Fire Austin!

No bashing and after the recent history of that very thing you mentioned happening every year will cause the frustration. Getting to the Grey Cup after a poor start lucky or not still has begun to place the Cats into the category of peaking at the end of the season and winning when it is all on the line.
Patience will be hard to expect from fans with another slow start. Turning it around again by the home stretch of the season would go a long way for a second year in a row.
Hey bold move to move on from Burris. He likely would have allowed them to get off to a better start but also likely they would not be able to finish the deal with him at QB.
Bad news with the delay in opening the stadium has also caused frustration just adding on.
Taking a step back and looking at the situation everyone deep down knows that Austin is the guy they have been looking for.

WAIT JUST A MINUTE…

A troll is someone who comes onto one of these boards and flames and is just here to provoke others…QMAN has a GOOD point. Let’s examine the evidence, and i think you will all agree with him…and me:

  1. Austin started his coaching career in the CFL in 2003, as the QB coach of the Ottawa Renegades…he coached there for one season, and three years later, they were disbanded…coincidence? We all know that it wasn’t.

  2. He got hired as the offensive coordinator with the double blew (as if that doesn’t say enough), meaning he wasn’t even good enough to be hired as the Head Coach of a team coached by “Pinball” who we all know was a great player, but a LOUSY HC…but still better than Austin…

Then, to make matters worse, look at the performance of Austin’s offence…and other than the fact that they won the Grey Cup, what did he do that year?

  1. Yes, he won the Grey Cup in his first year as a CFL head coach, but he got lucky…and did he win it the next year? NO…one-year wonder…and okay, so he left to be a VERY good OC in the college ranks…so what? Did Ole Miss win the National Championship in 2008? NO AGAIN…I think we ALL see where this is going…

  2. As was the case for the previous 14 seasons, the Tiger-Cats, despite the GREAT coaching of the GREAT Austin, failed to win the Grey Cup…'nuff said again…

And finally, Austin couldn’t cut it in the NFL as a player…I think we ALL know what that means…

So, in summary, Austin has only won championships half the time he’s been a head coach up here…he’s only won about 60% of the games he’s coached as a pro (27-18), meaning, of course, he loses 40% of the time, and I am TIRED of losing 40% of our games…and he has failed MISERABLY to recapture the Ralph Sazio glory days of the franchise…

So, QMAN, I concur…FIRE HIS A$$…I think we can get Greg Marshall back if we overpay…

How was having Burris “not the answer to get a Grey Cup victory”? A consistent 5000 yard passer sent out with no proven QB to take his place. That, and that alone is the reason for an 0-3 start. With Burris, the record by now would have been 2-1. Possibly 3-0. Burris has won a cup and taken a team to a few more. How many appearances by the current group of QBs?

“The pains of having a young and/or new QB stable” are unnecessary if the young QBs have a mentor to bring them along. Or at least to step in an manage the games when your young/new QBs falter. As of right now, not one of the current “stable” of QBs under contract to the Cats has shown that they have half of the ability and talent that Burris has, even at 38 years old. None of them look ready or able to lead the Cats anywhere close to a Grey Cup appearance.

I will grant your assertion that Austin has found some outstanding talent. Even the signing of Orlondo as the DC is looking like a thing of genius. But ditching Burris for the untested and unproven Collaros was a bone head move. The ONLY reasonable answer to why he did this is $$$. In order to build the other parts of the team the Cats needed to shed Hank’s salary. But what has he gotten? A great defence, great special teams, great offencive weapons, but no one to consistently get the ball to them and manage a football game.

If the team gets to the playoffs this year, with anything less than an absolute turnaround in the play by Collaros, (and if he turns thing around he stays healthy) it will be because the Defence consistently stymies the rest of the East division and the current QBs strive to do enough to not lose games that the D keeps them in.

It doesn't matter what job you are doing, the blame always has to be at the top. It is a poor leader who blames his workers for poor performance. If they are not performing correctly than look at what is being taught them and how. If they are being taught correctly and trained properly and the result is still unsatisfactory then the worker in question should not be holding that job. This is not just for football, but for any job on the planet. But first the question must be answered honestly, "am I doing all that I can to ensure worker X is being given all the tools he needs to achieve the end result"? In this case, I am not so sure. I think we have had some very questionable calls in the first 3 games on offense; running Gable parallel to the line of scrimmage time after time trying for a better result than the time before is fool hardy. If it isn't there the second time than it won't be ever, try something else; quick outs, screens, short crossing. You can't blitz and clog up the O-line with LBs and also defend the middle of the field.

