BC Lions Thread

[jerrym]

Has to be a pretty dramatic pay cut there for Foster.

Welcome on board the good ship Argo.

[jerrym]

Commissioner Randy Ambrosie admits that Odell Willis's helmet-to-helmet hit on Zach Collaros on Saturday was handled poorly, both on the failure to call a penalty until challenged by the Riders and for allowing Collaros to stay in the game initially instead of having him go through the concussion protocol when he twice squatted down to compose himself. Willis could face further discipline. If the CFL is serious about protecting QBs a game suspension for Willis is needed as a fine would not be much of a disincentive.

[jerrym]

The Lions were 3-5 against the teams above them in the standings (Calgary, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg and Ottawa) but 6-3 against the teams below them (Hamilton, Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto). Since they were also 2-7 on the road, I think it's not likely they will go far in the playoffs. But, heh, it's the CFL - anything can happen.

[jerrym]

Ambrosie has fined Willis the maximum allowed amount for his high hit on Zach Collaros in Week 20. The amount of player fines are not revealed.

[argolio]

A fine was enough. No way that deserved a suspension.

[jerrym]

BC put forward an unusual choice for MOP by picking a kicker - Ty Long. Although no kicker has ever won the award and he certainly won't win, one can make an argument for him as BC's choice as Buono does. Personally, I would have preferred Burnham who is only 14 yards from 1,000 yards going into the final game.

“We’ve got nine wins but when you look at those nine wins, the majority of them have come because we’ve won the field position battle and Ty’s a big part of that,” BC Lions special team coordinator Jeff Reinebold said of Long. “We’re asking him to do an awful lot of things and he’s gone out and performed in the clutch every time. He’s had two walk-off field goals for (wins) and he’s improved in every aspect of his game, when you look at him statistically last year to this year, he’s really grown. I think he has a really, really bright future.” ...

The second-year kicker from Roswell, Georgia found a way to build off his all-star rookie season. His net yards are at 4,293, up 310 over last year’s total. He’s made 43-49 field goals this year, good for 87.8 per cent, which is just a tinge under last year’s 88.6 per cent, with Saturday’s regular-season finale against Calgary giving him a chance to tweak those numbers a little more. He’s also hit six field goals over 50 yards this year, which is second in the league to Hamilton’s Lirim Hajrullahu. ...

“I grew up knowing the chances of kickers getting jobs. There are 41,” he said. “There are a few up here and then the 32 (in the NFL). There are 41 jobs in the world, so I knew how tough it can be. I knew a lot of good guys come up here and play in the CFL their whole career and then some guys come up here and go back down.” ...

“I love it up here. I love playing for the BC Lions,” he said. “At the end of the day though,” — Odell Willis interrupts here from the locker next door to say that Long will go to the NFL — “I’ve got to do what’s best for me and my future family. I love playing up here but if I get a good opportunity, you never know what could happen.”

https://www.cfl.ca/2018/11/01/oleary...ong-deserving/

[jerrym]

BC looked very flat against Calgary, which combined with their 2-7 away record makes them an underdog against Hamilton IMO.

[jerrym]

#BCLions will not be making an offer to Duron Carter to play this season. That said, Ed Hervey had a very positive conversation with him and wouldn’t rule out keeping the door open in future seasons. @CFLonTSN @TSN_Sports @TSN1040 @BCLionsDen @CFL

— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) August 13, 2018

[jerrym]

Former BC WR Lion Josh Boden has been arrested for murder.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Boden

[jerrym]

International DT Davon Coleman, who has been selected to the Western Division All-Star team, has signed an one year extension with the Lions.

[jerrym]

The Lions got very good news today that Solomon Elimimian will be back for this week's playoff game against Hamilton after missing 14 games due to a wrist injury.

[jerrym]

Wally says it's time to sell time the Lions as he leaves the scene.

If you spend any time around Wally Buono, you quickly realize everything he says has a purpose.
Thus, when he says it’s time for David Braley to sell the Lions to local ownership, you have to assume he isn’t expressing an idle thought.

According to sources, this market’s never-ending story will be revived in the near future, meaning the for-sale sign is going up on the B.C. Lions. This is as it should be. Braley is 77. He was responsible for saving the Lions in the mid-90s but, as things stand, the franchise is perilously close to returning to the state in which he bought them. There are differences, of course. The TSN TV-contract being principal among them. But the Lions are also fighting the same level of apathy they encountered when they went bankrupt. Something has to be done to engage this fan base and Buono knows this to be true.

It’s time for new owners and a new vision for this team before any further damage is done to the Lions’ brand.

https://vancouversun.com/sports/foot...4-6b1afe718b15

[jerrym]

GM Ed Hervey has indicated that he plans to be "extremely aggressive" in pursuing free agents during the off-season in order to rebuild the fourth place Lions. He also said whoever is hired to replace Buono will be a CFL coach.

[jerrym]

Hervey is interviewing Rider ST Coordinator Craig Dickenson, the older brother of Dave Dickenson, for HC.

[jerrym]

The Lions have extended National LB Jordan Herdman, twin brother of the Argos' Justin Herdman, through 2020. He has become a starter in his second season after Solomon Elimimian was injured. Herdman had 56 DT, 2 sacks and 17 ST tackles.

[jerrym]

Jordan Herdman talks about his year, his former Blue Bomber father, his Argo twin brother and his 2018 season and the 2019 BC Lions below.

