Elks: Edmonton Eskimo Thread: 2018 Edition

[Kyle McMahon]

Claybrooks is pretty good but who says he'd be interested in leaving, why would he.

Most co-ordinators have ambitions of being the head coach someday. I'd assume Claybrooks fits that description, and unless he is really comfortable in Calgary and doesn't feel he's ready to be a head coach yet, he'd move three hours up the road for (I'm guessing) double the salary.

I guess it's all moot though, the GM supports Maas' lunacy. We can forget about playing in our own Grey Cup next year if any game along the way comes down to a coaching decision requiring more acumen than that of a kid playing Madden for the first time.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I think this is pretty much in keeping with the philosophy over the last decade. If the fans don't like it well you don't have to come to the games..........

That is the orgs attitude for a longtime. Sorry, theres more to football (pro) than winning doesn't really fly with me or many people. Especially in the case of an org that is OK with the headcoach giving the WC final away.

meh, I expect I'll forgive it in time but hard to say. I do think THIS was the Esks year, the year they had a chance. I'm less certain about next season when we host the GC. This team was gearing up for this year, had made lots of key player additions and I doubt if the club is as good next season.

 

[Del Preston]

Rhodes is probably going to fire Maas a couple hours before the 2018 season opener.

 

[trick91]

'A really important discussion': Trudeau weighs in on name of Edmonton's CFL team

my god don't our politicians have better things to talk about

 

[MoontoScott]

That is the orgs attitude for a longtime. Sorry, theres more to football (pro) than winning doesn't really fly with me or many people. Especially in the case of an org that is OK with the headcoach giving the WC final away.

meh, I expect I'll forgive it in time but hard to say. I do think THIS was the Esks year, the year they had a chance. I'm less certain about next season when we host the GC. This team was gearing up for this year, had made lots of key player additions and I doubt if the club is as good next season.

If they re-sign Walker and Grymes then I think they can be as good however if Zylstra gets a shot down south then that is definitely going to hurt because right now he is a top 5 receiver in the league. He will be very tough to replace. The GM has lots of work to do one way or another. There are always so many free agents that its tough to get a read on it.

I don't expect much to change in terms of coaching, I would guess that they will all be back. It doesn't look too professional but somewhere along the way the club has lost some of that winning tradition. We were very spoiled under Kimball and Campbell and didn't appreciate the degree of professionalism that they brought to the club. To say that Hugh wouldn't have made that mistake last Sunday is stating the obvious.

Unfortunately all these things have led to what I call the "slow leak" problem in terms of fan attendance. It's not just one thing (and the lifted blackouts are certainly part of it) but this bonehead call has received a lot of publicity and certainly doesn't help in terms of the club image. It ran for 3 nights as the lead story on the Calgary sports news and the Maas reaction was to say the least, unfortunate. You can bet that old Norm Kimball wouldn't have defended this decision but that was really a life time ago.

Well, grab the kool aid but remember to add Vodka first. Big dipper please.

 

[joestevens29]

Well Sunderland today totally defended the call, said theres nothing wrong with it, it was in the spirit of winning..

Interestingly in the same article it notes that TSN had footage of Sunderland holding his head in apparent agony when the FG team came out.

So truth Eskimos style then..

Vanilla response no controversy, stick by the decision, too bad fans have zero faith. (he didn't state the last part)

In what sport would a GM not have his coaches back in the public?

Even if the plan is to fire him I don't think there are many GM's that would publicly call out their coach in a situation like this

 

[Drivesaitl]

In what sport would a GM not have his coaches back in the public?

Even if the plan is to fire him I don't think there are many GM's that would publicly call out their coach in a situation like this

Nuance exists. Defending the call as credible, stating that you had no concerns in relation to the call, that you wouldn't do it any differently is a lie. A pure lie.

Within the context of say nothing pro sports jargon that is so tight lipped that perfectly appropriate comments made by the Calgary linebacker get vilified is inane. He's the one person that has been honest stating that it wasn't a good decision and that it was a bad strategy hedging that a Calgary offense that had run for 150yds in the second half would be incapable of getting a first down. Keeping in mind that with the Maas gambit all that was required was for the Stamps to obtain a first down. That would be all they need to march the clock down.

Actually Messam, as well thanked Maas for "helping us to win the game". Which is exactly what transpired. The decision to kick a FG in that decision couldn't be worse if Dickenson had somehow made the call for the Eskimos..

I do think theres a way to say "the wrong call was made by a young coach" without throwing Maas under the bench. Indeed it signals no accountability for such an egregious error to be made in the first place. The Esks way...

Theres no reason for Sunderland to state the opposite of what he displayed in reaction about the call on a TSN national broadcast.

If the Esks stand by this decision they put themselves in the 1% of people that would. With most of those people being trolls.

 

[TB12]

"When you make a call in a big situation and it doesn't work, it's the wrong call."
-Dave Dickenson

I HATE the Stamps, but I much rather would have heard something like that from Maas in his press conference, instead of him doubling down and saying he'd make the same call if he could do it over again. /rant

 

[joestevens29]

"When you make a call in a big situation and it doesn't work, it's the wrong call."
-Dave Dickenson

I HATE the Stamps, but I much rather would have heard something like that from Maas in his press conference, instead of him doubling down and saying he'd make the same call if he could do it over again. /rant

Actually that's a real good response as it makes a pretty blanket statement

 

[guymez]

"When you make a call in a big situation and it doesn't work, it's the wrong call."
-Dave Dickenson

I HATE the Stamps, but I much rather would have heard something like that from Maas in his press conference, instead of him doubling down and saying he'd make the same call if he could do it over again. /rant

I agree. That response by Dickenson is actually an intelligent response. Totally different from what Maas is saying.
Listening to Maas stumble over his words and not really communicating anything intelligent is almost cringe worthy.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Actually that's a real good response as it makes a pretty blanket statement

Exactly. Its a better, more cogent response. Its even somewhat intelligent and logical reply. Which Sunderland could have stated in response just as easily.

