Paul McCallum to sign with Lions

[Hambone]

Any scuttlebutt yet on how McCallum has looked in practice so far?

[maxlion]

True...but I'm not buying it and neither did McCallum. Certainly Tedford and Wally had to sit down in the off-season and talk about the kicker and punter duties for 2015. Certainly its more than possible that Tedford himself wanted to go with a younger kicker/punter.

But why was McCallum signed in the off-season then? Why was he brought to training camp. And even more, why was McCallum cut only 5 days in? I believe it was pre-arranged to sign McCallum, bring him to training camp, and then try to get him to retire. Don't forget McCallum was a highly paid kicker.

Wally doesn't have to deal with the fallout of not signing him in the off-season and both Tedford and Wally get him to retire. If Tedford didn't want him, he could have said he wanted to go with a younger kicker before training camp and have McCallum released. I highly doubt that Tedford made the decision after only 5 days of camp. They don't even get much done on the first couple of days.

I believe the decision was made before training camp and likely before even signing McCallum. That's what Paul thinks and looking back at the Geroy Simon scenario, Simon also believed that Wally had tried to get him to retire and was having none of it. There was bad blood for Simon, before fences were mended and Simon was hired back here.

A big part of that was the reaction of fans, media, and community who were not happy that one of our greatest Lions ever had not only been traded to the Riders, rather than end his career as a Leo, but was also offered a job in their organization. Pressure was brought to bear, a job was offered to Simon here, and Simon laid down his axe.

Things are not always as straight forward as they seem. Its a nicer way to think that Tedford just came in here and decided that McCallum did not have the leg anymore. I wish I could believe it just happened that way but I don't.

Both Mccallum and Simon were aging players who were beat out by younger, cheaper players with higher potential. They both chose to extend their career another year. It's a competitive business. Wally is paid to make the hard decisions. If the players had their way, they'd keep playing into old age. You can choose to go gracefully on your own terms, or let the market make the decision. Neither way is right or wrong. Maybe Simon and McCallum had their feelings hurt, but it seems that they have gotten over it.

[Blitz]

Both Mccallum and Simon were aging players who were beat out by younger, cheaper players with higher potential. They both chose to extend their career another year. It's a competitive business. Wally is paid to make the hard decisions. If the players had their way, they'd keep playing into old age. You can choose to go gracefully on your own terms, or let the market make the decision. Neither way is right or wrong. Maybe Simon and McCallum had their feelings hurt, but it seems that they have gotten over it.
maxlion

I totally agree that its a competitive business. Hard decisions to have to be made. Many players want to play at least a year past their due date. Wally is paid to make the hard decisions and he has no problem making those hard decisions. Wally has been given credit for making those hard decisions with vets. Sometimes he has been a year too early but most of the time he has gotten them right.

But this is also a fan driven business. Fans get attached to players. The fan base, to a degree, is based on identifying with certain players as well as the team. Winning is the most important thing, of course, but there are also other factors.

Players will get hurt, as will fans, initially when a player who has been a successful player is informed he is no longer wanted. Players have feelings, as well as egos, and they are also often looking at a major career and life change, when the verdict is handed down by Wally.

I accept all of that. But the way its done is important too, especially when the time arrives. Most of our vets have not only been successful football players but given tirelessly to the community. There is a certain level of respect that should arrive with long term service. I don't know what you do for a career max lion but if you had worked for a company for a long time and given it your all, I doubt that you would appreciate something like "I think your past your best due date, so we're terminating you for someone younger and cheaper and has more potential".

Even if you knew that was the situation of your work place, I guess that you would at least like to be thanked for your contributions, be recognized for what you had offered, and be talked to directly, honestly, and respectfully. I also don't guess that you would appreciate a manipulative, Machiavellian, or unempathic approach.

There is a history here and its not just about letting a vet go, when they are an aging player or letting an assistant coach go, or demoting him. Its also about dignity. There is a history of Buono too.

Buono brought much success to Calgary as a HC. But he was as popular with fans there as canned luncheon meat, when he was let go. A huge reason why was because Buono is often callous or manipulative. We were so hungry here in B.C. to have a team that was good for more than a season or two, that Wally has been given Wally a pass for behaviors that should not deserve a pass.

Some examples:

Burratto Demotion

Buono demoted offensive coordinator Steve Burratto to the press box 2/3 of the way through the 2004 season and brought Chap down to call the plays on the sidelines. We were having a very successful season and Burratto had a great rapport in working with Printers. Burratto had been a former HC here, who lead us to one of our rare Grey Cup championshiops and Burratto had even volunteered his time in the spotter's booth after being fired as a HC.

It must have been humiliating for Burratto to be shipped to the spotter's booth and have the receivers coach (Chapdelaine) call the plays. That was Buono's prerogative to do so. But the way it was handled and the way Buratto's successful work as our OC was dismissed (he's been using our playbook anyway) was not done with any class.

