As they sat in their homes last November, members of the B.C. Lions were left with the sting of a season that ended abruptly, one week before a Leo love-in at the Grey Cup.
The Lions rebounded from a 9-9 season in 1998 to finish a Canadian Football League-best 13-5 in 1999. But they fell short of the ultimate prize. A Damon Allen fumble as the Lions were driving late in the fourth quarter of the Western final eliminated them from the playoffs and turned them into spectators for the Grey Cup played the following week at B.C. Place.
"I wouldn't say it haunted me," head coach and assistant general manager Greg Mohns said about the 26-24 season-ending loss to the Calgary Stampeders. "Nobody enjoys losing and when you get that close it's tough. It makes it harder that the Grey Cup was in Vancouver and we had to sit and watch it."
So with an opportunity to play for the Grey Cup on home turf lost, the 2000 edition of the Lions get set to kick off Friday against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats with unfinished business. If they aren't favourites to win the West, they're certainly the second choice behind Calgary and they've added a quartet of former National Football League players to an already loaded roster.
Allen, entering his 16th season, said he didn't get the feeling that the 1999 Lions were prepared to win a championship. He won two Grey Cups while in Edmonton and would like to bring one to Vancouver before retiring.
"The good teams find a way to come together and get the job done," Allen said. "And for us last year, I didn't have that sense that we were all in it together. I'm not sure if it was attitude, I just never felt it. Throughout the whole year, we were putting out fires, but we were still beating teams because mainly we had more talent than they did.
"You continue playing in those close ball games and eventually you're going to wind up losing one and we wound up losing the one that was so important to us.
"People didn't buy into the system," he continued. "I'm not going to sit here and say names, I'm just saying that was the difference between good teams I've played on and teams that had an opportunity to go all the way. Talent-wise, yeah, we're there, but there's another step we have to take to carry us over the hump. It has a lot to do with attitude and professionalism and preparing to play each week."
Allen, who turns 37 this month, will break Ron Lancaster's career record for passing yards with a big season. He needs 4,586 yards, 300 more than last season's total, but he's showing no signs of slowing down. He could become the first quarterback to amass 10,000 career yards rushing this year and is fourth on the CFL's all-time list in that category.
"I'm always being reminded about the Lancaster record," Allen said. "It's in the back of my mind, that's something I'd like to accomplish."
Backing up Allen will be Doug Nussmeier, a veteran NFL pivot who decided to try his luck in the CFL after watching the 1999 season from his Oregon home. He's trying to get back to the NFL, but in the interim, will serve as insurance to Allen.
The Lions will have the heaviest backfield in the CFL with a beefed-up Robert Drummond, up 10 pounds to 225, and Sean Millington, a 222-pound bruiser who is returning to B.C. after bouncing from Winnipeg to Edmonton and back. Chuck Levy will also be in the mix after coming from the San Francisco 49ers. He's an accomplished return man and will add speed to Drummond and Millington's thunder.
The receivers could stand to make more big plays, said Mohns, who is nonetheless comfortable with his corps of Rocky Henry, Alfred Jackson and Jimmy Cunningham. Jimmy Oliver didn't report to camp, but Mohns hopes he will return. Don Blair had complications after an appendectomy and is on the disabled list. Rod Harris and Eddie Brown were released. Bernard Williams replaces Mo Elewonibi at offensive tackle after being out of football for four seasons. A former first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, Williams hasn't looked out of place in the preseason and can only upgrade the offensive line, Mohns said.
The Lions switched from a 3-3-6 defensive scheme to a 4-2-6 to confuse quarterbacks when they make presnap reads. The new scheme will allow one of the two safeties to come up in run support while the other defends the pass. Mohns said trying to decipher which safety will creep up to the line of scrimmage will keep quarterbacks guessing.
The defence replaces six starters from last year, two along the line, two linebackers and both safeties. Linebacker Paul Lacoste, the CFL's outstanding rookie in 1999, left for the Indianapolis Colts, as did safety Scott Thomas. Defensive tackle Johnny Scott and his team-high 10 sacks were traded to Toronto, and long-time tackle Dave Chaytors was released. Former NFLer Eric England and Tom Hipsz from Montreal were brought in to anchor the new-look front.
Lui Passaglia is back for a 25th season, but Jon Baker, who played some in Edmonton last season, will kick off and handle the long field goals. Mohns will use a designated import roster spot on Baker.
The Lions feel so good about their talent that they can afford to gamble with an import kicker. Moreover, they're not talking about where they need to improve, but rather about avoiding injuries.
"For all of us, it's going to be the injury factor," Mohns said. "If Calgary loses a Dave Dickenson, that makes a difference. If we lose a key player, Damon or another one, that's going to make a difference for us. So all those are the unknowns you have to play week-to-week with and just progress as the season goes and see where the chips fall."
If the chips fall where the Lions want, revenge will be exacted when the Stampeders are at home next November, watching their division rivals win a Grey Cup at McMahon Stadium.
B.C. LIONS
1999: 13-5 (lost to Calgary in Western final). Key additions: Doug Nussmeier, quarterback (out of football in 1999); Sean Millington, running back (trade with Winnipeg Blue Bombers); Chuck Levy, running back (free agent, with San Francisco 49ers in 1998); Bernard Williams, offensive tackle (out of football since 1995); Steve Anderson, defensive end (free agent signed from Calgary Stampeders); Tom Hipsz, defensive tackle (trade with Montreal Alouettes); Eric England, defensive tackle (signed from Carolina Panthers); Marcello Simmons, defensive back (free agent signed from Edmonton Eskimos); Curtis Galick, defensive back (free agent signed from Saskatchewan Roughriders); Ian Franklin, defensive back (free agent signed from Eskimos); Jon Baker, kicker (signed from Kansas City Chiefs). Key departures: Khari Jones, quarterback (traded to Blue Bombers); Rod Harris, slotback (released); Eddie Brown, slotback (released); Dave Donaldson, wide receiver (free agent signed by Blue Bombers); Mo Elewonibi, offensive tackle (traded to Blue Bombers); Johnny Scott, defensive tackle (traded to Toronto Argonauts); Dave Chaytors, defensive tackle (released); Paul Lacoste, linebacker (signed with Indianapolis Colts); Antonio Armstrong, linebacker (traded to Blue Bombers); Rafael Robinson, safety (retired); Scott Thomas, safety (signed with Indianapolis Colts).