CFL/BC Lions Thread

[MJDDawg]

And now with the new football league in the USA starting up with minimum salaries of around $100K per year and 3-year contracts, the pool of talent for the CFL gets even smaller.

 

https://globalnews.ca/news/4330664/alliance-of-american-football-league-cfl/

 

 

[NucksPatsFan]

17 minutes ago, MJDDawg said:

And now with the new football league in the USA starting up with minimum salaries of around $100K per year and 3-year contracts, the pool of talent for the CFL gets even smaller.

 

https://globalnews.ca/news/4330664/alliance-of-american-football-league-cfl/

 

 

American born players, can stay in America in cities near their college, make a minimum of $250K USD, and play American rules?

 

Bye Bye CFL.

[Alflives]

26 minutes ago, NucksPatsFan said:

American born players, can stay in America in cities near their college, make a minimum of $250K USD, and play American rules?

 

Bye Bye CFL.

Which markets does the CFL do well in?  Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton, and Calgary.  I just don't think these four teams can carry the rest of the league, especially with the TSN TV deal likely going way done in money.  And the league is considering expanding to Halifax?  Are they crazy?  If anything, the league should contract.  Maybe just call it the Prairie Football League?

[RUPERTKBD]

2 hours ago, NucksPatsFan said:

American born players, can stay in America in cities near their college, make a minimum of $250K USD, and play American rules?

 

Bye Bye CFL.

Funny that it didn't die with the USFL or the XFL.

 

We'll see if it's the upstart American league, or the 60 year old Canadian league that is still standing when the dust settles..... 

[NucksPatsFan]

4 hours ago, RUPERTKBD said:

Funny that it didn't die with the USFL or the XFL.

 

We'll see if it's the upstart American league, or the 60 year old Canadian league that is still standing when the dust settles..... 

The xfl was a mockery from the get go 

[Nucksfollower1983]

1 hour ago, NucksPatsFan said:

The xfl was a mockery from the get go 

[MJDDawg]

13 hours ago, RUPERTKBD said:

Funny that it didn't die with the USFL or the XFL.

 

We'll see if it's the upstart American league, or the 60 year old Canadian league that is still standing when the dust settles..... 

The difference I think is that those leagues were never going be sustainable with the salaries they were paying high profile players.

 

This new league isn't trying to compete against the NFL. Looks more to be a developmental/feeder league instead.

 

For players coming out of the football factories in the U.S. who aren't drafted very high or are cut and who then might consider the CFL as a temporary option, playing in this league for three years, making double what they would in the CFL while playing close to home or their Alma Maters in their own country could be a pretty good option.  Plus based on the team they're allocated to they would basically be in the pipeline for the affiliated NFL team.

 

Interesting idea that I can definitely see hurting the CFL if it pans out.

[Alflives]

1 hour ago, MJDDawg said:

The difference I think is that those leagues were never going be sustainable with the salaries they were paying high profile players.

 

This new league isn't trying to compete against the NFL. Looks more to be a developmental/feeder league instead.

 

For players coming out of the football factories in the U.S. who aren't drafted very high or are cut and who then might consider the CFL as a temporary option, playing in this league for three years, making double what they would in the CFL while playing close to home or their Alma Maters in their own country could be a pretty good option.  Plus based on the team they're allocated to they would basically be in the pipeline for the affiliated NFL team.

 

Interesting idea that I can definitely see hurting the CFL if it pans out.

Americans are more crazy about football, than we are about hockey.  The fans will eat up this new league, because they can follow their “developing” players.  The CFL is in very big trouble.  The most important TV markets (Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal) don’t watch or care about the CFL.  I just don’t see the league surviving in its current format.  

[fivethej]

What are the odds Hervey can land Riley and he returns to the Lions. Lulay isn't the same player anymore and Jennings isn't #1 QB.

[Gurn]

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/crimeincanada/mother-weeps-as-crown-outlines-how-cfl-player-died/ar-BBQpF0K?ocid=spartandhp

 

"

Players with the Calgary Stampeders wiped away tears Monday as they relived the shooting death of a teammate outside a nightclub more than two years ago.

 

Derek Dennis was the first witness at the second-degree murder trial of Nelson Lugela, 21, who is charged in the murder of Mylan Hicks, who was a member of the CFL team's practice roster.

Dennis told court that a minor altercation had occurred on Sept. 25, 2016, at Marquee Beer Market in Calgary, where the team was celebrating a victory over Winnipeg a few hours earlier.

Low cost flights : find cheap tickets starting at $65

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He said the dispute began over a spilled drink and the Stampeders' assistant coach bought drinks for everyone involved to try to smooth things over.

Dennis said after the club was closed, he went and brought his car to the front and saw another altercation outside. Worried his teammates might be involved, he started to get out of the car and heard a bottle breaking, a gunshot and people rushing away, he said.

