Really? Most cflers wouldn't make those practice rosters. Nice try.
You are flat wrong. There are a lot of CFLers, American and Canadian on practice rosters AND legit rosters in the NFL right now. The NFL does have the advantage of higher salaries and can hold onto players on the practice roster but that does not ensure quality.
There are hundreds of guys that come out of college every year in the states that can't stick with the pro teams (CFL or NFL), let alone crack a practice roster. It's a matter of finding the best talent for the situation.
In order to remain relevant, the Eskimos need to be seen as a destination again. I think much like the Pronger deal for the Oilers, Tillman has sold out our future for nothing and if we continue to wallow in this self pity we will lose the prestige this franchise once carried. The 80s were 30 years ago, the glory years are long gone.
Absolutely couldn't believe the endzone dance, high fives, fist pumps, hugging Argos on sidelines, running right through linebackers, reading blitz in an instant.. This guy is pumped, who is this guy?
Yeah, I'm reading the bolded clearly.
Theres no way Ricky was bringing this type of game lately with the Eskimos. As I mentioned earlier it had been several yrs since Ray even remotely showed up in a game in Montreal. Suddenly he's beating everybody in the league.
When I have sometime I'll compare Rays two playoff games last year with his two this year. People can feel free to acknowledge that the Eskimos team last year was also far better than this Argos team this year. So whats the diff?
Oh, Ray suddenly finding enthusiasm.
Could Ray's enthusiasm stem from the fact that he now has a competent coaching staff and decent offensive line to work with? He hasn't had the opportunity to have either of those since 2003 in Edmonton.
You mention the number of times we got smoked in Montreal as evidence pointing to how bad Ray is, but pitting all those losses solely on Ray is silly. Montreal has loved to blitz for about a decade, and have been very effective at it. When you have a pocket passer sitting behind some of the worst lines I have ever seen, combined with no running game, and a boarderline mentally retarded coaching staff, you aren't going to see much success against a team that is strong on the blitz.
Depicting these games as a pure Ray v. Calvillo match in which Ray layed down in is simply a dishonest way to measure his performances when you consider that Calvillo had literally every other factor working in his favour.
Could Ray's enthusiasm stem from the fact that he now has a competent coaching staff and decent offensive line to work with? He hasn't had the opportunity to have either of those since 2003 in Edmonton.
You mention the number of times we got smoked in Montreal as evidence pointing to how bad Ray is, but pitting all those losses solely on Ray is silly. Montreal has loved to blitz for about a decade, and have been very effective at it. When you have a pocket passer sitting behind some of the worst lines I have ever seen, combined with no running game, and a boarderline mentally retarded coaching staff, you aren't going to see much success against a team that is strong on the blitz.
Depicting these games as a pure Ray v. Calvillo match in which Ray layed down in is simply a dishonest way to measure his performances when you consider that Calvillo had literally every other factor working in his favour.
I considered the same things you've said and have through the years. Why is it that suddenly Ray is picking up the blitz in an instant, reading blind side tackle, getting the ball away in an instant and immune to the blitz. When he was here in recent years he rarely had an answer for the blitz.
Also, we had Jacques Chapdelaine here in 2007. I've mentioned this a few times. He's actually a good offensive coordinator. The kind we always wanted. It didn't work out then. Why?
Picking up the blitz is on the QB. Because I go to games and see the field I know Ray has heat options. I know most of the time he simply wasn't reading what was happening fast enough and was eating, fumbling, or throwing the ball away. He simply wasn't making the blitz pay, at all. Suddenly in the last 4 games alone he's hit paydirt on heat situations more than I'd seen in the last couple years here. The difference being astonishing.
Look, we'd all seen Ray have on, and off games. You could tell the on games in an instant. There'd be Ray avoiding a tackle, buying time, getting the ball away. Those were the good games. But they were becoming few and far between. Sandwiched in lacklustre efforts where Ray would go down helpless with one guy in the backfield.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Great Ones
This is like a guy kicking his girlfriend out and then blaming her for being happier with another man. Uhhh...maybe he appreciates her more, dude...
This would be the silliest statement I've seen on the matter since the Esks averaged around 37K passionate fans during Rays tenure hear and he's played in front of the don't care crowds of 20K with the argos in a building that often looked empty this year. One guy could be described as flat out neglectful..
I don't doubt though that he's more pumped this year and has something to prove. But why is that?
Ray has shown he can pick up the blitz both in Toronto and previously in Edmonton. I don't think he just suddently turned a switch on once he was traded.
Look at the game last year vs Hamilton. They sent lots of pressue and Ray ate them up with quick releases.
Of course other times last year he looked completely dumbfounded. Games in Montreal and Winnipeg our offensive line was turnstiles, our receiver corps was decimated, and we did nothing on offense. I don't think anyone at QB would have had time to salvage the situation, and the defenses were probably smart enough to spy the RB dump option every down.