Instead Sunderland gives the dolt response which as I mentioned is dishonest, and that approaches the level of stupidity of the original call to bring out the FG team.

 

[guymez]

So Mike Reilly did win the MOP award....deservedly so.

His acceptance speech portrayed the true leader and great player that he is.

 

[guymez]

Here is a link to Mike Reilly's speech. Well worth a listen...one of the best acceptance speeches I have heard...

Reilly wins Most Outstanding Player

Love the hat.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I want to see Cat in the Hat Hat one of these times..

Anyway we're blessed to have a great QB who happens to be a great person. Mike Reilly is all of that. But he would spend 30mins talking about how he's not great and everybody else is great and so on..

jk aside a great speech, lots of insight, and it transcends football. You walk away from a Mike Reilly speech hearing about succeeding in life.

I'll never forget Mike Reilly. A personality and player that just hit with me right away. That this man is great was my first impression. I feel the same about Lulay ftr.

 

[guymez]

Congrats to Mike. But having him win it just makes Maas stupid decision hurt all the more. Best in the business and he gets holstered in the time of biggest need.

Yeah...that still bugs me and its been almost a week.
Posting the MOP win for Reilly is also part of an effort to move on...its fricken hard to move on from that dumb call though.

 

[Killion]

Alrighty then.... some civility if you please people.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Congrats to Mike. But having him win it just makes Maas stupid decision hurt all the more. Best in the business and he gets holstered in the time of biggest need.

Just as an aside.

Not to read anything into it but somewhat interesting that he went out of his way to thank Ed Hervey and almost anybody else connected with the org and the trainers dog etc. He even thanked Sunderland for all the work he did replacing injured players. The one person in the fold that didn't get mention from what I heard anyway, was Rhodes. Not that I would single him out for credit either, just saying..

Being that it was a prepared speech and that Mike Reilly stated he wanted to write and read it verbatim so as not to miss anybody its interesting.

I listened to the whole bit. Sometimes Reillys southern type accent is hard for me, I can't make out everything he states. Did he mention Rhodes?

 

[Stoneman89]

Just as an aside.

Not to read anything into it but somewhat interesting that he went out of his way to thank Ed Hervey and almost anybody else connected with the org and the trainers dog etc. He even thanked Sunderland for all the work he did replacing injured players. The one person in the fold that didn't get mention from what I heard anyway, was Rhodes. Not that I would single him out for credit either, just saying..

Being that it was a prepared speech and that Mike Reilly stated he wanted to write and read it verbatim so as not to miss anybody its interesting.

I listened to the whole bit. Sometimes Reillys southern type accent is hard for me, I can't make out everything he states. Did he mention Rhodes?

I wouldn't read anything into that. I don't recall any award winner ever thank the club president in the past, and I'm not really sure why they would.

 

[Tyrolean]

I agree. That response by Dickenson is actually an intelligent response. Totally different from what Maas is saying.
Listening to Maas stumble over his words and not really communicating anything intelligent is almost cringe worthy.

Easier to talk when you are not the culprit.

 

[rboomercat90]

I just rewatched the replay of the final two minutes of Sunday’s game. I wanted to watch it with a clear head this time instead of the rage induced state I was in seeing it live. Judging by the reaction of Maas I don’t think he panicked and had a brain cramp or didn’t know what the score was. He looked confidant in what he was doing. He honestly thought the defence was going to get him the ball back. I’m still not sure why he thought what he did was his best option. As was pointed out after the game, he needed a lot to go right to win the game doing what he did. If he wanted to gamble, it should have been with his offence going for a two point convert after the touchdown. It shouldn’t have been with his defence stopping Messam.

As far as there being footage of him looking panicked when he realized he was down by four, I didn’t see it. Also didn’t see Sunderland and Rhodes looking angry when the field goal unit came on. TSN didn’t show them during that sequence until Smith fumbled the punt return. They were angry then as they knew the game was over.

I still think it was a poor decision and one that had a low likelihood of paying off. I still hope he gets fired, not just for Sunday’s screw up but for his embarrassing antics on the sidelines during the year.

 

[guymez]

Easier to talk when you are not the culprit.

Somewhat but all Maas had to do was say...."it was the wrong call. That happens in football sometimes."
Done.

Instead he rambles on and on and makes himself look worse.

 

[TB12]

Easier to talk when you are not the culprit.

Dickenson WAS talking about his call last year in the Grey Cup from the 2-yard line.

 

[Stoneman89]

Take a bow, CFL. Your fans have been telling you for years to start the season earlier, and now this is what you get. Your championship and marquee game played in a raging snowstorm, where the talented players are reduced to flopping and slipping around like ducks, dropping passes, and unable to stop. But somewhere in there, some CFL clown will say this was a classic.

 

[booyakasha]

Shania can still bring it.
voice is top shape, and doing a great job live.

 

[ZJuice]

I don’t know how I feel about that halftime show