"I see Mylan running towards my direction. As I see Mylan running towards me, I see the shooter come out with the gun pointed towards him. I see him take a second shot — bang. I see Mylan starts to stumble," Dennis testified.

"As he's stumbling, the shooter takes a third shot — bang. After he took a third shot, that's when I see Mylan hit the concrete face down."

© Provided by thecanadianpress.com This is a 2015 photo of Mylan Hicks of the San Francisco 49ers NFL football team. A man charged in the 2016 shooting death of a Canadian Football League player is scheduled to stand trial today. Nelson Tony Lugela, 21, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder in the death of Mylan Hicks, a 23-year-old defensive back who was on the practice roster of the Calgary Stampeders. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP

Dennis said he and teammate Jamal Nixon rushed to his friend's side.

"As he grabs Mylan and flips him over, he's like holding him. He unzips his coat. He opens it up and opens his shirt and I just see a bullet hole in his chest area," Dennis said.

"Mylan's just laying there. You could see he's gasping for air and trying to hold on to himself. We're all just telling him: 'Just hold on, Mylan. The ambulance is coming.'"

Dennis tried to compose himself before continuing.

"I'm heartbroken. I was scared for him, man. I was just praying and hoping he could hold on long enough for the ambulance to come get him."

Former running back Jerome Messam testified there was a problem in the bar with three people bothering Stamps kicker Rene Paredes and his wife. He said Hicks had nothing to with it.

Messam said he was outside when he heard breaking glass and gunshots.

"I heard pow. Then I heard pow, pow. I looked to my right immediately and people were running," Messam told court.

© Provided by thecanadianpress.com Calgary Stampeders' Derek Dennis, arrives for the trial of Nelson Tony Lugela, charged in the shooting death of Calgary Stampeder Mylan Hicks, in Calgary, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

"I'm not scared at the time because I'm thinking it's fireworks. I didn't think it was gunshots, because I didn't think anybody in Calgary was going to be shooting no gun."

Messam fought back tears as he recalled finding Hicks on the ground "fighting for his life."

"We turned him over and I saw the hole and I just told him to fight man. I just told him to fight.

"We said we're here for you. His eyes were still open and I thought he was going to be OK because he was strong. They took him in the ambulance and that was the last time I saw Mylan Hicks."

Court heard the shooter and two other young men jumped into an SUV and sped away. Police said they arrested three people about 45 minutes later when they returned to the scene.

Hicks's mother, Renee Hill, cried as she listened to details of her 23-year-old son's death. Hill was wearing a white T-shirt with the word "Mom" and her son's No. 6 on the back and a photo of him in a Michigan State football uniform on the front.

Lugela, who also had family members in court, pleaded not guilty"

[Gurn]

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/cfl/tom-cochrane-to-invest-in-atlantic-schooners/ar-BBQxCIb?ocid=spartandhp

"HALIFAX - Singer-songwriter Tom Cochrane has been lined up as a potential investor in the newly named Atlantic Schooners, the group trying to land a CFL franchise for Halifax said Wednesday.

 

A short statement from the ownership group said the Manitoba-born Cochrane, a multiple Juno Award winner, has been a long-time friend of Bruce Bowser, one of the group's founding partners.

 

"Tom Cochrane, world-renowned musician and CFL fan, has confirmed his intention to invest in the Atlantic Schooners franchise," the group said.

The statement followed an earlier tweet by CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie.

A photo shows Ambrosie with his arms around Cochrane and Bowser with the caption: "With TWO members of the Atlantic Schooners ownership group."

However, attempts to reach Ambrosie for comment were rebuffed by the league office on Wednesday.

"The commissioner won't comment on this matter," a league spokesman said.

Although the CFL is yet to grant a conditional franchise to the ownership group, the drive to land a team cleared a major hurdle in October after Halifax Regional Council directed city staff to do a business case analysis of the group's stadium proposal.

The partners have proposed vacant land in Shannon Park on the east side of Halifax harbour as the stadium site, and say the $170-million to $190-million project would need public money.

Under the proposal, the owners of the Shannon Park development would pay property taxes on the real estate, but that money would be set aside by the municipality and returned as a payment against the stadium's debt.

The partnership is expected to get a package of information that includes financial estimates to the city sometime this month for its analysis.

A season ticket drive was also launched in early November and is ongoing.

The campaign included a fan contest that chose the name Atlantic Schooners, which was revealed during an event held at last month's Grey Cup festivities in Edmonton."

