Lionbackers.com

2004
The year 2004 marked one of the Lions best regular season records in club history. Going 13-5, the 2004 Lions also set a team record for the most consecutive wins in a single season with eight. In addition to club records, the season brought an array of individual performances to the forefront. Quarterback Casey Printers set a CFL record for highest single game completion average of 90.9% (20-22) during the August 13 game against Hamilton. Not to be outdone, Geroy Simon tied three club records by receiving four touchdowns in that same game. After the conclusion of the regular season, Printers was deemed as the League's Most Outstanding Player while Jason Clermont won the Most Outstanding Canadian. The 2004 Lions, which featured three CFL All-Stars and eight Western Division All-Stars, won first place in the division, giving them a bye in the first round of the playoffs. In the Western Division Championship, the Lions faced one of their biggest rivals, the Saskatchewan Roughriders. In a nail biting finish, the Lions defeated the Roughriders by a score of 27 to 25 in overtime. The Lions were then pitted against the Toronto Argonauts in the Grey Cup Championship, a rematch from the 2003 semi-finals. The Lions would not exact their revenge, losing 27 to 19. Jason Clermont was a Grey Cup MVP, winning the Most Valuable Canadian award.

West Division Team GP W L T PF PA Pts
British Columbia Lions 18 13 5 0 584 436 26
Edmonton Eskimos 18 9 9 0 532 472 18
Saskatchewan Roughriders 18 9 9 0 476 444 18
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 18 7 11 0 448 507 14
Calgary Stampeders 18 4 14 0 396 552 8

East Division Team GP W L T PF PA Pts
Montreal Alouettes 18 14 4 0 584 371 28
Toronto Argonauts 18 10 7 1 422 414 21
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 18 9 8 1 455 542 19
Ottawa Renegades 18 5 13 0 401 560 10

Semi-Finals - Edmonton 14 - Saskatchewan 6
Semi-Finals - Toronto 24 -Hamilton 6

Finals - BC 27 - Saskatchewan 25 (OT)
Finals - Montreal 18 - Toronto

Grey Cup - Toronto 27 - BC 19

Likewise with my comments about the 1983 celebration in Toronto, the Argonauts may be totally overshadowed by the Blue Jays, Raptors, and Maple Leafs but there was still a large parade and celebration after they captured the 2004 Grey Cup. Where was the huge parade and celebration in Vancouver when the Lions captured the GC two years later?

This is a very deceptive picture as Casey Printers certainly did not win this trophy. Perhaps this is why the Lions were cursed in not winning the 2004 Grey Cup and why Buono benched him for the entire game.

Some players are well-remembered as part of the team that won the exciting 2004 WDF and came short in the GC, and there are those that are not well remembered: Jason Gavadza, Eddie Linscomb, Marques McFadden, Mawuko Tugbenyoh, and Tony Walker.

2004 Grey Cup highlights:
http://video.tsn.ca/?dl=cfl-greycup100/ ... 5/clip/270

2004 Grey Cup post-game report:
http://video.tsn.ca/?dl=cfl-greycup100/ ... 269/clip/0

Hamilton 38 at BC 36


BC 41 at Edmonton 34


BC 29 at Saskatchewan 42


Edmonton 25 at BC 9

BC 48 at Winnipeg 17

Montreal 9 at BC 32

This brings back a few memories. Benching Printers with the false BS story of his being injured while he was just crowned MOP made zero sense despite QB not being the main issue that day. That event seemed to turn him off and he had a hot hand that year. All QBs including Dave D were banged up that year to some degree.

CFL teams do that to players - issue statements that the guy was injured. Fans buy it.

I recall asking an Esks guest coach why Dave Cutler was cut in TC. He said - that was a 'family' issue while he was there and as a guest coach you're not 'family.' He heard it was Cutler's plant leg.

We had an alumni even to honour Dave with an award and I mentioned that plant leg issue. This was right after he was cut. His immediate reply: "Oh that is what they (Esks) are saying about me?" He knew exactly who I heard it from as that guest coach was none other than the award presenter there that day. He was not a happy camper with how the normally very good with players did it to him. No vet like that likes to be cut in TC.

Toppy Vann wrote:This brings back a few memories. Benching Printers with the false BS story of his being injured while he was just crowned MOP made zero sense despite QB not being the main issue that day. That event seemed to turn him off and he had a hot hand that year. All QBs including Dave D were banged up that year to some degree.

It's been debated to death as to whether the Lions would have done any better with Printers starting at QB and winning the Grey Cup. Buono had a decision to make and with Dickenson finishing out the 2004 WDF then he put his trust on him. And with Dickenson starting off very strongly in the 2004 Grey Cup with several short completions on the first drive from scrimmage leading to a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead, Buono had every reason to think that he was going to be red hot in the important game. But perhaps his offence only managed to put on 3 points after that in the first half while bad defence and special teams allowed the Argonauts to tie and take the lead in the second half, then Buono should have seriously considered putting Printers into the game to start the second half and most certainly after the third quarter after the Lions could only put on 3 points.

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Ottawa 27 at BC 47


BC 49 at Hamilton 11

Total domination by the Lions with a 32-3 lead early in the third quarter.

BC 25 at Calgary 18 (OT)

Touchdown catch by the 2003 CFL Rookie of the Year, Frank Cutolo. He had a lot of potential but too bad he only managed three seasons in the CFL.

Robbie wrote:This is a very deceptive picture as Casey Printers certainly did not win this trophy. Perhaps this is why the Lions were cursed in not winning the 2004 Grey Cup and why Buono benched him for the entire game.

I hope you are joking with this fantasy.

Printers didn't play in the game which spelled volumes at how idiotic some of the Lions coaching decisions have been. Some say the QB was not the issue but others like me suggest that it is utter idiocy not to play the CFL's MOP. They dissed him and spun he was injured which is what teams do to players and it becomes a myth. No one in a Lions uniform that game was injury free - it was the final game of a grueling season and their bodies are beat up good but they play on.

Printers had his family and friends there and imagine how disgusted you'd be if that was you. Not to play even a series. Jump ahead to the current crop of coaches like Austin who'd use 3 QBs to get him to a GC in his first year back and he had confidence in them all - knowing full well that he might not be able to keep all 3 for long.

You'd have thought a series or two to see if the different style of Printers to DD might have produced an overall team spark and ignited a shift in momentum. That is what happens in sport. I assisted a former pro coach who in a cup game told me he wanted me to sub out two players. I said WTF they're our two best. His reply: we need to shake this team up. We did it. The two players were so angry and wouldn't accept my explanation they grabbed their bags and while we were down 2 - 0 late in the game they were off to the showers when all of a sudden we score. They stop. We score again and the game goes to OT. We put them back in for OT and we win 4 -2 and on to the semi finals! The shake up and benching of our two best on the day shocked the others to lift their games. Okay , it did help that the other team had emptied their bench and we were all over them in the OT and with no golden goal hammered in 2 more.

I know we had other problems but if a HC knows his QB has a future he'd have played both. Not just stick with rusty DD.

Toronto 10 at BC 31

Too bad the Lions could not replicate this good performance at the Grey Cup exactly three months later. Perhaps one reason is because Damon Allen wasn't playing for this game.

Edmonton 33 at BC 36 (OT)

Closeups of Antonio Warren. Who misses him?

BC 21 at Calgary 22

Winnipeg 31 at BC 42