1040 called out Wally this morning - update: 10/13/15

[Sir Purrcival]

Hard to add to that but I have said this before and still believe it to be so; that the loss of Bob Ackles was the loss of the one person within the organization that had the background and personality to keep Wally Buono's less desirable attributes in check. With him gone, the ultimate power rests with Braley but he has shown a pretty hands off approach with regard to the day to day operation of the team. In fact, he seems to be less involved with the league as time goes on. We have changed players, we have changed coaches (sort of) so there is only one piece IMO that remains to be addressed and that is Wally Buono. Somehow he either needs to be reigned in or removed.

[DanoT]

This train wreck that is the BC Lions sure gives us Lionbackers lots to talk about and speculate on. I don't think, even after Wally is long gone from the Lions, that we will ever really know the details of what has really gone on behind closed doors. It just doesn't strike me as beneficial to anyone to reveal all in the form of talking to the media or writing a book as there just isn't enough money to be made in doing so. Any insider who tells all will possibly damage his future job prospects from other employers who might fear getting thrown under the bus in the future.

Wally's legacy will ultimately be protected. He will still be touted as the CFL's wining-est coach of all time in spite of insiders, Lionbackers and other hardcore fans being less than enamored with his methods. Those that know or suspect what was going on during the Wally regime are a minority.

[Sir Purrcival]

Wally's legacy has already been tarnished somewhat. Considering his record and tenure, he could have been the new Ron Lancaster of the CFL. I don't get that feeling for ol' Wally and it seems that many insiders around the league have a very different opinion of him. That is what will be remembered among fans and players in his era. A coach who did some great things but also did some ridiculous things.
A coach who was rigid, inflexible, blamed others for his short comings, surrounded himself with yes men or played favourites, what have you. A coach who stuck with the status quo far too long when it came to strategies, a coach who unceremoniously and in a rather harsh way dumped players even if he was correct in doing so. A personality incapable of getting out of the way of others and letting them do the job they were hired to do.

That I think is his reputation today.

[CardiacKid]

This train wreck that is the BC Lions sure gives us Lionbackers lots to talk about and speculate on. I don't think, even after Wally is long gone from the Lions, that we will ever really know the details of what has really gone on behind closed doors. It just doesn't strike me as beneficial to anyone to reveal all in the form of talking to the media or writing a book as there just isn't enough money to be made in doing so. Any insider who tells all will possibly damage his future job prospects from other employers who might fear getting thrown under the bus in the future.

Wally's legacy will ultimately be protected. He will still be touted as the CFL's wining-est coach of all time in spite of insiders, Lionbackers and other hardcore fans being less than enamored with his methods. Those that know or suspect what was going on during the Wally regime are a minority.

I am hoping Lowell Ullrich, now that he is "semi-retired", will be penning some sort of expose or explanation of how this season unfolded. IMO he is first amongst equals in the media who cover the Leos. He certainly seems to have (or had) very good access to the Leos and I very much appreciated his sober take on things (contrast his style to that of Rod Pederson who is a complete homer until it impacts his "persona".....Pederson's blog on Chamblin's being fired was nothing but self-serving drek). Ullrich also happens to be a good writer.

I am going to assume his livelihood is not quite so dependent on having to straddle that line of casting a critical eye towards the Leo's organization and writing about bad decisions and poor play versus remaining in the good books of the coach, general manager, president, etc.

[SammyGreene]

My fear with all these rumblings is Tedford just walks at the end of the season. If Wally is mingling as much as it's been suggested then Tedford doesn't need any of this crap at this stage of his career. He is likely already well off financially and will have US college teams at the very least lining up for him if he choses to go that route again.

Wally then promotes one of his guys like Mark Washington to head coach and the circus continues. Scary stuff and you are so right Sir Purrcival in Ackles being the one guy he had to answer to. Braley and Skulsky lets him do as he pleases.

