Who to cheer for/against?

The Place for BC Lion Discussion. A forum for Lions fans to talk and chat about our team.
Discussion, News, Information and Speculation regarding the BC Lions and the CFL.
Prowl, Growl and Roar!

Moderator: Team Captains

User avatar
David
Team Captain
Posts: 9364
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2002 10:23 am
Location: Vancouver (Kitsilano)

Right now I am just concerned about getting 4th place. 5th in the West is not an option. Obviously, I want the Leos to finish as high in the standings as possible, but let's be realistic. The 0-2 start and losing Lulay for half a season really put us in a hole from which we're not likely to recover. That is to say, I think 1st place and hosting a playoff game is no longer on the table. Here are some questions to consider:

Do we concede first and hope the Stamps beat the others in the West in head-to-head match-ups?

Now that the Riders have Dressler back and look to have found last year's form, do we hope they beat the Bombers and Esks? Or should we set our sights on the Riders, given that they're only 2 points up on us and we hold the tiebreaker?

I think we should cheer against the Bombers from here on in as they are likely the team we're going to be fighting for the last playoff spot. We play them 2 more times as well.

Where does this leave the Esks? I think they might actually be more dangerous than the Riders when Reilly is playing. Do you think we can catch them, even though they are 4 points up on us and have already beaten us at home?


DH :cool:
Roar, You Lions, Roar
User avatar
sj-roc
Hall of Famer
Posts: 7539
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 2:39 pm
Location: Kerrisdale

David wrote:Right now I am just concerned about getting 4th place. 5th in the West is not an option. Obviously, I want the Leos to finish as high in the standings as possible, but let's be realistic. The 0-2 start and losing Lulay for half a season really put us in a hole from which we're not likely to recover. That is to say, I think 1st place and hosting a playoff game is no longer on the table. Here are some questions to consider:

Do we concede first and hope the Stamps beat the others in the West in head-to-head match-ups?

Now that the Riders have Dressler back and look to have found last year's form, do we hope they beat the Bombers and Esks? Or should we set our sights on the Riders, given that they're only 2 points up on us and we hold the tiebreaker?

I think we should cheer against the Bombers from here on in as they are likely the team we're going to be fighting for the last playoff spot. We play them 2 more times as well.

Where does this leave the Esks? I think they might actually be more dangerous than the Riders when Reilly is playing. Do you think we can catch them, even though they are 4 points up on us and have already beaten us at home?


DH :cool:
It's tough when the games are fully within your division as far as who to root for. If we'd won on Sunday I would have had no problem rooting for splits in both the Cgy/Edm and Ssk/Wpg H&H series as this (with a win @Ott) would have left us only one game out of first with no tiebreaker yet lost. But now I'm not so sure. :dizzy:
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
TheLionKing
Hall of Famer
Posts: 25103
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Vancouver

Like David, my focus is on 4th. Any higher will be a bonus.
User avatar
sj-roc
Hall of Famer
Posts: 7539
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 2:39 pm
Location: Kerrisdale

I said all along the Ssk game was a six-pointer and the fact that we're now basically all but resigning ourselves to no better than 4th after losing it, even though we have the tiebreaker over them, proves the point.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
South Pender
Legend
Posts: 2779
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2012 9:24 am
Location: Vancouver weekdays; Gulf Islands on weekends

Strategic cheering! Fourth place might be the charm. An easier route to the GC.
User avatar
Rammer
Team Captain
Posts: 22320
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2002 6:04 pm
Location: Coquitlam, B.C.

sj-roc wrote:I said all along the Ssk game was a six-pointer and the fact that we're now basically all but resigning ourselves to no better than 4th after losing it, even though we have the tiebreaker over them, proves the point.
Since the Lions won tie breaker, that eliminated it being a 6 point game IMO, from a Lions PoV. Although had the Riders lost, it would have been a 6 pointer in your version.

While we are two points behind a tie for fourth, we are really 2 games behind in the loss colume, that is huge in this West race. Right now I think that the Bombers are the weakest link, and the team that we should focus on for at least a fourth place finish.
Entertainment value = an all time low
User avatar
David
Team Captain
Posts: 9364
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2002 10:23 am
Location: Vancouver (Kitsilano)

Rammer wrote:Right now I think that the Bombers are the weakest link, and the team that we should focus on for at least a fourth place finish.
I have to agree with this, plus Drew Willy hurt his hand at practice and we won't know how badly until Sunday. The question is, do we pull for the Riders (ugggh! that's tough to wrap my head around) in both the Labour Day match-up and Banjo Bowl.....or a split?

Would almost have the Bombers win Sunday and lose the following week, as we have to play them the week after. Don't want them full of confidence coming into BC Place. Another reason for a split - is 3 Bomber losses in a row realistic?


DH :cool:
Roar, You Lions, Roar
User avatar
B.C.FAN
Team Captain
Posts: 12580
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 10:28 pm

The Lions have played two more games against West Division rivals than any other team. Now that the other teams are starting to play each other, the Lions can make up some ground. Nothing is off the table, from first place to fifth. The best option might be to have the Stamps/Esks and Riders/Bombers split their home-and-home series. Overall, I see the Bombers as the weakest team in the division and the Riders slightly ahead of them but too much can happen in the next nine games for me to strategically cheer for or against anyone now. I just want to put my feet up and watch some good football games without an emotional investment in the outcomes.
User avatar
sj-roc
Hall of Famer
Posts: 7539
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 2:39 pm
Location: Kerrisdale

Rammer wrote:
sj-roc wrote:I said all along the Ssk game was a six-pointer and the fact that we're now basically all but resigning ourselves to no better than 4th after losing it, even though we have the tiebreaker over them, proves the point.
Since the Lions won tie breaker, that eliminated it being a 6 point game IMO, from a Lions PoV. Although had the Riders lost, it would have been a 6 pointer in your version.

While we are two points behind a tie for fourth, we are really 2 games behind in the loss colume, that is huge in this West race. Right now I think that the Bombers are the weakest link, and the team that we should focus on for at least a fourth place finish.
Technically true, but it's just that I think our loss makes it more difficult to catch Ssk so that the TB can be invoked in the first place (2GB in losses as you say). We have the bullet, yes — the gun to fire it, not so much; over the 2nd half of the season, we'll be put through a very detailed background check before the application is granted. Change any one of our previous three losses to a win and this latest one would have been much less costly (so far), and the tiebreaker much more valuable.

As the season's closing weeks approach, I fear one or more western teams could be subject to speculation of throwing games to finish 4th for the "easier" road to the GC through the east.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
User avatar
Hambone
Hall of Famer
Posts: 8174
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:25 pm
Location: Living in PG when not at BC Place, Grey Cup or Mazatlan.

Splits wouldn't be bad. Assuming BC can knock off Ottawa next week it would leave things

Edm 8-2
Cgy 8-2
Ssk 7-3
Wpg 7-4
BCL 6-4

Riders would still have a very tough road to hoe. They'd be done with BC and Winnipeg but have 5 of their last 6 against Edmonton and Calgary. On the flip side BC is done with the Riders, have 2 left with the Bombers and Stamps and 1 against Edmonton.

Edited thanks to leo4life. Dang I knew they had 5 left against the West too but somehow had 2+1+1 equaling 5.
Last edited by Hambone on Fri Aug 29, 2014 2:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
You're as old as you've ever been and as young as you're ever going to be.
leo4life
All Star
Posts: 385
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:15 pm
Location: vancouver

Stamps twice and Edmonton once remainig
jmc24
Rookie
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 9:24 am

Hambone wrote:Splits wouldn't be bad. Assuming BC can knock off Ottawa next week it would leave things

Edm 8-2
Cgy 8-2
Ssk 7-3
Wpg 7-4
BCL 6-4

Riders would still have a very tough road to hoe. They'd be done with BC and Winnipeg but have 5 of their last 6 against Edmonton and Calgary. On the flip side BC is done with the Riders, have 2 left with the Bombers and Stamps and 1 against Edmonton.

Edited thanks to leo4life. Dang I knew they had 5 left against the West too but somehow had 2+1+1 equaling 5.
Agreed! Splits avoid possibly 2 teams running away from us.....Although , fourth would be nice. Can't imagine an easier road to the GC than in the East.
leo4life
All Star
Posts: 385
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:15 pm
Location: vancouver

No guarentees on the road in the cold east...unless Skulsky wants to give one;)
User avatar
notahomer
Hall of Famer
Posts: 6258
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2002 12:09 pm
Location: Vancouver

Well I hate the predicament the Lions are in but still its nice to have the Bombers back where they belong, in the West, IMO. Too bad their return may end up hurting us. I'd be cheering for splits. Don't want any team in the WEST to dominate. Have them struggling and battling as much as possible, please.... Hoping for four ties over the two weeks would be a bit much eh? :wink:
TheLionKing
Hall of Famer
Posts: 25103
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Vancouver

leo4life wrote:Stamps twice and Edmonton once remainig
Lions have their destiny in their hands. They have no excuses.
Post Reply