The Ricky Ray Game, June 30, 2012

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WestCoastJoe
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JohnHenry wrote: Look no further than the Lions Mike Reilly, whom I believe is in his option year? I doubt he would resign in B.C. to be the backup, he could be in high demand next spring. The B.C. Lions name is also golden in NFL circles with Buono-trained players often in high demand. Reilly could receive multiple NFL and CFL offers when he hits free agency (ditto Lulay in 2014).
Not so sure about the NFL being interested in CFL QBs, JH. Possible, but IMO not likely. Both Lulay and Reilly knocked around NFL teams for years without getting a sniff of a chance. The NFL really has its cookie cutter mentality. I kind of think they don't like Reilly's throwing motion. Doesn't matter to them that he has zip on the ball, great touch and accuracy. LOL

Their loss = our gain.

But it would make sense for Reilly to want to advance his CFL career. If not next year, then with Ottawa soon enough.

Was reading esksfans blogs after the game, and there was speculation over there that Reilly looks better than anybody they have. D'oh ... that is kind of obvious. A lot of negative humour going on over there also. LOL Had me laughing hard a few times.
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Toppy Vann
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In fairness the Lions did look like they were trying to get their D playing for keeps vs just testing new players to see if they could win one on one battles. The Lions new HC looks very determined to start the season quickly this year and get those past last 3 disaster seasons start out of fan and team memory. How else do you explain a Don Matthews type onside kick to start the second half of a pre-season game (as an aside, I'd have preferred the Lions to practice that and then do the Don Matthews by opening the season with it as he did in the first real game for the Lions in then new BC Place.

Jyles sounded post game like Durant after his preseason lack lustre games (another player who went from my admired list of QBs to the whiners).

What ET did in trading Ray is definitely end that era and make this one his. I don't see this working out like the dumping of K. Joseph did. That rabbit is long dead it seems.
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I highly doubt the NFL will come knocking for a QB that runs quarterback sneaks on short yardage plays, holds for field goal and conversions and sees the occasional play in relief.
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DanoT
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Toppy Vann wrote:In fairness the Lions did look like they were trying to get their D playing for keeps vs just testing new players to see if they could win one on one battles. The Lions new HC looks very determined to start the season quickly this year and get those past last 3 disaster seasons start out of fan and team memory. How else do you explain a Don Matthews type onside kick to start the second half of a pre-season game (as an aside, I'd have preferred the Lions to practice that and then do the Don Matthews by opening the season with it as he did in the first real game for the Lions in then new BC Place.

Jyles sounded post game like Durant after his preseason lack lustre games (another player who went from my admired list of QBs to the whiners).

What ET did in trading Ray is definitely end that era and make this one his. I don't see this working out like the dumping of K. Joseph did. That rabbit is long dead it seems.
I thought it was a great strategy to run the on side kick and the fake punt (in game 1) in pre-season. Those plays might or might not be too risky to run in regular season, but by showing the play in pre-season it forces opponents to spend valuable practice time preparing for two plays from the Lions that will likely never see the light of day in regular season games.

This strategy is the kind of thing that imo a well coached, well prepared team thinks about and implements.
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Toppy Vann
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All teams practice to defend and do these things (onside kicks). What the Lions did though in running the onside in pre-season is show cards that I don't think are needed to be shown as it increases an opponents awareness of something they might want to spring in a situation their opponent might not expect it.

Matthews' Lions did it in 1983 to signal to fans and opponents what their team was all about. It was the first play in reg. season vs the Riders and the Lions kicked off and recovered.

You are right though - if it is never to be used except when they know it is coming that is okay.
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
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http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/ ... 19171.html
Ray adjusting to non-Esks shock

Ricky Ray returns to Commonwealth Stadium Saturday for the first time as a non-Eskimo

By TERRY JONES, QMI Agency

Ricky Ray had just completed his first regular season practice toward playing what is being billed as ‘The Ricky Ray Game' back in Edmonton.

"I'm kinda getting braced for it," he said on his cellphone after he left the field in Toronto Monday afternoon.

"All the extra media ...

"Probably the same questions all week ...

"I understand it's part of the process. But there sure is a lot going through my mind."
Ray says he's been through some of the stages associated with grieving.