[MexicoLionFan]

Incredible stuff guys, thanks very much. First, Blitz, that was so good and accurate, that I really don't have any words for it, other than thanks once again.

Dano, I hear what you are saying, but I just feel like someone is going to come forward once Wally has retired and "spill the beans". I think there is a lot in Wally's closet.

Blitz, SP and Sammy are all right about Bob Ackles...he kept Wally reigned in and ensured that the Lions were pure class on and off the field. We are FAR from those days since Bobby passed on to a parallel universe. And as to Sammy's remarks, I think that Tedford SHOULD leave after this season if he does not gain control of this football team because at this point HIS LEGACY is now being called into question. As I wrote about a month ago, this football team looks NOTHING like the teams Jeff Tedford ran at Cal, and I mean NOTHING...so as I asked back then, I repeat...WHAT GIVES?

[maxlion]

The hiring of sycophants is done for one purpose only - to provide loyalty to the leader as well as to flatter, protect, and enhance the leader's power. Performance is much less important than loyalty and can even be unimportant unless the leader's job is threatened and then he will do anything, including discarding his sycophants, to protect his job.

The sycophant understands that the reason that he has his position in the organization has less to do with credibility and much more to do with being in the leaders favor.

In such an organization a number of themes will emerge...

So, your argument is that Tedford, Cortez, Johnny Holland, Robin Ross, etc. were brought in as Wally's toadies, and that all of our on-field woes are a result of this degenerate culture?

If someone wanted sycophants, it seems unlikely that they would bring in highly successful, experienced professionals for that role.

A more likely scenario is that Wally recognized that the team was moving in a downward trend and needed rebuilding. He rebuilt the coaching staff with highly qualified people, released veterans, and brought in a lot of young players. Young players make mistakes and it takes time and learning from mistakes to find the right roles for players and to find out if a player who might have looked great in tryouts or practice can play in games.

A case in point is the loss to the Bombers. A couple of untimely turnovers and dumb penalties, missed tackle by Shaq on the fake FG, poor officiating, kicking woes, as well as ST coaching were to blame. In other words, rookie mistakes, bad luck, and poor preparation on special teams.

Basically, any team playing the number of rookies that the Lions are this year--and add to that our QB woes--is going to lose games in ugly ways. And no coach or GM, no matter how good they are, will have a winning year every year over a 25+ year career. I see lots of signs that we will be better in the future--an emerging young qb, some good talent on the o and dline, improving dbs, etc..

[TheLionKing]

Couldn't be said better. Winning during the early years of the Buono regime masked a lot of his deficiencies or at least minimized them as the Grey Cup win in 2011 masked a number of seasons of demise. But there have been many signs along the way that there are issues with Wally. Power, over control, manipulation, deception, denial, confusion, pervasive miserliness, and the creation of an environment of sychophancy all are red flags of underlying personality issues.

I believe you are right MLF. I think there will be many stories one day that will surprise many fans of what it was really like to be in Wally's World.

Sounds like you're talking about Stephen Harper

[TheLionKing]

In every organization, a 'culture' is developed, a 'climate' is established, and 'informal understandings' of the 'way things are' is established.

Most often, the person who plays the major role in developing an organization's 'culture, in establishing its 'climate' and creating the 'folkways' of how things are to be done is the leader.

In a football organization, where one man has played the role of GM and Head Coach, with rotating employees, with few being with the organization long term, the leader has a more prominent role than in most organizations.

Wally has been our GM since 2003 and he was also our Head Coach from 2003 to 2011 and is a very hands on general manager. Our owneris a hands off owner who has provided Wally with a free reign since 2007.

The hiring of sycophants is done for one purpose only - to provide loyalty to the leader as well as to flatter, protect, and enhance the leader's power. Performance is much less important than loyalty and can even be unimportant unless the leader's job is threatened and then he will do anything, including discarding his sycophants, to protect his job.

The sycophant understands that the reason that he has his position in the organization has less to do with credibility and much more to do with being in the leaders favor.

