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 Khalif Mitchell

Mitchell is leaving the league, the Lions and the fans with no choice.

October 17, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

Khalif Mitchell: Photo: BCLionsDen.ca

Khalif Mitchell may be running out of chances with the BC Lions. Photo: BCLionsDen.ca

I can’t tell you how disappointed I was to see that Khalif Mitchell had jumped into hot water again this morning. Meeting Khalif in person and seeing him interact with others at practices and other events it’s clear there is a passionate caring person inside his big frame, but his third incident of the season is also making it clear he may not be getting it.

I defended Khalif after the Rottier incident, giving him the benefit of the doubt that he just had a lapse in judgement. After the throat slashing gestures, I expressed a desire that he just concentrate on playing football, that all the other stuff wasn’t needed. I even agreed somewhat with his stance that he was being made an example of, although he was doing a pretty good job of earning that target. His team captains reportedly went to management with their concerns and we all hoped Khalif would come back and be the dominant force he has proven to be when he plays the game.

After the league levied yet another fine on Mitchell for his comments on Twitter earlier today, the Lions stepped up as well and did the right thing, suspending Mitchell for Friday’s game against the Eskimos. He left them with no choice.

To his credit, Mitchell did issue a statement apologizing for his comments.

“I made a comment, and it wasn’t right. I want to apologize. The comments that I made were done from unknown knowledge. I want to apologize to everyone out there who may have been offended, on behalf of me, my team and my organization.”

The Lions have constructed a certain environment in their organization and they expect that those that are part of it buy into the program. Mitchell has been given more chances than some others have in the past, mostly because he’s a very talented player, but also because those that know him often see the good in Khalif Mitchell, and there’s a lot of it.

Perhaps a suspension from his peers will flip some sort of switch. But you have to start to wonder how many more chances Mitchell will get and it appears by this quote from veteran Dante Marsh in a Mike Beamish piece that the rope is getting shorter.

“If I’m a grown man, and I don’t know how to police myself, or when to shut up, especially on a social site or a public forum, then I have some issues. I’ve done all that I can do.”

Fans hope no one has to do or say anything more, and we can all get this Khalif back.

More:

BC Lions Statement


Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: BC Lions, CFL, Khalif Mitchell, Suspension

From The Stands – Lions 14 Eskimos 27

July 22, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

Travis Lulay huddles with the offence.
Travis Lulay and the BC have yet to fire on all cylinders this season.

The Eskimos and Lions engaged in a defensive battle for much of Friday’s contest, but as was the case in Saskatchewan a week earlier, special teams and a costly mistake were contributing factors in the team’s second loss of the season and second in as many games. Here are my thoughts, from the stands.

Gentlemen, Watch Mr. Harris Please

If every BC Lion started the game with the determination that Andrew Harris did last night, the result may have been a lot different. In fact, after some of the plays he had early on, it’s a wonder he didn’t jack his teammates up to his level. Harris refused to be tackled and early on it was clear the game plan was to get him involved to neutralize the Edmonton pass rush. For the most part they were successful, racking up 453 yards in offence against the “league’s best defence”. Harris finished the night with 185 yards, 120 of them through catch and runs.

Special Teams

The Lions racked up much of that offence because they were starting deep in their own end much of the night. The Eskimos on the other hand enjoyed numerous starts at midfield thanks to shoddy return coverage and below average punting from Paul McCallum. McCallum has had a shaky start to 2012, and looked visibly frustrated coming off the field at times last night. The Lions didn’t even attempt a 44 yard field goal, in the dome, with the roof closed. That has to tell you something about the confidence that the coach has in his special teams unit right now. I’m not sure what Benevides can do to fix the situation, but it needs to be rectified quickly.

All That Talent, So Little Use

With the exception of Harris and Marco Iannuzzi, who is proving he belongs, the Lions didn’t have many other weapons on the night. Geroy Simon and Arland Bruce had four catches between them and that’s just a waste. The Lions are going to have to find ways to get Bruce and Simon more involved, and what has happened to Akeem Foster? This was a guy who looked like he had arrived before injuring his knee last year, and now is almost invisible in the offence.

