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Re: Ottawa REDBLACKS
Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2026 12:12 pm
by ArgoRavi
There have been stories - originating from Dave Naylor, I believe - about Brown quitting on the team late last season when he shut himself down after sustaining a beating through the course of the season. I don't know if that had anything to do with Dinwiddie's decision-making process but, especially with all of the other changes they made, they should have just started with a clean slate. Brown is a better QB than Maier with more upside. Maier is a decent backup QB but he just isn't a full-time starter. Perhaps Dinwiddie's head got full thinking that he could turn any QB into an upper-tier one after Arbuckle's season last year. Ultimately, it was an awful decision and he has to face the consequences of it, as Kavis Reed would say.
Re: Ottawa REDBLACKS
Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2026 3:22 pm
by paulwoods13
Scooter McCray wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2026 10:31 amSo far he probably hasn't been doing much GM'ing. Burke has probably handled the Lions share of that. BUT his handling of Dru Brown was botched. The fanbase was prepared to see what Brown could become under Dinwiddie's tutelage, and were comfortable having a guy like Maier around should injuries continue. He didn't and should not have scorched the Earth in Ottawa. Now if the record continues like this, the fanbase will be screaming for Burkes head and they'll get it. Now Dinwiddie will be wearing all hats and his ego will be writing cheques his body can't cash.
I'm fairly confident Dinwiddie is already wearing all the hats, is the actual (as well as titled) GM, and Burke handles primarily administration. I don't believe RD would have taken the job if he weren't the ultimate boss -- that's clearly what he was gunning for here last season. If anyone is going to walk the plank, I imagine it will be Burke because it would probably be cheaper. But if they don't get this turned around and are stuck with Dinwiddie for two more seasons at a big number, that could really -- perhaps irreparably -- damage the franchise, especially considering attendance is going to dwindle during the construction at the stadium.
Re: Ottawa REDBLACKS
Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2026 5:04 pm
by Scooter McCray
paulwoods13 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2026 3:22 pm
Scooter McCray wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2026 10:31 amSo far he probably hasn't been doing much GM'ing. Burke has probably handled the Lions share of that. BUT his handling of Dru Brown was botched. The fanbase was prepared to see what Brown could become under Dinwiddie's tutelage, and were comfortable having a guy like Maier around should injuries continue. He didn't and should not have scorched the Earth in Ottawa. Now if the record continues like this, the fanbase will be screaming for Burkes head and they'll get it. Now Dinwiddie will be wearing all hats and his ego will be writing cheques his body can't cash.
I'm fairly confident Dinwiddie is already wearing all the hats, is the actual (as well as titled) GM, and Burke handles primarily administration. I don't believe RD would have taken the job if he weren't the ultimate boss -- that's clearly what he was gunning for here last season. If anyone is going to walk the plank, I imagine it will be Burke because it would probably be cheaper. But if they don't get this turned around and are stuck with Dinwiddie for two more seasons at a big number, that could really -- perhaps irreparably -- damage the franchise, especially considering attendance is going to dwindle during the construction at the stadium.
If Bob Dyce was given what 2 1/2 seasons, and LaPolice was given 2 seasons, a legitimate winner in Dinwiddie should be given minimum the same. Unlike Dyce & LaPo however, RD should be able to fix this given time. First and foremost a QB is required. None of Maier, Brown, or an old MBT were ever going to win a championship anywhere. And fine tune both lines. Do those things and they can be competitive next year.
Re: Ottawa REDBLACKS
Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2026 6:04 pm
by AngeloV
Scooter McCray wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2026 5:04 pm
If Bob Dyce was given what 2 1/2 seasons, and LaPolice was given 2 seasons, a legitimate winner in Dinwiddie should be given minimum the same. Unlike Dyce & LaPo however, RD should be able to fix this given time. First and foremost a QB is required. None of Maier, Brown, or an old MBT were ever going to win a championship anywhere. And fine tune both lines. Do those things and they can be competitive next year.
