The Calgary Stampeders franchise and fans have been in for a treat ever since John Hufnagel took over the job as bench boss in 2008. Their regular season record of 77-35-1 (cfl.ca stats) is simply outstanding, especially in the always-competitive Western division of the Canadian Football League. But is his long tenure leading the team a wasted dynasty?
Calgary is almost always the team to beat in recent years, with three Western division titles heading into the playoffs, and never close to slipping below a .500 winning percentage (their worst season was 2012 at 10-7-1). Any fan base or franchise in the last seven years would love a record like that.
However, with all that success, including two trips to the big dance during his tenure, and one Grey Cup championship in 2008, Hufnagel’s teams seem vulnerable in the playoffs, the 2008 Cup run being the only exception.
With all his regular season success behind the bench in Calgary, Hufnagel’s playoff record is a rather average 5-5. Two of those losses came while hosting the western final at home, a loss in 2010 to Saskatchewan, and most recently last year after an incredible 14-4 season record, losing again at the hands of the Riders. Despite their regular season competitiveness, signs of vulnerability appear in the playoffs with his squads: turn overs, ill-advised decision making, and costly penalties.
Football is not like most other major sports – you have one shot, one game to prove you are worthy of advancing. This isn’t hockey, basketball, or baseball, with their best of seven series that eventually almost always sees the better team succeed. In the CFL playoffs you have your one chance to play mistake-free football, get “hot” at the right time, and let your talented team shine.
Last year in the western final at Calgary we all witnessed how the Stampeders’ turnovers and major mental errors handed a Grey Cup ticket to the eventual champion Riders. When we try to figure out who to blame, the obvious answer is the coach: he needs to come up with a game plan, and to calm his players’ nerves when mistakes start happening. If his personnel are not receiving the message, maybe they are no longer interested in that message.
We could also blame the bye week, waiting around seeing who they will play at home in a one-shot, winner advances game. But isn’t that the reward for such a successful campaign during the season? Would you not value the extra week for rest and mental preparation, as well as for focusing on what you want to accomplish offensively and defensively?
There’s also player execution; granted, that would be on the players, but if the game plan isn’t working for whatever reason, it’s the coach’s job to calm everyone down and make the necessary adjustments. We just don’t seem to see that with Hufnagel’s Stampeders in the playoffs .
Even if we pick apart everything in his playoff failures, though, at the end of the day we have to acknowledge his regular season success. He is very talented, and of course that talent comes with serious winning credentials.
With the Stamps once again rolling well through this regular season, one can’t help but wonder. Will this result in yet another sub-par playoff performance? Calgary is again soaring to the front of the pack in the ultra-competitive West this year. The question remains, though: what will happen at the end? Is this a wasted dynasty?
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