Paul McCallum to sign with Lions

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Blitz
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Its interesting to go back to Lionbackers comments to training camp of 2015. The decision to ask Paul McCallum to retire or he would be cut, only took place 5 days into training camp. No exhibition game completion between the kickers.

Most Lionbackers did not agree with the decision at the time to not keep McCallum as our field goal kicker in 2015....and they were right on.

Now its late in the season of 2016 and McCallum is back as our field goal kicker.

The punting of Leone was something else. Too bad he can't split the uprights though...Cardiac Kid June 2014
I had that gut sense at training camp. You're talking two rookies. It only makes sense to keep both to start the season at least. Then you have an inhouse Plan B should one falter. I wouldn't be adverse to them splitting duties for the whole season if need be as it could create a two-headed kicking monster. QMan
Fera badly shanks a punt. Dilemma for Jeff Tedford. Leone is a natural punter learning to kick field goals. Fera is a natural field goal kicker learning how to punt. by TheLionKing
He was a punter in college, only a backup FG kicker. no way can he kick FGs professionally.
Good punter though.
QMan June 2014
SPECIAL TEAMS This is my biggest area of concern right now. We will be a better punting and kick off team with Leone. We'll miss the sure footed McCallum for field goals inside the 40.
Blitz June 2014.
I hate it when people answer a question with a question, but I'm going to here. Paul was the West Division All-Star field goal kicker while making 90.5% of his field goals this year (longest 49 yards) and, until we know that Richie Leone is an accurate field goal kicker, why would you not pick up his option? David June 2014
McCallum also has not lost any leg strength. He can still hit field goals from 53 yards. The coaches have been reluctant to let him kick outside the 45 yard line for fear of giving up big returns but that's not on McCallum. B.C. Fan June 2014.
Wow, I guess I openly disagree with a lot of other Lionbackers. I wouldn't bring either Schmitt or McCallum back.
The Pauser June 2014.
I agree with you Pauser . Macallum never leaves you feeling any confidence whether he is punting or kicking a field goal, penw 2014.
McCallum, not Scmidt should be at TC, along with a few others who hopefully are ready to beat McCallum out of a job. Dano T. June 2014.
McCallum has been money as a FG kicker in his remarkable career. West Coast Joe 2014.
We need to keep McCallum around. At this point we do not have a replacement for him. That could change between now and next season, but for now he's insurance. Spud 387
Was trying to debunk the myth that McCallum only trots out onto the field to kick chip shots of 30 yards or less, and extra points. This makes a fairly good case (not to mention the West All-Star nod he received this year).
Would I like an "all in one" kicker with slightly better range? Sure. But until ones comes along, we could do a lot worse than McCallum kicking field goals. David June 2014.
Paul can still kick the FG's but for ones that might be further out of range, give them to the new guy with the understanding that he is to try is best and who knows, by the end of the next season, we may have a viable replacement. Sir Percival June 2014.
I don't know what wally & Jeff were thinking with Paul, you have paul kick everything inside 45yds and then Leone be the long range guy, kickoffs and Punter. problem solved. Paul would only take the spot held by some 3rd string cdn linebacker or receiver who is never going to play. QMan 2104,
The big question is what do the Lions gain or lose by asking McCallum to retire?

What our Leos lose is McCallum made 38 of the 42 field goals he attempted last season, leading the CFL with a 90.5 per cent success rate. In the last six years, McCallum was good on 221 of 249 attempts — an 88.8 per cent conversion rate way ahead of his career average of 80.3. He has amassed 3,022 points in the CFL and never missed a convert, going 792-for-792. (Vancouver Sun)

In other words, he was 'money' inside the 43 yard line. Most CFL teams don't attempt a lot of long field goals anymore because there are so many dangerous return guys out there and missed field goals set up the most potential for a return to go all the way.

What do the Lions gain. First of all, McCallum was highly paid. Secondly Tedford and GM Wally Buono have said the team wants to consolidate kicking and punting into one position, which would free up a roster spot. If the Lions go with an import kicker, it means they can use their 21st and final non-import spot for another backup lineman or a Canadian linebacker to play on special teams.

Ian McIntyre of the Vancouver Sun asks Is that more important than having a field-goal kicker who rarely misses, noting McCallum was a sure thing on field goals inside 45 yards. That gave teammates confidence and allowed Lulay the freedom to make plays in the offensive third of the field knowing that if it came to third down, at least the Lions weren’t leaving empty-handed.