Shock. Hurt. Anger.

And he knows he has to get this game behind him, Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium against the team he played with for nine seasons, to get completely through to the part that is acceptance.

Quite likely he'll get to that before the fans in Edmonton, who haven't come close to getting ready to going forward to the future with Steven Jyles.
Hurt. That's the one Ray decided he had the toughest time with.

"It's the idea that they didn't think you were the guy to win games, to take them back to the Grey Cup," he said.

"For sure I was rocked by that."
Shock. Anger. Hurt.

"It's the idea that they didn't think you were the guy to win games, to take them back to the Grey Cup"
Understandable, when you consider some of the offensive lines he's played behind here in recent times and the number of licks he took for the team as they changed coaches, general managers and an incredible number of players for an organization that used to pride itself on stability.

"I was just shocked," said the 32-year-old, who completed 3,225 of 4,828 passes for 40,529 yards and 66.8%, 210 touchdowns against 130 interceptions and a 96.1 QB efficiency rating.

"I just didn't expect that. I didn't see that coming."
Pretty decent numbers for a career. :wink: Gettin' old at 32? Nah ...
Ready to head back to Edmonton six months later, Ray says he really should have seen it coming.

"Eric Tillman doesn't have a history with me," he said of the GM who traded him for Jyles, Grant Shaw and a draft pick.

"I'm definitely not his kind of quarterback."
Traded for Jyles, Grant Shaw, and Austin Pasztor who is trying out in the NFL.

"not his (Tillman's) kind of quarterback"
Ray said he'll be thinking of a lot of stuff this week.

"Different dressing room," he said, laughing about one he hadn't really thought about until this week.

"I've been in there a few times to sign footballs and stuff," he said of the cramped quarters which are a complete contrast to the state-of-the-art Eskimos dressing room.

"I'll be on a different side of the field ...

"It's just going to be different all around."
The big thing is not that, though.

"I've been playing in front of those fans for so long," he said.

"I don't think many are going to be cheering for me now. If they are, it probably won't be too loud."

Ray said having from December to June to get used to this has at least made him appreciate some things even more now that he looks back.

"I was lucky to be in one spot so long.

"When I get there I'm going to definitely want to thank all the fans there, all the people of Edmonton for the years I had there.

"I just loved playing there so much."
Ray paused a moment and then laughed.

"And I learned to hate the other teams in the CFL," he said.

"All of a sudden, bang, I'm on another team with a new history."

Ray said there's one thing he always used to do before a game in Commonwealth Stadium.

"Every time I'd step into the stadium I'd look at the names up there," he said of the players of the Eskimos Wall of Honour on the facade of the upper deck.

"I wasn't thinking about my name going up there or anything like that. It was to think of what they did to pave the way before you and stuff like that. It made it kind of motivational to want to do the same. It's hard to explain, but when I came to the team, there was a real veteran core with the Eskimos and those guys impressed me so much with how they didn't want to play anywhere else.

"That's kind of going to be the hardest thing."

He probably won't look up there this time. But he can't help but look back.
"We had some high highs and some low lows," said Ray, who quarterbacked the Eskimos to three Grey Cup games in his first three years in the league, winning in 2003 and 2005 and being named Grey Cup MVP in 2005, to being QB of the team when the North American pro sports record of 34 consecutive years in the playoffs came to an end.

But that was yesterday. And yesterday is gone.

As the Argos watch film of the Eskimos and put the game plan in to play in Edmonton, Ray knows interviews like this are going to add to the challenge of the week, because it's a time for moving on.

"You have to forget and bring it to a new city, a new team, new teammates and new coaches."

If there's one game of his career that Ray hopes he's able to treat the same as he's been able to treat every other game, he hopes this is it.

"My approach to every game in my career has been to treat every game the same. I've been able to park the emotional stuff.

"I want to win this football game. I definitely want to win this game. But, while I know it's going to be a very different week, I intend to take the field and treat it like it's like another game."

It'll be interesting to see how Edmonton fans treat it.

