Lions ownership discussion thread (Topics merged into here)

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CardiacKid
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B.C.FAN wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:39 pm
WestCoastJoe wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:38 pm
DanoT wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:29 pm
The smart thing for Braley to do here is have Wally retire and make assistant GM, Neil McEvoy Wally's replacement as GM and then McEvoy should go outside the Lions organization for the new HC. :cr: :cr: :cr: :cr: :cr: :cr: :cr: :cr:
Dano, I would vote for that last option in a flash. :thup:
X3
The soap opera in Hamilton is still continuing with some players saying they will leave if Austin returns and June Jones is not back as coach. Austin says he isn't going anywhere....

So the upshot for the Lions? Maybe June Jones will be available as HC.

But here is a lesson in your backyard as to not let crap linger to become toxic and how pride goeth before the fall......
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CardiacKid
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David wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:39 pm
JohnnyMusso wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:00 pm
If the same coaching staff is brought back again, with the exception of Marcel B who is rumoured to maybe go to Montreal, then they will continue to lose fans, attendance get worse and will in a real danger of folding, if next season is worse than this one and it could be and attendance plummets even more. Not happy with today's decision.
Respectfully, what coach worth his salt is going to want to come to BC? Sure, he can sign here, but a new owner (whenever that will be) will put his GM in place who will want to hire his own coaches.

I think our choices for coaches next year will be as limited as the list of potential owners (which, btw, I am hearing is likely down to one candidate - Maury Keith and Mark Woodall (The Waterboys bid). SOURCE: Ed Willes. HERE.


DH :cool:
I wouldn't be surprised if the Waterboys withdrew their offer. Meetings were publicized to take place between Braley and them very shortly but those obviously won't be happening based on this news.

They could very well have lost all patience with Braley's obtuse talk and his public back and forth about the need to sell.
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WestCoastJoe
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CardiacKid wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 3:00 pm
The soap opera in Hamilton is still continuing with some players saying they will leave if Austin returns and June Jones is not back as coach. Austin says he isn't going anywhere....

So the upshot for the Lions? Maybe June Jones will be available as HC.

But here is a lesson in your backyard as to not let crap linger to become toxic and how pride goeth before the fall......
So Austin is showing some attitude. Not a surprise.

June Jones fully deserves to be a Head Coach in this league. If we could get him, this fan would be delighted.

The cloud would lift.

Jones as Head Coach. Dear Santa ...

McAvoy as GM. Jones as HC. Better still.

Ain't gonna happen. Hamilton would be beyond stupid to let Jones go. Austin? Whatever title he wants, but let Jones coach. Player revolt? If Jones stays, the players stay.

Austin back to Head Coach? Disaster. Disaster. Not going to happen.
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Hambone
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CardiacKid wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 3:00 pm
B.C.FAN wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:39 pm
WestCoastJoe wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:38 pm


Dano, I would vote for that last option in a flash. :thup:
X3
The soap opera in Hamilton is still continuing with some players saying they will leave if Austin returns and June Jones is not back as coach. Austin says he isn't going anywhere....

So the upshot for the Lions? Maybe June Jones will be available as HC.

But here is a lesson in your backyard as to not let crap linger to become toxic and how pride goeth before the fall......
Coaching has become a younger man's game. Jones turns 65 in February. He's only 3 years and 12 days younger than Wally or 1 year younger than Wally was when he returned to the sidelines. Seems to me there was some talk a few weeks back that Jones is only under contract for this year and not exactly enthusiastic about coming back for another.
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KnowItAll
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and here I thought it was being suggested that Giulio suit up and be starter next year :)
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B.C.FAN
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June Jones said on the weekend that he would like to stay in Hamilton. He has earned the opportunity.

The only changes needed in Hamilton are at the top. They don’t need both Kent Austin as VP of football operations and Eric Tillman as GM. I don’t know when Austin’s contract is up but he is the one I would let go.
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cjones2451
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CardiacKid wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 3:07 pm
David wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:39 pm
JohnnyMusso wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:00 pm
If the same coaching staff is brought back again, with the exception of Marcel B who is rumoured to maybe go to Montreal, then they will continue to lose fans, attendance get worse and will in a real danger of folding, if next season is worse than this one and it could be and attendance plummets even more. Not happy with today's decision.
Respectfully, what coach worth his salt is going to want to come to BC? Sure, he can sign here, but a new owner (whenever that will be) will put his GM in place who will want to hire his own coaches.

I think our choices for coaches next year will be as limited as the list of potential owners (which, btw, I am hearing is likely down to one candidate - Maury Keith and Mark Woodall (The Waterboys bid). SOURCE: Ed Willes. HERE.



