Lions Need Veteran Leadership

J Simpson was released from the Stamps.
No surprise as Dickenson wants to go with youth.

I would like to see Simpson in a Lions jersey.
He still is a good one, and he was a great leader on the Stamps D and locker room.
This is an area that the Lions need to get better. Experience and leadership. ( at least on the D side. )

BTW, for those of you not in the know, I am a Calgarian who is a Lions fan.

Since 2010 , I have made 2 trips a year to Vancouver for games. The last couple of years have been frustrating to see a once dominant team at home tank.

Perhaps picking up Simpson and a few more FA's could help turn things around.

How many middle linebackers do you want?

Elimimian, Bighill, and now Simpson?

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I don’t know brihind88 if the Lions are lacking in leadership. They have some very seasoned veterans who are mature both on and off the field and I think add good leadership as well.

The Lions’ offensive line has been problematic for a number of seasons. That needs to be the top priority for the next season. Remember the Lions lost Eli for a good part of the season. When he is back he and Bighill are awesome. The team was also having problems in the QB department but now appear to have a keeper in Jennings. They’ll need a good backup QB.

I’m sure it is frustrating to make the trip from Calgary to see the Lions play on home turf only to see them lose but they will find their mojo again. All the teams eventually do. Hamilton went through some bad years and the team is back on track. Winnipeg was in the Grey as recently as 2011.

In 2013 Edmonton won only 4 games all year. Last year they won 12. This year they won 14 games out of 18 and the Grey Cup!

Buono will be the head coach again. Hopefully some of the holes will be filled. Simpson is a good player but the Lions need to shore up other areas of the team.

Nice to hear you are cheering on the Lions. They could always use more fans. :thup:

What is the status of SE and AB ? Are they FA’s. ?

There is also the option of using one of them as trade bate.

How do you get stronger in a much needed area ? Give something up that some other team needs.

We give you our MLB for your all-star o- lineman.

Just a thought.

The games can be frustrating, but I still love the city and the people.
I stay at the Georgian Court next to the stadium and I love jogging and walking along the False Creek Seawall Trail
With my built up Aventura Points , I will most likely make it out for 3 games this year.

"The games can be frustrating, but I still love the city and the people.
I stay at the Georgian Court next to the stadium and I love jogging and walking along the False Creek Seawall Trail
With my built up Aventura Points , I will most likely make it out for 3 games this year."…by brihind88

Great location there brihind. You are so close you could throw a stone and hit B.C. Place! So easy to walk home too after the game. I've walked that seawall many times. Some great scenery along there. I don't know how well you know Vancouver but here is a little bit of history: The entire False Creek area on both sides was nothing but industrial factories.[only 35 years ago] Lumber, steel, cooperages, cement, the works. Now look at! Take the Aqua Bus over to Granville Island [south side]. Some nice restaurants and shops there.

Yes beagle, I know the area well. The history also. Only because there are all those historic signs along the path with write ups and photos. There were many jobs at the time, but man the place looked ugly and was all pollution.

As you know what cleaned it all up was Expo 86. I was there and remember it like yesterday.
Yes I have taken the rides over to Granville. Walked there a couple times as well.

Go Lions Go.

[i]"Yes beagle, I know the area well. The history also. Only because there are all those historic signs along the path with write ups and photos. There were many jobs at the time, but man the place looked ugly and was all pollution.

As you know what cleaned it all up was Expo 86. I was there and remember it like yesterday.
Yes I have taken the rides over to Granville. Walked there a couple times as well."…by brihind88[/i]

I remember Expo 86. Yes, the pollution was heavy in False Creek. I'm disappointed the water is not cleaner after 30 years. Industry certainly isn't polluting it but it is still unfit for swimming. Not that anyone would want to swim in false creek. Unfortunately, dog owners toss their bags of doggie waste into the water and no doubt many of the boats moored there cause a problem.

After years of industrial effluent going into False Creek I can only imagine how toxic the bottom must be.

Perhaps they should change the name from False Creek to E Coli Lagoon. There are E Coli warning signs along the path.
However, it is not as bad as it was when industry was flowing into it.

As for the 2016 Lions, I hope things get turned around. Myself the worst was a 3 td lead over the Argos and end up loosing thanks to a tank job in the second half. There were a few more games like that.
I just kept thinking, something is not right. Experience, confidence or leadership.

They were such a power at home. Teams did not enjoy trips to Vancouver. The last 2 seasons have not been the case.

Nothing wrong with the talent. They have the players to win. That was the point of my thread.

Also, it would be nice to see the fans come back back.

In the 2 games I was at in 2015 :

20,085 - Toronto – 19,833 - Ottawa.

Now that they are a 27,500 seat stadium, that needs to improve.
They were getting better crowds when they were in Empire Field in 2010 - 11

Perhaps they should change the name from False Creek to E Coli Lagoon. There are E Coli warning signs along the path.
However, it is not as bad as it was when industry was flowing into it.

It should be. I'm just surprised that after 30 years of non-industrial use it is not a whole lot cleaner. That's my point.

As for the 2016 Lions, I hope things get turned around. Myself the worst was a 3 td lead over the Argos and end up loosing thanks to a tank job in the second half. There were a few more games like that.
I just kept thinking, something is not right. Experience, confidence or leadership.

I remember that game very well. Yikes. Don't know how that happened.

They were such a power at home. Teams did not enjoy trips to Vancouver. The last 2 seasons have not been the case.
Nothing wrong with the talent. They have the players to win. That was the point of my thread.

They'll turn it around. every CFL teams does. Hopefully in 2016 and not in 3-5 years.

Also, it would be nice to see the fans come back back.
In the 2 games I was at in 2015 :
20,085 - Toronto -- 19,833 - Ottawa.

Bad compared to recent season attendance. that's for sure. If we think that is bad i remember attending a Lions/Hamilton game in B.C. Place and the attendance was only 14,218 [July 18, 2002]. 14,000 fans in a 60 000 thousand capacity stadium! Scary stuff to the organizers and promoters. That year the Lions averaged about 18,000 fans a game compared to Calgary's 33,000 and Edmonton's 38,000! However, putting attendance into perspective for Edmonton the Esks averaged about 6,000 less per game this year. Even though they were a very strong team all year.
Also, I think several teams in the CFL have been down this year.

For sure, attendance has dropped. On average about 5000 a game. That is a lot of spectators. Total regular season attendance at BC Place stadium fell by 50,000 to less than 200,000. The team averaged 21,290 per game, down from 28,011 in 2014.

Now that they are a 27,500 seat stadium, that needs to improve.
They were getting better crowds when they were in Empire Field in 2010 - 11

The Lions should be able to draw fill the lower bowl each and every game for sure. The team has the talent to do better than 7 wins. Marketing may be an issue as well. Also, the Lions appear to be 'competing' for interest with the Seattle Seahawks, which is just a two and one-half hour drive away. This doesn't mean that Lions fans are driving down to Seattle in droves but I think some attention is being drawn away from the CFL in Vancouver. The Vancouver Whitecaps are also giving the Lions some stiff competition.

I love watching the Lions on TV and live and used to be a seasons ticket holder. For me, what is discouraging going to the games is the over-kill when it comes to advertising. Yes, I know that advertising is needed but as far as I'm concerned the CFL is prostituting itself when it comes to advertising. Sometimes I feel like I'm attending a retail exhibit show than a football game. Advertising is all over the place. Everywhere! Even TV commercials are broadcast on the big screen.

I don't know if other fans feel the same way. Maybe the CFL needs to get back to its roots and make the game the main attraction if you know what I mean.