Will they come out of the sense of 'The Ricky Ray Game' being something of a special event? Will they come to cheer for the Eskimos as always? Will they come to cheer for Ricky Ray one last time? Or will they not come at all?
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DanoT
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Toppy Vann wrote:All teams practice to defend and do these things (onside kicks). What the Lions did though in running the onside in pre-season is show cards that I don't think are needed to be shown as it increases an opponents awareness of something they might want to spring in a situation their opponent might not expect it.

Matthews' Lions did it in 1983 to signal to fans and opponents what their team was all about. It was the first play in reg. season vs the Riders and the Lions kicked off and recovered.

You are right though - if it is never to be used except when they know it is coming that is okay.
Maybe Benefides will do the same but I somehow think he will show that he is more aggressive and more of a risk taker than Wally in other ways.
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http://www.edmontonsun.com/2012/06/27/e ... talks-back
Esks’ GM Tillman talks back

By Terry Jones,Edmonton Sun

First posted: Wednesday, June 27, 2012 05:34 PM MDT | Updated: Wednesday, June 27, 2012 05:55 PM MDT

Eric Tillman says during the course of his careeer critics have underestimated what he and his staff are able to accomplish. (Edmonton Sun file)

EDMONTON - Today, as the CFL season goes into the starting gate toward the 100th running of the Grey Cup game, I pass my poison pen to Eric Tillman.

From the day he traded Ricky Ray, the venom has spewed from my pen on the subject of his trade for Steven Jyles, Grant Shaw and a draft pick.

Right from the first paragraphs the day he was traded:

“O.K., so lets get this straight again. It wasn’t the Eskimos idea to trade Ricky Ray.

“ ‘Toronto came to us. They were very aggressive. We were reluctant to do so. Toronto kept coming back to the table, two, three, four times,’ said Tillman, until they produced an offer that he couldn’t turn down.’

“What the hell were their first, second and third offers?

“A back up quarterback! An unproven kicker! And a Canadian in the bush!

“Who could turn down that deal?

“Tillman called it win-win.

“It looks more like lose-lose.

“Ray is now stuck with playing for he Argos.

“And Edmonton is left without a quarterback.

This is the biggest trade in Eskimos history and the Oilers got more back in the $18 million sale of Wayne Gretzky!

“Jackie Parker was traded to the Argos in 1963. But that was the end of his career. And it wasn’t until a decade later, after going through two dozen quarterbacks the likes of Don Trull, Rusty Clarke, Larry Lawrence, Corey Colehour, Charlie Fulton, Harry Theofilides, Frank Cosentino, Terry Baker, Randy Kerbow, Bill Reddell, Lynn Amedee, Jim Walden, James Earl Wright and many more that the Eskimos found Tom Wilkinson, that they were able to win again.

“That’s the risk Tillman is taking here. Jyles, Joseph, Ward and Nichols are more likely to be the first four names on another very long list than your next Grey Cup MVP.”

And I haven’t let up since.

Tillman has not appreciated my editorial take on his trade and where it leaves his team. Like I told him back when the snow was on the ground, if he has the last laugh in the fall he’ll also have a column coming explaining how wrong I was to not consider his past performance history and be so negative all winter and spring.

As we head into the new season, leading off with the Eskimos opening at home against Ricky Ray, it occurred to your correspondent to pass my pen to Tillman and give him the opportunity to, well, preview some of the points I might have to make when the Eskimos end up with a winning record again.

He was gracious enough to agree.

The column is yours, Mr. Tillman:

“For six months you’ve had the chalk. And, your columns and tweets have ranged from critical to caustic to demeaning.

“I fully understand as a longtime columnist you have every right to your opinions, and, as a Hall of Fame journalist, your opinions are justifiably well respected in this city and across our country. But, when expressing those opinions, I think it’s also fair to say that you’ve never once injected context, such as all four teams I’ve been GM of during the salary-cap era have consistently been picked low, only to surprise months later.

“In 2007 in Saskatchewan, for example, we were picked last by most media experts after we lost Kenton Keith, Jamel Richardson, Nate Davis, Omar Morgan and five or six other starters in the off-season, yet we won the Grey Cup a few months later, didn’t we?

