The B.C. Lions, who believed they had a team capable of repeating as Grey Cup champions, spent Monday cleaning out lockers and dealing with the frustration of a lost opportunity.
Clothes and shoes were stuffed into plastic bags, personal items cleared from stalls.
Lions defensive end Cameron Wake packs up his belongings on Monday.
(Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)
More difficult to pack away was the pain from a 26-17 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Sunday's CFL West Final.
"There's emptiness and a feeling of a lost opportunity," said Lions centre Angus Reid, who hobbled around on a sore knee.
"The fact it's going to be five or six months until we can do something about it is the really frustrating part. It's not like the regular season where you get them next week.
"It's done. And there's nothing you can do about it, except think about it and get upset."
The Lions hoped to be the first team since the 1996-97 Toronto Argonauts to win back-to-back Grey Cups.
B.C. set a franchise record with 14 wins during the season and hosted the final for a fourth consecutive year.
But it was just another good season with a bad ending.
"It sucks," sighed Lions slotback Geroy Simon, who had a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap pulled down low over his forehead.
"You don't win your last game, you feel like this. We felt we had a good year but we didn't finish it off."
Dickenson undecided
The winter may seem even longer for Dave Dickenson.
The veteran quarterback missed most of the season with post-concussion syndrome after taking a hit in a July 13 game in
Regina.
The 34-year-old has missed parts of the last three campaigns with injuries, and the Lions may decide to go with Jarious Jackson and Buck Pierce next year.
"This is the most indecision I've ever had in my career probably," said Dickenson, who stood with his hands stuffed deep into a pair of grey track pants.
"Even before when I got released and cut by the NFL, I knew there were jobs waiting for me. This year, I really don't know."
Dickenson signed a new three-year contract with the Lions prior to the season that pays him around $400,000 a year.
Still, the Lions could release him or try to trade him.
"I still think I have good things to offer whatever club wants me," Dickenson said. "I would like to stay here.
"But I also understand there is a salary management issue, there's other issues. I'd like to be back, I like our three guys here.
"At times, it can get a little bit of that musical-chairs thing. But the way we had health issues, it's good to have three guys that can win."
Dickenson knows taking a salary cut could keep him with the Lions, but isn't sure he wants to go that road.
"I don't know what I'm going to take," he said. "I understand that if you're going to get paid the way I get paid you are the starter and you need to play the majority of the games.
"That didn't happen this year. I don't know what's going to happen."
Played only 5 games
Dickenson played in just five games this year, completing 56 of 87 passes for 740 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
His last chance at glory for the Lions could have come in Sunday's loss when he replaced Jackson late in the second quarter with B.C. trailing 13-10.
He did throw a touchdown pass to Simon, but was sacked five times and fumbled the ball away, resulting in a field goal.
It was a nutshell of Dickenson's year: some good, maybe more bad.
"Personally, it just felt like I wasn't able to accomplish or make an impact the way I wanted to," Dickenson said. "But I also feel proud of the fact that I stayed with it.
"It didn't work out. But I could have easily thrown in the towel early."
Jackson was 9-2 as a starter during the regular season, but struggled Sunday. He completed just three of 12 passes for 51 yards and two interceptions before being pulled.
Jackson is a free agent and could get some calls from other teams.
"We'll see what happens," he said. "I like this organization, I like this team."
Wally Buono, the Lions head coach and general manager, said it's too early to talk about what he's going to do with his quarterbacks.
"I'm not going to discuss that today," he said. "That will be resolved."
Dickenson wants the issue sorted out by January.
Related
More Football Headlines »
- Patriots game to make U.S. broadcasting history
- The New England Patriots' shot at a historic 16-0 mark will be broadcast Saturday night on American networks CBS, NBC and the NFL Network, the league announced on Wednesday.
- San Diego continues domination of Denver
- San Diego rides the running of LaDainian Tomlinson to another victory over the Denver Broncos as they close in on clinching the No. 3 seed in the NFL's AFC.
- Steelers lose top rusher Parker for season
- Willie Parker, the NFL's leading rusher when he broke his right leg Thursday night in St. Louis, was officially lost for the season when the Pittsburgh Steelers placed him on the injured reserve list Monday.
- Bills, Lions suffer key injuries
- Buffalo Bills left tackle Jason Peters and Detroit Lions running back Kevin Jones will each miss his team's regular-seaon finale this weekend, it was announced Monday.
- NFL roundup: Packers lose home field in NFC
- Green Bay is headed to the NFL playoffs, but the Packers kissed goodbye any chance they had of securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
More Sports Headlines »
- Canadiens romp over lazy Lightning
- The Montreal Canadiens outworked Tampa Bay all night on Thursday, winning the game easily with more than a little help from Lightning defenceman Filip Kuba.
- Flyers bust slump, beat Leafs
- Joffrey Lupul scored twice, and Daniel Brière registered his first multi-point game in more than a month as the Flyers snapped out of a recent malaise by pounding the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 Thursday.
- Senators overpower resurgent Islanders
- The Ottawa Senators came out of their Christmas break in fine form after they disposed of the resurgent New York Islanders 5-2 on Thursday night at Scotiabank Place in Kanata, Ont.
- Canada goes to 2-0 at world hockey juniors
- Kyle Turris scored both goals to lead Canada's junior team to a 2-0 victory over Slovakia at the world championship, in a game featuring outstanding goaltending from Julius Hudacek in the opposition goal.
- Avalanche lose Sakic for up to 3 months
- Colorado Avalanche star Joe Sakic will undergo hernia surgery Friday that will keep him out of action for up to three months.
Sports Features
- NBARaptors Basketball
- Sun, Jan. 6 at 1:00 pm ET: Cleveland at Toronto
Blog Watch
Most Blogged about CBC.ca Articles
Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - link will open in new window