DH :cool:
I wouldn't be surprised if the Waterboys withdrew their offer. Meetings were publicized to take place between Braley and them very shortly but those obviously won't be happening based on this news.

They could very well have lost all patience with Braley's obtuse talk and his public back and forth about the need to sell.
Don't you think it would help if David Braley came out and publicly said "I will put the people and resources in place to fix it, build a winner and make BC Lions football the best sports event / value in Vancouver" And then do it of course.....they are not that far off IMHO and thats the most frustrating part
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B.C.FAN
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Lowell Ullrich nicely sums up the ownership issue and the thoughts of Wally and some of the players.
“I think I said that clearly before; I’ll say it again. David was very clear he would own the club for 2018. He was very candid he will be the owner in 2018,” Buono said.

It’s also consistent with 2018 season ticket renewal options recently announced, which would logically fall to new ownership.

One of the local groups still interested in buying the club had previously stated they could work through the concussion litigation challenges, making it uncertain how many buyers would remain should Braley ultimately become a seller. Reports about a possible sale have circulated for more than a decade.

Buono also implied he was given a choice whether or not to return ... in an attempt to repair the damage done by a 7-11 season and the end of a 20-year playoff run. It has left Buono by his own admission in a difficult spot.

“I am conflicted and I should be,” Buono said when asked if he would like to coach next season. “That’s something I’ve got to come to grips with myself. I don’t want to say yes or no. As of today I can say I might not coach again and I would be okay with that. I’ve got to look ahead at what is best for the club.”

Moments earlier, players saw a side of Buono that had not been in evidence before, when the coach fought back tears in the final general meeting of the season for the Lions.

“It was definitely not something you’re used to seeing from Wally Buono,” said receiver Bryan Burnham. “I really don’t think he knows what he’s going to do. He’s at a point where he’s really struggling and is trying to find an answer.”
Said defensive back Loucheiz Purifoy: “It’s kind of tough to see him like that because normally you see him with his wall up. It’s just reality. He don’t know. We don’t know.”

What the Lions also believe is that they underachieved this year partly as a result of a leadership void, kick-started when Buono had a hand in the loss of veterans like Ryan Phillips and Adam Bighill.

Solomon Elimimian, who broke his own league record with 144 defensive tackles on the final day of the regular season, tried his best to help cohesion on the defensive side but it wasn’t enough.

“I should have stepped up and been a leader more at the beginning of the year and help out Solly out,” said Purifoy. “On the defensive side, you got one hell of a leader in Solly. He gets better every year. If you can’t pick up from what he’s (doing) something’s wrong. Nobody took a leadership role in the secondary.”

Offensively, the Lions signed wideout Chris Williams to considerable fanfare in the off-season, then reduced him to a healthy scratch after waiting for him to recover from ACL surgery. That led to suggestions that offensive coordinator Khari Jones didn’t use him properly.

“Getting inserted and trying to figure things out on the fly was more difficult than all of us anticipated,” said Williams. “I felt like the majority of the game plans we had were really good. For whatever reason we didn’t find a way to get it done.”

Said Burnham: “I hope there’s not too many changes because I whole-heartedly believe we have the guys capable of making it to the Grey Cup. I really believe Khari Jones is a top-notch coordinator. But unfortunately when things are going south, when the offence isn’t producing, things fall on him when it’s the players not getting it done.

“Overall, we didn’t do what we needed to do. It kind of threw a wrench in there when we were trying to choose between Chris Williams and Nick Moore. It just didn’t work out. Chris Williams was kind of an experiment. I love the guy, but we weren’t using him in the right way.”
Decision time for Buono as Lions depart
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B.C.FAN
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Here's more from Joshua Clipperton of The Canadian Press, including quotes from Jonathon Jennings:
The “for sale” sign remains in the window, but as it stands Braley will be in control until at least the end of next season for a club that has seen a sharp decline in attendance over the last few years.

“David’s very candid about the fact he will be the owner in 2018,” said Buono. “That’s something that needs to be definite. We need to have definite direction.

“It applies with David, with the business part of the organization and the football part of the organization.”

Buono added his status will also be determined in the near future.

“We need to address that very quickly,” said the 67-year-old, who has been with the B.C. since 2003. “I need to sit down with the coaches to just give them some clarity on where we’re at.

“Then the process will start with David.”
B.C. won just two of its final 11 games as inconsistent play, crucial mistakes and a number of sub-par performances in all three phases crippled a talent-laden squad that couldn’t get out of its own way.

“I want to say it’s because we didn’t work hard enough or I want to say it’s because we didn’t have a good group of guys in the locker-room,” said quarterback Jonathon Jennings. “But all those things are not true. We had a good group of guys, I thought we had a good team, had the talent.

