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You are here: Home / Archives for The Mullin Files

Jim Mullin: Eye on the CIS: Nill, Constantin benefit from providing options to players.

May 28, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

Kirby Fabien

Jim Mullin – Special to BCLionsDen.ca

Barring a last second shift, BC is not in the plans for Kirby Fabien but Plan B and Plan C is.

The planned return of Fabien, the seventh overall pick by the Lions, to the Canada West is not going down well in Lions headquarters.

Only a surprise contract counter offer Hamilton’s 13th overall pick OL Carson Rockhill could derail destined to return to the foothills city to start and to finish his degree.

Drew Edwards in the Hamilton Spectator reported late last week that linebacker Frederic Plesius was returning to the Laval Rouge et Or. Richard Boutin of Le Journal de Quebec reported that two-time Metras Award winner DE Arnaud Gascon-Nadon will follow his teammate’s lead, staying in Quebec City rather than signing in Hamilton.

University of Calgary head coach Blake Nill and Laval Rouge et Or head coach Glen Constantin are good friends. So much in fact they are in contact with each other on a regular basis. When you read the various reports on these players who have declared their return to the CIS, the one thing they share in common is their desire to obtain their degree while playing football.

Is it possible that Constantin and Nill consulted each other on talking points so they could retain their best talent?  One has to ask that question when you see the results of four key players who could seriously change expectations for those teams in the Canada West and the RSEQ.

Both coaches are central in these player’s lives and have their ears.

Offensive lineman and former Dino Mark DeWit played two seasons in Toronto and two in Hamilton and managed to take classes in the winter semester to finish his degree while playing. I’d hazard a guess that Nill wasn’t using that example when in dialogue with Fabien or Rockhill, or for that matter last year when running back Matt Walter stated before the draft that he was returning for his fifth year.

That being said a fourth or fifth year player isn`t a kid and should be able to employ their own critical thinking.

What is also at play is the question of development. Many predicted the elimination of the NFL option window would hurt CFL recruitment in the United States. Not surprisingly, the CIS side of the equation was taken for granted.

In the case Plesius, the 24 year-old hopes he can get another shot at an NFL camp and the one-plus-one option year contract would stand in the way of another NFL look.

Plesius took correspondence courses this winter to get the 18 credits needed to qualify academically for the RSEQ if he could not catch on in the NFL.

He told Boutin, “It was good advice from Glen(Constantin), he said. Always have a plan B and evenC. ”

There’s that secondary plan again, which is not good news in so far as the CFL is concerned. With expanded NFL rosters the dream remains alive for raw CIS talent to develop stateside.

Something similar could be said of Fabien who at 21, may have been reminded of the path Dan Federkeil took from the U of C to a four-year NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts which included a Super Bowl ring. Fabien’s agent is Washington, D.C’s Johnathon Hardaway who represents Concordia grad and Kansas City Chief Cory Greenwood along with Matt O’Donnell of Queen’s who signed a two-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Rockhill still has two years of eligibility left, so the extra eight to possibly 12 starts won’t hurt his development.

If the scholarship doors are ever forced open in the CIS for a limited number of full-rides, Canadian university players will have another card to play in contract negotiations with CFL teams. While it is not a crisis, perhaps the time has come where the CIS and CFL should seriously look at working on a more integrated player development system.

Jim Mullin is a Vancouver-based broadcaster. He served as the Vancouver Director of the 47th Vanier Cup played at BC Place Stadium last November and provided the play-by-play of the game for TSN Radio. He also serves as chair of the Amateur Sub-committee for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, and serves as the British Columbia representative for the CFHOF. Jim’s thoughts on CIS football will periodically appear in our new Eye on the CIS feature. Check out more of Jim’s pieces on his blog, “The Edmonton Eskimos ruined my childhood.“


Filed Under: CIS Football, Drafts/Prospects, Featured, The Mullin Files Tagged With: BC Lions, CFL, CIS, Eye On The CIS, Jim Mullin, Kirby Fabien, NFL

Eye on the CIS with Jim Mullin: BC shot at Greene unfortunate.

May 18, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

Jim Mullin is a Vancouver-based broadcaster. He served as the Vancouver Director of the 47th Vanier Cup played at BC Place Stadium last November and provided the play-by-play of the game for TSN Radio. He also serves as chair of the Amateur Sub-committee for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, and serves as the British Columbia representative for the CFHOF. Jim’s thoughts on CIS football will periodically appear in our new Eye on the CIS feature. Check out more of Jim’s pieces on his blog, “The Edmonton Eskimos ruined my childhood.“

Travis Lulay and UBC's Billy Greene
CFL MOP Travis Lulay and CIS Hec Creighton winner Billy Greene of UBC.

“Billy who?”

That was the joking and sarcastic response by someone in the BC Lions office when I suggested that UBC’s Billy Greene, the 2011 Hec Crighton winner may be a good addition for their squad late in the draft.

