CFL/BC Lions Thread

[J529]

Paopoa and Dorazio released.

http://www.tsn.ca/assistant-coaches-paopao-dorazio-released-by-lions-1.172123

[J529]

Lions offer OC position to Cortez.

http://www.tsn.ca/lions-offer-offensive-coordinator-job-to-cortez-1.176240

The B.C. Lions have made contract offers to the coaching staff, including former Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive coordinator George Cortez.

While Cortez will head up the offence, new head coach Jeff Tedford will be heavily involved with building the offence and potentially calling plays.

Former Roughriders offensive line coach Doug Malone will also be joining Cortez in Vancouver.

Chuck McMann remains as the team's special teams coach with the addition of running backs coach to his portfolio.

Tedford will also add quality control assistants before training camp begins in June.

Offensive line coach Dan Dorazio, defensive line coach Carl Hairston, running backs coach Kelly Bates and receivers coach Joe Paopao will not be back.

[J529]

Benevides turns down Riders offer to become DC. He won't coach in 2015.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/mike-benevides-will-not-coach-in-the-cfl-in-2015-saskatchewan-roughriders-winnipeg-blue-bombers-football-richie-hall/

Mike Benevides will not be coaching in the CFL in 2015, meaning the Saskatchewan Roughriders are still looking for a defensive coordinator and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will likely go with Richie Hall as theirs.

Benevides, the former BC Lions head coach, was offered the defensive coordinator position by the Riders during the holiday season. He was also in talks with Winnipeg to run the Blue Bombers’ defence.

But in a text message to Sportsnet Friday morning, Benevides indicated he’ll stay out of the high-pressure professional football environment next season, opting for more family time in 2015.

“I’ve decided that the best decision for me at this time is to focus on being a husband and a father,” Benevides wrote.

Saskatchewan parted ways with Hall at the end of the 2014 season. Winnipeg did the same with Gary Etcheverry in December.

On New Years eve, Sportsnet reported that the Blue Bombers and Hall were negotiating contract terms to make him the team’s next defensive coordinator. It is believed both Benevides (from Saskatchewan) and Hall (Winnipeg) were offered two-year terms from each team.

[J529]

Khari is staying with the Lions as QB's coach. It's a demotion.

Arash Madani
@ArashMadani #CFL update: Khari Jones was in the mix for Sask's QB coach job. Sources tell me BC offered Khari a gig on Tedford's staff and he'll take it

Arash Madani
@ArashMadani With Khari Jones staying in BC, makes total sense that George Cortez will be the Lions offensive coordinator. Tedford connection, etc. #CFL

Arash Madani
@ArashMadani Per #CFL sources: Kelly Bates is out as RB coach and draft coordinator of the Lions. Jeff Tedford's regime getting underway.

Farhan Lalji @FarhanLaljiTSN
First mistake of the Jeff Tedford era: not keeping Kelly Bates. Does an outstanding job as Cdn draft coordinator & a top up& coming OL coach

[Amish Rake Fighter]

Hmmm...isn't Lalji friends with Bates or they've coached together or something?

edit football camp at SFU?

Edited January 23, 2015 by Amish Rake Fighter

[Grapefruits]

The BC Lions Football Club announced this morning that head coach Jeff Tedford has added George Cortez, Doug Malone and Robin Ross to the team’s 2015 coaching staff.

“Each of these men bring significant experience and expertise to our club and I am very pleased to welcome them aboard,” said head coach Jeff Tedford. “As a group, we are focused on one singular goal and that is to bring a championship home to fans of the BC Lions.”

Cortez will serve as the Lions’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and is reunited with Tedford with whom he worked with at the University of California-Berkley from 2002 to 2005. A five-time Grey Cup champion, most recently in 2013 as offensive coordinator with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Cortez brings a wealth of coaching experience to the Lions.

Also making the move from the Prairies to the West Coast is offensive line coach Doug Malone who was a member of Cortez ’s staff in Saskatchewan (‘13-‘14) as well as in Hamilton in 2011. Malone’s coaching career dates back to the early 1980’s and includes a 13-year stint at Wingate University (1986-98) the final five of which were as the school’s head coach.

Robin Ross begins his first CFL season as a coach and also brings tremendous credentials to the Lions with almost 40 years of coaching experience. Ross too is reunited with Tedford as the two served alongside one another on the staffs of Fresno State in 1996 and at Oregon in 1998. Working most recently at the University of Wyoming as special teams coordinator and linebackers coach in 2012 and 2013, Ross was also head coach for three years at nearby Western Washington University located in Bellingham.