In such an organization a number of themes will emerge. The first is group think. Instead of having a number of individuals who bring their different perspectives, knowledge, and creativity to the table they will tend to think as one and that thinking will reflect the leaders view of the world (or football in this matter). Anyone who thinks differently will be shut down or discarded. The leader's 'mind guards' protect the vision of the leader. Their own fate is very dependent on the favor of the leader and they know it.

For example, if the leader's view is very conservative then the people who are hired by the leader will behave conservatively too.

A second theme that usually emerges is black and white thinking. Instead of creativity and innovation, which enables an organization to adapt and thrive, black and white thinking creates an organization that is 'stuck' in old thought patterns while the world changes around it.

A third major theme is denial. Denial allows the people in the organization to keep on doing what they are doing, whether it works or not and blaming anything or everything rather than looking inward at itself. This denial impacts the individuals in the organization who begin to engage more and more in the practice, following the lead of the leader.

Fourthly, individuals in the organization learn to stay under the radar screen, to keep their thoughts and opinions that might differ from the leader's opinions to themselves and to always defer the spot light to the leader. True teamwork gives way to avoiding blame and making sure one follows the 'script' of the leader. One never speaks out, even in private because that is viewed as a threat. (something Andrew Harris has not learned and is being embarrassed by having Wally tell the press that Harris essentially needs to 'prove himself" over the remaining games of the season before being considered for a new contract)

And while this post could continue for much longer, finally RESPECT becomes a one way street. Respect ALWAYS has to be shown to the leader while respect is never offered in return, when it should be. Classic examples of this are Wally embarrassing Stubler publically for a playoff loss, and then discarding him, and then discarding him (when Wally has lost more playoff games in the history of the CFL that he should have won), stating publically that he would 'mentor' Chap (huh -Wally couldn't coach an offence if his life depended on it) or embarrassing vets who have given long term exemplary service) by forcing pay cuts (there are many ways to achieve the SMS while repecting players) or embarrassing them publically or in front of their team mates.

Wally wants respect for his body of work but has been more than deficient in offering the same to his employees. RESPECT can go hand in hand with tough decisions, whether its releasing a coach or a player. Its not that is is done but HOW it is done that is important. With a lack of respect comes a lack of empathy. Dante Marsh is one of many who understands that well.

It will take a lot more than just changing coaches or changing players to get our Leos organization changed. Right now this Leo organization has numerous problems with its culture, its organizational climate, and its stifling environment that negates change, innovation, and creativity.

In order for those things to change, Wally needs to change or Wally needs to go. The chances of Wally changing at this stage of his career are very small. He used to bring in a sports psychologist and one solution would be for a sports psychologist to come in and look at the organization's culture, climate , and environment and the negative impact Wally has on it and attempt to get Wally to change. The chances of that are lower than Whoopie Goldberg becoming a conservative.

The second solution is to hire a new GM or hope Wally steps down as soon as possible and we hire someone who has the leadership skills to create a more positive culture that promotes true collaborative team work, new ideas, passion, excitement, innovation, and creativity.

You can attempt to rearrange the chairs on the Titanic or you can start again and build a better ship. In order to build a better ship, we need a new leader to do so or this old ship will continue to leak.

Since I used the word RESPECT here, I also recognize that Wally came in here, under the guidance of Bobby Ackles and created some consistent winning seasons for a while, that we had not experienced for a long time. We won a couple of Grey Cups in Wally's 12 previous years as our GM.

But Wally seems to have a much higher opinion of himself than his record here shows. Most of the press and media in Vancouver still have Wally high on a pedestal but free agents won't come here, even when offered more money. (Jamal Westerman sure would have looked good in a Leos uniform rather than freezing in Winnipeg). Wally is highly defensive, llves in denial, and scapegoats, blames, devalues ,or discards othersw instead of looking at himself and attempting to continue to grow. Success involves continuously adapting to a changing world, including the football world and Wally is stuck in a world of yesterday and actually far beyond yesterday.

He also lacks the confidence to hire people who might have a different view of the world - instead he hires people or continues to employ people based primarily on having or being willing to be loyal to Wally , rather than competence and performance, as well as integrating Wally's World into their ways of thinking.

Until we can change the type of leadership we are experiencing in our Leos organization, most changes will only be temporary. We can change a coach or a quarterback and get improved results but until we change the most important thing that needs changing, we cannot expect the results we are all hoping for.

Excellent post Blitz

[TheLionKing]

My fear with all these rumblings is Tedford just walks at the end of the season. If Wally is mingling as much as it's been suggested then Tedford doesn't need any of this crap at this stage of his career. He is likely already well off financially and will have US college teams at the very least lining up for him if he choses to go that route again.

Wally then promotes one of his guys like Mark Washington to head coach and the circus continues. Scary stuff and you are so right Sir Purrcival in Ackles being the one guy he had to answer to. Braley and Skulsky lets him do as he pleases.

Doubt that Tedford just walks at the conclusion of the season (although I don't blame him if he did). His son Quinn won't have a job.

[peeby]

No, sir. No way. Gentlemen, a great thread, but I am in complete disagreement. Lowell Ullrich is not a good writer!! I am adamant on this. Sorry, Mr.Cardiac, but you are dead wrong. While I would also like to see what he has to say about all this, it would be far more instructive to hear what he has to say. For me, at least.

Is the man knowledgeable about the game? Undoubtedly. But, and this is the nub of my disagreement, did he display a real talent for constructing a sentence? Was he the consummate wordsmith? Where is that notable turn of phrase?

Or even this: Was he suitably opinionated to be the hard-hitting sports journalist our pro football team needed. Yes, needed.

I don't think he was. I liked his work, but he was no Tony Gallagher. Like Tony or dislike him for the jackass he probably was, Gallagher was a terrific writer.

Here is an example I think will help you differentiate between a good writer and a lesser one. If you live in a strata and read the paper, you have to know who Tony Gioventu is. I have little doubt that he knows his stuff inside and out. But surely, I am not the only one who has been totally lost by the end of one of his columns. And this is where the question he's been given seems relatively simple. Won't say anymore on this. I have a great respect for the guy, but not particularly as a writer.

Again, sorry to have to bring this up, but I have too much respect for this forum to let something like this pass.

Other than that, great thread all around. Will reread shortly.

[DanoT]

I'm not sure that a great football beat writer needs to be a great prose writer. But he does need to be careful that what he writes is not too critical or the coaches and players will not have much to say in future interviews. This doesn't change much as LU transitions from print to radio. He still needs unencumbered access to the team.

[CardiacKid]

No, sir. No way. Gentlemen, a great thread, but I am in complete disagreement. Lowell Ullrich is not a good writer!! I am adamant on this. Sorry, Mr.Cardiac, but you are dead wrong. While I would also like to see what he has to say about all this, it would be far more instructive to hear what he has to say. For me, at least.

Is the man knowledgeable about the game? Undoubtedly. But, and this is the nub of my disagreement, did he display a real talent for constructing a sentence? Was he the consummate wordsmith? Where is that notable turn of phrase?

Or even this: Was he suitably opinionated to be the hard-hitting sports journalist our pro football team needed. Yes, needed.

I don't think he was. I liked his work, but he was no Tony Gallagher. Like Tony or dislike him for the jackass he probably was, Gallagher was a terrific writer.

Here is an example I think will help you differentiate between a good writer and a lesser one. If you live in a strata and read the paper, you have to know who Tony Gioventu is. I have little doubt that he knows his stuff inside and out. But surely, I am not the only one who has been totally lost by the end of one of his columns. And this is where the question he's been given seems relatively simple. Won't say anymore on this. I have a great respect for the guy, but not particularly as a writer.

