Is it possible to manage peaking too early?

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lion24
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I always found this to be kind of silly but after this season and the Lion's losing the WDF I start to wonder if there is something to this thought? I think the layoff of Lulay did not help but the defence looked extremely rusty. Last season there was still the week layoff but the Lions were still on a roll of momentum. I am just wondering if the Lions had not finished first this season would they have been better off?

On the other hand I am wondering if age has caught up too as I thought the Lion's offence was the best this season without Bruce and Simon, the defence I am not sure what the issue was other than Glenn having the game of his life.
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1greatmysticbushape
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it's a mystery.
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Upper Bowl
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Good question. I think the short answer is NO. Injuries happen, and by trying to save players or set the season up for a late, momentum-creating charge, a team has to take its foot off the gas a bit. That's dangerous for a number of reasons, not the least of which, is that it hurts the integrity of the game. A team
should do its damndest to win every game.

What the Lions didn't do is raise their level for the West Final. Their performance would have been good enough to win just about any regular season game. But that's not going to beat a team that executed as well as Calgary. 

The 2011 team was battle-tested while playing virtually must-win ball during the second half of the season. But there's no way to catch that lightning in a bottle. Rolls like that don't happen too often.

CFL playoff success depends a lot on who gets hot on that particular day. Definitely more than the NFL. And I don't think that'll change anytime soon.
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notahomer
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Its probably better financially for players to finish in second place (if they get to the Grey Cup). Wouldn't you get a cheque for winning the SemiFinal, Final and then hopefully the Grey Cup?

I definately have left a few Western Finals thinking 'we peaked too early'. But the Riders could have held on to beat the Stamps. I'm not so sure teams want to roll the dice sitting players out, outthinking themselves etc......
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David
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notahomer wrote:Its probably better financially for players to finish in second place (if they get to the Grey Cup). Wouldn't you get a cheque for winning the SemiFinal, Final and then hopefully the Grey Cup?
No. The playoff payout is the same regardless of whether you win the Division (bye), the East or West Final, and the Grey Cup ($23,000), or if you win the Semi, the East or West Final, and the Grey Cup($23,000). Here's how the CFL's playoff compensation breaks out.

First Place Standing (Bye) $3,400
Semi-Final Participation $3,400
Division Championship Participation $3,600
Grey Cup Runner-up $8,000
Grey Cup Winner $16,000

I've always thought it's a pretty good deal for players who win the Championship, particularly the Leos last year who won the Division. If you include the Grey Cup ring worth an average of $20,000, then some players are making more than half their yearly salary in cash and prizes in just 2 weeks!


DH :cool:
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Toppy Vann
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It is about peaking in performance for the playoffs and being relatively injury free in key positions.

The week lay off with the Stamps playing was no doubt more of a factor for the defence along with some rust on Lulay and a very fired up Stamps team with a very good game play for how BC played by the Stamps OC. Kevin Glenn seems on a mission now.

It might too have been buying the Kool Aid that on D and O the Lions are plug and play. The Stamps have been a very good team and their QB is fired up.
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
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notahomer
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David wrote:
notahomer wrote:Its probably better financially for players to finish in second place (if they get to the Grey Cup). Wouldn't you get a cheque for winning the SemiFinal, Final and then hopefully the Grey Cup?
No. The playoff payout is the same regardless of whether you win the Division (bye), the East or West Final, and the Grey Cup ($23,000), or if you win the Semi, the East or West Final, and the Grey Cup($23,000). Here's how the CFL's playoff compensation breaks out.

First Place Standing (Bye) $3,400
Semi-Final Participation $3,400
Division Championship Participation $3,600
Grey Cup Runner-up $8,000
Grey Cup Winner $16,000

I've always thought it's a pretty good deal for players who win the Championship, particularly the Leos last year who won the Division. If you include the Grey Cup ring worth an average of $20,000, then some players are making more than half their yearly salary in cash and prizes in just 2 weeks!
DH :cool:
THANKS for clearing that up. It shouldn't pay more to finish 2nd or 3rd.
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joe kapp22
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Well, momentum plays such a huge part in the game it seems to me we just limped into the dance.

Not so much we peaked early, more that we fell apart late.
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Toppy Vann
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It is possible to be so happy to get to a play off game that you forget you have to play at the top of your game and even better to win it.

The Stamps today showed that they might have peaked winning the WDF and might have just been too happy to be in the big game as they didn't seem ready today.

Cornish 57 yards - not a peak day.
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sj-roc
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Toppy Vann wrote:It is possible to be so happy to get to a play off game that you forget you have to play at the top of your game and even better to win it.

The Stamps today showed that they might have peaked winning the WDF and might have just been too happy to be in the big game as they didn't seem ready today.

Cornish 57 yards - not a peak day.
That was actually his best rushing total against the Argos this year — and it wasn't good enough.
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lfpeterson64
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They're pros...and a short layoff should not effect them that much...you could see the players out there who kept themselves sharp and ready for the WF...AND...the ones who didn't...those are personal issues I think...there were a couple of cases out there that showed a player or two who just flat blew it...that was sad
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