Nice Seeing Dave Ritchie on the sidelines today

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Ritchie's advice to Wally, according to Lowell Ullrich, is to ignore the critics and stay the course.

Ritchie's only piece of advice to his former boss was already consistent with Buono's approach during what has been his worst stretch with the Lions. Listen to the naysayers, and you are beaten.

"I got a thing about critics; which monument in the world has been built for a critic?" said Ritchie. "Wally's won a million games. It'll all snap in [with the Lions]."

Link

A lot of truth to that. The thing about a lot of critics is they only remind you of the things they said that proved out. Generally they shotgun so many potential problems at the system that the law of averages dictate they eventually will be right. When's the last time you heard a critic say "boy I got that wrong, man I'm an idiot". If things don't work out they simply write it off to something else being wrong, if they do work out ,it was due to their brillance. I feel for the coaches who are actually accountable but I guess that goes with the turf and the pay cheque. I'm glad none of us are like that, damn Canuck fans

[Toppy Vann]

Thanks to Sidelines for the right information as always.

Despite the fact that he'd be here regardless of the wins/losses this team is a shadow the of the defensive team he built in BC both in how they play and how they are coached. I used to watch his coaching style on the sidelines and his interaction with his players and how he used injured guys to decoy and send in the signals. It was not just a way to decoy but it kept these guys involved in the game (thinking, learning). When the O was out, the injured guys might be speaking with a team mate but the moment the D was heading back on the field they were back in place in front of him focused on the task at hand.

I really think the Lions underestimated what his retirement would do as you can't simply replace a veteran with his knowledge and experience easily no matter how much potential the new person has.

He does have a lot to offer any team including the Lions. Being realistic his age is an issue as other than Marv Levy most organizations announce their HC as if he will be there for the next 25 years regardless of the reality that most coaches are never there for a life time. There are few Joe Paternos in football coaching.

Loved his no monuments to critics comments. Makes a great sound bite despite it being far from the truth in the since the dawn of recorded history. I am sure that this is just his way of supporting his friend who is sounding like Captain Bligh of Mutiny on the Bounty fame in his some of his comments these days.

In football and sports generally, the critics including the fans can point out that without them writing, commentating and criticizing, the fans would be into other sports and not buying their tickets, jerseys, hats, etc. When the critics go silent, you get what happened to the Lions post Ackles first tenure in BC and that is few fans, a failing franchise and an ailing CFL. The Lions might not like it but they need these people.

[PigSkin_53]

"I got a thing about critics; which monument in the world has been built for a critic?"

He has a point, yet had Wally listened to his critics here last season, Javy would have been moved outside and Jamall Johnson would be in the middle. Seems like it only took Wally longer to come to that conclusion, at the expense of losing JJ.

True that Rammer!