Travis Lulay, in the article stated "Offensively, we almost took it for granted at times because once we got to the 35-yard line, we knew we were scoring points. We just knew it. If we didn’t score seven, we knew we were getting three. There was a shock factor whenever he missed a field goal.”

Ryan Phillips wondered about the timing of the decision, noting that neither import kicker has kicked in game action yet."II was definitely surprised for it to happen before a game,” veteran defensive back Ryan Phillips said after Friday’s walk-through at Thompson Rivers University. “Don’t get me wrong, these new guys are definitely booming the ball. I’m seeing them booming the ball. (But) I’m a guy who likes to see the proof in the pudding. That’s how I am. Even if someone looks like something in practice, I want to see him under the lights. It’s a different ball game when you’re under the lights, a different type of pressure”.

Our Leos had the choice of using McCallum as a field goal kicker and an import as a punter, kickoff specialist, and for the occasional long field goal try while keeping a very high percentage field goal kicker who has ice in his veins under game pressure situations.

They've chosen not to split the duties and use the game roster spot that McCallum would occupy for an extra backup.
Blitz
My conclusion from watching McCallum kick last year and reviewing the stats is that he still had an effective range of 50 yards but the coaches were reluctant to attempt field goals from beyond the 45 yard line for fear of giving up a big return
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McCallum hit 36/36 field goals for our Leos during his career here. Not too shabby. The guy is ice cold deadly in the playoffs. He knows how to handle pressure.

Tough situation for McCallum. Very little time to get ready.

As for Buono's comment "We need to ensure that all areas of our kicking game are competitive with our opponents", he sure left it until the last moments to make a change.

This was an obvious move that neeed to be made sooner, We wouldn't have to beat Saskatchewan this weekend, if we had made the change sooner. Leone had already cost us games.

But better, very, very late than never. Hope McCallum's old leg still has some strength in it. One thing for sure, he can handle pressure.
“We need to ensure that all areas of our kicking game are competitive with our opponents,” said GM and head coach Wally Buono. “By bringing in Paul and his playoff production, this is now assured.”

McCallum was good on all 36 of his previous postseason field goal attempts for the Lions including a team-record six-for-six in the 2006 Grey Cup win by the club.

“I’m happy to return and do whatever I can to help the club win a championship,” said McCallum. “I believe that Richie and I together give the team a very strong kicking combination.”

In accordance with CFL rules, the club has a 10-day window to evaluate a retired player before assigning him a specific roster status.
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Hambone wrote:
Blitz wrote:

HUH, SAY WHAT,BETTER THAN LUI ?
Not in this life time or the next, not on a CFL feild,an NFL feild, or a wheat feild.

Lui played this game for 25 years , and in his prime( and I don't think you relize how long that prime was) was simply the best.To compare him to todays kickers, a flash in the pan would be 5 years. When one off today's kickers can put up the numbers he did for 20 of those 25 yrs we'l talk. penw
The interesting part of that statement is that by today's standards Lui's FG numbers through most of his career would've probably made him a 5 year flash in the pan at least as far as being a FG kicker. That's not a knock on Lui the Legend as much as it is recognition that today's placekickers are as a whole much, much better than placekickers of his era. Today it seems that 80% is a barely acceptable number. If a kicker today can't get to 80% his team will be looking for someone else. Conversely in Lui's era 80% was considered all-star worthy. Lui was able to crack the 80% mark only 3 times in his 25 years; 1978, 1999 and 2000. Leone's current pace of 68.6% was better than Lui put up in 7 of his 25 years. His 76.9% average of last year was one that Lui bettered only 7 times in his career. Career wise Leone is at 72.2%. Passaglia's career average was 72.6%. Times and expectations of kickers have definitely changed.
Wow! Assuming your statistics are right (and I have no reason to believe otherwise), I am really quite amazed at the rose tinted glasses I must have about his career. In my defense, it seems like Lui improved with age as most of his best years percentage-wise are his later years and those are the years I watched. I don't really recall watching football before 1983. But still, only 3 years above 80% seems amazing when looking back and remembering the clutch kicks that he made. His early year poorer numbers might be because he was a quarterback. I'm guessing becoming a placekicker for the first time in the Pros is difficult regardless what your previous position was. During Lui's time, his "sub-par" was actually on (or near) par with his peers. For Richie, his "sub-par" is statistically significantly sub-par compared to his peers and as such, cannot be hidden.
If Leone leaves for the NFL, then good luck to him. But, if the Lions can keep him around just as a punter (or punter/kick-off), I see that as having potential for good. My memory could be equally foggy (but definitely not rose tinted) with regards to Bob Cameron with Winnipeg. Trevor Kennard handled the field goals and Bob just punted. I very much recall how he could punt into the stiff prairie breeze in a way that cut through the wind while Lui's (and every other opponents) punts would hang up in the wind and go nowhere. I see a definite perk to having a punting specialist and if we could keep Leone on as just that, his already stellar punting (distance-wise) would improve from an accuracy (pin point short punts) standpoint because he could focus on that instead of having to "become" a place kicker. :beer:
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I stand by my comments from 2 years ago, and think that bringing McCallum back right now is a complete joke. The man is 46. He wasn't kicking well 2 years ago. Can he be better than Leone? I highly doubt it. I do think we need a better FG kicker than Leone though, but McCallum isn't the answer.

