Have to put aside the very important issue of umbrellas for a moment but....
After all the usual whining and second guessing in the off season and pre season over the hirings it's time to start giving these guys some respect and praise.
If a team with no guts, focus and discipline is a reflection on coaching then certainly last night's epic battle against the weather and a solid opponent shows what a talented staff we have and.... they're just getting started.
And if you want extend the praise to Obie for sticking with Marcel and giving him the talent to work with by all means but we'll leave that for another thread.
Very good and true points. The biggest thing the Cats did last night was beat a team with a winning record.
There were still some critics around the CFL saying Hamilton had only beat teams with losing records. They can't say that anymore. Our Cats are contenders in every way this year.
Everyone from top to bottom in the organization deserves a lot of credit.
Marcel as head coach is better than he was as an offensive coordinator, in my opinion. During the games he's actually engaged; you see him actually coaching, something the Cats haven't seen from a head coach in many seasons.
Gibson planned a very good package for the game (a tad too much emphasis on Bruce in the early going, but why quibble).
Marshall is easily the best defensive coordinator seen in Hamilton in many seasons; heck the guy even makes halftime adjustments!
And the players played. . . and played very well given the adverse conditions and the quality of the opponent.
8) Exactly right. Funny how those whiners have gone underground for the time being, but I am sure they will resurface if we happen to lose a close game or suffer 2 losses in a row !!!
Yes, kudos to Obie for sticking with Marcel as his head man !!!
This present coaching staff would appear to be one of the best that we have had for years !!!
Loads and loads of CFL experience at every position !!!!
Madjack makes a great point about Marshall and half time adjustments. Our d has been terrific in the 2nd half this year. A HUGE difference from previous years where we were clearly out coached. I think Obie deserves much of the credit for player recruitment. Look at our special teams. In previous years (same coach) we were horrible. This year, with better players to coach, our special teams play has been remarkable. Our return coverage is the best I can remember, and with a guy like Setta making directional kicks, we're winning on field position just about every game.
People deserve praise when they earn it. Obie, Marcel Bellefeuille, Mike Gibson, Greg Marshall and the Ticat players are earning it play by play and game by game this year. Also, on CHML's Fifth Quarter radio show last night, props were given to Roger Dunbrack, the Ticats' new strength and conditioning coach. Indeed, the team seems to finish strongly in their games this season. Keep up the good work!
Flipside: They also didn’t earn the lack of respect , second guessing and general belly aching before the season even starts or in meaningless exhibition games, “botched” drafts, “losing trends” etc.
No offense, but they earned it through five years of absolute futility on the field. We’re not talking about a good team that went a bit bad last season. We’re talking about a team that posted records of 3-15, 4-14, and 1-17 in the past few years. That’s brutal. And every off-season, there was the same mantra of turning things around, optimism, etc. that turned out to be laughably incorrect. I respect what the Cats have done this year as much as anyone, but expecting people to be optimistic this off-season was unrealistic. The Cats had done ZERO in the past few years to make anyone optimistic about anything connected to the on-field product.
This team will finally gain a little more respect. I shake my head at the fact that we didn’t gain much respect by beating BC here and at home. They aren’t a winning team because we beat them twice in five games. It’s tough to shake the perception we have built up over the past four seasons. Make no mistake, this team is for real.
As far as the coaches go, I agree that they are a big part of the improvement. I like Marcel’s approach and attitude more than anything. Both Gibson and Marshall have the team preparing much better than in the past. They seam to bring something a little different each week, and make adjustments during the game. The defense has really stepped it up in the second half. I also like the fact that unlike past years, you see the defense moving around and communicating before plays. In the past, we just took whatever position was called and the offense would adjust to us. This is a huge difference.
Good, positive post Zontar...and absolutely true. :thup:
These coaches know what they are doing and they are allowing the players to show all of their talents.
The thing I like especially is that Marcel has fire in his eyes all through the game and the players pick up on that. He also has time to give his players a kudo when it is deserved...and encouragement when there has been disappointment.
It's all another product of Obie's eye for talent. He has worked wonders since he got here by finding the right people...on the sidelines and on the field. And I'll bet there are more player deals to come.
We still need more fans in the stadium though. Maybe now that the wins are coming and vacations are almost over, the seats will start filling up.
You can see it in the players that they are inspired and want to play for Marcel. If you listen to the players after the game you can hear it in this voices. Watch the sideline when the players come off you can see the coaches involve in the game. They are not waiting for half time to praise or correct if necessary. They are doing it every single time with all players. These players are engage in every play.
In conclusion Marcel and his coaches are on the right track bringing fun back to the game.
I agree with much of what has been said. I really think the biggest impact that the coaching staff has had this year is in the attitude of the team. They are a team. They believe in each other. They believe in themselves as a team and the team is unified to one purpose. The coaches have instilled this approach in the players and it is showing in the way they play and the way they interact with each other and the media.
Not being optimistic isnt the same thing as denigrating Obie’s abilities, mocking his age and his skill to “evaluate talent” then questioning the hiring of Marcel, “Bellfool”, etc. “doing nothing to improve the D-line” hiring castoffs Gibson and Marshall all before they fielded a team is unfair, petty and quite ignorant.