Bloke brought in to be answer to BC kicking problems
First match results
Field Goals - 1 for 1
Kickoffs - One short kickoff (BC pass receiver Anderson kicked off most of game) - McCallum near bottom of CFL in this every year anyway
Punting - average 39 yards per punt (only 2 yards higher than rookie) - average 29 net yards per punt (5 yards LESS than rookie)
McCallum near bottom of CFL in these every year anyway
List of Excuses for McCallum (pick one each week)
I - the bloke has to play outside (oooops - cant use this one anymore, hes indoors)
II - the bloke has to do all three kicking jobs
(ooooops - cant use this one anymore with receiver kicking off - besides, Lions need to do like other teams and get import punter)
III - Riders knew that the bloke was washed up when they let him go
IV - It only matters about putting points on scoreboard and kickoffs and punts dont matter
(try this approach in CFL West 06 and see where it gets you)
V - in wally world, these kind of problems can be ignored and they will just go away
You blokes seem happy just to have anybody who can kick a field goal - McCallum can still do that - but what about other two parts of kicking - kickoffs and punting -
his numbers were not good last year - were not good in preseason - and certainly were not good in opener - and wont get much better in most games
BC has worst overall kicking game in CFL (other than Riders)
Your vote is IV (only field goals matter)
This approach gets by if you play Riders 17 more times (but when it is someone else, weak kickoff and punts can make difference in game) - and whenever this happens as season goes on (and it will), remember that BC front office also voted IV
But in other two phases of kick game
numbers do not support your argument
Punting Average - 2005
O'Mahoney - 42.5
McCallum - 40.4
Kickoff Average - 2005
O'Mahoney - 55.7
McCallum - 53.9
Common excuse for McC was "play outside" (I)
Pick another excuse for him (II through V)(McC now indoors and still at bottom in punting and kicking off)- Your vote looks like a IV - ignore kicking off and punting
Try not to listen to Whazzup. I am not sure if he is a lions fan trolling on the Rider forum or vice cersa or just some jackass trolling on both, but he is just trying to stir shit up. We are stupid for letting McCallum get away and you are stupid for signing him. He makes no sense.
It is my belief that McCallum is a placekicker only. If he concentrated on Field goals he would do well-- and let Pikula or someone else handle the punting chores. The Riders should have realized this a long time ago. McCallum also sacrificed distance for accuracy--pinning a team deep in its own territory-- and he would be kicking from the Rider 45 or in between the 50 yd lines to pin a team between its own 15 and the goal line. They measure distance from the line of scrimmage as well-not from where the punter kicks the ball.
If the article in the province this morning is correct then Wally plans to keep the new kid so he can learn from McCallum and be his eventual replacement. From the few kicks this kid has done this year he has looked good.