He proved from the get-go the task of filling big shoes was not nearly too big, recording a season-high 12 defensive tackles in his first start at Ottawa on July 20th. After turning heads as a ferocious special teams asset in his rookie season, the youngster who set numerous records at SFU was ready for a bigger role.
“It was outstanding,” explained Herdman of his year two experience. “I worked really hard in the offseason just for a potential opportunity to play more defence. Then it happened early in the season. I was prepared and ready for it. I’m grateful this club gave me that chance to step in and play a huge role at middle linebacker. I’m glad I was able to take advantage of it.” ...

“I feel like that’s the mindset we need to have going into next season that we’re going to be a dominant team. We’re coming for the ultimate goal and that’s the Grey Cup. It was awesome to hear that.”
All he has to do is look at Justin’s hand to get even more jacked up for his offseason training. Justin earned a ring with the Toronto Argonauts in 2017, primarily in a special teams role. “That is definitely fuelling me a lot,” said the Lions’ Herdman. “I’m very happy for him that he got it in his first year. But I feel like it’s now mine and the BC Lions’ turn. That’s the goal and we’re going to be going at it 100 per cent this season.” ...

The Herdmans’ father James Reed is a former linebacker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, had a cup of coffee with the Philadelphia Eagles and even spent time in the now-defunct USFL with both the Washington Federals and New Orleans Breakers. He stayed in Winnipeg when his playing career was over and that’s where the twins were born in 1994. When it comes to mastering the craft, Jordan still uses his dad as his number one resource.
“He’s my father and my coach at the same time. That’s outstanding when you have someone like your father to lean on for football-related stuff,” stated Herdman. “They know more about you than anybody and they can push you. My dad can give my stuff that no regular trainer or coach can because he knows me so well. It’s outstanding to have him in my life. I call him after every game because he sees things that I didn’t see during the game. I’m very happy to have him as my father.”

https://www.bclions.com/2018/11/14/h...ger-things-19/

[jerrym]

The annual ritual of speculation on whether Braley will sell the Lions, which started in 2005, has started again. Meanwhile attendance continues to fall. Sound familiar?

The names have changed over the years, as have the parameters of the deal; but, despite the intrigue, we always end up in the same place. Braley, the Hamilton-based industrialist, continues to own the Lions despite the long-held belief the franchise needs local ownership to thrive.
There’s a suggestion he’ll sell. Then he won’t. Then he will. Then he won’t. The dance continues and the only change is there’s no change.

So why would things be any different this time around? Maybe they’re not. Maybe Braley, the longtime CFL loyalist, likes the idea of staying in the game and likes the influence and prestige owning the club brings. That’s the most credible explanation for his continued involvement in a business that’s been in steady decline for almost a decade. Well, that and no one has come near his asking price over the years.
But something also feels different this time around, something to do with Wally Buono’s retirement, the 77-year-old Braley’s advanced age and the diminished state of the Lions’ brand. There’s also a local group interested in buying the Lions, a partnership of insurance man Mark Woodall and car dealer Moray Keith who’ve been around this story almost as long as it’s been in the public sphere. Add it up and it appears everything is in place to bring about the sale. By now, you must know things are never that easy.

“I was at Mr. Braley’s house on Friday (before the Lions’ crushing 48-8 loss to Hamilton in Sunday’s playoff game),” Buono said during Tuesday’s emotional farewell news conference. “I can tell you he still has a tremendous amount of passion for his football club. I want to be fair to David. What he does, I won’t question Mr. Braley. I know whatever he does he’s going to put the club before himself.”
But first there has to be an agreement over the value of the franchise.

Woodall and Keith made Braley a formal offer last year in the $14-million range that was rejected. That offer is now off the table, largely because the two businessmen believe the Lions are a diminishing asset. Average attendance was actually up marginally this year over last from 19,858 per game in 2017 to 19,975 in 2018. That ended a run of seven consecutive seasons in which attendance fell. To put things in perspective, that trend started after the 2011 season, when the Lions averaged 36,510 fans per game in the newly renovated B.C. Place Stadium. That now seems like so long ago. “We’re back at 2002 or 2003 with where the organization sits,” Woodall said.

There are other factors to consider. The Ottawa Redblacks, for example, paid a franchise fee of a reported $7 million when they came into the league for the 2014 season. The number for the proposed team in the Maritimes hasn’t been made public but it’s thought to be in that range.
The Woodall-Keith group is also aware it will have to invest upfront money in the Lions. Braley has always paid the bills on time and he’s provided an immeasurable level of stability over the years. But neither has he invested heavily in promoting or marketing the club. “It needs an overhaul,” Woodall said of the Lions’ operation.

Woodall and Keith might be the only players in the game at this point and they’ve been at it a while. The two Vancouver businessmen were first vetted by former CFL commissioner Mark Cohon, who stepped down after the 2014 season. They’ve also had conversations with current commissioner Randy Ambrosie.
In an ideal world, Braley and the league would prefer to sell to a single owner or a single entity and Woodall and Keith have said they will buy the team. But they’re also looking for local partners to offset their exposure.

Braley, meanwhile, has maintained there are other parties interested in owning the team. Again, that may be the case, and Canucks Sports and Entertainment remains a wild card as a potential buyer. But a quick check with sources said they also believe the asking price is too high, which brings us back to Woodall and Keith.
If there’s a deal to be made, the partners would like to close before Christmas.

https://vancouversun.com/sports/foot...2-c556f711cc80

[jerrym]

Wally Buono has won the Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award. As Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said the award goes to someone who has demonstrated great leadership and made significant contributions to the CFL; in the case of Wally that is a massive understatement.

[jerrym]

Three International 2018 rookies have signed 2019 contracts with BC: QB Ricky Lloyd, LB Lee Bennett, and DL Ebenezer Ogundeko. However, QB Jonathan Jennings says he intends to become a free agent.

[jerrym]

International DE Odell Willis has agreed to a one year contract extension with the Lions.