Leos Win Silences Buono-Bashing Bloggers

[Blitz]

Grinding to a halt. The sound of web-launched poison darts screeching to a stop probably doesn’t make an audible utterance in the ether. But that’s, in effect, what happened this weekend, as the 2-6 B.C. Lions began a bye week in the CFL schedule.

Where was the grist for the hypercritical bloggers stock-in-trade: the opportunity to bash Wally Buono, flog Jacques Chapdelaine, pillory Mike Benevides and suggest Brent Johnson sell insurance? By blowing the Edmonton Eskimos to smithereens – 36-1 Friday night – the Lions suddenly left much of their fan base, and Vancouver football reporters who’d already drafted the team’s obit, speechless, wordless and at a loss about what to do next.

Mike Beamish, Vancouver Sun
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To Simon, it was a vote of confidence in the coach he helped bring back four years ago from Edmonton, offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine “Jacques has been taking some heat and I hate to see it because he’s a very smart guy and good at what he does,” Simon said. “Now we have all the pieces in place. We’re finally getting guys in place to where we can just go and play. If it’s second-and-10 teams can’t say ‘they’re going to Geroy.’”

Vancouver Province

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No one could have been happier when our Leos played a standout game in Edmonton on Friday night. Our defense was impressive and our offence scored four touchdowns in a 36-1 victory in Edmonton. Our defense gave our offence great field position for most of the game, came up with two interceptions early, pressured and sacked Edmonton's quarterbacks almost at will, and offensively, our receivers ate up the Edmonton secondary.

However, Beamish goes a littel too far, in terms of vindication regarding Leos bloggers, based upon our victory over an Edmonton team that had four starting receivers injured, an offensive line that was revamped, and was feeling demoralized. Our Leos are 2-6, we've now 4-19 to start the last 3 seaons, and one victory does not suddenly make Wally Buono walk on water again nor does it make Jaques Chapdelaine suddenly the best offensive coordinator since Don Coryell.

Buono, Benevedes, and Chapdelaine, along with the rest of the Leos coaching staff deserve credit for a standout game on Friday night, as do the players. There was a tension in the air before the game and a sense that another Leos loss could have led to a shoulder tap for Wally or an instruction that he be the one to tap Chapdelaine's shoulder. Wally himself, prior to the game, discussed with his Leos players the heat that was on the coaching staff, as he told them the coaches had worked their asses off for them and appealed for a great game from them. Players said they felt the tension going into the game as well.

Perhaps it took the kind of pressure that Leos 'bloggers' and fans, as well as the media, have put on the coaching staff to snap them into coaching their best game of the season. Benevedes had already made the kind of changes to his defense that were necessary prior to the Edmonton game. He had changed back to a 4-3 defense and the structure had enabled Eliminian to play pure middle linebacker, Aarron Hunt to move back to tackle, where he excells, Banks to move back to his shortside half spot, and Ryan Phillips to play wideside again, where his ball hawking skills can flourish.

Chapdelaine, who had scripted two excellent opening series of plays against Winnipeg before returning to ChapBall called an excellent game against the Eskimos, using more maximum protection on first down, with a number of tight end sets, used the running game effectively (he even ran a draw play again on second and ten and while it did not pick up a first down, it helped keep the Edmonton defense off balance.

This is a talented Leos football team and the play of Arland Bruce added an element to our offence that made it more dymanic. I always understood why Geroy Simon wanted Chap back. Chap is a pass oriented, spread offence style of offensive coordinator and that style makes Simon happy. However, if Chap was so smart, as Simon says, the following would not have happened 1) we would have been running the football from Game 1 this season and commited to it more in past seaons 2) we would not have started last season 1-7 mostly due to an offensive line mis-experiment that was a disaster 3) we would not have played O'Neil Wilson at wide receiver all last year when we had Gore and Foster ont he bench. 4) we would not have had defenses calling out our offensive plays for years 5) we would not have led the league for so many seasons in giving up the most quarterback sacks due to our poorly schemed anti-blitz methods and we would have been releasing the tailback as a safety valve prior the halfway point of last season.6) we would not start a season with 4 receivers having never caught a pro pass

Bloggers were not silent nor should they be. One victory against a wouldn't foe does not vindicate our Leos coaching staff. The fact is that we had so much more talent than our 1-6 record indicated and the major reason that we our record was so lousy going into this game was due to the fact that we should have been using a 4-3 defense right out of training camp, it should not have taken us to Game 5 to start using our running attack, and we should not have started the sesson, knowing we had an inexperienced quarterback and leaving him hang out to dry without a running game and four rookie receivers, when we had experienced receivers that could have helped him at the start of the season.