Until the CFL and the CFLPA decide Canadian quarterback development is an issue worth addressing in a substantive way, Canadians will be a camp option on the free agent market.

At least for now, they are non-counters against the training camp rosters which can get guys like Vanier Cup MVP Kyle Quinlan and AUS Champion Kyle Graves of Acadia onto the roster of the Montreal Alouettes as camp arms.

The good news is now you can add CJFL player of the year Jordan Yantz of the Vancouver Island Raiders of the BCFC to that list. The Lions added him to the training camp roster on Monday.

The 22 year-old native of Regina, Yantz shows some fine mechanics especially on the run and can place a ball well. It can be said that the defenses in the BCFC may not be at the level of the Calgary Dinos led by Rider draft Sam Hurl, or last year’s edition of the Regina Rams with third-round New Orleans pick Aikem Hicks at defensive end.

Still, if the foundations of mobility along with a powerful and accurate arm are present, then Yantz will benefit from the camp along with the rest of the BCFC with his one remaining year.

The connection between GM Wally Buono and junior football is strong. The former St. Leonard OFC player has the CJFL most outstanding player award named after him. Plus, he’s had his share of success with junior players with running back Andrew Harris being the most notable.

According to The Province’s Lowell Ullrich the Lions new head coach Mike Benevides, the junior MVP is more deserving of a look than the Hec Crighton winner.

But the Lions also suggested Yantz has a better upside than UBC quarterback Billy Greene, who did not attract any interest during this month’s CFL draft by teams who see him as a running back.

“The best [quarterbacking prospect] in this province is the one who threw on the weekend,” said Benevides.

Fine. Greene didn’t attend the Lions free agent camp before the draft so there were some noses out of joint.

The football community in BC is fractured enough without the pro team in this province throwing UBC’s on field leader – and in turn the whole program and the CIS – under the bus.

In a province where three down community ball battles with American high school, where CIS UBC is divided from NCAA D2 SFU, and where the BCFC no longer wants to be a feeder system for either of them, you have a very complicated playing field. Add Football BC’s unpaid bills to Football Canada leaving them ‘not in good standing’ and you have a maverick leading the herd.

While the Lions aren’t responsible for the amateur game they need to provide a modicum of leadership for it. Taking a shot at the top player in the nation in playing on a rebuilding program in your home town does not achieve that objective.

Perhaps you can mark it up to inexperience on Benevides part. As the new boss he’s going to be quoted from every angle which wasn’t the case five months ago.

Anyone who actually watched Greene’s heroics in the Canada West in a game-in, game-out basis can tell you that he has that special intangible. It’s the Matt Dunigan-like quality to rally a team to win when they really have no business to be in a game in the first place. Those are the qualities which make a quality quarterback. Some of that isn’t measurable in an e-camp.

It will be interesting to see what kind of Billy Greene we see coming out of the gate in 2012. Between this and the 0-8* mess created by a lazy rubber-stamp player eligibility procedure, one has to think he’ll come back with a chip on his shoulder.


Filed Under: CIS Football, Featured, The Mullin Files Tagged With: BC Lions, Billy Greene, CFL, CIS, Jim Mullin, UBC

The Mullin Files: Lions: This is the moment to set up the next decade

May 26, 2010 By Brian Wawryshyn

Jim Mullin is the Sports Director at CKNW 980 AM in Vancouver and has offered us the chance to share his blog posts here on BCLionsDen.ca. We’re excited to have Jim’s opinions on the CFL and encourage you to follow his own blog on CKNW.com

By Jim Mullin (CKNW 980)

The season is quietly rolling up upon us, but no stretch in time may be as important to the long-term operations of the BC Lions. The next two years will set the Lions path for the next decade.

Attendance was way off last season. It dropped from 32,000 per game down to 28,000. A bad economy, bad play – especially at home – and a vacuum of leadership all contributed to the downward spiral.

This is a year to right the ship with new president Dennis Skulsky at the helm.

Fate gives the new boss a good start. The 27,500-seat (T)empire Stadium will be a one-year wonder of nostalgia. That, of course, until the rain arrives in October and the familiar fan fickleness from Vancouverites ensues.

Then it’s off to a brief honeymoon period in the dome with a sunroof.

The Lions will have to roll up their sleeves. The Vancouver Whitecaps will have lots of money to spend in the market to launch their new brand, and will compete for corporate support.

Wally Buono will have a decision to make soon. When will he become the full-time general manager and hand the coaching reigns off to another? And who will that new head coach be?

As for the parts on the field, Casey Printers has the athleticism and the charisma, but the questions remain: Can he stay healthy? Can he deliver in big games? And can he keep his emotions in check?

Out of all the sports operations in this city, the Lions are the team with the deepest roots in the community. They have been operating under the same banner for 56 years.

However, the brand staggered and got stale somewhere along the way in the last two years.

Now it is up to their leadership to reenergize the base, and find new ways to get the message to new fans while renewal in the front office and the buildings they play in have the buzz in this burg.