“The subsequent year, after trading our quarterback Kerry Joseph and letting Kent Austin go back and coach his alma mater, I was questioned, ridiculed and chastised. And while we didn’t repeat as champions, we did win 12 regular season games, didn’t we?

“The next year, the entire off-season hoopla was about the Eskimos stealing Richie Hall and Mo Lloyd from us, and about losing other high-profile free agents like Anton McKenzie and Reggie Hunt. Yet a few months later, we were back in the Grey Cup again, weren’t we?

“Before the 2011 season with the Eskimos, we were universally picked last in the west.

“In fact, after watching the TSN pre-season show, I remember saying to Kavis, if it’s possible, I think we just got picked fifth in a four-team division.

“Yet when November rolled around, we had won 11 games, tied for first in the west and earned the first home playoff game in five or six years, hadn’t we?

“Not bad, just one year removed from inheriting a team that was nose down in the ditch after finishing dead-ass last in 2010.

“My point in revisiting all of this? Simply to establish how often the critics’ predictions have been wrong during the salary-cap era, where off-season grades always seem to be based on high-profile players, not on the collective team strength. And, additionally, how often we’ve proven to be just a little bit smarter in November than the critics had labeled us prior to each of those seasons kicking off.

“Now lets fast-forward to 2012 and your continual predictions of doom and gloom, Terry.

“To be even more specific, your emphatic statement right after the trade that you didn’t think this team could possibly win nine games.

“Well, that’s your opinion, and as a nationally respected columnist you get to express it. But just like this time last year, we — not the media experts — get the chalk last.

“It’s our turn to write the real story and I have great confidence in our coaches and players.

“Together we’ll look forward to seeing what November reveals. After all, the critics don’t define us. Rather, as in previous years, we look forward to the challenge and opportunity to define ourselves.

“You have more than nine fingers, right?

“That’s a good thing, Terry. You might need them all to count.”
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WestCoastJoe
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The column is yours, Mr. Tillman:
“For six months you’ve had the chalk. And, your columns and tweets have ranged from critical to caustic to demeaning.

“I fully understand as a longtime columnist you have every right to your opinions, and, as a Hall of Fame journalist, your opinions are justifiably well respected in this city and across our country. But, when expressing those opinions, I think it’s also fair to say that you’ve never once injected context, such as all four teams I’ve been GM of during the salary-cap era have consistently been picked low, only to surprise months later.
“My point in revisiting all of this? Simply to establish how often the critics’ predictions have been wrong during the salary-cap era, where off-season grades always seem to be based on high-profile players, not on the collective team strength. And, additionally, how often we’ve proven to be just a little bit smarter in November than the critics had labeled us prior to each of those seasons kicking off.
Is that a violin I hear playing in the background? :violin:

Oh yes it is.
“Together we’ll look forward to seeing what November reveals. After all, the critics don’t define us. Rather, as in previous years, we look forward to the challenge and opportunity to define ourselves.

“You have more than nine fingers, right?

“That’s a good thing, Terry. You might need them all to count.”
That is a bit dangerous talking about fingers. LOL
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Toppy Vann
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“My point in revisiting all of this? Simply to establish how often the critics’ predictions have been wrong during the salary-cap era, where off-season grades always seem to be based on high-profile players, not on the collective team strength. And, additionally, how often we’ve proven to be just a little bit smarter in November than the critics had labeled us prior to each of those seasons kicking off.
You can't argue with the FACTS that Eric Tillman notes in his stories. He has built winners and dumped salaries and picked up new players or cheaper dumps from other teams.

I still can't over how he originally said the trade was Toronto's idea, not his. That was clearly a media spin that defies common sense. It was an SMS dump a la Kerry Joseph who ironically looks to be ready to save his starter if he falters and fails. If Jyles had any success in Toronto or Wpg before that it might have been different but really there has been nothing in his body of work that suggests consistency.

What ET talks about is "collective team strength" and he is right and brought in some very decent sounding receivers and other talent except for the minor detail that if you haven't got a decent guy to pull the trigger (a QB) you are destined to be in the lower half of the standings.

We shall see as the season progresses as ET's column shows.

