David Braley Archives | BC Lions Football

The BC Lions Den Pawdcast: Episode 71

November 20, 2015 By Brian Wawryshyn

The BC Lions Den Pawdcast: Lowell Ullrich and Jason Smith – 3DownNation.com

The BC Lions season ended with a thud in Calgary and it’s time to look at the year that was, and where the BC Lions are headed in the future. We talk about the game, free agency, management and are joined by Lowell Ullrich of TSN 1040 to help us break it all down.

Jason Smith , President of the 103rd Grey Cup Festival joins the show from Winnipeg as that city gets prepared to welcome CFL fans from across the country next week.

Follow our guests::

Lowell Ullrich: @FifthQtr :: 2015 Grey Cup Festival: @GreyCupFestival

This show was recorded on November 18th, 2015.

Never miss a show! Subscribe to the BC Lions Den Pawdcast on iTunes.

Simply Not Good Enough

September 14, 2015 By Brian Wawryshyn

Let’s get something clear right off the top; I’m a BC Lions fan. Before being a blogger or podcaster, I’m a fan of this team to my core.

Which is why it pains me to write this piece here on 3DownNation.com. I don’t want to rip my team, even though there are many times in my 8 years of blogging about the team that I’ve felt like doing so. Usually after a loss I wait until the next day to write to let a cooler head prevail, but this one burned.

In the end, I pay my money just like you do, and after what I sat through Sunday afternoon at BC Place, it’s time to vent. It was embarrassing for the fans, it was embarrassing for the organization, and if you aren’t embarrassed and pissed off, then there is something wrong. In the almost 40 years I’ve followed this team I have never left a game feeling so frustrated.

The Lions held the ball for just 18:15. No, that’s not one of my famous Twitter typos…18:15. The offence was unimaginative, couldn’t execute the original game plan, and were unable to execute any adjustments that were made. More than that, it was lifeless, with guys moping their way off the field and moping around on the sidelines.

Andrew Harris had 4 carries for 3 yards. He left the building without showering or speaking with reporters.

How can you blame Harris for blowing off steam? In a game where you start your backup QB, starting his first CFL game, you completely abandon your biggest (and at many times this season only) offensive weapon? It hasn’t just been this game either, the run blocking has been horrible for at least 3 games. They aren’t being nearly physical enough on the line, or they simply aren’t capable of doing it.

On one play in the 3^rd quarter Harris released out of the backfield and was wide open 15 yards downfield with no one around him and John Beck didn’t even look at him.

Emmanuel Arceneaux who got into it on Twitter with Jovon Johnson of the Redblacks earlier in the week, had another ball thrown his way intercepted simply because he didn’t put up a fight for the ball. You’re familiar with walking the walk, right?

The offence of George Cortez was putrid. Granted there were times when the players on the field were responsible, but by and large this offence has fans thinking life with Jacques Chapdelaine, heck even Khari Jones wasn’t so bad after all.

Jeff Tedford was brought here with the reputation of being an offensive football innovator. If that’s the case it’s time that he display some of that, whether that means he takes over the offence or not. But Cortez doesn’t have the attention of the players, and last year in Saskatchewan his offence was horrible after Darian Durant went down, even though he had two great running backs at his disposal.

Defensively you can’t be too hard on the Lions who didn’t allow a Redblacks touchdown in until the 3^rd quarter. But being on the field for 41:45 of the game was simply too much and Burris picked them apart in the fourth quarter. However, the penchant for giving up first downs on 2^nd and long continued and when Mic’hael Brooks left the game the seas parted in the Lions defensive line.

Change is Needed

Wally Buono is facing the biggest issues this club has had during his tenure. Have he and his scouting staff done a good enough job scouting players? The Lions used to regularly find diamonds in the rough, but the pickings have been slim the last few seasons. They haven’t built up the Canadian depth on the offensive line, they draft players they never see, and they can’t seem to find dominant defensive linemen despite other teams doing so on a regular basis.

Buono has earned the right to ride this out and certainly can’t be a happy man after what he saw Sunday. In the past he hasn’t been afraid to make a bold move to shake up his locker room and you have to wonder if he’s reached that point now. Whether he makes a change in the coaching staff or cuts a veteran, something needs to be done to send a message to the players and the fan base, that the current results aren’t nearly good enough.

With the Lions dressing the youngest team in the league, many playing the CFL game for the first time, no one was expecting them to dominate. But they did expect there would be progress, growth and at the very least a team that played hard. That has hardly been the case so far, and with two games coming up in Alberta, the Lions season could be on life support in two weeks.

As I wrote a couple weeks ago, it may be time for David Braley to sell the BC Lions. The Lions will tell you that Braley gives them what they need, which sounds fine, but we need an owner that will give them more than they need. At this stage in his life Mr. Braley isn’t likely to invest a large sum of money in something he doesn’t plan to own much longer. His investment in marketing has been poor based on the numbers.

The same face painted fans are plastered on posters on repeat, season ticket prices keep going up for less perks and a subpar product on the field. Sunday’s crowd of 19,833 (not a chance that many were there) is a clear sign that off the field, the Lions have a huge task staring them in the face. It’s something they should have seen happening 4 years ago.

All of the work that Bob Ackles did to bring back fans has been eroded. Many of those fans that came back were long time Lions fans and since then, the team has done little to engage millennials. They refuse to or are unwilling to fight for tailgating, something that young fans would be interested in, even though they have lots around the stadium if they chose to put in the work to secure them for such a purpose. But it’s too much hassle, and they would rather take the easy way out and promote their street party as the place to be.

