Courtesy Calgary Herald:

For 18 games, the Calgary Stampeders have played football with an astounding lack of discipline. …On Saturday night, 19 penalties figured prominently in a 25-24 loss to the B.C. Lions and their refusal to play by the rules could lead to a quick exit from the Canadian Football League post-season.

The Stamps finished the regular season with 231 penalties for 1,978 yards. The yardage mark is a franchise record, while the 2004 club, led by head coach Matt Dunigan, was the only one to take more penalties (242).

“I think we played pretty damn well and we killed ourselves again,” said offensive tackle Jeff Pilon. “It’s simple. We just find a way to kill ourselves and that’s what’s been stopping us every damn game.”
Stamps Trey Young (33) and Tearrius George haul down Lions’ Jason Clermont in Vancouver on Saturday night.

“The execution wasn’t too bad,” said slotback Jeremaine Copeland. “The opportunity was there to win, but we had penalties again. They’ve been killing us all year.”

Only four times has a CFL team been penalized more times in a season than these Stamps, who posted the sixth-highest yardage total in league history. Their opponents in next Sunday’s West Division semifinal are the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the least-penalized team in the land. Obviously, this could be the difference.

While Calgary’s disregard for discipline proved fatal in Vancouver, other aspects of their game showed signs of encouragement. The defence played decent against the run and hurried B.C.’s quarterbacks, sacking them seven times. Calgary’s offence, led by backup pivot Ben Sankey, put up 424 yards against one of the league’s top units.

Henry Burris will return to his starting spot against Saskatchewan and he believes his troops gained some steam, even without him at the helm in a defeat.

“It gives guys a lot of confidence and momentum to have guys who haven’t played a lot go in there and play well,” said Burris. “All three phases of our team created a lot of positives and we want to continue to build on those things.”

Meanwhile, rookie defensive end Anthony Gargiulo was carted through the Vancouver Airport in a wheelchair on Sunday morning. Gargiulo absorbed a cheap shot from Lions offensive tackle Jason Jimenez on the final play of the first half. His season is over.

“I didn’t think it was necessary and I guess the ref didn’t either because they flagged him immediately and threw him out,” said Gargiulo, who switched to crutches when he arrived in Calgary. “That action speaks for itself.”

Gargiulo had been pursuing a B.C. ball carrier and the play was blown dead before Jimenez hit him low.

The Stamps are furious but due to the absence of video evidence from television and club tapes, Jimenez might escape suspension or further discipline.