This has been one of Wally's biggest problems since he came here. Until he got McCallum the first time over 10 years ago, he struggled finding a kicker. Then he failed to recognize when it was time to cut bait with McCallum and it cost us a good kicker in Sean Whyte.
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The CFL use to have a marketing slogan, "Our Balls are Bigger" but nowadays the CFL and NFL footballs are roughly the same size, aren't they? So, air pressure and Tom Brady notwithstanding, is it easier to kick a FG with a smaller slimmer football and thus partly contributing to today's greater FG kicker accuracy?
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DanoT wrote:The CFL use to have a marketing slogan, "Our Balls are Bigger" but nowadays the CFL and NFL footballs are roughly the same size, aren't they? So, air pressure and Tom Brady notwithstanding, is it easier to kick a FG with a smaller slimmer football and thus partly contributing to today's greater FG kicker accuracy?
If what's going on in the NFL this season is indication then no.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/31/sport/nfl ... index.html

Anecdotally as a kid back in school in a north island logging camp we used to play a game called "Yards". It involved two teams punting a ball back and forth with the object being to kick the ball into the other team's endzone without it being caught in the air. Catching the ball on the fly earned 3 yards which you could use or accumulate. At some point you'd march off the earned yards from where you fielded the ball to get closer to the opponent's endzone to hopefully score. One thing I distinctly remember is loving it when we were using a rugby ball instead of a football because it seemed easier to kick and always carried farther.
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Lui05 wrote:Wow! Assuming your statistics are right (and I have no reason to believe otherwise), I am really quite amazed at the rose tinted glasses I must have about his career. In my defense, it seems like Lui improved with age as most of his best years percentage-wise are his later years and those are the years I watched. I don't really recall watching football before 1983. But still, only 3 years above 80% seems amazing when looking back and remembering the clutch kicks that he made. His early year poorer numbers might be because he was a quarterback. I'm guessing becoming a placekicker for the first time in the Pros is difficult regardless what your previous position was. During Lui's time, his "sub-par" was actually on (or near) par with his peers. For Richie, his "sub-par" is statistically significantly sub-par compared to his peers and as such, cannot be hidden.
If Leone leaves for the NFL, then good luck to him. But, if the Lions can keep him around just as a punter (or punter/kick-off), I see that as having potential for good. My memory could be equally foggy (but definitely not rose tinted) with regards to Bob Cameron with Winnipeg. Trevor Kennard handled the field goals and Bob just punted. I very much recall how he could punt into the stiff prairie breeze in a way that cut through the wind while Lui's (and every other opponents) punts would hang up in the wind and go nowhere. I see a definite perk to having a punting specialist and if we could keep Leone on as just that, his already stellar punting (distance-wise) would improve from an accuracy (pin point short punts) standpoint because he could focus on that instead of having to "become" a place kicker. :beer:
I picked up the numbers from http://www.cflapedia.com/Players/p/pasaglia_lui.htm

It's interesting looking at some of the other more notable kickers of that era like Kennard, Ridgway, Osbaldiston etc. All seemed to be regularly in the 60% to low 70% range through the earlier 5 to 8 years of their careers then started getting more up into the 80% range later in their careers. I don't know if it's simply a case of becoming more mature physically or mentally and understanding their craft better or perhaps getting better coaching? I think there was probably a time when kickers like hockey goalies were left to their own devices to figure things out. It wasn't that long ago that NHL teams had 1 coach, period. No assistants. No dedicated goalie coaches. Today every team has 3 or 4 assistants and if they don't have a dedicated goalie coach they have a consultant on speed dial or dropping in to work with the goalies on a regular basis.
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The_Pauser wrote:I stand by my comments from 2 years ago, and think that bringing McCallum back right now is a complete joke. The man is 46. He wasn't kicking well 2 years ago. Can he be better than Leone? I highly doubt it. I do think we need a better FG kicker than Leone though, but McCallum isn't the answer.

