Sep
Buono roars after ‘digusting
Courtesy Vancovuer Province:
There were a lot of reasons for Wally Buono to be disappointed.
The sure touchdown Rolly Lumbala treated like an anvil dropped from a helicopter. The 25-yard field-goal try Sean Whyte shanked off the upright. A long bomb the usually sure-handed Geroy Simon somehow let slip through his fingertips.
And that was just in the first half.
There was also a missed interception in the third quarter. The offence’s failure to move the chains on a second and short with the game in the balance. And, of course, allowing the 56-yard pass play that set up the Montreal Alouettes’ winning score in their 28-24 victory over the B.C. Lions at Molson Stadium on Sunday.
But disappointment doesn’t even begin to describe the Lions general manager and head coach’s feelings as he went over game film in his office at the team’s training facility on Monday morning.
“I’m disgusted to be honest with you,” said Buono, leaning back in his leather chair, a pair of TV monitors on freeze-frame at either end of his wooden desk. “Why would I be disappointed? Disappointment is when you’re not good enough to beat anybody — that’s disappointment. You’re disgusted when you watch the tape and your reality comes forth.”
He’s disgusted because the Lions had opportunities to make plays and didn’t. At least, not enough of them to win.
He’s disgusted because at the most critical time of the game, his team blinked first.
He’s disgusted because instead of being 5-5 after Week 11 of the CFL season, his team finds itself 4-6, two games below .500.
“I wasn’t upset with the game — we went in to Montreal, where you’re up at 5:30 in the morning body time, and we fought back and made a game of it,” said Buono, who remains tied with Don Matthews for most career wins with 231. “What I was upset about is the thing that nobody believed we could do, we were right there to do. Go into Montreal and beat them back-to-back. It was there.”
But not so disgusted as to be planning to make any major changes in the lead up to Saturday’s game against the woeful Toronto Argonauts at BC Place.
Quarterback Jarious Jackson — who completed 16 passes for 228 yards with two TDs and an interception against the Als — will continue to take the majority of snaps this week no matter Buck Pierce’s condition.
Buono also acknowledged there could be as many as two new faces at practice when the team reconvenes on Wednesday.
“Yes, it’s been in the works for a few weeks,” he said, without revealing names. “We’re trying to improve ourselves a number of ways.”
On Wednesday, Buono may have enough time to catch up on some lost sleep and will perhaps see the bigger picture. That B.C. has gone toe-to-toe with the league’s elite for two straight weeks and managed no less than a draw on the judges’ scorecards.
“The end result is it was a wasted effort,” said Buono. “Whether it’s not converting in the first quarter, whether it’s not making an interception in the third quarter, whether, at the most critical time of the game we can’t make a play, whether with two minutes left in the game you have them at second and nine and you break coverage and give up 56 yards, that’s tough. … It was just a wasted effort.”
Disappointed never felt so good.