To round out the club’s 2015 coaching staff, Tedford will retain Mark Washington as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, Johnny Holland as linebackers coach and Khari Jones as receivers coach. The first-year Lions head coach also announced that running back coaching duties will be assigned to current special teams coordinator Chuck McMann who previously served in the same dual capacity for the club from 2008 to 2011.

The Lions have also added Quinn Tedford as a quality control coach on offence and former CFL defensive back Willie Fields in a similar capacity on defence as well as duties as an assistant defensive backs coach. The younger Tedford held a quality control posting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014, while Fields comes to the Leos after coaching defensive backs at Simon Fraser University last year.

Edited January 23, 2015 by Grapefruits

[Amish Rake Fighter]

Buono's on 1040 right now, I didn't realize that it was Tedford that contacted Wall eye when the job opened up.

Pretty hard not to be excited about the new group coming in...sounds like Lulay's going to be ready for training camp but he's going to have to change the way he plays. ie stop taking on tacklers when he scrambles

[RUPERTKBD]

Buono's on 1040 right now, I didn't realize that it was Tedford that contacted Wall eye when the job opened up.

Pretty hard not to be excited about the new group coming in...sounds like Lulay's going to be ready for training camp but he's going to have to change the way he plays. ie stop taking on tacklers when he scrambles

I think the Jays are doing their annual tour of the country. Maybe they can have one of them teach Travis how to slide....

[Amish Rake Fighter]

I think the Jays are doing their annual tour of the country. Maybe they can have one of them teach Travis how to slide....

It couldn't hurt.

I'm a Buck Pierce fan but, if any player is going to constantly put himself in situations where he's getting hurt, his ability eventually becomes irrelevant.

Wally sounded like it bothered him a bit, almost as if he had already had that conversation in the past but Lulay just kept on Lulaying

[spur1]

At last we have a real OC

[g_bassi13]

At last we have a real OC

I hope so. We've gone long enough without one, lol. I think Cortez was a solid hire though.

[drdeath]

Well this could be fun. He had been linked with the Als in the past few days.

The BC Lions Football Club announced this afternoon that veteran NFL receiver Austin Collie has signed with the team.

Collie spent five seasons in the NFL most notably with the Indianapolis Colts who drafted the BYU standout in 2009. Establishing himself as one of the league’s top rookies that year, he hauled in 60 receptions for 676 yards while also becoming a prime target of quarterback Peyton Manning. He capped the year with a 123-yard performance in the AFC Championship and also notched 66 yards on six catches in the Super Bowl versus New Orleans.

“Austin has an established football resume and will add depth, speed and experience to our roster,” said VP of football operations and GM Wally Buono. “He is an exciting player that I know our fans will enjoy watching this season.”

In total, Collie played in 42 games over four seasons for the Colts catching 173 passes for 1,845 yards and 16 touchdowns. In 2013, he signed with the New England Patriots where he made seven regular season appearances with six receptions for 63 yards.

“I’m excited to be joining the Lions and very much look forward to playing in the CFL,”said Collie from his home in Salt Lake City. “The wide-open play of the Canadian game and the passion of fans across the league is going to be a lot of fun to experience.”

Under provisions of last year’s new CFL collective bargaining agreement, the Hamilton-born Collie will qualify as a National on the Lions’ roster.

Edited January 29, 2015 by drdeath

[Grapefruits]

Well this could be fun. He had been linked with the Als in the past few days.

Looks like he has potential. Kinda dropped off the past couple seasons. Im gonna assume injuries?

Not an NHL fan so I've never seen him play. Is he any good?

[RUPERTKBD]

Austin Collie?

We're going to need a Dawg Pound at BC Place...

Edited January 29, 2015 by RUPERTKBD

[drdeath]

Looks like he has potential. Kinda dropped off the past couple seasons. Im gonna assume injuries?

Not an NHL fan so I've never seen him play. Is he any good?

He was shaping up to be a pretty good receiver for the Colts a few seasons ago but he's been absolutely annhilated a few times resulting in concussions. Should be cool to have a reciever who's caught passes from Peyton Manning (and technically caught a few from Tom Brady until he got released for another injury).

[NucksPatsFan]

Had a lot of potential, has the raw skill, has a fragile head. Long history of concussion problems and seems to get them quite easily [which makes sense as the threshold to sustain a concussion lessens and lessens with each concussion].

When he came to the Patriots, I was excited about his potential but he had trouble getting many snaps in games because he hadn't grasped the playbook (he signed mid way through the season).

While he only was on the team for short period, and only caught 6 or 7 passes, they were almost all clutch catches on 3rd and 4th downs with a lot of distance to go. He certainly has a great pair of hands and can make catches in traffic. One of his most memorable catches with New England was catching a 4th and 18 pass to extend the what was a game winning drive.