Again, sorry to have to bring this up, but I have too much respect for this forum to let something like this pass.

Other than that, great thread all around. Will reread shortly.

Well, first of all, it's Mr. Kid.....my friends call me Cardiac.

And second, to each their own. I do not know who Tony Gioventu is, probably because I don't live in Vancouver nor live in a strata so I can't comment on him working as an example for my edification. When he was actively reporting on the Lions, Ullrich was the guy I preferred to read. I think a number of people on the forum have also expressed a liking for Ullrich's reporting on the Lions as well.

But like I say, we each have our favourites and I hope we get a chance to read an Ullrich-penned article on the Lion's ups and downs for this year.

[MexicoLionFan]

The hiring of sycophants is done for one purpose only - to provide loyalty to the leader as well as to flatter, protect, and enhance the leader's power. Performance is much less important than loyalty and can even be unimportant unless the leader's job is threatened and then he will do anything, including discarding his sycophants, to protect his job.

The sycophant understands that the reason that he has his position in the organization has less to do with credibility and much more to do with being in the leaders favor.

In such an organization a number of themes will emerge...

So, your argument is that Tedford, Cortez, Johnny Holland, Robin Ross, etc. were brought in as Wally's toadies, and that all of our on-field woes are a result of this degenerate culture?

If someone wanted sycophants, it seems unlikely that they would bring in highly successful, experienced professionals for that role.

A more likely scenario is that Wally recognized that the team was moving in a downward trend and needed rebuilding. He rebuilt the coaching staff with highly qualified people, released veterans, and brought in a lot of young players. Young players make mistakes and it takes time and learning from mistakes to find the right roles for players and to find out if a player who might have looked great in tryouts or practice can play in games.

A case in point is the loss to the Bombers. A couple of untimely turnovers and dumb penalties, missed tackle by Shaq on the fake FG, poor officiating, kicking woes, as well as ST coaching were to blame. In other words, rookie mistakes, bad luck, and poor preparation on special teams.

Basically, any team playing the number of rookies that the Lions are this year--and add to that our QB woes--is going to lose games in ugly ways. And no coach or GM, no matter how good they are, will have a winning year every year over a 25+ year career. I see lots of signs that we will be better in the future--an emerging young qb, some good talent on the o and dline, improving dbs, etc..

Sorry to say this, but you remind me of the Kevin Bacon character in Animal House as screaming Lion's fans go running down the street..."all is well"...

Your "argument" dies the moment that you do not connect the dots. Against a massively struggling WPG team, at home, leading 23-9 at the half, with a rookie QB that has thrown for over 340 yards, 3 TDs and 16 straight completions at the half (and WPG's lone major of the game comes late in the game after their 2nd successful fake kick when even the Queen of England could see it coming) its not...

In other words, rookie mistakes, bad luck, and poor preparation on special teams.

It's a whole lot more...and it takes us to the basic question...why have the Lions looked like a team coached by Mike Benevides all season long, when it has been coached (apparently) by Jeff Tedford, who has NEVER guided a team that has looked like this before...even when he's had up and down seasons????????

But, you know, you're entitled to the "couple of unlucky bounces" theme if you want...

[maxlion]

A few key plays that led to the loss:

Fake FG. Questionable whether or not they made it to the 1d marker, but whatever, it was close. Rookie Shaq had a purrfect opportunity to stop the runner well short but flat out missed. Doesn't matter how good your plan is if you miss the tackle.

TD to tie, pick on Phillips. Flagrant foul, blown call which directly affected the outcome of the game.

Big play to Burnham called back. Didn't see the foul. Either bad call or mistake by a promising rookie.

2nd interception by Jennings. Rookie mistake.

Missed convert by rookie kicker. These are starting to add up.

Intentional grounding call in Jennings. Harris tackled trying to get open. Flagrant foul followed by rookie mistake to lose field position.

In short, rookie mistakes, bad luck (officiating), and questionable ST coaching. But some promising play by our young players too.