With a bye week and two games against Toronto upcoming our schedule looks good and we could have another strong second half to the season as we did last year. However, our Leos coaching staff put themselves into the position they were in as we faced Edmonton and the bloggers criticisms were more than justified.

Hopefully, our Leos coaching staff realizes how close they came to the precipice and the view gave them enough of a scare that they will coach in the same manner as they did last Friday night. Perhaps our assistant coaches felt they had jobs for life too as long as Wally was at the helm and they realized that security was vanishing and Wally also realized that the situation for himself was becoming dire. Better decisions are being made by our coaching staff right now. For example, Rajon Henley, who should have been starting here as rush end in a 4-3 defense, has been given a phone call to come back to our Leos.

Our coaching staff now has a reprieve with an impressive victory, a bye week, and a good schedule to return to. The talent is in place in most positions on our Leos team. A new rush end who could get to the quarterback would pay huge dividends. Hameister Rees is ready to return. The 4-3 defense looks impressive as Hunt returns to tackle and gives Keron Wiliams better opportunities to get to the quarterback. Eliminian can play sideline to sideline,

Reddick looks good at nickel, Banks solidifies the shortside half spot, Phillips is back to ball hawking, and Kournegy is a leader who adds to the mix. Offensively Arland Bruce, who has worn out his welcome in Winnipeg, Toronto, and Hamilton, is a pure talent who has always played well in new situations. Simon is stronger and faster this season and Gore and Foster are talents. The two back rotating system, with Harris and Robertson gives us a fresh, hard running tandem to play tailback. McCallum is almost surreal in his ability to kick field goals as conistently and cooly as he does and Browns return will add to the punt return game.

Things look positive for the second half of the season. We should not have been in the position we have been the past 3 seaons and that's mainly on the coaching staff. Instead of Beamish writing that the stock in trade of bloggers is the 'opportunity' to bash Buono, he could have written that many bloggers had been right about the changes that were needed and our Leos coaching staff have gotten around to maing the changes that the fans had deservedly called for. Instead he quickly jumped back into Wally's court while 'bahsing' his loyal readers. Regardless, our coaching staff are making positive changes and hopefully this direction will continue. Certainly things look much more positive right now.

However, bloggers and fans have contibuted to our Leos turnaround. They called for a committment to a running attack, a change to our defensive strucutre along with other moves, while adding to the pressure that was a requirement for change. Practices were well designed, sharp and focused the week prior to the Edmonton game, rather than the lacksadaiscial approach to practices that has been around for too long. Defensive blitz packages and tight end sets on first down had a positive impact in the Edmonton game. The part of our Leos game that was missing was the EXECUTION by our coaching staff. It was nice to see it happen and hopefully it will happen again and again in future games for the remander of this season.

[joe kapp22]

I did not have a problem with Wally's performance I had and still have a problem with Jacque and Mike B, and Dorazo, some of their game plans are simply terrible, no other way to describe them.

When you watch Archibald being roasted by Willis and to some extent Williams, how long before you do some things to counteract that pressure like chipping the De with a wr?

Mike B has stepped up his unit's performance with the addition of the Veterans Dennis and Kornegay, however still not enough pressure is coming from the base defence.

As for Dorazo, how can we have the talent that we have on the Oline and still watch Valli and to a lesser extent Newman getting eaten alive?

Not gripping about the win, and do think we are now on an upswing especially with the Defence no longer giving up long plays for cheap scores, there are still several areas that need cleaning up.

[West Coast Blue Fan]

All this win does, against a depleted Eskimoes squad, is simply give Pasquale, Chap and Benevides a 2 week pass.

No one is happier that we won than the fans and bloggers. We have been through this "rebuild" for 3 years now and it's becoming rather tiresome. I'm sure both Beamish and LU are getting tired of having to cut and paste the same story week after week when it seems so obvious to them and the rest of the fanbase what changes need to be made.

The bottom line is that we are still a 2-6 football club in an eight team league.

I think the majority of us all know it will take baby steps to get to the Mendoza line of .500 ball, so If we come out with a pair of wins against the Argos, then perhaps Wally et al will get a little more slack from the pundits and bloggers. If we come out and lose both, I can tell you that the only thing I will look forward to will be sitting in the "new" facility when we play the Esks again.....well, that and also watching the Riders self destruct.

[WestCoastJoe]

Great post, Blitz.

As many have posted, our talent is very good. Kornegay, Dennis and Bruce have been Godsends.