So while I like Austin I think that perhaps he has made some poor decisions on his staff and players, which all points back to him.

It is Austin’s play book, Look back to the playoff game vs, the Al’s last year, the offence stalled all game until Burris was “allowed” to run the spread formation and play real CFL offence and got the td drive.
It wasn’t Austin’s play book, it was Hank improvising!

I agree that he has made some bad decisions aw well but he has also made some good decisions. What he brings with him the respect and confidence of the players and likely most of the fans that he is among the top coaches in the game. Seen by his ability to have the free agents want to come to Hamilton to play and buy into what he is selling. The type of thing that Huf brings to Calgary along with his OC Dickenson. Milanovich has brought that same thing to Toronto. Calgary has pretty much had the best team since winning the 2008 Grey Cup finishing near on at the top of the West. Although he has not won a Grey Cup since 2008 there is no one who would even suggest that he be fired.
Milanovich since he arrived brought the confidence in everyone. Even with the slow 2012 start everyone had that feeling that he would turn it around. To me Austin has the same thing happening. If anyone were to try to think of anyone who would be a better coach in Hamilton there would be no one that would be considered to be able to do a better job.
That is very very hard to pull off in modern pro sports and very few coaches are able to get the longevity with one team or come in new and get that right away.
Jones, Campbell, and Chamblain are coaches who also may approach that. While in Montreal, BC if Austin, Huf, Milanovich, were to get fired they would be in those two cities very quickly. O’Shea is also a new coach that could step in that direction. Benvides and especially Higgins do not even come close to gaining that confidence.

I agree completely. I might also add that our starting QB has played less than 6 quarters and most of that under terrible weather conditions. He is still mastering a totally new offense which takes time so should not be judged harshly. How long did it take the veteran Ricky Ray to become comfortable and proficient with a new offense in his first season in TO? More than half a season and watching from the sidelines while injured was what it took for him to see the bigger picture. They still made it to the Grey Cup. :slight_smile:

This is not intended to be bashing but I do want to point out a couple of things. Since we were not good enough to win the Grey Cup (as you mentioned), Austin went out and brought in players whom he thought were better and would give us a better chance to be successful. We do have the depth and talent which was evident by the play of the defense in Calgary in spite of missing two starting LBs. Now we have a young QB who will need a bit of time to settle in and become totally comfortable with a new offense and team mates. So far he has played less than 6 quarters of football so it is way too early to judge him.

Yes the Lions and the Stamps have good strong teams but for a number of years they have had what the Ticats haven’t had in recent years - continuity in coaching staff/GM and less turnover on their rosters. They have also learned to bring in and groom their QBs (Mitchell is a prime example) so there will be someone to take over when needed. They moved on without Burris and have not missed a beat (yes I know they had Glenn). It takes time to build the kind of team that you envision but I think we are well on the way with Austin. Slow starts are frustrating especially when there has been a pattern of them in the past but I think we will make it over the hump this season and become the team that others will (finally) fear. :slight_smile:

We are now two decades of rebuilding. When being two games above 500 is a great season then you have to shake your head. But at least I know I am a true fan, still can't wait to watch them lose...er, play, each week.

It would have been nice to keep Burris for one more year and have Collaros as a back-up, but that was not possible. Firstly the strain on the salary cap would have been too much, and secondly, Collaros would not have come here as a back-up.

The decision to go after Collaros is good for the team in the long term. Burris has at most, one or two good years left in him.

In the CFL, with 6 out of nine teams making the pay-offs, it is OK to have a slow start, and spend a few games developing the team. It's what happens at the end of the season that counts.

How can you be so sure that Collaros is good for the team long term? A lot of hope and not a lot of proof in that statement. If Collaros turns out to be a bust, I for one would rather have had the two good years (which is also purely a guess on your part) from Hank with time to shop for a quality replacement than no present good QB and none in the chute to take Zack’s place.