I don’t know about that. Maybe he had so much success in Toronto because he didn’t have the amount of power he now has in Ottawa. By the annual players poll done by the PA, sounds like his act had worn thin last year here.
I have always been a Dinwiddie guy, but maybe it was his surroundings that led to his success here.
As for Duce, a true players coach, but IMO not meant to be a HC. Some of his in game decisions were horrible and definitely cost the team some games.
LaPo is another one that may be better suited to being a coordinator. He has now had 2 HC stints, and both ended poorly. In Winnipeg he had a great start and made the Grey Cup his first year, but the 2nd half of that season was really bad. They basically made the Gup by default because they were in the east and the east was really bad that year.
Re: Ottawa REDBLACKS
Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2026 10:02 pm
by ArgoRavi
AngeloV wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2026 6:04 pm
Scooter McCray wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2026 5:04 pm
If Bob Dyce was given what 2 1/2 seasons, and LaPolice was given 2 seasons, a legitimate winner in Dinwiddie should be given minimum the same. Unlike Dyce & LaPo however, RD should be able to fix this given time. First and foremost a QB is required. None of Maier, Brown, or an old MBT were ever going to win a championship anywhere. And fine tune both lines. Do those things and they can be competitive next year.
I don’t know about that. Maybe he had so much success in Toronto because he didn’t have the amount of power he now has in Ottawa. By the annual players poll done by the PA, sounds like his act had worn thin last year here.
I have always been a Dinwiddie guy, but maybe it was his surroundings that led to his success here.
As for Duce, a true players coach, but IMO not meant to be a HC. Some of his in game decisions were horrible and definitely cost the team some games.
LaPo is another one that may be better suited to being a coordinator. He has now had 2 HC stints, and both ended poorly. In Winnipeg he had a great start and made the Grey Cup his first year, but the 2nd half of that season was really bad. They basically made the Gup by default because they were in the east and the east was really bad that year.
Good points here.
One other note about 2011 - the East was largely decided in the first 8 games of that season. I believe the Argos had the best record over the final 10 games (6-4) but missed the playoffs because of a 1-7 start.
Re: Ottawa REDBLACKS
Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2026 6:15 pm
by ARGO57
Dinwiddie with the Captain Obvious observation of the year.
https://3downnation.com/2026/07/15/ryan ... to-ottawa/
Re: Ottawa REDBLACKS
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2026 8:50 am
by Will
https://www.ottawaredblacks.com/2026/07 ... of-ottawa/
The Redblacks are celebrating 150 years of football in Ottawa, and what a terrible history it has been for the past 50 years excluding 2015-2018.
Re: Ottawa REDBLACKS
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2026 1:28 pm
by Scooter McCray
With the Argonauts record of success over these past 50 years, If the Argos had a fanbase that was half as engaged they would sellout BMO Field every game. Thank God for the CFL that Ottawa fans continue to support their team despite poor ownership and poor on field management over the last 50 years.
Re: Ottawa REDBLACKS
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2026 8:17 pm
by OV Argo
Scooter McCray wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2026 1:28 pm
With the Argonauts record of success over these past 50 years, If the Argos had a fanbase that was half as engaged they would sellout BMO Field every game. Thank God for the CFL that Ottawa fans continue to support their team despite poor ownership and poor on field management over the last 50 years.
Yeah; cept that attendance at RedBlacks games this year is at all-time Ottawa football lows. Probably a core of 12-15 K diehards keeping it going. And again - I see next to zero real efforts to market or promote the team in these parts = same as the Argos ? A free Facebook page and in game perks for fans who are already going just doesn't cut it. Pathetic, cheap, clown owners / such a shame (combined with total loser idiots in charge of the league) ... sad.
The Argos have a demographic of what, 4 or 5 times that of Ottawa, to sell tickets too though.
Re: Ottawa REDBLACKS
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2026 9:57 pm
by argosrule1524
Dinwiddie having a nightmare first season with Ottawa.