Hopefully he can stay healthy in the CFL.

[Grapefruits]

Some interesting stats regarding football in BC:

KEEN INTEREST IN FOOTBALL CONTINUES TO GROW IN BC

On the heels of hosting a very successful 102nd Grey Cup in Vancouver last November and the upcoming Super Bowl featuring the Seattle Seahawks, football is getting a lot of coverage in the media and enjoying growing popularity in British Columbia.

According to a new, independent study from the marketing research firm Insights West, British Columbians love their football and most notably the BC Lions. The study showed 30% of respondents indicate they are “hardcore” or “regular” fans of the Leos and an additional 21% responded with the same sentiments when asked about our NFL neighbors to the south.

“The results don’t come as a surprise to us,” admits team President and CEO Dennis Skulsky. “Our own research has revealed similar results but it’s encouraging that an outside firm has come up with similar data. We have very loyal fans across the province and we value their support tremendously. We love our position in this market and we are going to continue to do everything we can to keep growing our brand and our sport.”

What is perhaps most interesting about the study though is that football has taken top spot in our region. With a combined 51% of residents responding as “hardcore” or “regular” fans of the Lions and Seahawks, compared to 40% for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks and 15% for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the MLS.

“The market for football in our province is alive and well, and growing,“ said Skulsky. “Through our continued support of amateur football programs throughout BC, this great game will continue to thrive.”

[RUPERTKBD]

Some interesting stats regarding football in BC:

KEEN INTEREST IN FOOTBALL CONTINUES TO GROW IN BC

On the heels of hosting a very successful 102nd Grey Cup in Vancouver last November and the upcoming Super Bowl featuring the Seattle Seahawks, football is getting a lot of coverage in the media and enjoying growing popularity in British Columbia.

According to a new, independent study from the marketing research firm Insights West, British Columbians love their football and most notably the BC Lions. The study showed 30% of respondents indicate they are “hardcore” or “regular” fans of the Leos and an additional 21% responded with the same sentiments when asked about our NFL neighbors to the south.

“The results don’t come as a surprise to us,” admits team President and CEO Dennis Skulsky. “Our own research has revealed similar results but it’s encouraging that an outside firm has come up with similar data. We have very loyal fans across the province and we value their support tremendously. We love our position in this market and we are going to continue to do everything we can to keep growing our brand and our sport.”

What is perhaps most interesting about the study though is that football has taken top spot in our region. With a combined 51% of residents responding as “hardcore” or “regular” fans of the Lions and Seahawks, compared to 40% for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks and 15% for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the MLS.

“The market for football in our province is alive and well, and growing,“ said Skulsky. “Through our continued support of amateur football programs throughout BC, this great game will continue to thrive.”

I played minor football as a kid. Unfortunately, there was no high school, or Junior football in PG, so I wasn't able to continue on after that. The only option was Flag Football, which I played in my late teens and then in my 30's and 40's, when I moved to Prince Rupert.

The unfortunate thing about football is that it's so expensive. The equipment per player can run into hundreds of dollars. For most communities, it's just too difficult to keep up with those kinds of expenses.

The result is, although people love football, many don't really understand it. I remember when I first started playing here in Prince Rupert and tried to explain a zone defense to my teammates. I might as well have been speaking a different language. I also learned quickly that I couldn't call a "post" or "corner" route in the huddle and expect the receiver to understand.

It would be nice to see a bigger grassroots movement in BC, but it's tough. Many families are already shelling out for hockey and one expensive sport is all they can handle. This is why soccer dominates the other seasons.

[peaches5]

Anyone else think this league is going absolutely no where until they change from 3 to 4 downs? I started off watching CFL football and as I got older moved towards the NFL and now when I try to watch CFL its just unwatchable. You've the best quarterbacks in the world playing in the NFL then AFL and then scraps left over for the CFL and arena football. 3 downs would be incredibly difficult for NFL quarterbacks to maintain drives when you have washed up QB's it just makes for extremely boring football. The change of possession every minute is just dumb.

I can understand the CFL wanting to be different than the NFL but if they plan to keep the 3 down system this league is never going to be anything but a bush league. The CFL would be so much better off with 4 downs. Americans would actually watch it you would actually get some better players in the league which would lead to more than handful of teams hell you might even be able to get some teams in the states where the NFL won't expand to.

I just think this league can grow so much bigger if you just get rid of this ridiculous 3 down system.

[Gurn]

I was just thinking that if the NFL switched to a three down system I'd start watching it more. Four downs is just ridiculous, aren't those quarter backs good enough to do it with three downs? Crazy, way too easy with that many attempts.