How do you view the season?

[Buonosjanet69]

partially successful season: emergence of some young receivers, Bighill and some glimpses from Reilly

13-5 season with injuries to key players particularly to the OL and receivers, Lulay himself.

Jordan, Westerman showing promise..

MB def asserted himself in his rookie season as HC

Give it some time to assess this team, that is what management does. Can't make hasty decisions until the season is completed and the emotions are tempered.

football stuff was a 8/10, best defense during reg season.. our offense wasn't the best as someone on here asserted.. we didn't score the most points and I believe Calgary did during the regular season. We were up there but our redzone needs more work offensively and it def showed in the game against Cal

non football stuff 5/10. Mitchell, Peguese, mediocre attendance during the hockey lockout

overall: 7/10

This feels like when the Canucks lost in game 7 for me personally.

But hey, there is lots of parity in the CFL now. It's getting tougher and tougher to repeat.. and if anything it makes last year's win more cherished.

[South Pender]

I've enjoyed the comments in this thread. Of course, we're all disappointed. When a team is picked before the season to be in the GC, even a 13-5 regular-season record seems ho-hum, when followed by a key game that went very bad.

I had a question. An injury to Lulay has been mentioned in many posts. Does anyone know, for a fact, that he was playing injured? Or are we just assuming this from his poor play?

When the season began, the one thing I thought the Lions lacked was a big, strong, pounding running back. Probably an import with good size (say 5-11 or 6', 235 lbs.), who be counted on to gain a couple of yards even when everyone in the stadium knew he was going to get the ball. Andrew Harris is a good football player, and a fine young man, but, in my opinion, he needed a between-the-tackles horse alongside him (or substituted in for him). It's true that Chaps did design some nice running plays involving receivers, but I still think you need the pounder available.

The obvious place needing immediate help is the offensive line. Matt Norman will, I think, be a positive addition. Kirby Fabien could be another (if his head is right). However, I don't think we can fix this with rookies or near-rookies alone. I think we should try to trade for a proven, starting O-lineman or two, using, perhaps, one or two of our defensive players (or a receiver) in trade. Or go the free-agency route. There really hasn't been a time this season that I can recall that I felt that the Lions offense was just going to march downfield, dominate, and inevitably punch it into the end zone. They've looked unpredictable and, at times, fragile.

[DanoT]

I think part of the disappointment is that this team on paper is better than last year and Marsh got it right, a wasted opportunity and likely more off season changes this coming off season than last year.

The most frustrating part is that the Lions got beat by a team that just got by the Riders and most days Lions would beat Stamps, just not yesterday.

[South Pender]

I think part of the disappointment is that this team on paper is better than last year....

Right, on paper before the season started. But not as we've seen them late in the season, I don't think. Geroy has declined. Khalif declined. Kierrie Johnson seemed less effective than he was last year. Cauchy Muamba was not better than JR LaRose last year at safety, in my opinion. I've harped a little on Muamba before. Unlike some here, I don't see him as a long-term asset for the Lions. I wonder whether Ian Logan could be pried loose from the Bombers....

[Blue In BC]

I think part of the disappointment is that this team on paper is better than last year and Marsh got it right, a wasted opportunity and likely more off season changes this coming off season than last year.

The most frustrating part is that the Lions got beat by a team that just got by the Riders and most days Lions would beat Stamps, just not yesterday.

Other teams were better than 2012 as well.

[cromartie]

None of what happens during a regular season matters if you lose your last game of the year.

I think season ticket sales, TV viewership, chances of future playoff success, etc., making a convincing case to the contrary.

Statistically, items one and two, historically, are indicators of how well you did the prior season, not how well you do during the current season.

[Buonosjanet69]

As Lions fans we are all disappointed

But as CFL fans, we should rejoice ... once the pain of losing subsides...

Why? I think the league is turning a corner

-The biggest market is in the Grey Cup, in year 100
- Beautiful stadium in Winnipeg to start next season
- more emphasis on head shots and protecting players now
- as mentioned earlier, more parity and one more year before Ottawa comes back and Hamilton moves to its new digs
-Canadian players at the forefront.

Lots of Cornish hate on here but you know what? He also makes the game worth watching. You want to hate him so much and see him get punished on the football field... but at the end of the day you also have to praise his talents, his confidence and his candid interviews.

Emotional player, yes, but with some maturing and humility I can see this guy being respected once his career is over, believe it or not.

I'm looking forward to next season now; yesterday I coudn't care less but not today....

[sj-roc]

Lots of Cornish hate on here but you know what? He also makes the game worth watching. You want to hate him so much and see him get punished on the football field... but at the end of the day you also have to praise his talents, his confidence and his candid interviews.

Emotional player, yes, but with some maturing and humility I can see this guy being respected once his career is over, believe it or not.

All true. Having a villain to cheer against can be just as important as having your heroes to cheer for. It helps stir up interest in the game beyond the diehards when you can frame the opponents as the bad guys. I was actually disappointed with his interview on 1040 late last week — completely anodyne.

[Balraj]

I usually just come on here to read the posts and comments, and rarely login to posts nowadays. But in my opinion, this season was a failure. People always ask, how do you think the lions are going to do this year? and I always reply with the same message, regular season doesn't mean anything, we'll see how they do in the playoffs and it's been that way for quite a number of years. We all know that this team has the talent year in and year out to win a championship but for whatever reason it never materializes. Since Wally came here in 2003, we have hosted 6 western finals in the past 9 seasons. In those 6 western finals, we have a record of 3-3. To me that's really disappointing. To finish first in the tough west division 6 times and only have two cups to show for it, is what hurts. We all know this team isn't getting any younger and soon we will have to rebuild and go with more younger and inexperienced players as this present window we have right now closes. I would give the lions another 2 maybe 3 seasons where they have the potential to win with a majority of this group. As others have mentioned, it reminds me of 2007, where the team had all the potential in the world and just weren't able to come up with a win in the big game.

[DanoT]

I usually just come on here to read the posts and comments, and rarely login to posts nowadays. But in my opinion, this season was a failure. People always ask, how do you think the lions are going to do this year? and I always reply with the same message, regular season doesn't mean anything, we'll see how they do in the playoffs and it's been that way for quite a number of years. We all know that this team has the talent year in and year out to win a championship but for whatever reason it never materializes. Since Wally came here in 2003, we have hosted 6 western finals in the past 9 seasons. In those 6 western finals, we have a record of 3-3. To me that's really disappointing. To finish first in the tough west division 6 times and only have two cups to show for it, is what hurts. We all know this team isn't getting any younger and soon we will have to rebuild and go with more younger and inexperienced players as this present window we have right now closes. I would give the lions another 2 maybe 3 seasons where they have the potential to win with a majority of this group. As others have mentioned, it reminds me of 2007, where the team had all the potential in the world and just weren't able to come up with a win in the big game.

I follow and care about the team all season long, so while they where happening, I got excited by and thoroughly enjoyed all 13 wins. If you base your enjoyment of a team or sport only if they win championships then I guess it is 6 times better being a Lions fan vs being a Canucks fan.

[sj-roc]

I usually just come on here to read the posts and comments, and rarely login to posts nowadays. But in my opinion, this season was a failure. People always ask, how do you think the lions are going to do this year? and I always reply with the same message, regular season doesn't mean anything, we'll see how they do in the playoffs and it's been that way for quite a number of years. We all know that this team has the talent year in and year out to win a championship but for whatever reason it never materializes. Since Wally came here in 2003, we have hosted 6 western finals in the past 9 seasons. In those 6 western finals, we have a record of 3-3. To me that's really disappointing. To finish first in the tough west division 6 times and only have two cups to show for it, is what hurts. We all know this team isn't getting any younger and soon we will have to rebuild and go with more younger and inexperienced players as this present window we have right now closes. I would give the lions another 2 maybe 3 seasons where they have the potential to win with a majority of this group. As others have mentioned, it reminds me of 2007, where the team had all the potential in the world and just weren't able to come up with a win in the big game.

I follow and care about the team all season long, so while they where happening, I got excited by and thoroughly enjoyed all 13 wins. If you base your enjoyment of a team or sport only if they win championships then I guess it is 6 times better being a Lions fan vs being a Canucks fan.

Actually you're talking division by zero so strictly, the true ratio would be infinite. :P

[WestCoastJoe]

This question goes back to a philosophy I have had in the last few years.

You have to enjoy the journey. The destination can be too much of a focus, leaving you in that bad place: Ughhhh, I can't stand this. Or not so much when you win the Cup but, is that all there is, now I am at my destination?

And of course, sports are all about winning. Losing is unacceptable.

Actually last year's Grey Cup win is still with me. I still have some immunity to the pain of losses. LOL

[Bobbyp]

I thought it was pretty good, the parity in the league these days is so close that a few plays one way or the other is the difference between a win and a lose. 2 or 3 plays Sunday was the difference.

[Blitz]

This question goes back to a philosophy I have had in the last few years.

You have to enjoy the journey. The destination can be too much of a focus, leaving you in that bad place: Ughhhh, I can't stand this.

And of course, sports are all about winning. Losing is unacceptable.

Actually last year's Grey Cup win is still with me. I still have some immunity to the pain of losses. LOL

I agree with you WCJ that you have to enjoy the journey and I really enjoyed the journey of this season. As a fan, a Leos season is not one playoff game but all of them. I survived many dismal Leo seasons in the past and the Buono era has been the best era, in terms of watching successful teams in most of those years.

However, another measuring stick is how a team does when its all on the line. When I look at the six times that we hosted the WDF, in most of those seasons we were the best overall team in the CFL and the opportunities were there for so much more success. I believe when you are the best team in the CFL in the regular season and you lose in the playoffs, in a number of ways it is a waste. The reason they play is to win the Grey Cup.

I really believe that this Leo team was overrated talent wise...even though it looked like we came into this season considered the most talented team in the CFL and improved from last season. In some ways we were not better than last year. Last year we changed our offence and for the first time ever Chap was ahead of the curve. We caught teams off guard. Lulay looked better than he really was. Our offensive line blocking was so much better last season with Newman at left guard and Valli actually was half decent last year. Our interior offensive line problems this season made us weaker.

Geroy`s age showed this season, not because of the number of times we threw to him but the number of times we threw to him that he was covered and the number of times we didn`t throw to him because he was covered. Arland Bruce was an excellent possession receiver but he also lacked the big play capability that he has shown previously in his career. We never really got the production out of our wide side Canadian receiver position that we should have, with Akeem Foster and Iannuzzi both used as starters. Harris had an outstanding season but we began to rely on him too much in the passing attack at times.

Travis Lulay took some steps forward with his accuracy this season. However, as has been noted in another post, he is still fairly inexperienced and has some difficulties when under pressure and he can`t escape and use his legs. He sometimes holds the ball too long and he still not a good long ball quarterback. I think, due to his MOP season last year we expected too much from him and also overrated him at times as well. I really have thought the key to our offensive success over the past two seasons has not been Lulay or Harris or our receivers but JaquesBall. However, defenses have seen a lot of video of it and are scheming better and better to defend it.

Defensively, we had the best defense in the CFL this year. However the cracks were there. Khalif Mitchell was not the Khalif of last season and that was obvious from Game 1. The biggest mistake was revamping our defense to accomodate the return of Sol E. We did not get the sustained pressure on quarterbacks that we did when he was not here and we tried to do too many things to incorporate him into the lineup. Yarichuk and Arakgi also did not get their backup reps after Sol E. arrived and they had played well and Shell did not see the field as much either after Sol E`s arrival. We should have just used Sol E. to play special teams and give Mckenzie and Bighill a few back up reps rather than change so much for him.

The decision to sign Parker was not a bad one but he really did not give us what we needed there. Phillips played better at wideside corner last year than Parker and Phillips would have been better at corner, where he is not needed to come up and force. Shell would have been the better choice at halfback with Phillips on the outside.

Father time also seemed to catch up to McCallum. His field goal range was reduced slightly from last year and his punting really went south this year.

The biggest positives of the season were the emergence of Adam Bighill, Westerman, the early play of Norman, and the talents of Nick Moore, Courtney Taylor, and Ernest Jackson and Jordan also impressed as a raw talent at defensive tackle in his limited opportunity. I really thought Eric Taylor and Khareem Smith had good season and were under the radar at times.

Lots of good stuff to build on. While I enjoyed the season its difficult to call it a success. History does not remember WDF losers, except for the players and fans of the team who remember painfully, along with the team and their fans who won the game. We`re just a footnote now of the 2012 season. Great hopes were left tattered on Sunday against the Stamps. We really played the game, not with a roar, but instead with a whimper, outside of the one great play by Korey Banks.

[Upper Bowl]

A Grey Cup championship should always be the goal, but that doesn't necessarily mean the season was a failure. As a season ticket holder, I was entertained and feel I got my money's worth. Certainly no failure there.

And all of the posters claiming this season is a complete and utter failure need to bear in mind two important facts:


1) Despite being an eight-team league, it is extremely difficult to repeat as Grey Cup champions in the CFL.


2) The team hosting the division final – especially the West final – is really not at a great advantage. I don’t feel like looking up the win-loss stats for the host team, but 3-3 over the last six finals we’ve hosted, is actually a pretty reasonable record, given league history.


While Sunday’s loss was very disappointing, I can’t be too angry, because the team did everything it could to put itself in good position to repeat. There were very few missteps. They just got beat by a very good team that had an amazing performance.