Breaking News... Printers cut!

[Belize City Lion]

Pratt & Taylor saying that word from inside the locker room is that that team had quit on Printers and he was very unpopular in the locker room. Wally is on 1040 next...

[Blitz]

Interesting takes on all of this. There has to be more to the story than we are getting out of the Lions office. There is no excuse for CP to get ditched like this while others that have coasted for years on this team (Wilson I am looking at you) get a free ride. I know he's not the most popular player anymore, but look at what Ricky Foley had to go through to get around Butler to actually play. Why is Wilson still around when we cut Armstrong who was our #2 receiver? Many of you may also consider the situation of RGM who got lots of chances while we let other receivers languish on the practice roster to eventually be picked up by another team. It doesn't make any sense to me standing on the sidelines watching these games why some players get a golden handshake and others are given the shaft. In this case I think Casey was shafted - BASED ON HIS PLAY. Anything in the locker room I am not privy to and cannot make judgment on.

You can't tell me that ANY of our QB's have done ANYTHING in the last few years under Chapdelaine. Take your pick of the bunch. I don't care who you choose, but just realize that they all have produced inferior numbers compared to the elite QB's of the League. There seems to be one common denominator in all of this - the offensive gameplanning and preparedness. And that falls on Chapdelaine and Dorazio. Is it surprising that the years Chapdelaine wasn't running the show were the best offensive performing?

Wally likes to blame execution by the players and that he can't execute for them. He is right, it does come down to execution between the white lines. BUT as a coach it is HIS responsibility to make sure he puts the players into a position where they can succeed - where they can execute positively. And that's where this team has been failing the players, not just this year, but in years past. He (and I mean his coaching staff) has not put the players in a position where they can succeed. It is almost like he has set them up to fail. How can you expect an offense to get anywhere when the Oline has never been the same twice? You hear analysts talk about it, you hear players talk about it and you hear coaches talk about how an Oline needs to have time to gel, to get to know each other and how they work. This coaching staff has not put this team in that position one little bit. Look at Lapolice and Kavis Reed with Hefney. Lapolice tells Reed to talk to Hefney and get him calmed down. We all saw that exchange on TV. Wally's response about lack of discipline: he's not paid to do that. Huh?? I know he is not an X's and O's type of coach but he has preached time and time again that he "manages" his coaches. Well obviously Lapolice is a better "manager" of his coaches based on the Reed/Hefney situation. So if Wally isn't an X's and O's type of coach, and can't seem to "manage" his assistant coaches - just what does he do???

Why is it that our QB's (this year excluded for some strange reason) seem to have the most injuries, are hit the most often and seem to have to run for their lives EVERY down? You hear Wally say it is because the QB's are holding onto the ball too long. Well, why are they hanging on to the ball too long? Is it because the receivers aren't open? Is it because the oline hasn't opened a throwing lane? If the receivers aren't open - why not? Is it because their routes are being run wrong? Are they too slow at getting off the ball? Can they not break free of coverage? Are their routes too long for the play being called? Is the protection scheme to short for the routes the receivers are expected to run? do we just have lousy receivers?

I wasn't much of a Printers fan, but I did not think he was given the opportunity to excel. And I believe that Casey is just the latest victim in the black hole that is the Chapdelaine "inspired" offenses. Until this is rectified I think the Lions will still sit in turmoil. And releasing Casey is NOT silver bullet that will turn this team around. But might be the one that puts it out of its misery...

Great post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WestCoastJoe]

LFITQ

Great post.

From a fan such as you who is most supportive of the team, and very reluctant to criticize.

[Lion Guy]

Look on the bright side y'all; this paves the way for Dickenson to come back and be our OC next season. That probably wouldn't happen with Printers here.

[WestCoastJoe]

Look on the bright side y'all; this paves the way for Dickenson to come back and be our OC next season. That probably wouldn't happen with Printers here.

IMO to right the ship we have to go deeper than OC.

[Rammer]

Look on the bright side y'all; this paves the way for Dickenson to come back and be our OC next season. That probably wouldn't happen with Printers here.

IMO to right the ship we have to go deeper than OC.

If only the Lions would, do have any hope that Wally will make the necessary moves.

[Larry Key]

This confirms what we've all been thinking: Wally has lost it.

What does cutting Casey accomplish? You know, I have no issues with his big blowup last game. I'd like to see more players get pissed off in that situation when the team pissed away a win in the 4th quarter. Casey, was not the problem with this team. I feel for the most part that he played well within the limitations of the crappy offense Chaps has employed.

Casey is merely a martyr in this case. The's a victim in this. He's been victimized by a brutal offensive system which hasn't made any QB look good (even Ricky Ray looked horrendous under Chapball), and victimized by Wally's stubbornness to make the necessary changes where it mattered. He looked great last year, and until Chap got to sink his teeth into him with a full training camp, Casey magic was back.

Ah well who are we kidding...until Wally steps down this team is crap anyways.

Absolutely agree Pauser. JJ and Lulay will fair no better.

[CatsEyes]

This confirms what we've all been thinking: Wally has lost it.

What does cutting Casey accomplish? You know, I have no issues with his big blowup last game. I'd like to see more players get pissed off in that situation when the team pissed away a win in the 4th quarter. Casey, was not the problem with this team. I feel for the most part that he played well within the limitations of the crappy offense Chaps has employed.