The fact that Reed thinks he should be in the mix makes me sick. Wasn't the story a few weeks ago that he was overworked and couldn't concentrate on coaching because Tillman was shirking some of his responsibilities? And now Reed wants to take on all the responsibilities? We're turning into a joke.
I fully expect him to get the job and Hervey to leave for greener pastures. And then Naylor will be right with his 5-10 years comment.
for real?
Been a season ticket holder for a long time and over the last 6 years of that I've put up with a lot of crap football.
I will put my money where my mouth is.
If Reed gets the GM job, I will immediately cancel my season tickets. Reed getting the job will prove yet again the ongoing stupidity of eskimo upper management.
There are three of us. we have the most expensive tickets. Between that and the money we spend on refreshments, it's a good chunk of cash the esks will lose just from us.
I want to cheer for Ray next Sunday but the Argos organization and the Toronto media are making it very difficult to do so. They keep rubbing salt in the wound. "Yay! We got Ray! Thanks Edmonton! Rotflmao!"
to tell the truth, I can't blame them. They got ray, Edmonton got crap, and they are the ones playing for the championship. If the roles were reversed, the Edmonton fans and media would be doing the EXACT same thing.
It's depressing to see how much Toronto improved in one offseason. Last season IIRC these guys were being laughed at. Now they are playing in the Grey Cup.
Us on the other hand, are hoping Reed doesn't get the GM gig, we can hire the right coach, and can keep most of our starting D.
FFS.
__________________ <-- Credit goes to The Nemesis.
It's depressing to see how much Toronto improved in one offseason. Last season IIRC these guys were being laughed at. Now they are playing in the Grey Cup.
Us on the other hand, are hoping Reed doesn't get the GM gig, we can hire the right coach, and can keep most of our starting D.
FFS.
Don't underestimate the CFL's need to be relevant in that market.
Maybe TO just has a better overall team than us as well. When we had a full defense, we contained Ray really well and beat him twice.
What a *** sucky year. TO and Calgary in the Grey Cup. Who really cares.
I'm actually quite interested in this match. Both teams won their conference and I think it's an interesting game. Hey, they both beat first-place teams so i figure they belong. I was lamenting that I don't want either of these teams to win, but then realized that I hate all the teams other than us and Hamilton. I can support Ricky, so go, Argos.
I'm glad Ray turned things around. As to why? Who knows. Probably a number of things, starting with coaching. I'm just as guilty for picking on Ray and making him a scapegoat his last couple of years here, but considering what we saw from the Esks this year, Ray was the least of the problems.
I'm back on the Ray bandwagon. And I'll be cheering for TO in the Grey cup final for sure.
I'm glad Ray turned things around. As to why? Who knows. Probably a number of things, starting with coaching. I'm just as guilty for picking on Ray and making him a scapegoat his last couple of years here, but considering what we saw from the Esks this year, Ray was the least of the problems.
I'm back on the Ray bandwagon. And I'll be cheering for TO in the Grey cup final for sure.
There were times I was not happy with Ray as the QB, but to be honest, he wasn't calling his own plays. a lot of what happened yes were the players around him, but there was some crap coaching, too.
I would have been ok with Ray leaving if we would have had a QB to turn to this year, instead of what the GM gave us.
and for Ray playing better, why wouldn't he?
If you've ever been at a job for a while where all sorts of crap happens, it gets to you. It can be hard to have the same energy when the life gets sucked out of you, especially with management problems.
People generally have more energy when starting a new position, especially when their old one turned sour.
I won't say this often, but Go Argos! (I hate the stamps with a passion, especially Cornish and Lewis. I CANNOT cheer for that team)
I don't really care if Ray wins, but if Toronto wins it's going to be a media nightmare talking about how this is the best Grey Cup in a hundred years.
I don't really care if Ray wins, but if Toronto wins it's going to be a media nightmare talking about how this is the best Grey Cup in a hundred years.
As opposed to the nightmare that would happen if the Stamps win? Lesser of two evils.... Go, Ricky and Argos. I can live with that.
Listened to Cohen yesterday and he really didn't have much of a reason to why negotiation lists aren't made public, other than fans pressuring teams to sign someone or take someone off the list.
The more I think about it, the more I hope the Esks consider Paul LaPolice for the HC coach job or at least OC. I think he got a raw deal in Winnipeg this year, with Buck Pierce being in and out of the lineup (mostly out) and having to deal with shyte as backups like we did.
The more I think about it, the more I hope the Esks consider Paul LaPolice for the HC coach job or at least OC. I think he got a raw deal in Winnipeg this year, with Buck Pierce being in and out of the lineup (mostly out) and having to deal with shyte as backups like we did.
well, maybe when Reed is the GM, he'll want to keep the coaching job, too. After all, if you listen to him talk, he did an awesome job this year.
Reed also insists that Joseph is a good QB. I expect Joseph will be back playing next season if Reed is the head coach. That's why I also think there is little chance the Jyles is here, because he and Joseph dislike each other and did not get along.
<-- Credit goes to The Nemesis.