Can he pull another rabbit out of the hat is a looming question that only the regular season will answer.
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TheLionKing
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Say what you will about Tillman but he does have excellent counter points. Only time will tell how the trading of Ricky Ray goes down
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“ ‘Toronto came to us. They were very aggressive. We were reluctant to do so. Toronto kept coming back to the table, two, three, four times,’ said Tillman, until they produced an offer that he couldn’t turn down.’

Maybe Mike Gillis should adopt the same approach and try to pry Sydney Crosby and Malkin from Pittsburgh
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WestCoastJoe
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TheLionKing wrote:“ ‘Toronto came to us. They were very aggressive. We were reluctant to do so. Toronto kept coming back to the table, two, three, four times,’ said Tillman, until they produced an offer that he couldn’t turn down.’

Maybe Mike Gillis should adopt the same approach and try to pry Sydney Crosby and Malkin from Pittsburgh
LOL

That poor helpless Tillman. That evil horse trader Barker just would not take no for an answer. LOL

Barker kept upping the ante, all the way to Grant Shaw, and a draft pick, and ... Steven Jyles. Wow ...

What a line of BS from Tillman.
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WestCoastJoe wrote:
TheLionKing wrote:“ ‘Toronto came to us. They were very aggressive. We were reluctant to do so. Toronto kept coming back to the table, two, three, four times,’ said Tillman, until they produced an offer that he couldn’t turn down.’

Maybe Mike Gillis should adopt the same approach and try to pry Sydney Crosby and Malkin from Pittsburgh
LOL

That poor helpless Tillman. That evil horse trader Barker just would not take no for an answer. LOL

Barker kept upping the ante, all the way to Grant Shaw, and a draft pick, and ... Steven Jyles. Wow ...

What a line of BS from Tillman.
i'm in the minority in terms of Eric Tillman's decision to go in a different direction that retain Ricky Ray as the starting quarterback of the Edmonton Eskimos. Eric Tillman is a very bright general manager whose record demonstrates how skillful he has been in a number of situations.

Its easy to dismiss that Ricky Ray was the highest paid player in the entire CFL and his salary was onerous for the Edmonton Eskimos. Had Tillman decided to keep Ricky Ray as his quarterback he not only seriously impacted Edmonton's SMS but I don't believe he was a quarterback who was going to lead them to a Grey Cup. Ray would have continued to provide Edmonton with good quarterbacking but he was not the dynamic quarterback that was going to get them over the top.

What I do wonder about is why Tillman traded for the players that he received. It would have made more sense if Edmonton had a backup quarterback like we had here prior to last season in a Travis Lulay or Calgary had in a Drew Tate prior to pulling the trigger or was getting that type of player in the trade for Ricky Ray. While Jyles has the physical attributes he does not appear, at least at this point, to have that kind of potential.

I also wonder if Khavis Redd is the Head Coach who has the leadership abilities to get Edmonton over the top.

What I do believe is that the time had arrived for Edmonton to go in a new direction at the quarterbask position. Ricky Ray is the type of experienced quarterback who will make Toronto more respectable by provdiing the Boatman with some solidity at the quarterback position...somehting they have been lacking.

I may regret this post at the end of this season if Ricky Ray leads Toronto to a Grey Cup but I just don't see Ricky Ray bringing a Grey Cup to Edmonton in the future. Not easy to move away from a quarterback who has lead your team to Grey Cup victories. There was a lot of upset when we let Dickenson go in 2007 and he has been often injured as well but past success from a player makes it difficult for fans to let go and say goodbye.

The 20-05 Western Final still haunts me, as Jaason Maas entered the game to take over from a struglging Ricky Ray to knock off our Leos hopes for a Grey Cup berth. Ray went on to win that Grey Cup game but Edmonton has not been back to the Big Dance since and they were not going to with Ray at quarterback. It really was time for Edmonton to move on.

What Edmonton needs to find is a promisng young star at quarterback and live with his mistakes until he blossoms as we did with Travis Lulay. Maybe they should have had that type of quarterback ready to step in before they pulled the plub on Ricky Ray rather than going with Jyles...only time will tell..but I at least agree with Tillman that the time had arrived to try to get to the Big Dance with a diffgerernt quarterback..they were not getting there with Ricky Ray.
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