Wally Buono's nickname within the B.C. Lions is The Riddler and, while you wonder if anyone has the stones to call him that to his face, there were moments during Tuesday's presser when he lived up to his moniker.
A question, for example, was asked about the decision Buono faces with his kickers, Paul McCallum and Sean Whyte. He paused for a moment, then formulated an answer which started in Fort Langley, turned left at Surrey, crossed the Fraser into Burnaby, doubled back to Coquitlam and ended up at Science World.
Here was the gist of the answer. We have two kickers. One's young. One's old. Tough one.
It just took about 48 minutes to get there.
But later, during a wildly revealing session, Buono explained his decision to return as the Leos' head coach and this time he was as clear and direct as he's been in his eight years here. The 60-year-old CFL institution admitted he had several dark nights of the soul this season, particularly during his team's crushing start, but ever time he considered quitting, he kept coming back to the same place.
Buono might have been ready to pack it in. But, the team wasn't. Virtually every week they'd go out, get kicked in the groin, then stumble back to Surrey. And every week they'd return to practice as if they were 7-1, not 1-7.
At first Buono was confused by this. Then he began to realize that these kids – the Steven Blacks, the Solomon Elimimians, the Travis Lulays, the Jovan Olafioyes – weren't trying to impress him.
This is who they are.
That's also when Buono decided he had to stick around. That's when he knew he had to stick around.
“I couldn't figure out why they stuck together,” Buono said. “Then I figured out, these are good character people who want to get better and want to become a good football team. There was no other reason. It was too hard. There were too many gut-wrenching losses.
“If I'm not the head coach, all these guys have to re-adjust. Believe me, you guys see me. I don't do s—-t here. I blow the whistle. But, at least there's a consistency when they come back.”
And they have hope which, considering everything the Lions endured this past season, is an impressive accomplishment..
Buono's return, of course, had been predicted by the soothsayers in the final stages of the regular season so Tuesday's announcement didn't exactly register as a surprise. But a couple of the other things the coach said certainly did.
For starters, he took full blame for some of the personnel decisions which crippled the Lions at the start of the season.
“Casey (Printers) was a failure,” he said. “He didn't work out. That way my fault. I'm not blaming anyone but myself.”
He also copped to a some other miscalculations and when the future of some of his coaches was raised, specifically offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelain, Buono put on The Riddler's tights again.
But, mostly, he spoke about his affection for his team and, when you think about it, it's a pretty cool story. Buono has been in this game as long as the rouge. During that time, he's never been mistaken for Alan Alda on the sensitivity meter.
But there was something about these kids – their drive, their passion, their resiliency – that got to him.
OK, the thought of delivering a Grey Cup champion to David Braley at the new B.C. Place in 2011 factors into his decision and Buono's ego would tell him he's just the man for that job.
But there's something deeper to this; something that transcends championships and individual glory, and you just had to listen to Buono to understand that..
“In Italian they use the term testa dura,” said Buono. “I'm a hard head.
“But when you see Solomon Elimimian (at the outstanding player awards during Grey Cup week) how can you next get excited? Maybe I'm learning to be less of a coach and more of a mentor.
“I've been accused of being distant and cold. Maybe that's changed.”
We'll remind him of that if this team gets off to another 1-7 start in 2011. In the meantime, Buono is back and you can't help but share in his excitement.