Our coaches had seen the writing on the wall, and did their best to right the ship.
.........

So we beat an under staffed Edmonton team. Not time for us to plan the Parade yet.

Old habits die hard.

We blitzed a depleted Eskimo O Line. Foster made a play for the ages, and the flood gates opened for us.

We showcased our potential.

And it was the most fun game I've seen in years. A thoroughly enjoyable game.
........

Are we ready for Winnipeg, or Montreal or Calgary? Not so sure. Our record is 2 and 6. We made belated changes after the losses and the public heat piled up. So if we finish around 8 and 10, is that good enough? If somehow we entered next year with the same staff, or versions of it, could we espect the same result?

Calgary and Montreal are the standard bearers for the league. Winnipeg is knocking on the door. If our backs are not to the wall, as they were this week, are we going to back slide into mediocrity? Have our coaches really caught up to the best minds, staffs and leaders in the league? The jury is still out IMO. We still see 8 and 10, 8 and 10, and 2 and 6 in the rear view mirror.

We can all enjoy the win. But in pro football you virtually get a report card after every game.

[WestCoastJoe]

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Lion ... story.html

Some quotes from Wally from the article ...

“Here’s what I’ve learned over time,” he said. “The more I get uptight, the more the coaches and players get uptight. I’m learning that, even though this is my 22nd year [as a CFL head coach]. I get reminded occasionally by a number of people that I contribute to the demeanour of the team. The premise there was, from the first moment after the game [the Winnipeg defeat], not to be negative, not to be disruptive, not to be harsh. My words were, ‘I’m very disappointed.’ Then I walked out.”

Excellent. Showcasing the best of Wally's survival instincts. He did not get all those victories by accident.

“This wasn’t our Grey Cup game – where the winner takes everything, the loser goes home,” Buono said, a reference to Edmonton coach Kavis Reed, who wanted his team to mentally approach Friday’s contest as if it was a one-game season, for the whole giant pyrogy. “We weren’t going home. You can’t think that way. Win or lose, you’ve got to play 10 more games. But it was a critical game. Hopefully, it starts a trend, sets a tone for the second half. Hopefully, it re-establishes some credibility, some self-respect, some level of excellence you can build on. And we played a wounded foe.”

A good even emotional keel.

“I believe, at this point, you have to allow the change to flourish,” Buono said. “I guess the best example is Arland Bruce. Last week, people were saying, ‘What did Wally do? Here he comes in, and fumbles the ball in his first game [Winnipeg].' Now, another week, he’s gotten to a comfort zone and we’re comfortable with him. All of a sudden, he becomes a big factor in the game. We know he isn’t the Arland Bruce of five years ago. But, if you use him properly, he can still be a very good, very effective player.”

Yes. A very good, very effective player. Fun to watch.

“Akeem did what the coach has been on his butt about since the first day of training camp,” Buono said. We keep telling him, ‘Catch the ball, get up the field. Get up the field.’ I’m not saying he surprised everybody. But it was like, ‘Bang.’ He’s up the field behind everybody.”

Akeem the Dream. Sudden star. Wow. I've liked him from the get go, but even a fan such as I, was surprised at his explosiveness, his overdrive speed. He has already shown very sure hands.

The score seem to liberate the Lions offence, especially Lulay. He threw for three more TDs, rang up 343 passing yards altogether, and played like a killer Lion against a vulnerable African prey.

I think Akeem's play for the ages did liberate the team.

About Lulay ...

“Does this elevate his game to the next level that we want, that you want, that all the fans want?” Buono asked, rhetorically. “Think of the amount of pressure he had to fight through, not only his own doubt, but the constant doubt around him, the barrage of questions from the media about his performance? He answered the challenge . . . [but] he’s still on a learning curve.”

Yup. And it is a steep learning curve. Lulay has great mobility. A strong arm. A bit scattershot at times. What I like most, I think, is his underlying confidence, his imperturbability.

[notahomer]

So, according to Simon, if the Lions have one bad game (or even make it two) does that justifies FIRING Jacque Chap.?

Kinda dumb attitude if you ask me... Based on some of the home games I've watched (especially at Empire) nobody save Sol E. and Paul McCallum should be on this roster. You don't gut a football team based on one loss and you don't get a ticket to the playoffs based on one win. What bothers me is not just how this season has started but also it is eeriely similiar to 2010. I'm not blaming the stadium (believe me it has nothing to do with things, IMO) but these two Tempire seasons have been the worst, for me, as a season ticket holder.