This has been one of Wally's biggest problems since he came here. Until he got McCallum the first time over 10 years ago, he struggled finding a kicker. Then he failed to recognize when it was time to cut bait with McCallum and it cost us a good kicker in Sean Whyte.
Well, The Pauser, you only have two choices - stand by your comments of two years ago or admit that you were wrong. Most people choose to stand by their comments, even if they are wrong.

I don't think that you were wrong to believe that McCallum was getting older and looking for a younger kicker made sense. It had to be done at some point.

However, five days into training camp in 2015, without a proven field goal kicker was not the right time to do it. McCallum had kicked 38/42 yard field goals the season before. Leone had relatively no experience at field goal kicking.

So the bigger joke was to try to convert him so quickly into a field goal kicker and to go into that season with Leone from the get go.

Can McCallum be better than Leone? Well, he's old for sure. He's going to be rusty as hell. He is not the long term answer. He may not even be able to get it done. Bringing in a field goal kicker, with one game left in the regular season, is a challenge. But McCallum knows the stadium for home games, has experience with pressure, including playoff and Grey Cup games, his playoff record is purrfect as a Leo.

But if he has any strength in his leg, he can kick the field goal attempts from inside the 40 yard line that Leone misses. Leone has missed 7 field goals this season inside of 40 yards. We've lost games that we would have won this season, had Leone been able to hit some very makeable, high percentage field goals.

Leone has attempted 5 field goals outside the 50 yard line this season and missed on four of them. So we won't miss his longer type field goal attempts either. But Leone will be here to attempt a longer one, should it come down to that.

Leone has also missed on 5 convert attempts as well this season.

WHYTE, S EDM 93.5%
HAJRULLAHU, L TOR 87.8%
MEDLOCK, J WPG 87.5%
PAREDES, R CGY 87.5%
CRAPIGNA, T SSK 87.5%
MILO, C OTT 81.0%
MAHER, B HAM 80.9%
FERA, A MTL 80.0%

LEONE, R. B.C. 68.5%

Other than for comparison sakes with Leos of old, Passaglia's percentage in terms of field goals is irrelevant. Leone isn't competing with Passaglia. As Hambone notes, the standards have changed.

Instead of posters writing this was a 'great move' by Wally, its not. It was a dum move by Tedford and Wally to go with Leone as our field goal kicker in the first place last year, when he was so unproven. So many Lionbackers had that right. It was a dum move to not bring in a National field goal kicker to begin this season. It was a dum move for Wally to wait so late in the season to make this move, when it was obvious, it needed to be made sooner.

There is no 'great' about Wally's move to sign McCallum. When you've screwed up something and you are signing a 46 year old former player that you tried to force retirement on, two seasons ago, and who hasn't practiced in over a year, then its not 'great' at all.

We've lost approximately 60 points this season had we had a comparable field goal kicker that other West opponents have,.

Its only a hopeful move. We just couldn't go into the playoffs with Leone as our field goal kicker.

The Pauser was right that we needed to phase McCallum out. But we didn't have the player in camp in 2015 to do that, at that time. Fera was the better choice of the two. He's also punted for a 46.6 average in Montreal.

We should never have gotten ourselves into this situation. Now that we are, McCallum was the best choice we had.
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DanoT wrote:
Belize City Lion wrote:I wonder if the Lions are bringing PM as a coach but decided why not put him on the roster, just in case?
McCallum was never the mentoring type so I'm thinking he is not interested in anything but FG kicking.
Yes, I don't think Paulie has any instinct for taking a young kicker under his wing but in fairness to him, when has there been a situation of using 2 roster spots to facilitate the transition from one kicker to another via a mentoring setup? You have a place kicker/punter in one body or 2 players whose kicking jobs are clearly delineated.

