A Great Team Gone Bad, So Sad.

BC Lions
#1

For the first time in a very long while, I was less than enthusiastic about making sure I was in front of my HDTV to watch the game on Saturday. I even forgot to set my PVR to record it and am now wondering why I spent the extra money back in the spring to get TSN HD so that I could watch my favourite team play in glorious HD. Even Sports Center this morning had no highlights of anything exciting that the Leos did during the game last night. Ricky Ray on the other hand played an amazing rush game that makes me think he's getting back to his old self again.

Lets look at the history of Casey Printers to start and this is entirely a point of view from a fan who loves football but doesn't have the time to spend analysing every little detail. So all I see is the big picture. Casey brought the Leos all the way to the Grey Cup after an early season injury suffered by Dickenson. On that fateful day, the coach decides to put Dave back on the field. WHY? Of course they lost, because all year they were tuned-in to Casey and then WHAM, all that hard work tuning the team to one quarterback is thrown out the window.

That brings me to my point, since that day so long ago, the coaching staff has had a very hard time tuning anybody to any quarterback simply because the mindset of every player on the team is why should we work with this guy, when were just going to have the rug pulled out from under us again at any time. They've become a team of individuals instead of a team of players. Broken, ANGRY and disheartened.

It is not fair to blame the players AT ALL; this falls squarely on the shoulders of the coaches. Wally should've been fired the day Dickenson went back on the field after a year of being out for injury. Dickenson was VERY good but not good enough to instantly tune into a team that was paired with another. And where is Dickenson now? That's right, O-Line coordinator for the top team in the west. He should've been the Leos O-Line guy!! Was it a case of blaming the player after the loss? Which would've been another Wally Wonderful Was blameless tactic that made Calgary what it is today. HuH? Is Wally the head coach for the Lions or the Stamps? Damn, I must be getting old; my memory is failing me...

But I digress, this year will be first year in a very long time that the Leos may not be in the finals and I'm not surprised that it might take a slap in the face like this to get the owners to wake up and fire the right people this time, the BIG HEAD coach for one. When I see plays like a fake end-zone knee, hand-off to make a 40 yard rush play, coming from other teams, I know we've lost our edge because the Leos haven’t had anything fancy or exciting up their sleeves for quite some time now. Geroy hasn't been given any opportunity to play to his skill and neither has Paris or in fact many of the players seemingly are of the mindset of, great here we go again, another set at the scrimmage line, oh ya, how exciting, here ya go right past me with a token shove and PLEASE sack my Q-back so I can get yelled at again during half-time. I do so love those little chats with the coaches. I’m so bored…

Ah, but my sarcasm gets the better of me. As surprised as I was when they brought back Casey, I knew it was going to be a disaster. The guy had his opportunity ripped away, no wonder he's bouncing from team to team. His ego was torn into little pieces and run through a grinder. And no matter what anyone tells you, Casey needs his ego to win, that was his edge! He'll never be the great one in CFL that he could've been and that is clear based on his actions the other day. The team was going one way and he was going another. Travis Lulay should be star Q-back but all I see is each member of the team playing a different game. There is no passion to score first blood then hold ground to the end. They seem to try putting all their effort into the last 3 minutes of the 4th when everyone is exhausted!

If I didn't know any better I'd say that the Leos are subconsciously sabotaging their own game so the owners will wake up to the reality of the problem, WHICH ISN'T THE PLAYERS! We need fresh mind(s) to coach our GREAT players to victory. The players know this in their hearts and minds. Ask yourself why we are still taking from a playbook made in the 80’s. I even clearly remember the commentators on TSN during one game saying things like, ‘It looks like their setting up for a basic screen pass …’ all before the ball was even snapped. The play failed, of course. If the guy upstairs can see it before it happens, I’ll bet that the D-Line saw it 3 plays ago.

GRRR :wink:

#2

hang in there it ain't over yet.

#3

A rather one dimensional analysis.

The players have to be responsible for their own failures and particularly for lack if discipline, the coaches are responsible for lack of preparation and employing bad schemes and plays. The TEAM is the players and coaches. To blame just one side simply doesn't reflect reality.

#4

The Lions have clearly beaten themselves this year. If you look at the number of games this year, when in the 4th quarter they've gift-wrapped the game and handed it to the opposition, it's mind-boggling. Without their late game implosive tendencies, this team could easily be at least 9 and 6, if not 10 and 5. They do not deserve to be in the playoffs this year; Calgary, Saskatchewan, Montreal and Hamilton do. I'm a Lions die-hard fan, but they 'dropped the ball' this year in a big way - pun intended. It's year of mistakes - a lot of them.

Before we come down too hard on everyone, we do need to remind ourselves of our own humanity and tendencies. We all hopefully learn from our mistakes and become better if we do. That means that next year should be a better year. This team has given us many years of good football; I suppose they're entitled to a bad year. It's not a reason to give up on them; they still need our support. I just sincerely hope however, that management deals wisely with the problems. It would seem that it is time for a major shake up - whatever that looks like.

What bothers me is the fact that the owner owns 2 teams. I realize it's just the way it is, but it still bothers me. If David Braley owned 2 teams from different leagues, that would be different. The potential conflict of interest possibilities just does not sit well. I do wish Acquilini or someone local would make a pitch for ownership. That's not a poor reflection on Mr Braley's track record; I may be wrong, but I just think there would be a more vested interest if that were the case.

#5

Oh come on! TSN HD is WELL worth the price of admission. Even if the Lions aren't playing well. You've got great hockey on there a couple times a week(the Canucks game will be on there on Wednesday), NFL games, those Lumberjack saw cutting challenges (I thought I heard that stuff was popular out in BC) and you have to admit that sports center looks WAAYYYYY better in HD. Once you go HD you can never go back.

#6

The third dimension to all this is that no matter what, I am and always will be a die hard Lions fan, along with my 4 yr. old who sports a shirt that clearly stats, "I Love the BC Lions, Cuz Daddy Sayz So!". Without a second thought I agree that the HD Sports Center is awesome, cuz I can actually read all the ticker at the bottom. We will wait now to see how the next year takes shape and in the meantime I'm sure the Grey Cup, regardless of who's who, will make the HD worth it. I love the whole CFL thing too, cuz my kid sayz so!

Grrr :rockin: