One of the things that bothers me is that when the Lions season ends on trash bag day, this town virtually goes into radio silence. Not much coverage other than a Tedford stepping down or Buono coming back to the sidelines. The Vancouver Sun literally stops covering the team, relying on news wire clips for their back pages. I'm still waiting for someone to do some investigative reporting into Tedford's removal to find out if he really left on his own volition or was pushed...and why? Do you think fans and media in Regina would have been content with the club's explanation? Or here, if it happened with the Canucks? Not a chance!
So I was happy to see a roundtable discussion on the Province.com last week, albeit a short one HERE featuring a couple of clever, veteran newspaper men (Ed Willes and Paul Chapman), finally being critical of the situation here and making some really good points (NOTE - did Sports Editor and moderator Jonathan McDonald hand out tight V-neck sweaters to his staff as Christmas presents?? Also, in case you're confused, when McDonald mentions that Jennings worked in a factory, the wry and sarcastic Chapman says he was "working in a coal mine, going down down" - an old Lee Dorsey tune from the early 60s that was covered by Devo. He didn't really work in a coal mine).
DH
Good hot stove discussion on Province.com
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SammyGreene
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Was thinking the same thing the other day David. The only words from Tedord regarding his departure was a prepared statement from the Lions. Maybe he denied interviews but very bizzare to say the least. And so much for him landing down south again which apparently was the reason he opted out of his 2 year contract in the first place. Every vacant position is now full so it's going to take a sudden resignation or firing to bring him aboard and the window to do that is getting very small.David wrote:One of the things that bothers me is that when the Lions season ends on trash bag day, this town virtually goes into radio silence. Not much coverage other than a Tedford stepping down or Buono coming back to the sidelines. The Vancouver Sun literally stops covering the team, relying on news wire clips for their back pages. I'm still waiting for someone to do some investigative reporting into Tedford's removal to find out if he really left on his own volition or was pushed...and why? Do you think fans and media in Regina would have been content with the club's explanation? Or here, if it happened with the Canucks? Not a chance!
DH
Amazing to think last year at this time all the optimism about bringing someone on board with Tedford's offensive background plus the staff he put together. Who would have guessed a year later it would be the 2014 tandem of Jones and Dorazio in charge again? Ugh.Ball State hired Saints QB coach Mike Neu to replace Pete Lembo
Bowling Green hired Texas Tech AHC Mike Jinks to replace Dino Babers
BYU hired Oregon State DC Kalani Sitake to replace Bronco Mendenhall
East Carolina hired Duke OC Scottie Montgomery to replace Ruffin McNeill
Illinois promoted interim Bill Cubit to replace Tim Beckman
Iowa State hired Toledo HC Matt Campbell to replace Paul Rhoads
Georgia hired Alabama DC Kirby Smart to replace Mark Richt
Georgia Southern hired CSU DC Tyson Summers to replace Willie Fritz
Hawaii hired Nevada OC Nick Rolovich to replace Norm Chow
Maryland hired Michigan DC D.J. Durkin to replace Randy Edsall
Memphis hired Arizona State OC Mike Norvell to replace Justin Fuente
Miami hired former Georgia HC Mark Richt to replace Al Golden
Minnesota hired interim Tracy Claeys to replace Jerry Kill
Missouri promoted DC Barry Odom to replace Gary Pinkel
North Texas hired North Carolina OC Seth Littrell to replace Dan McCarney
Rutgers hired Ohio State DC Chris Ash to replace Kyle Flood
South Carolina hired Auburn DC Will Muschamp to replace Steve Spurrier
Syracuse hired Bowling Green HC Dino Babers to replace Scott Shafer
Texas State hired James Madison HC Everett Withers to replace Dennis Franchione
Toledo promoted OC Jason Candle to replace Matt Campbell
Tulane hired Georgia Southern HC Willie Fritz to replace Curtis Johnson
UCF hired Oregon OC Scott Frost to replace George O'Leary
ULM hired McNeese State HC Matt Viator to replace Todd Berry
USC promoted interim Clay Helton to replace Steve Sarkisian
UTSA hired LSU RB coach Frank Wilson to replace Dennis Coker
Virginia hired BYU HC Bronco Mendenhall to replace Mike London
Virginia Tech hired Memphis HC Justin Fuente to replace Frank Beamer
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WestCoastJoe
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Some quotes ...