[Belize City Lion]

I enjoyed the win for the sake of the win... but even if we beat the Argos back to back, we will only be 4-6 with our wins coming against teams that are equally as bad as us. And it will still be year three of the Lions tailspin. A few more wins may quiet the angry mob, but at the end of the day (or at very least the end of the season) the situation remains the same... coaching changes must happen. Starting with the OC.

[PigSkin_53]

Instead of Beamish writing that the stock in trade of bloggers is the 'opportunity' to bash Buono, he could have written that many bloggers had been right about the changes that were needed and our Leos coaching staff have gotten around to maing the changes that the fans had deservedly called for. Instead he quickly jumped back into Wally's court while 'bashsing' his loyal readers, bloggers and fans have contibuted to our Leos turnaround. They called for a committment to a running attack, a change to our defensive strucutre along with other moves, while adding to the pressure that was a requirement for change.

It is obvious that this latest chide of Wally’s outspoken critics in the bloggosphere, is nothing less than a shabby taunt to mix it up in “Wally World”, so that the media can sell more Province sports newsprint, during the long and sure to be boring coming buy week, but Beamish is playing with fire if he thinks this untenable situation can be manipulated to his or anyone else advantage.

I stand by my words that will come back to haunt Wally Buono in the weeks to come…

I regret nothing I have said in the past three-and-one half years concerning Wally’s misguided hillbilly ride…It has never been simply personal, it has always been about what was best for our (we the fans) team, and not about any one individual or administration to that end.

We will stand fore square behind any stellar effort by the organization we bleed orange-and-black and live-and-die for, but we will not support the consistently condescending, and undermining of our players and fans, by that of the coaches of this team of the day.

So if that makes us "Wally bashers" then I for one will wear that incrimination like a badge of honor, if it makes our team just one win better this season.

[Toppy Vann]

Great points Blitz and others.

The last three years are a turn off for fans. Fans are tired of them coming out of TC all messed up.

While a win is a win and all are not easy the reality in this case was this game was a gimme for them. The Esks had packed it in early.

We shouldn't miss here though that he also notes how the local football reporters are part of this too.

Where was the grist for the hypercritical bloggers stock-in-trade: the opportunity to bash Wally Buono, flog Jacques Chapdelaine, pillory Mike Benevides and suggest Brent Johnson sell insurance? By blowing the Edmonton Eskimos to smithereens – 36-1 Friday night – the Lions suddenly left much of their fan base, and Vancouver football reporters who’d already drafted the team’s obit, speechless, wordless and at a loss about what to do next.

What to do next? Good point. Wally will just work on and this season will finish like last year and next year the coaches will do the same and 2012 will be more losing in July - August.

This team with this coaching staff is on the same trajectory each of the last three seasons as the US budget deficit and is being approached the same way - everyone talks but no one does anything about it.

[TheLionKing]

All this win does, against a depleted Eskimoes squad, is simply give Pasquale, Chap and Benevides a 2 week pass.

X2

[B.C.FAN]

I'm not blaming the stadium (believe me it has nothing to do with things, IMO) but these two Tempire seasons have been the worst, for me, as a season ticket holder.

I'll trade you for 1967 (3-12-1) and 1968 (4-11-1), my first seasons as a season ticket holder at old Empire. The teams in recent years are vastly more competitive and entertaining than anything the Lions offered in the late '60s and early '70s. And there's something to be said for making the playoffs last year for the 14th straight year as opposed to missing the playoffs in 1968 for the fourth straight year.

[kacbru]

We need to go 6-4 for the rest of the season to match last years losing record. Certainly do-able. 7-3 for .500, I think that's a stretch. Has there ever been another time where a team has had 3 straight losing seasons without a significant coaching / coordinator change?

[Toppy Vann]

We need to go 6-4 for the rest of the season to match last years losing record. Certainly do-able. 7-3 for .500, I think that's a stretch. Has there ever been another time where a team has had 3 straight losing seasons without a significant coaching / coordinator change?

Not sure. Many times pull the trigger too quickly on coaches so likely not. Hamilton with Marcel B took a while to get going - not sure of the record.

The other question:

Has there ever been a situation in the CFL where the owner guaranteed his GM/HC his choice as to when to go?

Has there ever been a Gm/HC who rehires an OC who dumped on him when he left and when he was available rightly determined he didn't want him back only to get him back to the cabal of secret players?

What we do know is that the secret players council has far too much bad influence on the GM/HC here.

[Blitz]

We need to go 6-4 for the rest of the season to match last years losing record. Certainly do-able. 7-3 for .500, I think that's a stretch. Has there ever been another time where a team has had 3 straight losing seasons without a significant coaching / coordinator change?

