BC Lions Football :: BCLionsDen.ca

  • Home
  • Pawdcasts
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • CFPN
    • BCLionsDen (Apple Music)
    • Horsemen Radio
    • Eskimo Empire Podcast
    • Piffles Podcast
    • Blue Bomber Talk
    • Podskee Wee Wee
    • Alouettes Flightdeck
    • 2 and Out CFL Podcast
    • Rouge Radio
    • Rouge White and Blue
    • Tokyo Unofficial CFL Podcast
  • BC Lions Official
    • 20218 Schedule
    • Current Roster
    • Transactions
You are here: Home / Archives for Social Media

BC Lions Training Camp: Fan Survival Guide

June 3, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

So you’re heading up to Kamloops to check out BC Lions training camp. If this is your first time, there are a few things you need to know and hopefully this guide will help you come prepared for anything that might happen! This will be my 9th consecutive trip to training camp so I’ve learned a few tricks of the trade and thought I would share them here. I’ll be in Kamloops from June 7th through Fan Fest on June 10th and hope to meet a few Lions fans there during my stay!

The Weather

Kamloops is known for its lack of rain, but that doesn’t mean you should leave the rain gear at home. I’ve sat in the stands and been hit by flash thunderstorms that bring heavy rains, hail and wind. It’s not common, but come prepared for everything. Sunscreen is of course a must. For the first week of camp the weather looks a bit iffy.

The Schedule

If you’re coming up for the day, be warned. The Lions can cancel a practice session at any time. Coaches may not like the weather forecast; they may feel the players need a break, or that a film session would be more beneficial. There is also the chance the team may decide to have a “closed’ practice inside the field house at the university. The team’s media people generally try and give ample notice of this, but I have shown up to the field once or twice to find that the session has been cancelled.

Follow the BC Lions on Twitter (@BCLions) and check their web site for the latest announcements, especially if you’re just planning to come up for the day.

The Facility

The Lions have a great setup at Thompson Rivers University. The players accommodations are located here, and they practice at Hillside Stadium. The parking on site is free during Lions practice sessions, so don’t by a ticket.

If there is one piece of advice you’ll be thanking me for it will be my tip to bring a cushioned pad to sit on. The stadium bleachers are not comfortable!

Camp Etiquette

It’s important to remember that the BC Lions are here to work. Training camp is very important for the players and coaches, and they should not be bothered while they on the field working. Take all the photos you like from the stands, but fans are not allowed on the field (including this blogger). The players are great with the fans and many will come over to the stands to mingle with fans following any given practice section. Be polite, and they will sign and even pose for a picture.

Fan Fest on June 10th is the best way to get quality time with your favourite player and they are more than happy to interact with the fans on this day.

Enjoy the chatter

One of my favourite parts of training camp is listening to the players talk amongst themselves on the field. The defence in particular likes chirp a lot, particularly at the offensive players. There can be some really amusing lines that get thrown around. Also, don’t be surprised if tempers flare occasionally and the occasional fight breaks out. The toll of two a days can cause the blood to boil.

Meet other fans

One of the great things about the CFL is the friendships you can make with other fans. Lions Nation is growing by leaps and bounds every year. Every year at Grey Cup I am seeing more and more black and orange, and that’s great to see. If you see me, stop by and say hello, sit down and talk some football. Who knows we all may end up in a pub somewhere talking about our team.

Accommodations

If you’re planning to come up for more than a day, there are plenty of hotel and motel options in the “Tournament Capital of Canada”. Look around for the best deal but you can expect to pay between 80-125/Night for a decent place to stay. My personal preference is the Accent Inn. It’s clean, reasonably priced and close to everything. If camping is more your thing, there are several camp grounds in the vicinity as well.

Downtime

With an early morning session and an afternoon session there is plenty of downtime to be had between all the football. Kamloops offers plenty of things to do for all ages. Riverside Park is a great place to spend a few hours, and it has a water park for the kids. Explore the local pubs and restaurants or go for a hike in the area. At night there is a Casino downtown if that’s your thing. When you’re out for dinner, don’t be surprised if you see a few players out enjoying a meal away from camp.  There is plenty of shopping as well, so Kamloops has something to offer for everyone.

