jcalhoun wrote:Hey all,
I haven't lost faith in Wally because I think he views things in the long-term, and overall, that's good for the club. And that's what I think is happening this year. We're panicking because of a lousy start, the numerous deficiencies that have been exposed, etc. Calm down. This is how Rider fans behave! It's a long season.
I think the Bates/Williams situation earlier this season is a good example of how Wally approaches problems. Both players were on the downside of their careers, if not the outright end, as evidenced by their lack of play in Winnipeg. But both men could have played here this year, made an impact, and been more effective than their replacements have been thus far. But that isn't Wally's style. He very rarely makes decisions that have a short term benefit at the expense of the long term. For the health of the club, we have to watch some really ugly play now, a lot of mistakes, as players learn the CFL game, their position, and how to work as a team. This is why I think it extremely unlikely that Hunt, Armour, Bruce or Printers will be signed here.
This season hasn't been pretty. But then, 2004 didn't start pretty, nor did last year --and neither season would be classified as failures.
This team will start winning & new stars will emerge. Be patient. Wally's formula for success is proven --it just so happens that right now we're in the unpleasant bit.
While I'm not big on conspiracy theories, or speaking ill of Buono out of a sense of frustration, I sometimes feel that Wally deliberately makes questionable decisions to push the team. Punting from 15 yards deep in the endzone, for example: what purpose could this serve other than to expose poor play, and thus be justification for making change?
That said, I do think the Lions have serious problems related to coaching, though don't know who is responsible (ultimately, it's Buono). The grim truth about this team since 2006 is that they are boring. I don't know how many times I've sat in the stands and just waited patiently for the defence to get back on the field so that you could see something resembling entertainment. This is what's unforgivable for me.
In 2004 or 5 Buono did an interview on TSN and was talking about the Vancouver market and he said (I paraphrase) "it isn't enough to win in this market, you have to be exciting." He was right.
I really don't care about winning twelve games in a season, wrapping up first place, and going two for five in Western Finals. I want to go to the game, and win or lose, be shaking my head, still unable to believe they managed to score on some ridiculous play, some third down gamble, etc. 2004 & 05 were like that because of Printer's athletic ability, his mad, desperate running around. Flutie was more exciting for one incredible season. Dunigan had one great year before that. All of those teams were exciting. Frankly, I'd rather watch a season like '05 where the team was exciting but came up short, than a team like '06 that plugged its way along to winning the Grey Cup.
I think this is the essential conflict: the Lions can be conservative across the board, and be successful over the long term, as they have been since Wally's arrival. Or they can be exciting. What they need to be exciting is to get players that can provide excitement despite the systems, thinking & over-all strategy the team employs, or undergo a massive change in the thinking/coaching/systems the team has used for the last several years.
I'm not wise enough to look at a player and say, he's not playing well enough. I don't know enough about what teams are doing to stymie the Lions on any given series. But what I, and every other fan can recognize clear as day, is the fire a team has when they're playing with confidence, when they're playing to win. In 1983 (if memory serves) the first kickoff in the new Dome was an onside kick. Trick plays, going deep, blitzing from everywhere --the unexpected. This is where excitement is, this is what creates buzz, creates fans. The Lions aren't doing this and this is why, despite the Lions fantastic record over the last several years, (and the marked improvement in all the off-field aspects of the game), we're not regularly seeing 40,000 plus in the stands, as we did when Flutie was here.
I know that Printers has few fans on this board, but in 2005 it was reported that he brought in some game tape from the previous year, in an attempt to rekindle the killer attitude they'd had for stretches in '04. What he was attempting to do, is seems perfectly clear to me, was desperately trying to bring some excitement to a system that didn't allow for it. Please don't focus on this bit if you're among the ranks of Printers haters...we all know about his issues. But the notion that a player would say, guys, THIS is how we have to play is what I think we need more of, and I think it unlikely until the highest levels decide to change. I believe Jarious attempted to do that last year, and got benched for his efforts. But I could be wrong --I don't pretend to have any special insight or expertise.
I wrote a long post at the end of last season detailing the problems I had with drunks & bad game-day experiences, and for that reason, I'm not going to games anymore. I may end up heading to a few this fall. A return would be instant, INSTANT, if the team decided to throw caution to the wind and make an effort to be exciting. But sadly, I don't see that happening. I see the team recovering and a boring, 9-9 or 10-8 season being strung together.
Part of me would like to think that something relatively simple could lead to a dramatic change, like Buck calling his own plays. But I have doubts.
The 13 year-old boy in me (who doesn't care about anything other than long TD passes) would like to see the Lions sign Bruce and Printers immediately. And then sign Hunt & Armour to boot. But I know that isn't particularly wise. Maybe, though, wise isn't what this team needs at the moment.
Cheers,
James
I hate boring football. If that's all Buck has, I'll start going to the theater with my wife. I need fun and excitement in my life and I don't owe Buck a living. Let's see how many people show up next game with safe and sound Buck.