[fivethej]

https://vancouversun.com/sports/football/cfl/calgary-stampeders/reports-devone-claybrooks-leaving-stamps-to-become-head-coach-of-cfl-lions/wcm/c3bad3b7-73e1-42b5-88d2-f2210f0c1326?utm_term=Autof

 

 

Devone Claybrooks reportedly leaving Stamps to coach B.C. Lions

For the second time in 15 years, the B.C. Lions are leaning on the Calgary Stampeders to lead them into the future.

 

Where have we seen this before?

The B.C. Lions are turning to a familiar source to find success in the post-Wally Buono era.

They’re leaning once again on the Calgary Stampeders to lead them into the future.

Just as was the case 15 years ago, when Buono left the Stamps to join the Lions as head coach, it appears as if Stamps defensive coordinator Devone Claybrooks is leaving Calgary to become the new sideline boss in Vancouver.

Reports say Claybrooks has at least been offered a three-year deal to replace Buono as commander of the Lions.

Expect a news conference of his acceptance to follow in the next day or two.

Around these parts, it’s called paying the price for success.

The defence for the Stampeders put together a brilliant season in anchoring a Grey Cup run.

Maybe too brilliant considering the fallout.

Because the undisputed leader of the league’s top defence is leaving Calgary to take the reins of his own team.

It was bound to happen, though.

Especially after piloting the Stamps defence to such a sparkling campaign.

The Red & White ranked tops in nearly all defensive categories during the 2018 season, including fewest amount of points allowed (363, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were next with 419) and fewest touchdowns allowed (27, Bombers were next at 35).

The bend-but-don’t-break style of the defence won the Stamps too many games to count on one hand this past season, including spectacular performances in both the Western Final and the Grey Cup title fight. In the 22-14 Western Final win over the Blue Bombers, the Stamps didn’t allow a TD, and in the 27-16 championship victory, the defence forced six turnovers and allowed just one major.

Those efforts marked the major reasons for the Grey Cup victory.

But there’s more …

In all three seasons that Claybrooks has been the Stamps DC, the team has allowed the fewest points against in the league.

So it’s time to share the wealth.

The Stampeders granted permission two weeks ago to both the Lions and the Toronto Argonauts to talk with Claybrooks about their vacant head coaching positions.

The Argos apparently talked with Claybrooks in the days following the Stamps’ Grey Cup capture, while the Lions reportedly met with Claybrooks last week.

With Claybrooks apparently leaning towards taking the gig in B.C., Corey Chamblin, ex of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, was named sideline boss of the Argos on Monday.

But what does all this mean for the Stamps moving forward?

Claybrooks has ardent supporters in his players.

Don’t be surprised to see an exodus of Stamps on the defensive side of the ball follow Claybrooks to the West Coast, to give the Lions a boost in coming seasons.

CFL all-stars Alex Singleton and Micah Johnson head the list of potential free-agents when the league window opens Feb. 12.

So, too, do fellow Grey Cup champs and front-seven stars Jameer Thurman, Junior Turner and Ja’Gared Davis, as well as defensive backs Emanuel Davis and Ciante Evans.

All have been key cogs in Claybrooks’ defence in Calgary.

The Stamps weren’t kidding when they continually preached this past season’s team likely wouldn’t be together beyond the Grey Cup.

“We talked about it a lot, not just tonight but the entire year,” Stamps QB Bo Levi Mitchell told reporters moments after the Grey Cup. “Our pre-game speech had a part of that in there. Just talking to guys, that we knew this locker room was not going to look the same next year.

“Not only is there NFL for some guys, there’s two other leagues coming out that pay American money (in the Alliance of American Football in Febrary and a reboot of the XFL in 2020), and that’s tough. It’s just the truth and the reality of it. We’ll see what happens. I know a lot of guys want to be back here and they want to build on this.”

But some won’t return — it’s the nature of football.

And so it begins with Claybrooks’ exit as the start — a big start — of a significant off-season.

The dominoes are starting to fall.

Yeah, that’s the price of success, alright.

 

[fivethej]

A Calgary media report suggests several Stamps defensive players will be following him to Lions.

 

https://calgaryherald.com/sports/football/cfl/calgary-stampeders/reports-devone-claybrooks-leaving-stamps-to-become-head-coach-of-cfl-lions/wcm/55d205cd-6e5f-4b5c-bd28-a51039c1a299

 

Claybrooks has ardent supporters in his players.

Don’t be surprised to see an exodus of Stamps on the defensive side of the ball follow Claybrooks to the West Coast, to give the Lions a boost in coming seasons.

CFL all-stars Alex Singleton and Micah Johnson head the list of potential free-agents when the league window opens Feb. 12.

So, too, do fellow Grey Cup champs and front-seven stars Jameer Thurman, Junior Turner and Ja’Gared Davis, as well as defensive backs Emanuel Davis and Ciante Evans.

All have been key cogs in Claybrooks’ defence in Calgary.

