The Jim Barker Love-In thread

[bluto]

ITT: We discuss how Jim Barker had the best possible 365 day period that any CFL GM could ever have.

Barker_J0408.jpg

- ended 2011 as coach and GM of the last place team in the CFL Eastern Division
- takes stock of the team's year under his coaching and humbly steps down as coach
- replaces himself with a blue chip coach who is respected across football as a can't miss prospect
- new blue chip coaches best friend (also a dear friend of Barker's) gets signed as DC and Ast.GM(Barker pays the league a "speeding ticket" fine but gets his man before he hits the market)
- Barker knows that Edmonton's GM covets a QB that he has and doesn't want to go forward with so he gets a Hall of Famer at QB for spare players and a pick
- Barker in concert with Ast.GM and his personnel department have almost 20 free agent camps scouring North America for talent
- his single season turnover includes: Ray (Hall of fame level QB at the height of his game), Inman, Ball (team DMVP as a rookie), Armstead (team most outstanding rookie), Boulay, Caroll, Cohen, Lee, Horne, Watkins, Isaac, McCune, Jackson, Harris, Collaros, Reinders, Washington, Waters, Spencer, Smith, Parenteau, Rambo, Riggs and a few others all brought in this season...
- ended 2012 as GM of the 100th Grey Cup Champion

Quite plainly: it couldn't have been done any better... and the forecast going forward looks very good. Raise a glass to JB everyone.

[paulwoods13]

Couldn't have said it better myself. Well done, bluto!

[ArgoRavi]

Steve Simmons has written a column in support of Barker: http://www.torontosun.com/2012/11/27...d-an-extension

[OV Argo]

It was a great Argo season with so many things coming together and right moves made - and Jim Barker deserves a lot of credit !

And I believe it will be a challenge next season to continue to be a very good football team and solid organization - that puts up a winning season and a serious challenge for the difficult task of repeating as GC Champs; even though it's only an 8 team league - it's still not real easy to be a winning team and a serious challenger in the play-offs for a number of seasons. Like to see the Argos get there - and looks like they have a lot of the right pieces in place.

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggooooooooooooos !!!

[bluto]

Steve Simmons has written a column in support of Barker: http://www.torontosun.com/2012/11/27...d-an-extension

lol! you're welcome again Steve...


@ OV Argo: i know that your number 1 issue is the "good ol' boys club" and one could argue that if such a thing exists, that JB is a member... classy of you to give props where they're due.

[LLB997]

BARKER IS THE MAN (today)

[Will]

T-Bone, Scotty, Amchow78 and I met him on the street after the parade. Encouraged us to keep wearing our Argo gear throughout the off-season. I agree that he is to be applauded for the work that he did in putting this team together.

[Invader]

Got to give Barker some credit for assembling this championship team! He's really brought in some top-notch talent in all positions.

Barker got off on the wrong foot when he selected Lemon, Bell and Dorsey as his QB's the first season, which set the team back. But his proactive negotiations to pry R. Ray out of Edm will go down as the best trade of all-time.

Barker is great at player evaluation and recruitment and has a good eye for talent which can fit their schemes. Hopefully he'll remain with the Argos in the seasons to come!

[jerrym]

I not only give Barker credit for assembling a championship team but rebuilding a team in three seasons virtually from what was the equivalent of an first year expansion team where one has to recruit, trade and draft nearly everyone on the team.

[paulwoods13]

Barker got off on the wrong foot when he selected Lemon, Bell and Dorsey as his QB's the first season, which set the team back.

With those guys at QB, the team went 9-9 and had a playoff win. The previous year's QBs were 3-15. How did that decision set the team back?

[gilthethrill]

This team also had to overcome a fire to the practice facility last offseason. Barker helped this team to 2 East Division Finals & a Grey Cup victory in 3 years. Not bad. Also happy to see Eastern teams win both Championships over the weekend to quiet the "Western Superiority" complex.

[Will]

This team also had to overcome a fire to the practice facility last offseason. Barker helped this team to 2 East Division Finals & a Grey Cup victory in 3 years. Not bad. Also happy to see Eastern teams win both Championships over the weekend to quiet the "Western Superiority" complex.

What was the 2nd championship?

[294life]

The funny thing was me recognizing Barker at the War Horse showing two days before the labor day game. I figured, only in Toronto would a guy like that not get mobbed or recognized by folk. I appreciated what he did for the als in 2002 as well Jones and Belli. Same as Milo,Boulay and Desriveaux for 2009,2010. Some montreal rubbed off on this team.

[ArgoRavi]

The funny thing was me recognizing Barker at the War Horse showing two days before the labor day game.

Barker was at the theatre instead of out scouting for players?!!! How dare he!

[bluto]

What was the 2nd championship?

no doubt he's referring to les rouge et or.

[Will]

McMaster sure is a great Western Canadian institution of higher learning

[Invader]

With those guys at QB, the team went 9-9 and had a playoff win. The previous year's QBs were 3-15. How did that decision set the team back?

It comes down to character. Those QB's didn't have the experience in the CFL to provide the needed leadership. I had suggested the Argos should acquire Jarious Jackson, who I believe would have been a big asset for Lemon getting adjusted to the CFL. The Argos ultimately could never win the big one until they found some leaders at the all-important QB position. That's why I believe not having an experienced CFL QB set the team back.

[gilthethrill]

McMaster sure is a great Western Canadian institution of higher learning

I thought my post was easy to understand, but please let me clarify...I was not referring Mac as being from the West. The point I was trying to make was that a team from the East won the Vanier.....Had Mac won, that would not have changed.

[OV Argo]

This team also had to overcome a fire to the practice facility last offseason. Barker helped this team to 2 East Division Finals & a Grey Cup victory in 3 years. Not bad. Also happy to see Eastern teams win both Championships over the weekend to quiet the "Western Superiority" complex.

Yeah - i get what you mean gil; a lot of CFL West fans have spouted off about how weak the East has been for years; and I've read a lot of CIS football fans who had a "western superiority complex", seemed to me - like CanWest was the strongest, most talented division and they liked to mock the OUA or Atlantic as weak sisters.

Well - the Argos are GC Champs; and Laval and Mac are the 2 obvious CIS football powers - for the past 2 years anyways (things can change fast in college football program fortunes, but i have a feeling Laval ain't slowing down anytime soon).

Some football fans seem more like pan-canadian football fans to me - willing to recognize good teams where-ever and respect for all Canadian football and fellow fans; whereas some others - seem like sore loser homers or carry their grudges and biases against other cities or parts of the country = pathetic IMO.

[argolio]

Posted this on the game thread, but it applies even more here:

Winning a championship pretty much validates everything Barker has done since 2010 -- naming Lemon as the starter, cutting him, signing and cutting Brannagan, taking the heat after Boyd was cut and after other popular players were released or not re-signed, his draft strategy, and anything else you can think of.