Ed:
"It's almost like the credibility of the franchise itself is at stake."
"Wally is yesterday's man."
"You just wonder if he has the game to revive the franchise. It's not like he is stepping into a made bed. He's got to go in, and he has to be the difference maker. He has to fix a team that looked broken."
Re Jeff Tedford walking out. Who is it on?
"It's on Wally. He is the guy at the top of the marquee. In football ops, he is the man. It stops there. This is Wally's thing."
"But they did find a young quarterback they can build a team around."
...........
Paul:
"Smallest crowd in 13 years. This is on Dennis Skulsky. The team has to create some buzz again."
Re Wally: "They've tried to go with the young coordinator in Mike Benevides. It didn't work. They tried to go with the big name out of college football with Jeff Tedford. It didn't work."
............
Pretty good hot stove discussion, even as short as it was. They do point to Wally as the man in charge. He made the HC hires. And they point to Dennis Skulsky as well.
My take: Wally has run football ops since 2003. He has presided over the declining win/loss record. He has presided over the lack of exciting, successful football as the team has slid down the slope.
.........................
My take on Jeff Tedford. Wally hired him, when Tedford seemed to fall into our laps as if from Football Coach Heaven, a saviour. But Tedford has had a major health issue. He had to be going it a bit easier than some obsessive hard driving coaches, with youth and health on their side. I am not convinced Tedford had the energy to make the team his own. He probably felt it best, considering everything, his health, Wally's culture, to kind of coast through Year 1. Coasting in pro sports does not work. I expect Wally saw that Tedford had to go. Tedford probably saw he needed to get out also. Mutual decision, it seems to me. A mistaken hire by the GM. To change the culture of the team, established in 14 years under Wally, it would have taken a Chris Jones type, with full authority and autonomy. That was not about to happen, it seems to this fan. Wally has admitted he has trouble letting go. And that is normal for anybody.
So we finished at 7-11. And it seems to this fan the odds are against us making much of a move up the ladder. Can Wally pull the rabbits out of the hat, as I have asked repeatedly? Who knows? Possible, I guess. But odds against.
Just IMO, as a fan since the days of Joe Kapp and company ...
Ed:
"It's almost like the credibility of the franchise itself is at stake."
"Wally is yesterday's man."
"You just wonder if he has the game to revive the franchise. It's not like he is stepping into a made bed. He's got to go in, and he has to be the difference maker. He has to fix a team that looked broken."
Re Jeff Tedford walking out. Who is it on?
"It's on Wally. He is the guy at the top of the marquee. In football ops, he is the man. It stops there. This is Wally's thing."
"But they did find a young quarterback they can build a team around."
...........
Paul:
"Smallest crowd in 13 years. This is on Dennis Skulsky. The team has to create some buzz again."
Re Wally: "They've tried to go with the young coordinator in Mike Benevides. It didn't work. They tried to go with the big name out of college football with Jeff Tedford. It didn't work."
............
Pretty good hot stove discussion, even as short as it was. They do point to Wally as the man in charge. He made the HC hires. And they point to Dennis Skulsky as well.
My take: Wally has run football ops since 2003. He has presided over the declining win/loss record. He has presided over the lack of exciting, successful football as the team has slid down the slope.
.........................
My take on Jeff Tedford. Wally hired him, when Tedford seemed to fall into our laps as if from Football Coach Heaven, a saviour. But Tedford has had a major health issue. He had to be going it a bit easier than some obsessive hard driving coaches, with youth and health on their side. I am not convinced Tedford had the energy to make the team his own. He probably felt it best, considering everything, his health, Wally's culture, to kind of coast through Year 1. Coasting in pro sports does not work. I expect Wally saw that Tedford had to go. Tedford probably saw he needed to get out also. Mutual decision, it seems to me. A mistaken hire by the GM. To change the culture of the team, established in 14 years under Wally, it would have taken a Chris Jones type, with full authority and autonomy. That was not about to happen, it seems to this fan. Wally has admitted he has trouble letting go. And that is normal for anybody.
So we finished at 7-11. And it seems to this fan the odds are against us making much of a move up the ladder. Can Wally pull the rabbits out of the hat, as I have asked repeatedly? Who knows? Possible, I guess. But odds against.
Just IMO, as a fan since the days of Joe Kapp and company ...
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.
Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.
Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.
Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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JohnnyMusso
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Don't think there is enough interest from the casual fan for them to investigate whether Tedford was pushed to resign. Whenever the Sun or Province has Lions news, there is usually no comments at all. There is just no interest and Lions conservative coaching hires have not created any buzz at all. I think they will have a hard time increasing season ticket sales. It will take a winning season and some kind of buzz to bring the fans back. I personally don't see it and having a hard time getting excited at all and yet most fans don't like the direction they are going in, in terms of coaches.
I feel no real movement will happen until David Braley sells the team and that may be a year or more away. The team is on the decline both in attendance and in performance and don't feel confident Buono can turn it around in one year, when he is the one responsible for the mess. His coaching choices show him hiring back people who were fired or demoted and now hoping things will be different this time around.
I feel no real movement will happen until David Braley sells the team and that may be a year or more away. The team is on the decline both in attendance and in performance and don't feel confident Buono can turn it around in one year, when he is the one responsible for the mess. His coaching choices show him hiring back people who were fired or demoted and now hoping things will be different this time around.
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Hambone
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I'm not surprised nothing has been unearthed on Tedford leaving. I doubt it's from lack of effort on the part of the media. I think give their long-time relationship and mutual respect for each other neither was going to throw the other under the bus or give the media anything to work with. That wouldn't serve either of them any purpose. I think WCJ may have nailed it down when he hinted it was just a mutual agreement with both sides knowing they needed to move on.
Last edited by Hambone on Mon Jan 18, 2016 7:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
You're as old as you've ever been and as young as you're ever going to be.
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Hambone
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JohnnyMusso wrote:Don't think there is enough interest from the casual fan for them to investigate whether Tedford was pushed to resign. Whenever the Sun or Province has Lions news, there is usually no comments at all. There is just no interest and Lions conservative coaching hires have not created any buzz at all. I think they will have a hard time increasing season ticket sales. It will take a winning season and some kind of buzz to bring the fans back. I personally don't see it and having a hard time getting excited at all and yet most fans don't like the direction they are going in, in terms of coaches.
I feel no real movement will happen until David Braley sells the team and that may be a year or more away. The team is on the decline both in attendance and in performance and don't feel confident Buono can turn it around in one year, when he is the one responsible for the mess. His coaching choices show him hiring back people who were fired or demoted and now hoping things will be different this time around.
For the most part it's just us anal hardcore armchair QBs who get microanalyzing things down to who is on the coaching staff. We may get all excited or all pessimistic about who the OC or the positional coaches are but the vast majority don't care or don' choose to care. For them it's all about the players If reports are true the Lions ST renewals are well ahea of schedule and one has to think Jennings is a far bigger factor than anything else.
You're as old as you've ever been and as young as you're ever going to be.
Meh.Bouno says just over a year ago "we need fresh ideas" "we have gotten stale" .Now rehires guys who havent gotten it done the last few seasons to his coaching staff.If the Leos start or end poorly again i can already hear Bouno's spin on it.Injuries.Execution.
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JohnnyMusso
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The key now is will they sign any free agents and someone of substance, not the minor free agent signing they did last year. Maybe Jennings is enough to sell more season tickets, but they need players. They need to upgrade the talent and not just sign rookies. Also who will Buono cut now that Tedford is gone. You know before February 9, he will cut some players. Every year he does.
Also will Harris and Lulay be back. Harris no. I think he is off to Winnipeg or Calgary. Lulay maybe, but I think he may test free agency and if no interest, return to Lions as a backup at a reduced salary.
As for Rainey, he may test free agency too or try to get a tryout with a NFL team.
Rainey is the one remaining free agent I really want to see back. He is exciting and can be a difference maker.
Also will Harris and Lulay be back. Harris no. I think he is off to Winnipeg or Calgary. Lulay maybe, but I think he may test free agency and if no interest, return to Lions as a backup at a reduced salary.
As for Rainey, he may test free agency too or try to get a tryout with a NFL team.
Rainey is the one remaining free agent I really want to see back. He is exciting and can be a difference maker.
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TheLionKing
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Right now the Lions are generating zero interest from the fans despite the Lions' assertion that season ticket renewals are ahead of last year's pace. Province survey about 1 month ago indicates the Lions are trailing the Canucks and Whitecaps in popularity.
