Lions ownership discussion thread (Topics merged into here)

[The_Pauser]

Ugh. This screams of "things can't get worse than they did this year so I'll hold and try to get more next year."

This is going to hurt big time.

[WestCoastJoe]

Per Wally, Braley will be the owner of the BC Lions in 2018. The franchise sabotage continues....



(quote is at about the 2:44 mark. Had a call with Braley this morning).



DH

"I did talk to David today. He will be the owner in 2018. That is something that needs to be definite. We need to have direction."

Question: "He will continue to own the team next year?"

"That is what he told me."

Question: "Your role next year?"

"We need to address that very quickly."

"As of today, I might never coach again, and I would be OK with that. I have to come to a decision on that. I have to talk with David on what we both feel is best for this football club."

What is best for the football club is to have Braley sell.

General Manager? "I don't want to say one or the other."

My hunch: He might elevate Mark Washington to Head Coach and stay on as GM. Although he is conflicted, he is not saying things that indicate he is stepping away. He probably wants to "reduce" his role. He has tried to be just GM. That did not work. He went to the rooftop and to the tower as overseer. Can he do it now? Is Mark Washington a good candidate for Head Coach? No proof of that so far, IMO.

He will deal with the players on exiting day. He will meet with his coaches tomorrow. Sounds like business as usual, with Wally continuing in at least his GM role. He does say he is conflicted. But I expect he will carry on with his loyalty to Braley.

Jennings? "Against Winnipeg, he looked like he could bring this team a championship. Against Toronto, we struggled. And when we struggle, the quarterback struggles."

Re Jennings, I think those comments are fair.

Surprised by all this? No. Braley does not want to sell. He will ask Wally to stay on. Wally will say yes. Wally will keep his staff intact, with perhaps one or two removals. He will keep Dan Dorazio and Mark Washington, with Mark W possibly as HC.
............

Yeay. More of the same. Yee Haw.

Braley *!*?! ... I think he is living in a dream world. Is age affecting his decision-making? The Lions organization is in crisis mode. And I don't think he realizes it.

Just IMO ...

[TheLionKing]

More of the same old, same old. Sad . I have never been more frustrated than this ongoing saga.

[Hambone]

Brutal. Fricken Braley. If the Lions don't fire the coaching staff I won't attend the games next season.

You've been hanging out at RF.com too long LG. You're starting to sound like one of them.

[WestCoastJoe]

Braley stays.

Of course he will ask Wally to stay. Wally will say yes to Braley.

I think Wally wants a reduced role, including less meeting with the press.

If Wally is going to choose a new Head Coach, I can see no one other than Mark Washington being his choice.

Mark W might want to change some assistant coaches. Who knows? My guess is Mark W would keep Khari Jones as OC. And he probably keeps Dan Dorazio.

Pretty much a **** sandwich IMO.
...........

Could Mark W surprise us with a modern-day approach to football? Detailed scouting and game planning focusing on vulnerabilities? Aggressive, varied defence, aside from the soft zone? Varied offence? STs that plan well enough to avoid being tricked?

[maxlion]

With the trio of Braley, Skulsky, and Buono in charge, the team will continue its downhill slide. I'm still hopeful that change will come sooner. I'll wait and see.

[CardiacKid]

With the trio of Braley, Skulsky, and Buono in charge, the team will continue its downhill slide. I'm still hopeful that change will come sooner. I'll wait and see.

Getting a fully committed Team President has to be a massive priority along with sorting out Wally's role.

For Wally's sake, I hope he steps back from the sidelines. The guy is 67, a grand-father and been victim to stress related health problems in the past. Whether you like or dislike his approach to coaching, the guy deserves to enjoy life and not be left hanging by a thread.

As much as the fans feel screwed over by this ongoing saga, I feel for Wally and feel he has been screwed over as well by Braley's constant prevaricating...

[JohnnyMusso]

i have been a fan since the early 70's and today's news is disheartening. The ownership question will hang over the team again next year and as 2018 ends, the same questions will be who will be the owner, Gm and maybe coach. I thank David Braley for saving the team way back when, but this decision is not what is best for the franchise. I heard Bob M and Don Taylor say today the fans want to move on from David Braley and they both were critical of his decision. At 2 pm, they will talk BC Lions today and discuss this topic among others. I too expect Wally Buono will be back as GM and possibly as coach, if not I too think it will be Mark Washington. If Khari Jones is brought back it will be a big mistake. Lions need new blood, a new voice and a new direction. If the same coaching staff is brought back again, with the exception of Marcel B who is rumoured to maybe go to Montreal, then they will continue to lose fans, attendance get worse and will in a real danger of folding, if next season is worse than this one and it could be and attendance plummets even more. Not happy with today's decision.

[WestCoastJoe]

So ... much of the uncertainty is gone. LOL

It is the same old, same old. Yee Haw

I suppose Mark W, my hunch as next year's Head Coach, might use the old "execution" line as well. Maybe once in a while, the "emotion" line.

I can't see Wally staying as HC another year. Mark W would give him a buffer between him and the press. Less need to talk to reporters. But Wally will have a hard time not poking his nose into meetings, into setting the philosophy, into making personnel decisions, maybe even how to run STs.

Soft zone D, here we come. Big gaps. Safety 20 yards deep, in no man's land. Same alignment on the D Line, few stunts. Blitzing by telegraph -- here we come.

Spread Offence. Receivers running well scouted routes, without separation. Running game up the middle with zone blocking. Pass protection scary. Quarterbacks (probably more than one, due to the hits) inundated by a tsunami or avalanche.

Special teams. Yes, we get tricked. No we do not do that to our opponents. Coverage not good. Return game very, very pedestrian.

But the players have to execute. They have to make it work.

Do we need a modern, up to date approach to the product we put on the field? No. Just let the fans come for the entertainment value. The fans won't mind if we look out-coached game after game. Occasionally, with superb efforts, our players will make the juvenile, predictable schemes work.

[JohnnyMusso]

Just heard 1040 and Giulio Caravatta suggests that Wally should step aside and just be a consultant and let someone else be the GM so this team has a new voice and direction. Do I think that will happen? I doubt it. My feeling is Wally will remain the GM, make significant player moves, and promote Mark W who will keep basically the same staff and hire a new defensive coordinator. The special teams Coordinator may get fired, but other than that and maybe 1 or 2 minor adjustments, I do not see a lot different from the coaching staff. Will that sell? No. Wally needs to not listen to Braley's wishes which will be Wally staying on as head coach. Braley will not want a rookie head coach with the Lions in so much turmoil. Probably by Grey Cup Sunday or sooner, Wally will announce his plans.

[maxlion]

Nothing will surprise me at this point, but I predict that Mark W will be gone regardless of what Wally does. The results on D have been too inconsistent.

[DanoT]

So ... much of the uncertainty is gone. LOL

It is the same old, same old. Yee Haw

I suppose Mark W, my hunch as next year's Head Coach, might use the old "execution" line as well. Maybe once in a while, the "emotion" line.

I can't see Wally staying as HC another year. Mark W would give him a buffer between him and the press. Less need to talk to reporters. But Wally will have a hard time not poking his nose into meetings, into setting the philosophy, into making personnel decisions, maybe even how to run STs.

Soft zone D, here we come. Big gaps. Safety 20 yards deep, in no man's land. Same alignment on the D Line, few stunts. Blitzing by telegraph -- here we come.

Spread Offence. Receivers running well scouted routes, without separation. Running game up the middle with zone blocking. Pass protection scary. Quarterbacks (probably more than one, due to the hits) inundated by a tsunami or avalanche.

Special teams. Yes, we get tricked. No we do not do that to our opponents. Coverage not good. Return game very, very pedestrian.

But the players have to execute. They have to make it work.

Do we need a modern, up to date approach to the product we put on the field? No. Just let the fans come for the entertainment value. The fans won't mind if we look out-coached game after game. Occasionally, with superb efforts, our players will make the juvenile, predictable schemes work.

WCJ, you need to copy the above post so you can paste it next season. lol

My take on Wally's thinking is that he wants to retire but is conflicted due to his loyalty to Braley.

IMO, Braley can't get his price for the sale of the team so he won't sell because while he doesn't need the money, as a businessman he wants to win the deal and thus won't accept a low price.

The smart thing for Braley to do here is have Wally retire and make assistant GM, Neil McEvoy Wally's replacement as GM and then McEvoy should go outside the Lions organization for the new HC.

[WestCoastJoe]

So ... much of the uncertainty is gone. LOL

It is the same old, same old. Yee Haw

I suppose Mark W, my hunch as next year's Head Coach, might use the old "execution" line as well. Maybe once in a while, the "emotion" line.

I can't see Wally staying as HC another year. Mark W would give him a buffer between him and the press. Less need to talk to reporters. But Wally will have a hard time not poking his nose into meetings, into setting the philosophy, into making personnel decisions, maybe even how to run STs.

Soft zone D, here we come. Big gaps. Safety 20 yards deep, in no man's land. Same alignment on the D Line, few stunts. Blitzing by telegraph -- here we come.

Spread Offence. Receivers running well scouted routes, without separation. Running game up the middle with zone blocking. Pass protection scary. Quarterbacks (probably more than one, due to the hits) inundated by a tsunami or avalanche.

Special teams. Yes, we get tricked. No we do not do that to our opponents. Coverage not good. Return game very, very pedestrian.

But the players have to execute. They have to make it work.

Do we need a modern, up to date approach to the product we put on the field? No. Just let the fans come for the entertainment value. The fans won't mind if we look out-coached game after game. Occasionally, with superb efforts, our players will make the juvenile, predictable schemes work.

WCJ, you need to copy the above post so you can paste it next season. lol

My take on Wally's thinking is that he wants to retire but is conflicted due to his loyalty to Braley.

IMO, Braley can't get his price for the sale of the team so he won't sell because while he doesn't need the money, as a businessman he wants to win the deal and thus won't accept a low price.

The smart thing for Braley to do here is have Wally retire and make assistant GM, Neil McEvoy Wally's replacement as GM and then McEvoy should go outside the Lions organization for the new HC.

Dano, I would vote for that last option in a flash.

I can't see Braley asking Wally to retire. Would Wally recommend Neil McAvoy as new GM? That would be good. Can't see it happening. I expect the same old.

[David]

If the same coaching staff is brought back again, with the exception of Marcel B who is rumoured to maybe go to Montreal, then they will continue to lose fans, attendance get worse and will in a real danger of folding, if next season is worse than this one and it could be and attendance plummets even more. Not happy with today's decision.

Respectfully, what coach worth his salt is going to want to come to BC? Sure, he can sign here, but a new owner (whenever that will be) will put his GM in place who will want to hire his own coaches.

I think our choices for coaches next year will be as limited as the list of potential owners (which, btw, I am hearing is likely down to one candidate - Maury Keith and Mark Woodall (The Waterboys bid). SOURCE: Ed Willes. HERE.


DH

[B.C.FAN]

The smart thing for Braley to do here is have Wally retire and make assistant GM, Neil McEvoy Wally's replacement as GM and then McEvoy should go outside the Lions organization for the new HC.

Dano, I would vote for that last option in a flash.

X3