08 Stamps, the Greatest Calgary team?

[mrdeeds]

Would you classify this as one of the greatest Stampeder teams of all-time. This team is better than the 71 and 01 teams and ranks favourably with 48, 92 and 98? My personal favorite is 92. Depthwise, I actually think the 95 team that lost to Baltimore was the most talented.

I would classify this years team as the most talented Stamps team to win a Grey Cup.

[cyclone3483]

going from memory, there were times that Calgary had a better defence or offence, but I don't think we ever had such a good blend of both. This was a great all-round team. The one thing that struck me about this team, other than their desire to win for each other, is the depth of this team.

Examples:
-we get offensive line injuries and rookies take over without a blink
-Reynolds gets spelled by Cornish or Summers and the offence doesn't seem to miss a beat (except Summers' drop in the Grey Cup)
-ridiculous receiving core where Ryan Thelwell and Teyo Johnson are almost afterthoughts

And has their ever been a kicking tandem like Dales and Sandro where they not only are the best in the game, but you know they're going to make a hit to stop the return without blinking an eye.

I don't think the Stamps have had a better rounded team before.

[CaptainCrunch]

pffft, this is a great team, very well rounded no question. However that 48 team is the only undefeated team in CFL history and was certainly worthy of being undefeated.

[cyclone3483]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

pffft, this is a great team, very well rounded no question. However that 48 team is the only undefeated team in CFL history and was certainly worthy of being undefeated.

no argument here as I was not born yet so I have no basis of comparison. I can go back to about 1973 with the Stamps.

There were maybe better offences (Flutie, Dickenson, Pitts, Sapunjis, Willie Burden days) or better defences, but I think since 1973, this is the most well rounded Stamps team.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

pffft, this is a great team, very well rounded no question. However that 48 team is the only undefeated team in CFL history and was certainly worthy of being undefeated.

Maybe we should restrict this discussion for teams that played in the era of the forward pass and non-leather helmets.

[transplant99]

This team is a good one...no question, but that 71 team was something very special and better.

[Sainters7]

It's too bad that due to play-off collapses they won't be remembered as such, but the 93 and 94 Calgary teams were absolute juggernaughts. I've been searchin for the #'s from those seasons but can't seem to find it, but especially the 94 season I remember every game being like 44-8 Stamps or some ungodly blowout. You could see as the weather got colder the scores would get a little closer, but the '94 Stamps team is still the most dominant squad I've watched in my time as a fan, not just regarding the Stamps, but any CFL team. Too bad McManus and Darren Flutie will cause them not to be remembered as such.

I think that's what I love about that '01 team so much. 8-10 and win the whole thing, I see it as getting one back for all those Cups we should've won in the mid-90's but didnt.

[Iggyscoresgoals]

I would say from what i've seen out of the 4 titles we have won, this is the best team we have fielded. Both on offence and defence we dominated games, and it showed with our regular season of 13-5 in one of teh toughest divisions ever, and a title win. First time we had a leading receiver and rusher in teh same year, and as well I think Burris 39 tds is 3rd best in team history. Some of thoose Stampeder teams where not as good on defence as this team, but that 92 team did a heck of a job in the Grey Cup as well.

I would also like to add that this was 6th highest scoring season ever in the CFL, and we had the best defence, so even if we did give up more points then a few of the previous cup winning teams, we gave up teh fewest point sin one of the better seasons ever.

[killer_carlson]

I thought the Flutie/Pitts/A. Johnson/Pope teams were uber talented and still think they would win the Grey Cup today if they were put back together, but they just didn't win the big games. It should have been a dynasty talent wise, but for whatever reason, just didn't get it done.

Clearly though, the 1948 team is a class above the rest.

[flip]

From an unbiased point of view (not a Stamps fans) I think that any team from the Flutie years would have kicked the crap out of this years Stamps.

If the Stamps had destroyed their competition in the Playoffs this year I might say otherwise, and I am well aware of the lack of playoff success that Flutie and Garcia had here, but this team didn't dominate the way Flutie could pick apart another team.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by flip

From an unbiased point of view (not a Stamps fans) I think that any team from the Flutie years would have kicked the crap out of this years Stamps.

If the Stamps had destroyed their competition in the Playoffs this year I might say otherwise, and I am well aware of the lack of playoff success that Flutie and Garcia had here, but this team didn't dominate the way Flutie could pick apart another team.

Flutie is the s***. I remember him coming out 3rd string for I think San Diego late in the game and scoring twice to end up in a situation similar to the legendary hail mary. I was in college in Toronto at the time and completely pissed out of my tree, but damn...that guy had serious jam. Too bad the pass got batted down.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by flip

From an unbiased point of view (not a Stamps fans) I think that any team from the Flutie years would have kicked the crap out of this years Stamps.

If the Stamps had destroyed their competition in the Playoffs this year I might say otherwise, and I am well aware of the lack of playoff success that Flutie and Garcia had here, but this team didn't dominate the way Flutie could pick apart another team.

I totally agree with that point. I think this year every team in the west was good enough to win the Grey Cup talentwise under the right circumstances. The Stamps, were in my opinion by far the best coached team in the league this season. The difference between Calgary and BC, Sask, and Edmonton was lack of game crippling mistakes when things mattered. It was very rare for the Stamps to lose the turnover battle this year, regular season or playoffs. One more turnover or one less takeaway and they lose either the Western Final or the Grey Cup. This stems right from the coaching.

My opinion about Wally Buono is that he's an excellent General Manager, but only a decent coach. He brings in great talent every year, but allows his teams to get far too cocky, arrogant, and overconfident. They don't respect their opponents. His teams always take their skill for granted and fold like a cheap tent when facing a more determined football club. Both his Calgary and BC 'Dynasties' have won far too few Grey Cups for their regular season sucess. Also just look at the comments made by BC players after losing the West final. They were still beaking off about how they felt they were a more skilled and talented team and that the game got away from them because they left a little too much in the tank. Pure arrogance especially when they got absolutely owned in every regular season game they played against the Stamps this year.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by flip

From an unbiased point of view (not a Stamps fans) I think that any team from the Flutie years would have kicked the crap out of this years Stamps.

If the Stamps had destroyed their competition in the Playoffs this year I might say otherwise, and I am well aware of the lack of playoff success that Flutie and Garcia had here, but this team didn't dominate the way Flutie could pick apart another team.

In addition to that, I think this year's secondary was very well-built to match the offenses in the league right now, particularly those that are based on pocket-passing and timing routes. So they match up pretty well against the elite QBs like Ray and Calvillo that don't have huge mobility and depend on a quick delivery. They'd get eaten alive by most of the 90s elite QBs, except, perhaps for McManus, against whom this style of defense would probably still be pretty effective.

I also agree with Cowboy about Buono. I think our coaching staff this year is the best we've had in the last 20 years (and probably further back, but when I was a 10-year-old football fan, I wasn't really paying attention to the coaching staff).