A season that began with at least modest expectations ended with a whimper for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday.
A 37-7 home field loss to the Hamilton Tiger Cats was a microcosm of a lost season filled with turnovers, lagging offence, and defensive breakdowns.
And now the rebuilding of the Blue Bomber foundation begins. The question remains: Who is going to be in charge of the construction product?
Head coach Tim Burke said he hopes to be part of the solution going forward, but concedes he could be a victim of the major changes he expects will be made during the off-season. Burke took the unusualstep of saying a conditional farewell to Winnipeg reporters in his final full address to the media.
“If things don’t work out for me, I just want to thank you guys and girls for being fair. I enjoyed our repartee. You are all really professional and treated me really well, so I really thank you for that,” said Burke.
The feeling is mutual. Every single reporter who covered the Blue Bombers in 2013 would agree that Burke was as candid, honest, accessible and cooperative as any head coach could be. 
Burke said the Bombers biggest problem is an overall lack of talent. He pointed to resolving the quarterback position as priority number one, with the offensive line, defensive line, secondary and receiving corps other areas that also need upgrading if the Bombers are to bounce back with a competitive 2014 season.
Adding to the uncertainty surrounding the path the Bombers will take in their revitalization program is that the configuration of the Bombers upper management team still hasn’t been finalized and might not be until after the Grey Cup.
Acting CEO Wade Miller is expected to be given the permanent CEO title. Before Miller names a general manager, he wants to do a proper “search.”
In the meantime, leading candidate Kyle Walters remains the “acting” GM. Until the “acting” tags are removed, the status of Burke and his coaching staff will remain uncertain.
And if the Blue Bomber board does wait until after the Grey Cup to put permanent people in place, those people will have to act quickly. The existing eight CFL clubs must submit their protected lists on December 9th leading up to the December 16th Ottawa expansion draft.
Clearly, it is imperative that the Bombers have their GM and Head Coach in place before the Ottawa draft.
So, as a season to forget slowly but surely fades to black, that large constituency of Blue Bombers fans, fans that Burke called the very best in the Canadian Football League, sit anxiously on the edge of their seats, waiting for the rebuilding of the proud Blue Bomber brand, and eager to see who will be in charge of it.
