One of the reasons I always remember John Payne as coach was because of a sign some buddies and I made and took to an August 1979 game that not only was shown on CBC a couple of times but ended up as a picture in the Globe and Mail the next day accompanying a story about whether or not Payne would last that season as coach.
At the time the Cats were 1 - 5 and lost that game to BC too to drop to 1 - 6.
The sign said ‘Another PAYNE-ful Loss’.
Actually because we were using paint on a bedsheet and the sheet when we painted it we had laid flat on my friend’s driveway - and the paint seeped through the sheet - my friend’s driveway had ‘Another PAYNE-ful Loss’ painted on it for several weeks before it faded. Everyone in the neighbourhood was always cracking jokes about it after other Cats losses that happened over the next month. lol
Early 80s OTT was notorious for airlifting and then renting NFL cuts in for stretch run and surprising teams.
Knives came out for Clements and a Budd Riley in 82. Expectations were high after 81 then suddenly TOR got good with a high powered offense and Rileys cautious ball control offense couldn’t keep up and HAM was left behind in a division they were supposed to dominate again.
Knives never went back in until they were both gone.
To agree with your point, mostly what I remember about Clements that year is continually throwing the ball 30 yards to the sidelines for a 3 yard gain. People were even writing to the Spectator to complain about it.
Truer words were never spoken when it comes to Brancato and his Riders kicking our butts in the play-offs during that era from the mid seventies to the mid eighties .
Brancato’s Riders met the Cats a total of 6 times between 1974 and 1983 and defeated us by a 5 to 1 margin in that time . The streak included 5 straight times before we finally won one against them in the 1983 ESF .
George Brancato coached Ottawa teams vs Hamilton play-off results…
1974…ESF… Ottawa - 21 Hamilton - 19 Won
1976…EF… Ottawa - 17 Hamilton - 15 Won
1979…ESF… Ottawa - 29 Hamilton - 26 Won
1981…EF…Ottawa - 17 at Hamilton - 13 Won
1982…ESF… Ottawa - 30 at Hamilton - 20 Won
1983…ESF… Ottawa - 31 Hamilton - 33 Lost
Worse still it was an offense easy to defend and good teams teed off on the OLINE and Clements. He took a beating on and off the field. Classic scapegoating by fans.