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 Bob Ackles

Is It Time for David Braley to Sell the BC Lions?

September 3, 2015 By Brian Wawryshyn

It was just another routine day for the BC Lions when it came to the pursuit of another player via free agency. Defensive lineman Shawn Lemon was being pursued by the Lions, Bombers and Redblacks and when he made his decision to verbally agree to a two year deal with Ottawa, the Lions were once again the odd man out.

Two years ago the Lions publicly announced six players they were going to target at the start of free agency and they got none of them. The best they could do this year was safety Chris Rwabukamba who has already fallen out of favour with the club.

For years the Lions didn’t have to sign free agents because they found their own players. They developed a solid core of talent that served them well for close to a decade. For years the Western Final or at the very least the road to the Grey Cup meant playing the BC Lions.

Where did it all start to change? On July 6th, 2008 the club lost the face of its franchise when Bob Ackles suddenly left us. It was the start of a downward trend in the progress that Ackles had made following his return to the Lions in 2002 after being pursued by owner David Braley.

ackles_buono
Bob Ackles welcomes Wally Buono to the Lions in 2003. Photo: Richard Lam (CP)

When Ackles agreed to return he soon wondered what he had gotten himself into, and realized the monumental task in front of him. The Lions had become an afterthought in the Vancouver Sports scene. Their crowds were horrible and the product on the field wasn’t much better.

Off the field the business community had become alienated from the club to the point where Ackles wasn’t sure he could fix it, but fix it he did.

Since then, things have changed. Ackles not only possessed football acumen, he had a vast network of contacts south of the border. The Lions core got old and new talent hasn’t been as frequent or abundant as it was when Ackles was in charge.

Years of sub-par draft results have hurt the Lions Canadian depth, especially on the offensive line and over the last few seasons it seems the same problems occur year after year because of it.

And like Wednesday, when the Lions do go for free agents, they are either outbid or not seen as the best option when all things are on the table. Why have the Lions gone from one of the most respected, desired franchises to play for to the bridesmaid?

There are likely a few reasons. The obvious answer is that other teams are offering better money or better options with their offers. But there other less obvious reasons to the average fan. The cost of living in Vancouver isn’t cheap. A player can stretch his money a lot farther in some of the other CFL cities. U.S. players are being hurt by the low Canadian dollar, making every dollar count when it comes on deciding where to play.

The Lions practice facility, while suiting their basic needs has become substandard in today’s CFL. Despite renovations, their practice field isn’t great, it’s not in a great neighbourhood and there is no comparison to new modern facilities in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and soon Regina.

Dante Marsh pointed out to me that when the Lions were winning all those years, players wanted to be here because they knew that there would be playoff money and the chance to play for a championship. When you’re struggling, it’s not an attractive option for those players who are looking for some bonus money to beef up their salary.

David Braley deserves praise for saving the BC Lions, and make no mistake, he did save this franchise, but it’s time to start looking for local ownership for the team. Braley has taken a lot of heat the last couple of seasons, mostly over the fact he’s owned the Toronto Argonauts at the same time, and some of the things that happened there with cost cutting last season.

Whether the same thing is happening in BC is unclear and I have no knowledge of that being the case. But on the surface an argument could be made that it is. Season ticket packages keep getting smaller, half-time shows are being eliminated and with the exception of the well done gun metal jersey reveal two years ago the marketing has been suspect for awhile.

Braley has said on more than one occasion that he has multiple local parties interested in the Lions and if that’s the case it’s time to put the for sale sign up. One only needs to look at Ottawa to see the impact that fresh ideas, solid marketing and an owner invested in winning on and off the field can bring. I’m not saying Braley isn’t invested, but he doesn’t live in this market and as such you wonder if he has a true grasp of the uniqueness that it’s made up of.

A new direction is needed. New ideas, new blood and a commitment to building this franchise up where it needs to be again because sadly, Bob Ackles isn’t going to be around to fix it this time.

Filed Under: BC Lions Den, Featured Tagged With: BC Lions, BC Lions Den, Bob Ackles, CFL, David Braley, Shawn Lemon

Amateur football is the biggest winner at Orange Helmet Awards.

March 5, 2011 By Brian Wawryshyn

The 8th annual BC Lions Orange Helmet Awards took place on Friday March 4th at the Vancouver Convention centre and once again the event was a huge success for amateur football in BC. The awards were the brainchild of the late Bob Ackles who wanted to create a way to assist and grow grassroots football in British Columbia. Prior to last nights event, the program had raised more than $420,000 over its seven year history.