Not sure. Many times pull the trigger too quickly on coaches so likely not. Hamilton with Marcel B took a while to get going - not sure of the record.

The other question:

Has there ever been a situation in the CFL where the owner guaranteed his GM/HC his choice as to when to go?

Has there ever been a Gm/HC who rehires an OC who dumped on him when he left and when he was available rightly determined he didn't want him back only to get him back to the cabal of secret players?

What we do know is that the secret players council has far too much bad influence on the GM/HC here.

Its good to see that 'bloggers' have not been 'silenced' by one victory over a badly wounded Eskimo team nor should they be. Changes need to be made in order to prevent a fourth fisaco to begin the 2012 season. I believe that, even if we win each and every game for the rest of the regular season and even win the Grey Cup..and this Leos team has enough talent to win a Grey Cup..that changes need to be made to our staff.

Confusion is the word that first comes to mind when it comes to the coaching of our Leos. We've dealt with that confusion for too long...from the confusion about which quarterback to start between Dickenson and Printers on game day in 2005, the insertion of Buck Pierce in the middle of a series in Grey Cup 2006, the confusion whether Buck or Jarious should be our starting quarterback or the constant confusion during football games when decisions are made.

However, there is absolutely no excuse for the confusion that reigned last year when we started the season with an offensive line mis-experiment that got us off to a 1-7 start, no attempt to run the football, and Printers and Lulay and Jarious for his one game like sitting ducks in a shooting galery.

You'd think our coaching staff would learn. But no..they start this season off with four receivers who have never caught a pro pass with an inexperienced quarterback and then to add misery we don't run the football again. To add even more woes we go to a 3-4 defense (its not the 3-4 that was the problem but what it did to our personell..moving Hunt to defensive end and Eliminain to one interior linebacker, on top of not having a pass rush (while playing conservative zone defence) which had our db's trying to cover forever. It was a recipe for another terrible start.

The off-season is the time for the coaching staff to evaluate personell, systems, and to improve. However, our coaching staff made all the choices to have us go backwards after a good finish to the 2010 season.

Its not acceptable. Right now Benevedes has our defense looking very good in a 4-3 structure that should get even better, with personell decisions that utilize our talent so much better than beginning of the season. Chap is now committing to the run more, has added variety and misdirection to our offence recently, as well as some innovation. However, why does it take pressure from media and fans to do the right thing in the first place.

I can go back and read posts on Lionbackers from training camp that indicate that many so called 'bloggers' were making the suggestions that are now in place. We're just fans and yet there is more sense on this board more often than there seems to be on our coaching staff to begin each season.

There were concerns expressed about how we were utilizing our personell in a 3-4 defense, our lack of committment to the run, and the use of four rookie recievers. However, there have been personell concerns expressed in the past, from not utilizing Jamal Johnson to why are we playing Gary Butler to why we didn't begin last season with Yonus Davis as our punt returner and the list goes on. Things that should be obvious are not seen by our Leos coaching staff that others can see more clearly and that is not the way it should be.

This is a very talented Leos team...one that should be in first place in the West based on our talent. Yes we have a couple of areas that could be improved..we need a rush end and the interior of our offensive line needs to get better but overall, our talent level is better than every CFL team, even Montreal, whose only advantage is they have a more experienced quarterback. There is no way this is a 2-6 team and its our coaching staff that got us in this position and its inexcusable.

The changes being made our good ones but why did it take this long again to make them, as it did last season?

[notahomer]

I'm not blaming the stadium (believe me it has nothing to do with things, IMO) but these two Tempire seasons have been the worst, for me, as a season ticket holder.

I'll trade you for 1967 (3-12-1) and 1968 (4-11-1), my first seasons as a season ticket holder at old Empire. The teams in recent years are vastly more competitive and entertaining than anything the Lions offered in the late '60s and early '70s. And there's something to be said for making the playoffs last year for the 14th straight year as opposed to missing the playoffs in 1968 for the fourth straight year.

I've only been buying season ducats since 2004, so I haven't been suffering for long, perhaps I can admit I'm 'spoiled'. Trade for 67 and 68 no can do, wasn't even born yet....

I think its great we've made the playoffs 14 straight years but if making the playoffs again this year means no changes get made and we start out the 2012 season stumbling and bumbling....maybe missing the playoffs is what we need....

Regardless, I know the tailgating sucks downtown. Outdoor football has its benefits. But I'm looking forward to returning to the whatever it's going to be called spiderweb covered stadium.