“It just didn’t come around for us.”
“It’s been extremely difficult — one of the most trying things I’ve been through in my life,” said Jennings, who threw a CFL-high 19 interceptions. “I’ve never played to a standard like that. It was disappointing for myself, but it’s pure motivation. I know that it’s part of my growth.

“It’s something that’s going to encourage me and motivate me to be even better going forward.”
David Braley plans to own B.C. Lions for entire 2018 season
TheLionKing
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maxlion wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:29 pm
Nothing will surprise me at this point, but I predict that Mark W will be gone regardless of what Wally does. The results on D have been too inconsistent.
We can only hope. :cr: Can't see any other teams picking him up
TheLionKing
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B.C.FAN wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:39 pm
WestCoastJoe wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:38 pm
DanoT wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:29 pm
The smart thing for Braley to do here is have Wally retire and make assistant GM, Neil McEvoy Wally's replacement as GM and then McEvoy should go outside the Lions organization for the new HC. :cr: :cr: :cr: :cr: :cr: :cr: :cr: :cr:
Dano, I would vote for that last option in a flash. :thup:
X3
X4
TheLionKing
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Buono's ego will not allow him to leave on a losing season.
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SammyGreene
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The “for sale” sign remains in the window, but as it stands Braley will be in control until at least the end of next season for a club that has seen a sharp decline in attendance over the last few years.

“David’s very candid about the fact he will be the owner in 2018,” said Buono. “That’s something that needs to be definite. We need to have definite direction.

“It applies with David, with the business part of the organization and the football part of the organization.”

Buono added his status will also be determined in the near future.

“We need to address that very quickly,” said the 67-year-old, who has been with the B.C. since 2003. “I need to sit down with the coaches to just give them some clarity on where we’re at.

“Then the process will start with David.”
Sad times for my all-time favourite team in this town. Coming off one of the most disappointing seasons I can think of in recent memory but always hoping there was light at the end of the tunnel with a change in ownership and much-need new blood and energy for the franchise.

Instead we learn it's status quo for another year. That means an out-of-touch owner/president who has no idea what exactly the perception of his team is right now in this city.
A part-time vice-president who will be going into his third year since announcing his resignation in Feb. 2016 while the "search" continues for his replacement. So a failed business plan continues too with the same guys overseeing it. Where are the crowds headed in 2018?

And then there is Wally who doesn't even know himself what he wants to do with no direction coming from above him.
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B.C.FAN wrote:
Mon Nov 06, 2017 4:11 pm
June Jones said on the weekend that he would like to stay in Hamilton. He has earned the opportunity.

The only changes needed in Hamilton are at the top. They don’t need both Kent Austin as VP of football operations and Eric Tillman as GM. I don’t know when Austin’s contract is up but he is the one I would let go.
Now there's an opportunity! Kent Austin might be a good short-term solution for our Lions. The "Dr Jekyll" Good Austin seems to be adept at turning teams around in the short term. If he becomes available Braley could dangle the carrot of making him VP of football ops, GM and Head Coach. Then, in a couple of years when new owners take over, they could get rid of him before he turns into "Mr Hyde" Bad Austin, allowing them to start with a clean slate. :rotf:
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Hambone
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This is totally spitballing and comes off a navel-gazing snippet that caught my eye in Botchford's "The Provies" today.
http://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nh ... alks-debut

BEST RUMOURS

There’s been lots of talk the Whitecaps are for sale. Enough, Mallett was asked about this in a recent 650 interview.(Hambone note: there was a screenshot of a Sportsnet650 article where Caps' co-owner Mallett denied the rumour). OK, so it’s been denied officially.

But let’s entertain the idea the Caps could be had. Now, there are some issues here. It’s believed, the Caps are losing money — maybe millions a year — and are maxed out on revenue. So much so, their residency program is apparently in trouble. The Caps were bought for $40 million and are worth around $150 million. Buying high is not usually an Aquilini thing.

Still, there exists this delicious scenario making the rounds, where the Aquilinis have interest in the Caps, Lions and a professional rugby team. As the scenario goes, they would buy them all, have three tenants in BC Place and the Aquilinis would be crowned kings of the local pro sports scene, controlling all the monies.

How bow dat.


The first thoughts that came to my mind when pontificating the extremely slim potential of this were 1) if Aquilini controlled the 3 pro versions of football would he consider building a new stadium? or 2) would he take a run at a deal with Pavco to take over management and operation of BC Place? The former seems highly unlikely given the capital investment required and poor ROI. The latter though could be not only be intriguing. There are many pro sports & entertainment groups in North America who have contracts to operate and manage facilities they don't own but play out of. Would it make the Lions a more attractive acquisition if new owners could also broker a deal to operated BC Place?
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