I hope to see a lot of fans in the stands in Kamloops this week. I hope you enjoy the experience and the beautiful surroundings of Kamloops, BC!

Filed Under: Den Talk, Featured, Social Media, Training Camp 2012 Tagged With: BC Lions, CFL, Kamloops, Training Camp

Review of the “New” BC Lions jerseys and a great deal on a pro-stitched jersey!

May 2, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

BC Lions president Dennis Skulsky introduces the BC Lions new Reebok jerseys. - Photo: Miss606.com

BC Lions president Dennis Skulsky introduces the BC Lions new Reebok jerseys. Photo: Rebecca Bollwitt: Miss604.com

The BC Lions introduced their new jerseys on Wednesday and in this case the Lions felt it was a case of why change a good thing?

The only real design change to the newest threads is the removal of the black piping that ran from the shoulders, across the chest. The Reebok branding is different with the logo gone and the company’s name on each shoulder over the numbers. The quality is higher end, the material is different and the jersey has a different fit. The BC Lions logo on the shoulders is now a sewn on patch. A big upgrade over the screened only option fans had with previous editions.

When Bob Ackles returned the to Lions in 2002, he felt the team had lost it’s identity. One of the things he wanted to change was to bring back orange as the dominant colour of the team’s uniform. Club president Dennis Skulsky alluded to the fact that the Lions think their look is pretty good, so why mess with it?

“[The CFL] came to us last year but we said ‘we like our jerseys,'” said club president Dennis Skulsky. “To be honest we lost our way as an organization for a little because we had a whole bunch of different designs for awhile. This is the design.”

The team will be looking at redesigning their popular black third jersey with an eye for a 2013 debut.

Overall as a fan I’m happy that the look didn’t change drastically. I think the Lions uniforms are clean and sharp. The numbers are easy to read and the colour scheme works. These are clearly an upgrade in quality, so I will definitely buy one. And boy do we have a deal for you!

Our friends at Sports in Stuff in Chilliwack are taking pre-orders for the new jerseys and are offering a  price of $179.99 for a pro-stitched jersey if you order and mention BCLionsDen.ca.

Jerseys will take about 10 days to get customized once they’re in stock. Give them a call at 604-858-2614 or email them at rickandwendy@shaw.ca! Of course you can always drop in and see them at the store, located at the Chilliwack Mall, 45610 Luckakuck Way, in Chilliwack.


Filed Under: CFL/League, Den Talk, Featured, Social Media, Uncategorized Tagged With: 2012, BC Lions, CFL, Dennis Skulsky, Jerseys, Reebok, Sports and Stuff

Get ready to get your orange on! Lions set to launch their new jerseys with their fans.

April 30, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

2012 Jersey Preview - Photo: BCLions.com

The BC Lions are set to launch their newly engineered Reebok jerseys on Wednesday, May 2nd at BC Place and a fan will be chosen to unveil the newest look in the team’s history.

In a great social media move, the Lions ran a contest on Twitter in which one lucky follower will be chosen to unveil the new jersey along with a few high profile BC Lions. Travis Lulay, Geroy Simon, Paul McCallum and Khalif Mitchell will be on hand to model the new threads.

The event will also be open to fans, who are invited to attend at Gate A off of Terry Fox Plaza at 8:00am sharp. The new jersey will also be available for purchase and the Lions players on hand will be signing autographs.

Jerseys will remain on sale at Gate A until 6:00pm on Wednesday and then will be available at the team store in Surrey until May 9th, as well as the online store at BCLions.com.

Not much is known about the new look but information reported so far indicate they won’t look too different from the current edition. Reebok and the league are marketing the jerseys as “re-engineered.” Both player and fan versions will see modifications.

“The on-field jerseys were developed to improve the player experience, while the new (fan) jerseys will bring the fans closer to the game,” said Stewart Clark, marketing director for Reebok Canada. “After a two year process and a close collaboration with the CFL and its teams, Reebok is proud to introduce the new re-engineered jersey.”

The CFL signed a five year agreement with Reebok in 2008. The company was recently replaced in the NFL by Nike, who signed a 5-year $35 million dollar deal with the league to be it’s official apparel supplier. Reebok had held the contract for the last decade.

If you find yourself out in the valley, don’t forget to check out our friend Rick at Sports & Stuff in Chilliwack who will have a large stock of jerseys as well when the become available. Rick has the best selection of Lions and CFL merchandise around.