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Hambone
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Buono has effectively already done a lot of that cutting. The Lions have an unusually, for them, high number of pending FAs. Cutting them or letting them become FAs is basically the same thing. I don't expect them to tender offers to Smith, Valli, Taylor, Parks or Curran. There's 5 cuts right there.JohnnyMusso wrote:The key now is will they sign any free agents and someone of substance, not the minor free agent signing they did last year. Maybe Jennings is enough to sell more season tickets, but they need players. They need to upgrade the talent and not just sign rookies. Also who will Buono cut now that Tedford is gone. You know before February 9, he will cut some players. Every year he does.
Also will Harris and Lulay be back. Harris no. I think he is off to Winnipeg or Calgary. Lulay maybe, but I think he may test free agency and if no interest, return to Lions as a backup at a reduced salary.
As for Rainey, he may test free agency too or try to get a tryout with a NFL team.
Rainey is the one remaining free agent I really want to see back. He is exciting and can be a difference maker.
You're as old as you've ever been and as young as you're ever going to be.
To the club's credit, they are aggressively advertising STs for next season. There is an unprecedented $40K (total) in prizing that they're awarding with 12 weekly draws (from 11/16/15 - 2/1/16), including a Nissan Murano - something I've been calling for for several years. Therefore, I am not surprised when they say season tickets are up. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money.TheLionKing wrote:Right now the Lions are generating zero interest from the fans despite the Lions' assertion that season ticket renewals are ahead of last year's pace.
DH
Roar, You Lions, Roar
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Hambone
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Haven't they been offering a vehicle up for early bird renewals for years David? I know they used to. I could've sworn I renewed early the last couple years because I figured I might as well get my name in the hat especially with the payment plans making it so painless.David wrote:To the club's credit, they are aggressively advertising STs for next season. There is an unprecedented $40K (total) in prizing that they're awarding with 12 weekly draws (from 11/16/15 - 2/1/16), including a Nissan Murano - something I've been calling for for several years. Therefore, I am not surprised when they say season tickets are up. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money.TheLionKing wrote:Right now the Lions are generating zero interest from the fans despite the Lions' assertion that season ticket renewals are ahead of last year's pace.
DH
You're as old as you've ever been and as young as you're ever going to be.
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TheLionKing
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It was a truck for early bird renewals.
I'm reasonably certain Tedford was getting a massive severance (something like 1.5 million USD for the next two years) from his last gig before he came to the Lions. The deal was that anything he got paid by the Lions deducted from his severance. So he really had zero motivation to continue in any situation that he didn't like. My guess is he didn't enjoy the freedom he thought he would have from Wally, and combine that with the lack of overall success, and he figured why bother? So he chose to walk away. With regards to Wally, why pay a guy the rumoured 500K if your team is 7-11 and the coach is not really into it? To me, that sounds like the grounds for an easy "mutual agreement" to leave.
I don't know about everyone else but the weekly giveaways emails I'm getting strike me as desperate, sad, and really out of touch. Couple that with the annual, bizarre offer to go on a cruise with Wally and Skulsky and the whole marketing scheme seems like just more of the same old, same old.
Hard to sell excitement on a team that went 7-11, and with a declining product overall in the CFL, it's going to take a serious change in the on field product for this to turnaround.
Does anybody have an example of a CFL team that's doing a good job with their marketing efforts (Sask not included)? Seems like the league is in decline across the board both on and off the field.
I don't know about everyone else but the weekly giveaways emails I'm getting strike me as desperate, sad, and really out of touch. Couple that with the annual, bizarre offer to go on a cruise with Wally and Skulsky and the whole marketing scheme seems like just more of the same old, same old.
Hard to sell excitement on a team that went 7-11, and with a declining product overall in the CFL, it's going to take a serious change in the on field product for this to turnaround.
Does anybody have an example of a CFL team that's doing a good job with their marketing efforts (Sask not included)? Seems like the league is in decline across the board both on and off the field.
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TheLionKing
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I agreeBig Time wrote:
I don't know about everyone else but the weekly giveaways emails I'm getting strike me as desperate, sad, and really out of touch. Couple that with the annual, bizarre offer to go on a cruise with Wally and Skulsky and the whole marketing scheme seems like just more of the same old, same old.