Casey is merely a martyr in this case. The's a victim in this. He's been victimized by a brutal offensive system which hasn't made any QB look good (even Ricky Ray looked horrendous under Chapball), and victimized by Wally's stubbornness to make the necessary changes where it mattered. He looked great last year, and until Chap got to sink his teeth into him with a full training camp, Casey magic was back.

Ah well who are we kidding...until Wally steps down this team is crap anyways.

Absolutely agree Pauser. JJ and Lulay will fair no better.

or "fare" either

[Lionheart]

I knew I was gonna need to pick up popcorn on the way home tonight.

[pennw]

I too heard the Pratt and Taylor show yesterday and today . And yes the belief is that CP had lost the teams ( that is , the PLAYERS ) confidence . And Angus Reid was on the show yesterday and did say how nervous , indecisive , tentative he was and had no confidence anymore . For those that missed it , Angus did not sound positive about Casey at all . Not good , very rare to have a player come on the radio and say what Angus said .
WB had no choice really anymore than to cut him . For those ragging on WB for cutting him , it was Wally who was the ONLY ONE willing to give Casey another chance and even gave him a big promotion at the end of last season to start him off as #1 ! Lets see where CP's career goes from here .
No Casey did not perform better than the other QB's . Sorry , but Lulay was head and shoulders better than CP last game . I , like apparently so many others , going by the posts after the game , had no confidence in Casey when he went in . At first he ran for a few first downs and actually looked pretty good , but then the nervous wreck took over again . I knew we were sunk unless Lulay came back in . Apparently so did his team mates .
Yes there were many other stupid things done in the last game , but none of those player have had a negative impact on the team like Casey has lately .
With Lulay , there is upside , he's only starting his career and shows promise to be a good QB . You can't say that about CP , we've seen the best out of him already , he was in decline long ago . No defense fears him , he used to be a threat to run with the ball when he first started and that opened up the rest of the things he did , for him . That ability to run with the ball seems to be only a distant memory now . With out it he can't do anything , he's not a pocket passer , he doesn't have a quick release , he doesn't see open receivers very well and panics when the heat is on , and every defense knows this , so they all bring the heat big time . So what is left ?
I feel bad for him and was really hopeful late last season he would prove everyone wrong , but this season has been a wash for him unfortunately . And no O/C could change that .
Early this season I bought into the blame the Chap for everything too , but it has become overwhelmingly obvious that the biggest problem was really the QB after all . There was no future for Casey here , he would never become what so many hoped for , and I suspect his career is done .

[Rammer]

Sorry, but none of the Lion QB's have reached mediocre with Chaps offence, that definitely is the core of the problem.

[Don Miller]

Let,s be honest here, Casey in 2004 was athletic and had a good receiving corps with a much better O line. He in my opinion is about Casey in spite of what he said at the end of last season and going into training camp. He can not read a defense and when things break down he can't find the second or third read. Even with the porous O line we have this year he should have been able to do more. His protection of the football cost us at least two games. I am not surprised he is gone. The WFL maybe. I can't see him being picked up by anyone else in the CFL. Too much baggage. JJ has not proved he can be the guy, hopefully Lulay can develop and be our guy! What a frustrating year!

[pennw]

Sorry, but none of the Lion QB's have reached mediocre with Chaps offence, that definitely is the core of the problem.

I'm not defending Chap , it's just that CP's poor performance can't be blamed on the Chap . Lulay is already better with very little experience and has shown that much of the shortcomings CP exhibited and were blamed on the the Chap , were really Casey's own doing. Everyone blames Chap for the QB standing in the pocket doing the sack-dance , then along comes Lulay and demonstrates fine scrambling ability . And so the sack-dance really turns out to be Casey's own creation . Very lame to blame Chap for something that Casey does but Lulay shows otherwise .
According to Angus Reid yesterday on the air with Prat and Taylor , Casey just panics back there .

[Larry Key]

Look on the bright side y'all; this paves the way for Dickenson to come back and be our OC next season. That probably wouldn't happen with Printers here.

IMO to right the ship we have to go deeper than OC.

[Rammer]

Sorry, but none of the Lion QB's have reached mediocre with Chaps offence, that definitely is the core of the problem.

I'm not defending Chap , it's just that CP's poor performance can't be blamed on the Chap . Lulay is already better with very little experience and has shown that much of the shortcomings CP exhibited and were blamed on the the Chap , were really Casey's own doing. Everyone blames Chap for the QB standing in the pocket doing the sack-dance , then along comes Lulay and demonstrates fine scrambling ability . And so the sack-dance really turns out to be Casey's own creation . Very lame to blame Chap for something that Casey does but Lulay shows otherwise .
According to Angus Reid yesterday on the air with Prat and Taylor , Casey just panics back there .

I am sorry, but Lulay isn't better, his QB rating is lower, he is more mobile and that has helped him, but even he has been handcuffed by Chap ball. If you recall Lulay also fumbled the ball a couple of times in the Bomber game, it wasn't stellar QB'ing. The only defence that I can give Chapdelaine is that the Lions OL has been a shambles this season, and to that we can point other fingers.