New BC Lions thread

[Will]

The Lions were hit with a significant retirement today as Bryan Burnham is hanging up the cleats.

[OV Argo]

An all-time great CFL receiver was Burnham IMO; too bad he couldn't have played longer.

[AngeloV]

An all-time great CFL receiver was Burnham IMO; too bad he couldn't have played longer.

I agree. Somehow no matter how great he was, he was so underrated.

[OV Argo]

I agree. Somehow no matter how great he was, he was so underrated.

A total package all-around receiver (ok, maybe not blazing speed) with just superb hands; and his ability to make tough or circus catches is second to none all-time IMO; his all-time production #s with a relatively short CFL career may have him rated behind some all-time #s leading receivers in CFL history, but he's IMO quite better than some with more career #s.

[jerrym]

A Hall of Famer.

[jerrym]

BC has extended Canadian DL David Menard, who had a career high 9 sacks in 2022, through 2024.

[bannedforlife]

Interesting bit of trivia I had never heard before.

While watching the Archive of American Television interview with producer Leonard Goldberg (start at 15:00) he talks about an episode of Starsky and Hutch where they want to quit being cops and join the CFL. He doesn't remember the scene too accurately but I got the idea of what he was trying to say.

So I decided to look up the episode at IMDB where I see the following under the heading Factual Errors

In the very last scene Hutch is on the phone very late at night with someone from the front office of the CFL (Canadian Football League) team the Vancouver Knights, attempting to setup tryouts for him & Starsky. The Vancouver Knights actually disbanded from the CFL after the 1939 season.

Now this fella didn't get it quite right either because Hutch clearly says Vancouver Lions not Knights (start at 42:43). So, I look up Vancouver Knights and did find that a team existed back in the 30s called the Vancouver Knights of Columbus or Kaycees.

Just thought I might bore you with that. BTW, if you've never listened to the Archive of American Television interviews they are very interesting and very good (most of them)

[OV Argo]

Huggy Bear might have made the Lions - at WR and managing the Lions' cheer leaders (best all-time IMO); Starksy & Hutch would have made good tackling dummies. ;o)

Didn't BC have Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed, and Chubbs in Happy Gilmore) on their team at one time ? Plus, wasn't Joe Kapp in some Hollywood flicks ?

[bannedforlife]

Didn't BC have Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed, and Chubbs in Happy Gilmore) on their team at one time ? Plus, wasn't Joe Kapp in some Hollywood flicks ?

Joe Kapp's most famous film role was in The Longest Yard but he also had a very impressive list of credits in many of the most famous TV shows of the 1970s.

Carl Weathers played linebacker for the Lions from 1971-1973, and pro wrestler Tito Santana (Merced Solis) played 13 games at end for the Lions in 1976. Solis caught 17 passes for 329 yards and one receiving touchdown that year.

[Argo57]

Nathan Rourke signs with Jacksonville.
Hopefully he has a good career in the NFL.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...4bMbImuoPV2_x6

["Issues"Mcgee]

Nathan Rourke signs with Jacksonville.
Hopefully he has a good career in the NFL.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...4bMbImuoPV2_x6

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't annoyed by Rourke leaving the CFL, but I wish him all the best, regardless.

[gilthethrill]

I hate seeing the NFL take the CFLs top players year after year but that’s the reality.

[ArgoRavi]

I hate seeing the NFL take the CFLs top players year after year but that’s the reality.

i find it incredibly frustrating but what can be done about it?

["Issues"Mcgee]

i find it incredibly frustrating but what can be done about it?

A commenter somewhere was suggesting a system similar to soccer, where an NFL team would have to pay a CFL team a transfer fee in these situations. I'm sure there is a reason this is not possible though.

Ultimately though I would prefer Canadian talent stay in the CFL. Someday.

[gilthethrill]

i find it incredibly frustrating but what can be done about it?

No league can compete with the NFL. I feel for the owner of the Lions who has been working hard to make the Lions relevant again on the West Coast and now he loses his biggest star (not to mention the CFLs biggest star). Hard to sell a team to a city that features Vernon Adams as your starting QB.

[ArgoRavi]

CFL QBs who have gone onto sustained success/playing time in the NFL:

Joe Kapp - 8 years in the CFL and 4 years in NFL, including a Super Bowl appearance as starting QB
Peter Liske - 4 years in the CFL and then 4 years in the AFL/NFL before returning for 3 more years in the CFL
Joe Theismann - 3 years in the CFL and 12 in the NFL, including a Super Bowl victory
Warren Moon - 6 years in the CFL and 17 in the NFL
Dieter Brock - 11 years in the CFL and 1 in the NFL, quarterbacking the Rams to the NFC championship game
Jeff Garcia - 5 years in the CFL and 13 in the NFL

Other CFL to NFL departures:

Doug Flutie - 1 year in USFL, 4 in NFL, 8 in CFL, and then 8 more in NFL

Henry Burris - 4 years in CFL, including 1 as a full-time starter; 2 in the NFL before returning to the CFL for a long career

Casey Printers - 3 years in CFL, including 2 in which he started many games; 1 year in NFL before returning for an unsuccessful second stint in the CFL

Nathan Rourke - 2 years in CFL, including roughly half of a season as a starter; ? years in NFL

If Rourke makes it in the NFL and has sustained success/playing time, he will be the first CFL QB to spend such little time in the CFL before having such success/playing time in the NFL.

