scathing article but pretty much nails it. stamps hardball/ lowball refusal to pay players hurt them. former stamps throw the team under the bus.
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When you put nothing in - you get nothing out, and low pay means its not hard to pick up guys in free agency, which is where they have been picked apart.
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I am sure Begelton would have GREATLY increased his take home pay if he ever entertained the free agency waters
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Good article, can’t disagree with anything. CSEG has been so insanely focused in recent years on the hockey side of things the football side basically lives out in the garden shed of the estate and is fed scraps…take some years (and new upper mgmt) to dig out of this pit…
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Good organizations all start at the top and will echo what others have said, if they don’t invest they won’t get the returns they want.
Hopefully this can help light a fire and hosting Grey Cup in few years they’ll in invest in the re build.
Otherwise they’ll be the new Elks.
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For many years (decades?) fans here could overlook the old stadium too, the product on the field was worth the price of admission…who cares about crappy washrooms and concourse crowds when really exciting ball was being played by the home team in the important part of the building…
That’s not the situation anymore, and CSEG’s business case is going to continue to flat spin in 2025…
I foresee another ‘save the stamps’ campaign in the years ahead…
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I still think the Stamps are not far away from being contenders yet again.
Huf and Dickie just need to convince the owner to open the purse strings just a tad more for one season and they will be back to the win column
With proper management/coaching, CFL teams are never far from a potential turnaround … the issue is often ownership/senior management finding and being willing find that proper management/coaching and then providing them the necessary resources.
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I believe they have that. They just need to once again asert the will to do it.
But it’s more than just paying for free agents. What ex-players have had to say about the working conditions is ugly and doesn’t reflect well on the team at all. No real breakfast, no hot lunch, subpar strength and conditioning. When multiple players are openly talking about these issues, you know it’s bad. They have to hit reset on how the organization is run, top to bottom.
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ESPESCIALLY - when its guys who play for the Argos - who are fed MLSE scraps…
Teams are understanding more and more that it’s that full package, nutrition, conditioning, team rooms, AND indoor practice facilities. You can’t miss a week of practice because of adverse conditions outdoors anymore and think you are going to win.
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But that is all on someone above the coach not providing funds for everything from towels to proper facilities to nurturing attitudes
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pretty sure no one is just talking about the coach, well except maybe you?
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I’ll talk about the coach for one moment, Dickenson needs to give up coaching and shift to GM only duties. Given this past year’s failures if the org goes into the next season with the same org structure I don’t see how doing the same thing again gets different results…put Craig in if that’s all the brain trust can come up with…anything is better than status quo…
But all the other stuff mentioned here, what were once perks that are now requirements, totally true and totally on CSEG’s face…
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Am I being negative… No I am not. Stop please
I would respectfully disagree. Their dynasty period has been over for a few years, and they have been riding on goodwill and legacy expectations ever since. As R&W said, if Dickenson continues to do both the GM and HC jobs, it will be the same result in 2025. He needs to step aside in one of those capacities if the on-field product is going to improve.
I also don’t see how they go back to Maier yet again in 2025. The guy has received 2.5 years of rope with no real QB competition and done nothing to show he deserves to be the starter.
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… Doesn’t reflect well on the league either.
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Don’t really care for the way these issues were raised. And why the hell on Grey Cup Sunday of all times?
Instead of publicly shaming CGY these issues should’ve been raised with the league and PA IMO.
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Because - obviously - they still care for the franchise and this was their opportunity to speak out and shame the owners - who are spending a ton of money building the second NHL arena in the last 40 years while the football team plays in a 65 year old facility that hasn’t been given any attention since it was used for the Olympics…
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Plenty of ex-Stamps in the Grey Cup. And one ex-Stamp who threw for over 5k yards.
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