Congratulations to the new All-Time Loser

[Area51]

And now after hearing all year last season how you couldn't possibly fire the winningest coach in CFL history, how about euthanizing the coach with the most losses in CFL history?

Same situation in the 4th Q tonight as against Montreal. Down 5 with two minutes and change left and it's 3rd and 10 from the Winnipeg 43. Last time around Cash For Life went for the FG and then took heat for it. So you had to know there was no chance they'd try a FG tonight.

Same situation, but completely different circumstances.

Kick the FG and you're down by two with about 2minutes left. Why not trust the defence - - as impotent as it's been - - to hold a 3rd string scrub QB and get the ball back? Winnipeg had already gone two-and-out on 2 of their last 3 drives.

But instead Cash For Life decides to try his luck on 3rd and 10 with a QB that's been off target all night and receivers who haven't been able to hang onto the ball all night.

And with that Cash For Life becomes the new All Time Loser among CFL coaches.

[Irishland]

I always take the good with the bad. If we keep losing like this, we are bound for some major changes. I think it is about time we get some new coaching just for some different thinking within the room. I think are players will improve and are just making rookie mistakes. Time well tell though

[Toppy Vann]

It takes a lot of won games to be in the game as a HC to lose that many. Not many coaches get to do what he has done without being fired. He has an unprecedented career in the CFL which may never be equalled unless the likes of Mark Trestman coach as long as he does or if some other younger CFL coach can make a run like he has.

While the current regime here is stale and out of ideas Wally Buono is no different than a baseball player batting over .300 for many seasons. There's gonna be a lot of strike outs along the way.

The call you refer to did not lose the game. Maybe if the PI was called on Geroy - the outcome of the game might have been different. Lots of things affected the outcome - that 3rd down call just not as much as the other things.

[TheLionKing]

Dubious honour to be sure.

[Rammer]

I guess I am going to defend Wally here on this front, lets just place the winning percentages against each coach and Wally won't be at the bottom of the list. If you coach long enough the losses are going to mount, but the reason that you are surviving it is all about the wins. That said, he should be accountable for the last few seasons slow starts, that isn't a coincidence or bad luck anymore.

[Ravi]

I didn't think that going for it on third down with two minutes to go was a bad decision. They were on the Winnipeg 44 which would have made it a 51 yard FG attempt after McCallum barely had enough to hit a 46 yarder against that same wind. The only option Wally had was to try to punt the Bombers deep and play for field position. Maybe he should have done that but I could see criticism for him if that didn't work either.

[David]

I didn't think that going for it on third down with two minutes to go was a bad decision. They were on the Winnipeg 44 which would have made it a 51 yard FG attempt after McCallum barely had enough to hit a 46 yarder against that same wind. The only option Wally had was to try to punt the Bombers deep and play for field position. Maybe he should have done that but I could see criticism for him if that didn't work either.

You're right Ravi. The game didn't hang in the balance because of that decision. The D still gave up a 1st down which led to crummy field position in the dying seconds (20 yard line).

Just imagine the daggers coming out if McCallum attempted the 51 yarder - missed - and Johnson ran it back 50-60 yards - or worse.


DH

[Toppy Vann]

Not sure what the inspiration is for this entire thread topic. Seems Area 51 is either not the sharpest observer here or just wants to attack Wally Buono for the sake of attacking.

Name one other coach ever in the CFL with his history with just TWO teams as HC and not being fired or run out of town. You have to go way, way back to find anyone to compare and not even Don Matthews is comparable in many ways as moved more times than I can recall.

[WestCoastJoe]

http://www.canada.com/sports/record+Wal ... story.html

One record Wally Buono surely didn't want

By Lowell Ullrich, The Province

There was no ceremony when Wally Buono celebrated one of the most prestigious coaching records in league history last season with the B.C. Lions, so there wasn't about to be much made of another record he set Thursday.

Calling the shots for 22 seasons put the coach/GM of the CFL club in a position to become the winningest coach of all time. He also became the coach with the most losses in league history when the Lions looked good at times but dropped a 25-20 decision to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Lions, simply stated, are not good enough, at 0-5 effectively out of the running for top spot in the West Division before the first month of the regular season schedule is over.

Going zero-for-July has already generated personnel changes. And when Buono said after the game that free agent Tad Kornegay will join the club today, the Lions will be soon in a position to make more moves than anything their coach could have previously contemplated.

Kornegay has played two positions in the defensive secondary with both Saskatchewan and Hamilton.

Shuffling chairs. On the Titanic? On the Good Ship Lollypop?

But the Lions will consider whether to slot him in the position occupied by Korey Banks.

"Screw that, I want to play nickelback," said Banks after the game, which probably wasn't the best time to bring up another lineup shuffle.

Banks in the secondary would give Buono a chance to make an even bigger move, possibly involving a veteran who will have to be removed.

"Is Tad better than the guys we have? We're going to try and find that out," Buono said.

"Screw that, I want to play nickelback."

Yikes. Korey is key member of the Lions. If he is not on the same page as Wally, we have a problem.

Is it Wally's problem? From a coaching/management perspective?

Or is it Korey's problem? From an attitude perspective?

I would say Korey grades out better than Wally at their respective jobs. If they cut Banks, that would be one step before the debacle. IMO

But a month of games may be enough to consider whether they want Tim Brown or Jamal Robertson as their feature back, or if rookie import Dobson Collins will continue to be given room for growth.

With suggestions before the game that Buono will soon release receivers Steven Black and Nick Moore, Collins continually prevented the Lions from sustaining drives, catching four passes but dropping three others.

Releasing Steven Black and Nick Moore? And Collins too? Yikes. Panic mode. How come these guys were considered good enough to make it out of Training Camp?

Buono has roughly a month before the contracts of veteran players are guaranteed for the remainder of the season, and a full-scale rebuilding of a winless team would be prevented.

Wally says he does not attempt to motivate the players. He leaves that to the players themselves. But he does use cutting players as a motivation, however primitive that method might be.

Expect more cuts before the deadline on guaranteed contracts.
............

http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/

Dante Marsh: "It's embarrassing. Embarrassing."

[West Coast Blue Fan]

10 DB's now, someone or two have to go.

Naylor was on TEAM 1040 and it came up that if Korey Banks were cut, it would shake up the room, ala Tad Kornegay being released in Riderville.

These DB's are all well paid, so I would think the only safe one would be Marsh after last night. He played his best game.

[LFITQ]

Everyone - especially Shook - sitting down?

Marsh has been the best DB all season long and then some.

Heck he's been the only DB to show up.

As for Banks, he's playing fine from where I sit. Why mess up what isn't broke? The coverages called seems to make the opposition receivers wide open. Last night was a prime example. How much YAC was done by Bombers receivers vs. Leos receivers? Watch the game tape and you will see Bomber receivers with room to catch the ball and Lions receivers with a defender in their back pocket - all the freaking time!

It seems like Benevides only knows how to call a "prevent" defense and just hope like hell the other team makes a mistake or your blitz/d linemen "execute" perfectly to rush the QB into either a sack or a mistake.

change the play calling and maybe we can see if we have the proper players.

[Rammer]

Everyone - especially Shook - sitting down?

Marsh has been the best DB all season long and then some.

Heck he's been the only DB to show up.

As for Banks, he's playing fine from where I sit. Why mess up what isn't broke? The coverages called seems to make the opposition receivers wide open. Last night was a prime example. How much YAC was done by Bombers receivers vs. Leos receivers? Watch the game tape and you will see Bomber receivers with room to catch the ball and Lions receivers with a defender in their back pocket - all the freaking time!

It seems like Benevides only knows how to call a "prevent" defense and just hope like hell the other team makes a mistake or your blitz/d linemen "execute" perfectly to rush the QB into either a sack or a mistake.

change the play calling and maybe we can see if we have the proper players.

:lol: There has been years worth of this discussion on here about that. Funniest part is gathering from what your concerns are is that the Lions bank on the opposition not being able to execute properly, while the coaching staff insists that it is the Lion players lack of execution that costs them games. Sounds like we are getting back to LB'ers staple here, it is all about the coaching.

[No Ordinary Joe]

If we cut Korey Banks I may not watch another game this season. He's been one of the few guys on D that looks like he actually gives a crap out there. Wrong message being sent by Wally if that's what ends up happening. Why can't the players cut Wally instead? This coaching staff is horrible.

[LFITQ]

:lol: There has been years worth of this discussion on here about that. Funniest part is gathering from what your concerns are is that the Lions bank on the opposition not being able to execute properly, while the coaching staff insists that it is the Lion players lack of execution that costs them games. Sounds like we are getting back to LB'ers staple here, it is all about the coaching.

Here's the thing. Let's give Wally all the credit in the world. Let's assume he is the best coach out there. Therefore it is not schemes or coaching.

But ... Let's follow the logic ...

Wally and the coaches decide on the talent (personnel) they use to make up the team. If the talent is not performing or executing as the coaches expect them to be then that is on the players. However, if the players continue to not execute (as we have heard from Wally for the past 3 years), then why is Wally and the coaches deciding on the same talent year after year that they say can't or won't execute? Is that the player's fault that they keep getting hired despite not executing? And if you rotate in new players year after year and they too do not execute year after year (pick a revolving door receiver) then at what point do you look at the coaches and question their ability to assess player's ability to execute? Are they still using the same assessment measures they used the first year when it was all about execution?

On a game by game basis, yes the onus is on the players to execute. However, if there is a pattern over a season or multiple seasons of failed execution, then the onus is on the coaches. And what we have here is a multi-year issue regardless of the players brought in. The only common denominator that has stayed the same over the last 3 years are the coaches.

[Rammer]

:lol: There has been years worth of this discussion on here about that. Funniest part is gathering from what your concerns are is that the Lions bank on the opposition not being able to execute properly, while the coaching staff insists that it is the Lion players lack of execution that costs them games. Sounds like we are getting back to LB'ers staple here, it is all about the coaching.

Here's the thing. Let's give Wally all the credit in the world. Let's assume he is the best coach out there. Therefore it is not schemes or coaching.

But ... Let's follow the logic ...

Wally and the coaches decide on the talent (personnel) they use to make up the team. If the talent is not performing or executing as the coaches expect them to be then that is on the players. However, if the players continue to not execute (as we have heard from Wally for the past 3 years), then why is Wally and the coaches deciding on the same talent year after year that they say can't or won't execute? Is that the player's fault that they keep getting hired despite not executing? And if you rotate in new players year after year and they too do not execute year after year (pick a revolving door receiver) then at what point do you look at the coaches and question their ability to assess player's ability to execute? Are they still using the same assessment measures they used the first year when it was all about execution?

On a game by game basis, yes the onus is on the players to execute. However, if there is a pattern over a season or multiple seasons of failed execution, then the onus is on the coaches. And what we have here is a multi-year issue regardless of the players brought in. The only common denominator that has stayed the same over the last 3 years are the coaches.

Let me point out the MOP awards that the Lions had and still couldn't win the GC a few seasons back. To me the Lions personnel isn't the problem, it is the system that has limited that talent, and now without the same talent level, it is showing up in the regular season results.

Glad that I didn't purchase a GC ticket, that dream of being in the GC is becoming as realistic as the fanbase growing with the current Coaching staff.