Lionbackers.com

2003
Significant changes swept through the Lions both on the field and in the front office. The 2003 season saw the debut of Wally Buono, as General Manager and Head Coach. With Buono, the BC Lions have a proven winner at the head coaching position. In twelve years with the Calgary Stampeders, with the exception of his final year in 2002, Buono’s Stampeders have never finished lower than 2nd in the West and have won three Grey Cups and six Western Division Titles. With Buono came new faces on the coaching staff as well as a new quarterback in Dave Dickenson, who returned from a two-year stint in the NFL. Dickenson had a strong season, being named West Division Most Outstanding Player, before going down with a knee injury prior to the playoffs. The Lions finish 11-7 on the season but lose out in a three-way tiebreaker for second place between Winnipeg and Saskatchewan and as a result, are forced to fly out East to face the Toronto Argonauts and their new quarterback Damon Allen in the Eastern Semi-Finals. With Spergon Wynn at the helm, the Lions fight valiantly but are unable to overcome Toronto thus ending their season. Two other Lions besides Dickenson were honoured by the CFL in 2003 as Frank Cutolo took home the Most Outstanding Rookie Award (the third straight Lion to do so) while Steve Hardin is awarded the Tom Pate Memorial Award for outstanding community service. Unfortunately for Hardin, his 2003 season is limited to just one pre-season as he suffered an injury that forced to miss the entire season. Although his work in the community is definitely a bright light in his lost season, he may be best remembered for his appearance on Bob Barker’s The Price is Right game show. Other Lions to impress include Geroy Simon, Ray Jacobs, and Barrin Simpson, all who were named to the CFL All-Star Team.

West Division Team GP W L T PF PA Pts
Edmonton Eskimos 18 13 5 0 569 414 26
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 18 11 7 0 514 487 22
Saskatchewan Roughriders 18 11 7 0 535 430 22
British Columbia Lions 18 11 7 0 531 430 22
Calgary Stampeders 18 5 13 0 323 501 10

East Division Team GP W L T PF PA Pts
Montreal Alouettes 18 13 5 0 562 409 26
Toronto Argonauts 18 9 9 0 473 433 18
Ottawa Renegades 18 7 11 0 467 581 14
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 18 1 17 0 293 583 2

Semifinal - Saskatchewan Roughriders 37 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 21
Semifinal - British Columbia Lions 7 Toronto Argonauts 28

Final - Saskatchewan Roughriders 23 Edmonton Eskimos 30
Final - Toronto Argonauts 26 Montreal Alouettes 30

Grey Cup Edmonton Eskimos 34 Montreal Alouettes 22

I'd say these are the lesser-remembered players that played for the Lions when the Buono era started in 2003: Ben Fairbrother, Derrick Lewis, Frank Cutolo, Kelvin Anderson, and Da'Shann Austin.

Robbie wrote:I'd say these are the lesser-remembered players that played for the Lions when the Buono era started in 2003: Ben Fairbrother, Derrick Lewis, Frank Cutolo, Kelvin Anderson, and Da'Shann Austin.

Bo Lewis played here for at least 5 or 6 years; I'd say most fans from that time would have no trouble remembering Eric Carter's backfield cohort. He was the player David Archer threw over a sideline table at Commonwealth in 1998.

sj-roc wrote:

Robbie wrote:I'd say these are the lesser-remembered players that played for the Lions when the Buono era started in 2003: Ben Fairbrother, Derrick Lewis, Frank Cutolo, Kelvin Anderson, and Da'Shann Austin.

Bo Lewis played here for at least 5 or 6 years; I'd say most fans from that time would have no trouble remembering Eric Carter's backfield cohort. He was the player David Archer threw over a sideline table at Commonwealth in 1998.

I remember Cutolo. Great hands. Slippery receiver, kind of like Weston Dressler. Rookie of the Year.

After he left, it was a parade of inadequate replacements.

Certainly a new era with a new head coach and new starting quarterback although it appeared to take a while for the new leadership and offence to adjust and home attendance for the first half was under 25,000.

Winnipeg 34 at BC 27


BC 30 at Saskatchewan 32


Toronto 27 at BC 30 (OT)

This clip shows Carl Kidd outrunning a huge offensive lineman after a turnover. I guess Lions fans were not sad at all seeing Damon Allen in an Argos uniform, although it hurt them come playoff time.

BC 48 at Ottawa 14


Ottawa 17 at BC 38


BC 26 at Toronto 28 (OT)


Calgary 4 at BC 48

Edmonton 34 at BC 30

BC 26 at Winnipeg 20


BC 7 at Edmonton 27

Montreal 24 at BC 28


BC 29 at Hamilton 23


EDSF: BC 7 at Toronto 28