If Paulie does see game action, I hope Leone breathes a sigh of relief and takes solace in knowing he can concentrate on his obvious strength; namely his punting. The guy is an awesome punter and I think a significant chunk of Jennings' success this year can be attributed to Leone's and Rainey's ability to create a shorter field for the offence to weave its magic. Jennings' confidence and poise can only be abetted by not having to constantly work within the shadows of his own goalposts.

We have seen a previously very good all-around kicker in Boris Bede go all to sh*t because his confidence went down the crapper. With all the frustration Leone often shows when he misses a field goal or convert I am surprised his punting hasn't suffered as a result. I can only assume the good team spirit the Leo's possess has helped Leone whereas Bede was thrown under the bus by the Manson Family.....er, Alouettes.
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The_Pauser wrote:I stand by my comments from 2 years ago, and think that bringing McCallum back right now is a complete joke. The man is 46. He wasn't kicking well 2 years ago. Can he be better than Leone? I highly doubt it. I do think we need a better FG kicker than Leone though, but McCallum isn't the answer.

This has been one of Wally's biggest problems since he came here. Until he got McCallum the first time over 10 years ago, he struggled finding a kicker. Then he failed to recognize when it was time to cut bait with McCallum and it cost us a good kicker in Sean Whyte.
I agree with most of this. McCallum was very consistent but had a limited range in his later years--and that was before he retired. Who knows now?

Where Wally really dropped the ball was this past off-season where 2 elite kicker/punters were available, one Canadian who would have been available at a discount rate. Alternatively, we could potentially have gotten Fera or another more reliable kicker before the trade deadline, or we could bring in Johnny Mark or another free agent as a desperate measure now.

We knew coming into the season that Leone was terrible. If I recall, he was dropped from the roster in the Lions final game of last season as well. But I don't have much confidence in McCallum being able to hit from beyond 30 with consistency at this stage, which is no better than what Leone brings. Hope I'm wrong. It's a tough situation to be in at this stage of the season, though very easily predicted going back to last year.
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Blitz wrote:However, five days into training camp in 2015, without a proven field goal kicker was not the right time to do it. McCallum had kicked 38/42 yard field goals the season before. Leone had relatively no experience at field goal kicking.

So the bigger joke was to try to convert him so quickly into a field goal kicker and to go into that season with Leone from the get go.

Can McCallum be better than Leone? Well, he's old for sure. He's going to be rusty as hell. He is not the long term answer. He may not even be able to get it done. Bringing in a field goal kicker, with one game left in the regular season, is a challenge. But McCallum knows the stadium for home games, has experience with pressure, including playoff and Grey Cup games, his playoff record is purrfect as a Leo.

But if he has any strength in his leg, he can kick the field goal attempts from inside the 40 yard line that Leone misses. Leone has missed 7 field goals this season inside of 40 yards. We've lost games that we would have won this season, had Leone been able to hit some very makeable, high percentage field goals.

Leone has attempted 5 field goals outside the 50 yard line this season and missed on four of them. So we won't miss his longer type field goal attempts either. But Leone will be here to attempt a longer one, should it come down to that.

Leone has also missed on 5 convert attempts as well this season.
Definitely is rust on McCallum. I heard him with Bro Jake this morning. He says he thinks he can be good as far out as 46 to 47 which remains to be see. He also said the only kicking he's done since last year was kicking a soccer ball around while he's coaching his daughter's soccer team. He said he had to take a run out to a storage unit in Chilliwack to dig out his cleats.
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CardiacKid wrote:
DanoT wrote:
Belize City Lion wrote:I wonder if the Lions are bringing PM as a coach but decided why not put him on the roster, just in case?
McCallum was never the mentoring type so I'm thinking he is not interested in anything but FG kicking.
Yes, I don't think Paulie has any instinct for taking a young kicker under his wing but in fairness to him, when has there been a situation of using 2 roster spots to facilitate the transition from one kicker to another via a mentoring setup? You have a place kicker/punter in one body or 2 players whose kicking jobs are clearly delineated.

If Paulie does see game action, I hope Leone breathes a sigh of relief and takes solace in knowing he can concentrate on his obvious strength; namely his punting. The guy is an awesome punter and I think a significant chunk of Jennings' success this year can be attributed to Leone's and Rainey's ability to create a shorter field for the offence to weave its magic. Jennings' confidence and poise can only be abetted by not having to constantly work within the shadows of his own goalposts.