I was lucky enough to this year’s event at the invite of Kristina Sinclair of the Rosedale on Robson. The first thing you notice is that this event brings out some of the big names in Vancouver. Leaders of the business community, current/former players and even politicians attend this semi-formal affair and many of them bring their pocket books. Additional funds are raised through the impressive silent and live auctions, which feature a large variety of sports memorabilia and other unique items.

Orange Helmet Auction table. Photo Credit: BCLionsDen.ca

Following the reception that starts the evening, a tasty three course dinner was served which this consisted of butter lettuce salad with candied pecans, followed by a delicious merlot braised beef dinner with mashed potatoes and winter vegetables. The meal was topped off by an Okanagan apple tart and caramel sauce for dessert.

The Orange Helmet awards are presented during the festivities and of course this year’s event featured an impressive lineup of speakers. The quarterbacks who led the Lions in each of their five Grey Cup championships; Joe Kapp, Roy Dewalt, Danny McManus, Damon Allen and Dave Dickenson, were all on hand to share their stories and memories from their stints as BC Lions.

Five Champions Painting - Photo Credit: BCLionDen.ca

All and all it was a great night and a great experience for this BC Lions fan. Bob Ackles would be proud of the success of the event and how much money has been raised for amateur football in BC. A thriving amateur football system can only help the CFL down the road, and the Lions are certainly doing their part to develop football in the province of BC.

For a full list of this years Orange Helmet Award recipients, check out BCLions.com. The also have some video footage of the event.

Filed Under: Den Talk, Featured Tagged With: Amateur football, BC Lions, Bob Ackles, Damon Allen, Danny McManus, Dave Dickenson, Joe Kapp, Orange Helmet Awards, Roy Dewalt

Den Talk – Foley Gone, Braley, Argos And More

February 8, 2010 By Brian Wawryshyn

The last football game for the season was played on Sunday, and kudos to the Colts and Saints for putting on a great show in the Super Bowl. Canadian fans now count the days, as the next meaningful game for fans of professional football will be played North of the 49th when the CFL gets going in July 1st.

Bye Bye Foley

Of course there is free agency fast approaching, and one player the Lions won’t have worry about signing is Ricky Foley. In a recent Vancouver Sun article, Mike Beamish reports that Foley is on the verge of signing a deal in the NFL.

VANCOUVER — Ricky Foley flew in Monday from San Diego — and, boy, are his arms tired.

The joke may be lame, but apparently Foley’s chances of signing with a National Football League team are not.

Paul Sheehy, the representative for the B.C. Lions rush end, is confident that Foley will be offered an NFL contract by the end of this week.

“There are three situations which are ideal,” Sheehy says. “It comes down to meshing opportunity for playing time and an opportunity to make an impact weighed against the contract opportunity. It’s a matter of doing what we think is right and not just going for the maximum dollars.”

Foley is scheduled to work out with the Seattle Seahawks Tuesday following a session with the San Diego Chargers today.

The CFL’s most outstanding Canadian in 2009 was at the training facilities of the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams and Philadelphia Eagles last week.

“He’ll be in the NFL this year,” Sheehy says. “We’re closing in on a couple of things … and we should have it wrapped up by the end of the week.”

This is a big blow for the Lions, who for the second straight season lose their top pass rusher, and a Canadian starter. CFL free agency season is getting less and less exciting. By the time free agency opens most of top talent has signed an NFL deal. Recruiting and free agent camps are going to become more and more important as more players are taking a chance to try their luck down south.

Braley/Argos Deal All But Done

Several news sources are reporting that Davis Braley’s purchase of the Argos is all but done and I’m not really sure how I feel about this. I am a big David Braley supporter, and I am not sure the Lions would be around today if it wasn’t for him. I know there is no league bylaw against it, but I’m still not sure it’s “right’. That said, David Braley loves this league, and has put his money on the line several times to help keep it alive. With this purchase, it’s pretty likely the Lions will come up for sale sooner rather than later. Braley has indicated he’ll only sell the team to local owners who have a passion for the game and the CFL. I hope that proves to be the case when the time comes, and that while he owns both he keeps them separate. Are any other Lions fans a little nervous that Wally Buono hasn’t signed an extension? Just sayin…

Orange Helmet Awards

The BC Lions are once again pleased to present the Orange Helmet Awards Dinner. It will be the seventh annual event, and will feature Darren Flutie who will emcee the event and his brother Doug who will be the keynote speaker. The awards were the brainchild of the late Bob Ackles, who’s commitment to minor league football was strong. The event goes Friday, April 9th at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

[tweetmeme]

Filed Under: Den Talk, News Tagged With: Bob Ackles, Darren Flutie, Doug Flutie, Mike Beamish, Orange Helmet Awards, Ricky Foley

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sponsor: RenfrowFootball.com

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

Sponsor: Metal Rocks

Metal Rocks

Advertisement

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.