Under Dennis Skulsky the Lions fan base is dwindling, the numbers don’t lie and many fans feel alienated from the team. Other team’s host fan forums with their season ticket holders. A no-holds barred, tell us what you’re thinking event. The Lions don’t seem to feel the need to give their ticket holders the same courtesy (except ones that don’t renew) and I’ve sent e-mails that don’t even get the courtesy of a reply.

And so this is where we find ourselves. A once perennially competitive CFL franchise that is struggling on and off the field. Every team rebuilds and I’ll be here to ride this one out and all Lions fans should be too. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about this team, not only now but in the future unless some important changes are made.

You and the Lions should be too.

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 6^th, 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.

Recent Rumblings May Involve Leos

February 21, 2010 By Brian Wawryshyn

The Toronto Argonauts may be doing a little pre-spring cleaning after announcing they had released quarterbacks Kerry Joseph, Cody Pickett and LB Zeke Moreno on Sunday. Generally teams don’t release their two best QB’s unless they have a plan in place, and according to Sportsnet’s Arash Madani on Twitter, they may just be finalizing the fine print on such a plan, and it may involve the BC Lions.

Madani suggested today that the Argos and Lions are working on a deal that would see Jarious Jackson heading to the Argos. He also suggested that the Lions might be close to signing LB Barrin Simpson, and both DE Riall Johnson (Montreal) and Teyo Johnson (Calgary).

“A lot of noise BC + Tor working to send Argos J. Jackson. Braley optics factor an issue. Murmurs Barrin S., Rial+Teyo Johnson becoming Lions”

Madani’s fellow columnist Perry Lefko seems to back up the speculation in this article today. While the dealing of Jackson makes sense in the fact that the Lions will have to cut lose a QB to re-sign Casey Printers to a starter’s contract, it is surprising it’s Jackson and not Buck Pierce being dangled if that’s the case. While Pierce is younger and perhaps a more complete QB when healthy, the problem lies in the fact he can’t stay off the injured list. Jackson is coming off a rotator cuff injury, while Pierce has had both shoulder and concussion issues. Both are good coming off the bench in games, so you would think the Lions would take less risk by unloading Pierce.

It’s been less than a month since David Braley purchased the Toronto Argonauts, and the fact he may be bringing a quarterback from his other club will be looked at closely by several parties. BC fans will be wanting to make sure the Lions receive decent compensation in return for a quality QB. Argos fans will be watching to see what the Lions get in return, and teams looking for QB’s will be watching to see if the Argos got their new starting QB for fair market value.

At the time that Braley bought the Argos, both he and the league said all the right things about maintaining the integrity of the game. I believe them both when they say that, but it doesn’t mean all the parties involved won’t be looking at any deals between the two clubs. Stay tuned!

[tweetmeme]

Braley And The Argonauts :: Have Your Say!

February 9, 2010 By Brian Wawryshyn

Well it’s official. The BC Lions and the Toronto Argonauts are now owned by David Braley. In a statement issued by the league, commissioner Mark Cohon tries to ease concerns about an owner owning two CFL franchises.

“Even now, when Canada is slowly emerging from a deep recession, and the vast majority of businesses and entrepreneurs are solidifying their holdings as opposed to pursuing new ventures, we sought and received strong expressions of interest in the Argonauts from a number of other sources,” Cohon said.

“But in the end, this was the best option for the future of the Argonauts and the health of the Canadian Football League. As stewards of our league, and all the CFL has come to mean to so many Canadians, our Board of Governors took into account three important factors,” he said.

“The first was the quality of ownership in our league. We are unanimous in the belief we would much rather have an exemplary person with considerable financial resources and an undeniable love for our league sit atop two franchises than have any one of our franchises owned by someone of uncertain means or questionable character, or someone lacking in a real, long term commitment to what’s best for the CFL and its fans,” Cohon said.

“The second factor was the integrity of our game. We understand there are those who will now view every interaction between the Lions and the Argos with extreme scrutiny. I can assure them their vigilance will be nothing compared to the way I and my colleagues in the league office will monitor every transaction and every game involving these two teams, reserving every step of the way our right to veto any trade or punish any initiative that fails to clearly meet the highest standards of competitiveness,” he said.

“But we are confident moving forward most of all because of the third factor we took into account and that is the character of Mr. Braley himself. No one in today’s Canadian Football League, and perhaps no one in the history of the CFL, has devoted more of his time, energy and resources to our league than Mr. Braley. And I believe it is equally fair to say that few people have demonstrated a deeper commitment to the integrity of the game and the league than Mr. Braley, and the football people he has chosen to surround himself with over the years, including current Lions Head Coach and General Manager Wally Buono and the late Bobby Ackles, who served as the Lions President. No one wants to win more than Mr. Braley and his personnel but they strive to win fairly and squarely, in the best tradition of our league.”

As a fan of the BC Lions, I am hoping everything the commissioner says is true. I am a huge David Braley fan, and yes I think he’ll do everything above board and make sure there are no conflicts. But what happens if a Lion is a free agent and ends up in Toronto, or vice-versa? What happens if Wally Buono isn’t extended in BC, then magically appears in the Hog Town? There will be a lot of question thrown out there if those situations start to occur. Frankly I don’t think the league needs any of that scrutiny either. Perception can be very damaging from a marketing standpoint.

David Braley saved the BC Lions, and I hope he has success in doing the same in Toronto, but as a fan I want an owner who is 100% committed to the BC Lions. It’s for that reason, I now hope that local ownership can be found for the Lions. The team is prosperous, and in two years will have a fancy new retractable roof to market. They are competitive each year, and have stable football people in place. These are all attractive features for a potential buyer.

Congratulations to Mr. Braley, and to the fans of the Argos, you’ve got a good man in charge. But like the commissioner, Lions fans will be watching every move from here on out with keen interest.

What is your opinion on David Braley owning two CFL teams? We’d like to hear from you, so leave a comment below.