Filed Under: CFL/League, Den Talk, Featured, News, Social Media Tagged With: BC Lions, BCLions, CFL, Geroy Simon, Jersey launch, Khalif Mitchell, Paul McCallum, Reebok, Social Media, Travis Lulay, Twitter

Breaking News: Video: @Lilminimo signs a 1 year deal with BCLionsDen.ca

March 25, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

Just like a football team, fan blogs need to stay fresh and keep adding talent. With that in mind BCLionsDen.ca is happy to announce the signing of Monique Gendron, aka @Lilminimo, as our new video blogger. In keeping with our blog policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Monique is one of the Lions biggest fans and is a founding member of Section 229, a loud and dedicated fan group at BC Place stadium. BCLionsDen.ca owner Brian Wawryshyn knew that the blog had to make an effort to get her signed.

“Monique and her agent Jeff Green certainly bargained hard. We thought we had a deal last week, but had to fine tune a few things. We feel her talent and spirit will be a great addition to the site. She brings an originality, sense of humour and an undeniable passion for the BC Lions that are going to be very evident in her videos,” said Wawryshyn. “There were other video bloggers we considered, but in the end we got our first choice and we’re thrilled.”

Gendron spoke to reporters at a news conference to announce the signing on Sunday:

Asked when Gendron will start blogging for BCLionsDen.ca, Wawryshyn said, “Well as it says in her contract, whenever the hell she wants to.”

Follow Monique on Twitter @lilminimo and watch for her video blogs on Twitter, on our Facebook page and of course here on BCLionsden.ca

Filed Under: Den Talk, Featured, News, Social Media, Video Blogs Tagged With: BCLions, BCLionsDen.ca, CFL, Monique Gendron, Video Blogger

Calling all aspiring football writers! BCLionsDen.ca wants you!

March 15, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

Are you an aspiring journalism student? Are you longing for a career as a sports reporter?

The original BC Lions fan blog, BCLionsDen.ca, would like to find some talented and passionate CFL and BC Lions fans to write for the site leading up to and during the upcoming 2012 season.

Joining our team will give you exposure as a writer and build your resume as a sports writer. As we have grown over the years, so has the exposure to the site. We’ve written Grey Cup pieces for the Vancouver Province, post game thoughts for The Province online, and contributed articles for BCLions.com and CFL.ca.

The site is respected by the league, the club and it’s players as a promoter of the game, and as a site that treats people fairly and with respect.

If you have what it takes to be a sports writer, we would love for you to join our team.

Qualifications:

  • Grade 12 education or better and preferably enrolled in a post secondary journalism program.
  • Exceptional attention to detail, spelling, grammar and punctuation.
  • Talent with video production and editing would be an asset.
  • Willing to contribute at least 1 article a month for the site during the season.
  • Strong understanding of social media.
  • Strong computer skills.
  • Strong knowledge and passion about the Canadian Football League and the BC Lions.
  • You agree to maintain the vision and reputation of the site.

This is a non-paid position but one that will give you exposure for your work and help you build a portfolio. Or, you can just do it for the love of the game like we do!

Please send all inquiries to: brian@bclionsden.ca

Filed Under: Den Talk, Featured, News, Social Media Tagged With: BC Lions, BCLionsDen.ca, Bloggers, CFL, Writers

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

About The Hosts

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.

Sponsor: RenfrowFootball.com

https://bclionsden.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/RPReplay_Final1575410753.mp4

Sponsor: Metal Rocks

Metal Rocks

Advertisement

Twitter: @BCLionsDen

My Tweets

Great CFL Resources

  • CFL Database
  • CanadaFootballChat.com

CFL West Fan Sites

  • BCLionsDen.ca
  • Horsemen Radio
  • Eskimo Empire Podcast.com
  • Piffles Podcast

CFL East Fan Sites

  • Friends of the Argonauts
  • Alouettes Flightdeck
  • Redblacks Fan Facebook Page
  • Podskee Wee Wee
Creative Commons Licence
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada License.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 BCLionsDen.ca · BCLionsDen.ca is an independent fan site and is not affiliated with the BC Lions Football club, the Canadian Football League or its partners.