I haven't included Sean Salisbury (parts of 2 seasons in the CFL before limited NFL success) or Erik Kramer (2 seasons of limited playing time in the CFL before 1 decent NFL season) as I don't necessarily see them as being in the same situation.

I know that this isn't a popular opinion but I really feel like Rourke should have stayed for another season or two in the CFL to continue his development (e.g., the West Final stage did seem too big for him) and continue building his resume before heading to the NFL. I think that he could have been in a better position in another year or two. And if anyone says he could get injured during those CFL seasons, that's always a possibility in the NFL also. Ultimately, he was exceptional for half of a CFL season but that's about all we can say about his tenure up here. It would have been interesting to see what he could have done over the next couple of CFL seasons if he had remained but it's his decision, whether one agrees with it or not.

[paulwoods13]

I know that this isn't a popular opinion but I really feel like Rourke should have stayed for another season or two in the CFL to continue his development (e.g., the West Final stage did seem too big for him) and continue building his resume before heading to the NFL. I think that he could have been in a better position in another year or two. And if anyone says he could get injured during those CFL seasons, that's always a possibility in the NFL also.

We'd all have loved to have Rourke stay forever in Canada, but I disagree that he'd have been better off to wait a year or two. Age alone (24 now vs. 26 in two years) makes him more attractive to the NFL at this time. And sure, he could get injured in the NFL or the CFL, but if he gets injured in the NFL he'll at least have earned NFL money and be eligible for what is undoubtedly a much better injury settlement.

[bannedforlife]

Here's a couple I remember from my childhood:

John Sciarra played two years for the Lions and six years for the Eagles. Memories are a funny thing, I remember him as a QB but he barely played there after being the starting QB at UCLA.

In 1976 he was 8/31 passing for the Lions which might explain the below:

Wikipedia - John Sciarra signed a two-year contract with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League on May 26, 1976. He was converted to Slotback early in the season and had 34 receptions for 563 yards. He earned the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award in 1976.

Sciarra played 6 years with the Eagles (1978-1983) as Defensive Back, Punt Returner, and was named Most Valuable Player for Special Teams in 1979 and 1980

Joe Pisarcik played three seasons for the Stamps, three for the Giants, and five for the Eagles. He was the starting QB for his first two years with the Giants until Phil Simms took over. Pisarcik was backup to Ron Jaworski for the Eagles.

Wikipedia - He began his NFL career with the New York Giants and is best remembered for his role in the November 19, 1978, game where the Giants, ahead 17–12 with only seconds to play and their opponent out of time-outs, lost after his handoff (a play called by offensive coordinator Bob Gibson over Pisarcik's objections) to Larry Csonka was fumbled and returned for a touchdown by Herman Edwards of the Philadelphia Eagles.

The play has since been referred to as "The Fumble" by Giants fans and "The Miracle at the Meadowlands" by Eagles fans, and it was instrumental in making the Quarterback kneel (also known as "taking a knee") a routine play for running down the clock at the end of a game.

[bannedforlife]

We'd all have loved to have Rourke stay forever in Canada, but I disagree that he'd have been better off to wait a year or two. Age alone (24 now vs. 26 in two years) makes him more attractive to the NFL at this time. And sure, he could get injured in the NFL or the CFL, but if he gets injured in the NFL he'll at least have earned NFL money and be eligible for what is undoubtedly a much better injury settlement.

I agree with Paul, you have to strike while the iron is hot. While we all think it's a shame, it's inevitable.

What needs to be changed is the narrative. The haters (for lack of a better word) take the old Canadian inferiority complex narrative that the CFL sucks compared to the NFL rather than the player played in a league good enough to allow a transition to the NFL.

We need to take an attitude more like European soccer fans, support your local club and league but you can also support those at the very top. The haters are unable and unwilling to do this. They always come up with the old line "I only follow the best" but upon further examination they are always found to be hypocritical. Sorry for the rant diversion.

Bring back Canadian Professional Football! : )

[Argo57]

We'd all have loved to have Rourke stay forever in Canada, but I disagree that he'd have been better off to wait a year or two. Age alone (24 now vs. 26 in two years) makes him more attractive to the NFL at this time. And sure, he could get injured in the NFL or the CFL, but if he gets injured in the NFL he'll at least have earned NFL money and be eligible for what is undoubtedly a much better injury settlement.

It was an obvious move by Rourke, capitalize on the opportunity while you can.