We have seen a previously very good all-around kicker in Boris Bede go all to sh*t because his confidence went down the crapper. With all the frustration Leone often shows when he misses a field goal or convert I am surprised his punting hasn't suffered as a result. I can only assume the good team spirit the Leo's possess has helped Leone whereas Bede was thrown under the bus by the Manson Family.....er, Alouettes.
For the most part, Pauly was never much of a mentor type guy. He was like the Damon Allen of kickers, but I think the situation with him and Leone are different. They appear to be friends and text each other. Also at this point of Paul's career, he knows he's not here to win a job. He's here to help the Lions for a playoff push. If Paul was ever going to be a mentor, it will only be to Leone. I heard in an interview today that he was already giving Leone some small tips on how to practice field goals.
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Hambone wrote:
Blitz wrote:However, five days into training camp in 2015, without a proven field goal kicker was not the right time to do it. McCallum had kicked 38/42 yard field goals the season before. Leone had relatively no experience at field goal kicking.

So the bigger joke was to try to convert him so quickly into a field goal kicker and to go into that season with Leone from the get go.

Can McCallum be better than Leone? Well, he's old for sure. He's going to be rusty as hell. He is not the long term answer. He may not even be able to get it done. Bringing in a field goal kicker, with one game left in the regular season, is a challenge. But McCallum knows the stadium for home games, has experience with pressure, including playoff and Grey Cup games, his playoff record is purrfect as a Leo.

But if he has any strength in his leg, he can kick the field goal attempts from inside the 40 yard line that Leone misses. Leone has missed 7 field goals this season inside of 40 yards. We've lost games that we would have won this season, had Leone been able to hit some very makeable, high percentage field goals.

Leone has attempted 5 field goals outside the 50 yard line this season and missed on four of them. So we won't miss his longer type field goal attempts either. But Leone will be here to attempt a longer one, should it come down to that.

Leone has also missed on 5 convert attempts as well this season.
Definitely is rust on McCallum. I heard him with Bro Jake this morning. He says he thinks he can be good as far out as 46 to 47 which remains to be see. He also said the only kicking he's done since last year was kicking a soccer ball around while he's coaching his daughter's soccer team. He said he had to take a run out to a storage unit in Chilliwack to dig out his cleats.
I heard that as well and I call it McCallum playing the media. Hell inflate his numbers and diminish his training to exaggerate his natural ability. It is the way he has always presented himself locally. I think he has tinkered some, and I suspect that Max would be 42 in a game at best, just my best guess given Paul's previous claims of distance. No matter IMO it is better that the Lions go for two point converts on TD's, and punt the ball on any FG over 42 anyways. PMc will cost a roster spot for minimal gain given that criteria which is manageable. Add in the extra roster position and I don't see it being much of an upgrade. Now if you think that PMc will help mentor Leone, then that plus the push Leone is feeling may enough of a contribution with the signing.
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WHYTE, S EDM 93.5%
HAJRULLAHU, L TOR 87.8%
MEDLOCK, J WPG 87.5%
PAREDES, R CGY 87.5%
CRAPIGNA, T SSK 87.5%
MILO, C OTT 81.0%
MAHER, B HAM 80.9%
FERA, A MTL 80.0%
LEONE, R. B.C. 68.5%

Not sure why the Lions weren't interested in Sean Whyte who was working for a cable company in White Rock when the Esks signed him last year?
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WestCoastJoe
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JohnHenry wrote:WHYTE, S EDM 93.5%
HAJRULLAHU, L TOR 87.8%
MEDLOCK, J WPG 87.5%
PAREDES, R CGY 87.5%
CRAPIGNA, T SSK 87.5%
MILO, C OTT 81.0%
MAHER, B HAM 80.9%
FERA, A MTL 80.0%
LEONE, R. B.C. 68.5%

Not sure why the Lions weren't interested in Sean Whyte who was working for a cable company in White Rock when the Esks signed him last year?
Exactly. Whyte was there for the taking. To this fan, it seems that at times Wally gets a fixed idea, at odds with what seems obvious to others.

Wally stayed with the idea of making Leone a FG kicker. At this very, very late stage, he has reconsidered. It is no sure thing that he even goes with McCallum. Wally is just expanding his options. If he is going to do it, he better do it for the final regular season game. Too obvious? LOL I don't think so. McCallum has not been working out during his retirement from football.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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