Wow, I just had to reply to this as I can't believe some of the things I'm reading from various posters. I am not of the belief that it's time to fire Austin....yet....but the man MUST change his stripes so to speak.

  1. One poster, Hammer I believe said "at least he didn't abandon the run"....WHAT??? You have to first off believe in the run. Kent Austin over the years has never believed in running the football. Look at his Argo days. You would be hard pressed to find a coach in modern CFL history who believes less in the run than Austin....Gable had 8 carries; 8 freaking carries for 6 yards. Hate to see what really abandoning the run would look like.

  2. Another poster said that "we're now one of the youngest teams in the CFL"...again WHAT??? This is football, not gymnastics. Every single Grey Cup winner is built on veterans. That is why Montreal picked up Stala and Hebert and every other CFL vet they deem valuable. The Als are perennial visitors to the Grey Cup because of this - not by playing rookies . We were in the Cup last year and you think it's a good thing to get rid of our vets. We just can't keep rebuilding year after year. Should have kept Burris for one year to mentor Collaros. Increase in the cap would have covered the costs. Hage would be a solidifying force on the worst O-line the CFL has seen in years.

  3. A third poster said that Austin is great at bringing in US talent....ahh no, come on...we have NEVER seen such a Merry Go-round as we have seen the last two years. He absolutely has to stop switching players for the sake of switching. I am all for building players with character but that is ALL that Austin seems to do. Off-field conduct is very important but he tends to overlook talent for players who may sway from his "beliefs". That's all I'll say on that one.

In the end, he has the tools to be a very good coach. But he has to get out of the mindset that it's all about him. It's about building the Tiger-Cats and not about building his own ego.

Lastly there was a quote in the Toronto Sun last week from a fellow CFL coach who said "Many of us do not like Austin". That says it all - not often do you hear other coaches say that - it's a "fraternity" so to speak.

As mentioned, Austin needs to change...if he doesn't soon, then yes this thread's title may become reality.

This is very intriguing. I wonder who actually said it.

Your primary school called - need to complete remedial reading, grammar and punctuation.

I find this thread halarious and a waste of time but last year and this off season we were all on the austin band wagon slow start last year peaked at right time n austin was a genious this year slow start and changes which happen every year to every team in every sport and austins under the bus? Gimmie a break yes he's the gm but I'm sure the other staff has input mayb its time condell takes a look at his offence scheme n play calling

When the Cat’s record is sitting at 6-4 after game 10 after going 6-1 over their next 7 games,then may I suggest you hold on tight because the bandwagon will be over flowing with everybody running and jumping back on it full tilt.Relax people,it’s only game 3 and with any luck this team could be sitting at 2-1 right now,so far the (L)East division is totally up for grabs and all 3 established teams are off to horrible starts,with Ottawa being the X-Factor right now.The team has now got 5 of the next 7 games at home(wherever that might be?)and have already played the hard part of their schedule,starting out with 3 in a row on the road.Have faith,Austin and his staff will figure this out and are injured players will begin to get healthy eventually,last year we were 1-4 after 5 games and eventually turned it around,we still have 15 games to go in a year where most likely 8-10 wins will get you 1rst place in the division and most likely 6-7 wins could net you a 2nd place finish.Like I said right now Ottawa is the X-Factor but IMO at this stage I would place us ahead of both Montreal and Toronto who have looked worse than us so far this season in spite of them both managing a win so far to our goose egg record right now.

People not caring about the team would be like you see in T.O., no discussion and lack of attendance. That so many are talking about the team on this forum means that they care and support the team. Supporting the team does not mean you have to love everything they are doing, even if the team was 18-0 fans would still find a thing or two to criticize. Band wagon jumping is those who don't care at all until the playoffs roll around and then suddenly start watching and rooting.

It looks like we have a lot of bandwagon jumpers on this thread. We'll wait for a couple of wins and save your seats in the meantime. The Leaf fans seem to be more loyal than some of you and they've got nothing to show for it, since 1967. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Pat Lynch(the old guy)

BTW - I like Austin and don’t want him fired, just to be clear.

:thup: :thup: :thup: :thup: :thup: