Hamilton at B.C. Aug. 24, 2019 - Game Day Thread

[B.C.FAN]

Quite possibly the worst Lions team I’ve seen in my 41 years of existence. The gm and head coach have got to go.

Not quite possibly, it IS the worst team I've seen in over 5 decades and I've seen a lot of bad teams.

The Lions are 1-9 first the first time since 1969 but this team has much more talent than the 1969 team, which achieved a milestone by making the playoffs for the first time since winning the Grey Cup in 1964. Would you rather have Mike Reilly or Paul Brothers at QB? This year’s team is underachieving. The 1969 team probably overachieved given the level of talent. It was ugly to watch, and was just one of many bad teams in a 12-year period in which the Lions failed to put up a winning record once.

[David]

Lions worst start since 1969 when Paul Brothers was the QB and who was the coach? I have no idea? TSN played clips of 1969 - Apollo 11, Woodstock, etc. Embarrassing. The decision to sign Reilly and hire Claybrooks look like bad decisions for team is 1 and 9 and just as bad as when Paul Brothers was the QB.

It was Jim Champion (he of the slow southern drawl) and replaced by Jackie Parker half-way through the season. Parker led the club to a 4-2 record (and a playoff birth, ) .

I own a DVD of a 1969 game from Empire. There was a talented backfield (Leroy Sledge and Jim Evenson), a couple of great receivers (Jim Young and Jake Scott), an All-Star tackle in Ken Sugarman, but that's pretty much your lot. No question which team has more talent. This 2019 team is just badly coached.


DH

[JohnnyMusso]

And because it is badly coached there will be changes to the staff. No way they can keep Bryan Chiu giving up 7 sacks per game and now over 40 on the season. ST guy likely fired too. And that may not be all if the losing continues.

[zeppo]

I own a DVD of a 1969 game from Empire. There was a talented backfield (Leroy Sledge and Jim Evenson), a couple of great receivers (Jim Young and Jake Scott), an All-Star tackle in Ken Sugarman, but that's pretty much your lot. No question which team has more talent. This 2019 team is just badly coached.

IIRC, the '69 Lions had some other terrific players besides the ones you mentioned. Garrett Hunsperger was a beast at
defensive tackle, Greg Findley was entering his prime years as a hard hitting linebacker, and the secondary featured
two undersized ball hawks on the corners named Jerry Bradley and Rich Robinson. Besides Young and Scott, the receiving
corps featured a sure-handed split end named Lach Heron, and the legendary Lefty Hendrickson at tight end. It's true that
Sugarman, at left tackle, was considered to be the Lions' best offensive lineman, but, IMO, the whole line was pretty solid
with Trev Ekdahl, Bob Howes, and Max Huber.
Without a doubt, the biggest problem with the '69 team was the poor quarterbacking. Otherwise, they were a pretty talented
bunch.
IIRC, Jake Scott actually played defensive back more often than flanker.

[David]

Sorry I was referring to the offensive side of the ball. Yes, we can include Lefty in there. Decent line but don't forget, Howes and Golinsky were just starting their CFL careers then. Ekdahl was very good.

I thought Heron was known more for his speed than hands? Jake Scott was our 2nd leading receiver that year (after Young) with nearly 600 receiving yards.

Yes, Findlay was a very good linebacker. Probably the leader of the defence then. 1969 was Hunsperger's rookie year. He would be a good one as would Gary Robinson. And yes, Robinson and Bradley were ball-hawks, if undersized. But the rest were fairly unremarkable. E. Greenard Poles and Dave Tobey at linebacker? Decent I suppose.


DH