Printers Goes to NFL/Dickenson Upset

I won't even get into the whole Dickenson/Printers thing from 2004-2005, other than to say that the major problem was not Printers or Dickenson, or Printers agent. Buono mishandled the whole thing badly. But at the end of 2005, Buono decided to offer Printers a $450,000 contract and told Printers he would be the starter going forward.

Dickenson was furious. He hadn't been told a thing. Printers, looking back at his two years here in B.C. plus his dream of an NFL career chose not to return. Dickenson played for us in 2006 (Grey Cup victory) and 2007 (hurt - only started 3 games and then was brought in during the second quarter of the WDF) but he didn't forget. He was a vet who deserved to be told honestly what the Leos intentions were. Dickenson, finding out the back door way, was not the way to learn what Buono was up to.

When Buono decided not to sign Dickenson again, after the 2007 season (and I agreed with that decision) there was an opportunity to do what Buono has recently done with Travis Lulay - have Dickenson serve as a mentor to Buck Pierce and pay him accordingly and present the offer of a coaching position in the future. Instead Dickenson went to Calgary, served as a backup quarterback and mentor, and then was hired as an assistant in Calgary. We lost a good man and a potential excellent offensive coordinator.

Now that Wally has seen how successful that worked in Calgary, he is copying it with Lulay. But that is what it took to get him to do things differently.

Wally's comment at the time of Dickenson's release: "Dave understands with the big contract comes big responsibilities. Dave also understands with the big contract also comes big liabilities. Unfortunately for me, the liabilities caught up".

Geroy Simon

Buono told Geroy Simon, that the Lions were interested in having Simon return but at approximately half of the salary he was making before. Simon was told he could check out other teams interest in him. It was a clear indication that Buono felt that he could can get Simon's production at a lower cost from other players. Simon was getting old. But he had been one of our most successful Leos ever and was also the face of the franchise.

From the perspective of maximizing wins, it was probably the right move but it was also a move that was met with huge skepticism by many fans. That Simon left to go to Saskatchewan a bitter person was not a good thing. The Riders took a player like Simon and used him for a season as a receiver and then offered him a job in the organization. Even the Geroy Simon Night didn't resolve the animosity. Could it have been handled differently? Yes it could have. Simon is back here now. But there was a lot of damage done in the interim and I believe we lost fans over it.

Dante Marsh

Dante Marsh was a fan favorite. He joined us in 2004. His treatment during the 2014 season was awful. He was a workout zealot. Injured and in the bye week, our Leos were given a few days off. Marsh went home for a few days and when he was returned, he was sat out for punishment, because he had not stayed in Vancouver for 'treatment'.

Marsh maintained he’d already informed the Lions of his travel arrangements — the team was heading into a bye week — and he was prepared to accept a fine, which was less financially burdensome than cancelling or altering his flight.

When he returned, Marsh was told he was not welcome at practice. He continued to work out on his own at a Steve Nash fitness facility until he was healthy enough to play.

“It’s not like I went to Las Vegas and partied and posted stuff on Instagram,” Marsh explained. “In 2007, when I tore my MCL, I was allowed to go home for a month and a half. People know my long service. They know I have a history with this team They know I put in the time to stay in shape. I have equity built up. I’d already talked to them about going home. Then I came into the locker room (after the Oct. 11 game against Ottawa) and I heard — ‘If you’re not at the rundown tomorrow, don’t bother coming back.’ Nothing I could do here (rehab) I couldn’t do at home."

Dante is our Leos all-time tackles leader. Howe did he find out that he would no longer be a Leo? Marsh received confirmation that he was on the way out after he picked up a packet with his final pay cheque in it — minus an option form for him to sign. This is what Dante said at the time:

.“Normally, it would be in there,” Marsh explained. “There were some medical forms for me to sign, but it (option form) was missing

To make matters even worse, even though Wally didn't want him back, Wally would not let him find out if other teams interest in him until the end of January, making it tougher for Dante to attempt to sign with another team. Not a respectful way to treat a vet....at all.

I could go on and provide many, many more examples. But I'll just mention one small recent one. Just recently Buono, when discussing Aragki getting some linebacker reps, says this the the press.

.... We’re not in the fair business. What do I care if a guy’s been here nine or 10 years. He’s paid very well to cover kicks (the one concession the Lions have made, Arakgi is paid like a starter). But he doesn’t have entitlement to an opportunity.

That is Wally's thinking but does he have to say it out loud? Aragki has a family, friends, and feelings of his own. Why make the comment?

The fact is that Wally often lacks empathy, sensitivity, and he can be very manipulative in how he deals with things.

Releasing vets has to be done. Wally has made good decisions overall. But Wally could do it with more class and a lot more respect. The McCallum situation only reminded me of the way things have been done.

You're right maxlion. McCallum is back in the fold. But once again, things could have been handled a lot differently and a lot better. Same result. Less hard feelings. No lost fans. Just my thoughts.