[tweetmeme]

Filed Under: Den Talk, Featured, The Mullin Files Tagged With: BC Lions, CKNW.com, Jim Mullin, Wally Buono

The Mullin Files: Wally Buono Audio October 19.2009

October 19, 2009 By Brian Wawryshyn

Wally BuonoCKNW Sports Director Jim Mullin checks in with some audio from his Monday morning conversation with BC Lions head coach Wally Buono, following yesterday’s big 24-21 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Travis Lulay had a strong game for the Lions, along with running back AJ Harris and the Lions defense. The win has left the Lions just one point back of the first place Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Listen >> CKNW’s Jim Mullin Speaks with Wally Buono

Filed Under: The Mullin Files Tagged With: CKNW 980 AM, Jim Mullin, The Mullin Files, Wally Buono

Jamall Lee Joins The Lions

October 14, 2009 By Brian Wawryshyn

We recently spoke with CIS football announcer and CKNW 980 Sports Director Jim Mullin about the BC Lions recent signing of first round draft pick and local boy Jamall Lee. Lee signed a 2 year deal with the club on Monday after failing to land a contract offer from an NFL club.

BCLD: Jim, thanks for taking the time to give us a little background on Jamall Lee. You have a good understanding of Lee’s college career as an announcer and CIS football enthusiast. Can you tell our readers what kind of player Lee is, and what his strengths and weaknesses might be?

Jim Mullin: Lee was an outstanding running back out of Terry Fox Secondary. Instead of following in his father’s footsteps and going to the Simon Fraser program, which was a basket case of an operation, he chose to go to Bishop’s University in Lennoxville, Quebec.

In four years he led the QUFL and CIS in rushing twice. He holds the Quebec Conference career mark for rushing yards with 4,296 which puts him in select company nationally. He’s third on the all-time list, ahead of Jesse Lumsden and behind Eric LaPointe.  He was the QUFL’s Most Outstanding Player in 2007, in a year where the Laval Rouge et Or were dominant in every aspect of the game.

The NFL took notice when he set new records at the CFL evaluation camp in the spring.  He ran a 40 yard dash in 4.39, which was quicker than anyone had ran at this year’s NFL combine. He also has a vertical jump of 44 inches (110 cm).

Judging by his running style, he may have the same handicap as Lumsden in that he hits the gaps too upright, leaving him prone to injury. He’s likely already made adjustments by his trial by fire with the Carolina Panthers.

BCLD: Wally Buono indicated that the club would like to try and turn Lee into a receiver, but that won’t be an option for this season. Does Lee have the ability in your mind to thrive at that position in the CFL?

Jim Mullin: His speed would give him a shot to be an effective inside receiver who could attack the seams, and he has the physical attributes to handle the contact.

However, after having talked to Wally Buono on a regular basis, he’s indicated to me that his thoughts have changed on Lee. He sees him as a running back/kickoff returner at this point. When you see what Calvin McCarty has added to the Eskimos lineup as a back with good hands – when he’s healthy – who could blame the Lions for changing their mind?

BCLD: Obviously Lee will take another shot at the NFL at some point, but he’s a Lion until the end of next season. If he was converted to a receiver, would that help or hinder his NFL aspirations, where he was trying out at running back this year?

Jim Mullin: His focus is here. He’s happy to be playing in his hometown even if practice money in the NFL is worth more than a CFL rookie deal. The two-plus-an option deal gives him a window to explore the NFL at the end of the 2010 season.

I think that setting him up solely as a receiver would have a negative impact on his NFL possibilities to be a starter on offense. But it certainly wouldn’t hinder his chance of becoming a specialist as a kickoff or punt returner. Stefan Logan showed us how that worked.

BCLD: Lee worked out for several NFL teams but wasn’t offered a contract, despite being a late cut of the Carolina Panthers.  What will Lee need to do to get more attention next time he tries, if he chooses to?

Jim Mullin: Absorb technique and adapt to the speed of the professional game here, which I am confident he will do. His agent Zeke Sandhu really hustled for him between the Carolina cut and the Lions signing. He knocked on a lot of NFL doors. Lee’s testing numbers were his calling card. Pittsburgh and Seattle liked what they saw, but were they really going to add someone at this stage of the year?

If he registers good numbers on specials, he will get another look.

BCLD: Thanks again Jim, is there anything else you can let our readers know about Jamall Lee?

Jim Mullin: His dad, Orville – the last Canadian to rush for 1,000 yards – is proud of his son.

Audio:

Jim Mullin speaks with Jamall Lee: Jamall Lee Interview – CKNW 980

Filed Under: Featured, The Mullin Files Tagged With: CKNW 980, Jamall Lee, Jim Mullin

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Brian Wawryshyn is 44 year BC Lions fan who extends his passion for the Leos and the Canadian Football League to the podcast world as host and producer of the BCLionsDen.ca Pawdcast.

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