[AlwaysACanuckFan]

 

[Gurn]

New coach must have been concerned Bo Levi Mitchell is going to stick in the NFL.

[spur1]

Looking forward to a new philosophy on the side line. 

[Tinky-Winky]

im so excited with what the BC Lions can look like and play under claybrooks ....im mainly happy we got rid of washington ...and with Rich Stubler and nik lewis possibly in the fold, our coaching staff looks great.

[naslund.is.king]

chris jones going to the NFL 

i guess now Rider fans can find something else to b!tch about

 

[Alflives]

On 12/4/2018 at 10:30 AM, gurn said:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/crimeincanada/mother-weeps-as-crown-outlines-how-cfl-player-died/ar-BBQpF0K?ocid=spartandhp

 

"

Players with the Calgary Stampeders wiped away tears Monday as they relived the shooting death of a teammate outside a nightclub more than two years ago.

 

Derek Dennis was the first witness at the second-degree murder trial of Nelson Lugela, 21, who is charged in the murder of Mylan Hicks, who was a member of the CFL team's practice roster.

Dennis told court that a minor altercation had occurred on Sept. 25, 2016, at Marquee Beer Market in Calgary, where the team was celebrating a victory over Winnipeg a few hours earlier.

Low cost flights : find cheap tickets starting at $65

See More Sponsored by Jetcost

He said the dispute began over a spilled drink and the Stampeders' assistant coach bought drinks for everyone involved to try to smooth things over.

Dennis said after the club was closed, he went and brought his car to the front and saw another altercation outside. Worried his teammates might be involved, he started to get out of the car and heard a bottle breaking, a gunshot and people rushing away, he said.

"I see Mylan running towards my direction. As I see Mylan running towards me, I see the shooter come out with the gun pointed towards him. I see him take a second shot — bang. I see Mylan starts to stumble," Dennis testified.

"As he's stumbling, the shooter takes a third shot — bang. After he took a third shot, that's when I see Mylan hit the concrete face down."

© Provided by thecanadianpress.com This is a 2015 photo of Mylan Hicks of the San Francisco 49ers NFL football team. A man charged in the 2016 shooting death of a Canadian Football League player is scheduled to stand trial today. Nelson Tony Lugela, 21, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder in the death of Mylan Hicks, a 23-year-old defensive back who was on the practice roster of the Calgary Stampeders. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP

Dennis said he and teammate Jamal Nixon rushed to his friend's side.

"As he grabs Mylan and flips him over, he's like holding him. He unzips his coat. He opens it up and opens his shirt and I just see a bullet hole in his chest area," Dennis said.

"Mylan's just laying there. You could see he's gasping for air and trying to hold on to himself. We're all just telling him: 'Just hold on, Mylan. The ambulance is coming.'"

Dennis tried to compose himself before continuing.

"I'm heartbroken. I was scared for him, man. I was just praying and hoping he could hold on long enough for the ambulance to come get him."

Former running back Jerome Messam testified there was a problem in the bar with three people bothering Stamps kicker Rene Paredes and his wife. He said Hicks had nothing to with it.

Messam said he was outside when he heard breaking glass and gunshots.

"I heard pow. Then I heard pow, pow. I looked to my right immediately and people were running," Messam told court.

© Provided by thecanadianpress.com Calgary Stampeders' Derek Dennis, arrives for the trial of Nelson Tony Lugela, charged in the shooting death of Calgary Stampeder Mylan Hicks, in Calgary, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

"I'm not scared at the time because I'm thinking it's fireworks. I didn't think it was gunshots, because I didn't think anybody in Calgary was going to be shooting no gun."

Messam fought back tears as he recalled finding Hicks on the ground "fighting for his life."

"We turned him over and I saw the hole and I just told him to fight man. I just told him to fight.

"We said we're here for you. His eyes were still open and I thought he was going to be OK because he was strong. They took him in the ambulance and that was the last time I saw Mylan Hicks."

Court heard the shooter and two other young men jumped into an SUV and sped away. Police said they arrested three people about 45 minutes later when they returned to the scene.

Hicks's mother, Renee Hill, cried as she listened to details of her 23-year-old son's death. Hill was wearing a white T-shirt with the word "Mom" and her son's No. 6 on the back and a photo of him in a Michigan State football uniform on the front.

Lugela, who also had family members in court, pleaded not guilty"

And the murderer pleads not guilty!  God, I hope this murderer gets convicted, and rots in prison.  Can’t fight with his fists, so he uses a gun.  Friggin’ coward.  

[Alflives]

Is the new AAF the final nail in the coffin of the CFL?  Seems like this new league will pay more than the CFL, and is directly affiliated with the NFL.  We are already getting fewer top American guys up here.  Now there will be even less talent.  The games are going to be really hard to watch.