck for $200? So if Brink gets $125 that makes Winnipeg's investment in trying to find a QB $425?

I think I'd rather just give $400 to Ricky Ray instead of dividing it up amongst the three stooges.

[bluto]

Zontar: How much coin did Pierce get?

Pierce's agent leaked to Lawless (a journo that Bomber fans hate at the Free Press) that they were basically agreed on the max figure including incentives being approximately $300k but they here hung up on how much was going to be guaranteed. Lawless reported quotes from the agent (Cox, i think his name is) saying that he wanted $200k guaranteed and the rest in incentives and bonuses but that Mack and the Bombers weren't comfortable above $150k guaranteed considering Pierces injury history.
i would guess that they met in the middle.

[zontar]

Whatever the exact figures are rest assured it was a work of sheer genius by Mack - down to the penny.
The man just doesn't make mistakes.

Get on board . Mack-Love is big enough for everyone.

[backer@oldclarke]

From the Bomber forum, they expect Brink to sign as well. Perhaps getting themselves ready for when Ottawa enters the league and starts to make their picks?

[bluto]

Whatever the exact figures are rest assured it was a work of sheer genius by Mack - down to the penny.
The man just doesn't make mistakes.

Get on board . Mack-Love is big enough for everyone.

i ran afoul of the Mack-Love today...

far be it for me to point out his factual employment history...

-winning a GC in his first season in Winterpeg with the previous GM's team
-winning a SuperBowl in Washington as the head scout when all the key pieces were already on the roster when you joined
-being a scout/head scout/GM in successful markets like Carolina and Cleveland
-parlaying that NFL success into an XFL management spot
-being so in demand that nobody hires you for 10 years so you make a scouting consulting company and say it's because you wanted to be near your family
-get hired by Winnipeg who canned their last GM and can't lure a high profile signing to town so they re-package you as a Bomber Legend

for some reason it didn't go over well...

i hate when people troll with opinions and name calling... but if it's facts to refute a statement or belief it shouldn't bring about a pile-on... but then again, this is OurBombers...

[zontar]

Have to wonder ....
if the Bombers for some bizarre reason dont take over the universe and Bummer fans have so much love and devotion invested in Mack how long would it take for the finger to be pointed at him ? Years ? One would think Lapolice would be the first to be chucked over board then after that start targetting some players (hero player to selfish bum is a quick process in WPG see Roberts, Charles) after that Lyle Bauer ? the Aspers ?

Mack's honeymoon is safe for the forseeable future.

[argolio]

The new stadium guarantees a year of minimal criticism if things go bad there, maybe two years.

[ArgoRavi]

The new stadium guarantees a year of minimal criticism if things go bad there, maybe two years.

I agree. Things could start to go bad there as soon as this year.