Travis Lulay looked uneasy at times and appeared to lock onto one receiver on numerous occasions.  Nick Moore returned to the lineup and showed ok, although he dropped one with no one around him that won’t do him any favours in his bid to make more frequent appearances in the lineup.

Defence

The defence did their job for the most part. I thought Dante Marsh was having a strong game before he left with another dislocated shoulder. Hopefully he will be ok, and Marsh was telling anyone who would listen after the game that he would be fine. It’s the same shoulder he’s injured in the past.

Just two sacks for the defence on the night, and the difference was the two turnovers by the Eskimos defence. The Lions need to get more of those from their defence, especially with the offence not firing on all cylinders.

The Eskimos

The Eskimos came as advertised. I though Steven Jyles had a pretty good game, connecting on some nice plays before leaving with reported concussion symptoms. Kerry Joseph did his job managing the game the rest of the way. I’m still not sold that the Eskimos can win a Grey Cup with that tandem though. Much like the Lions tried to neutralize the Lions pass rush, the Eskimos did the same with a lot of work for Hugh Charles who finished with 118 yards rushing and another 61 through the air.

Their defence is solid, but the Lions did a nice job with the Eskimos front seven, only allowing one sack on the night, although there were many hurries. Right now you have to say the Eskimos are playing the best defence in the league and that unit is definitely winning them games, but it’s not November yet.

The Turning Point

With the Lions looking to punch it into the end zone to take the lead they chose to pass the ball on first and goal. Lulay tried to force a pass into Geroy Simon a touch late, who had two defenders on him. TJ Hill contacted Simon, the ball deflected into the arms of Joe Burnett who took it back 107 yards for the touchdown that would prove to be the nail in the coffin for the Lions. With the way Andrew Harris was playing it was surprising to see the Lions pass on first and goal. Not only that, but they emptied the back field telegraphing a pass play and Lulay was hurried on the play. That’s the way it has been the last two of games; one mistake, game over.

The Mitchell Play

I didn’t see this during the game, so I had to watch it on the PVR. I just don’t see this intent to injure other are seeing. What I am seeing is Rottier having a hold on Mitchell, to the point where it actually looks as though his hand is caught in Mitchell’s pads. To me it looks like Mitchell was just trying to break free of the hold. I’ll call a spade a spade if it’s warranted, but that’s what it looked like to me. Mitchell is an emotional player, and I’ve often wondered if we would see him lose his cool at some point. He may be getting a little frustrated with all the double teams he’s seeing, but I really don’t think there was any “intent” to injure Rottier.

I’m all for player social media use, but it may be a little inappropriate that Eskimos offensive lineman Greg Wojt tweeted at halftime: “Annoyed at the play, that was bush league by Khalif Mitchell. Intentionally trying to injure a player #NoClass.”

On to a tough game in Calgary next week, and as Coach Benevides is fond of saying this Lions team has lots of work to do.


Filed Under: 2012 Game Recaps, Den Talk, Featured, From The Stands, Game Recaps Tagged With: 2012 Season, Andrew Harris, BC Lions, CFL, Edmonton Eskimos, From The Stands, Khalif Mitchell, Paul McCallum, Travis Lulay

Save the date! Sports & Stuff Football Day – August 11th, Chilliwack, BC

July 12, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

If you’ve been saving your pennies to get your paws on some new BC Lions gear, you may want to save the date for the annual Sports & Stuff BC Lions Football Day in Chilliwack.

Sports & Stuff is a local sports apparel and memorabilia store located in the Chilliwack Mall. They carry one of the largest selections of Lions and CFL merchandise in the province and on August 11th, they invite you to drive out and get great deals on gear, as well as mingle with BC Lions players. Confirmed to be in attendance so far are Khalif Mitchell and Arland Bruce.

You’ll also have the chance to win some great prizes, including:

  • A trip to Las Vegas.
  • A trip to Edmonton to see the Lions play the Eskimos.
  • An autographed Travis Lulay jersey and helmet.
  • Autographed footballs
  • Framed photos and lots more.

Tell them BCLionsDen.ca sent you and get an additional discount off any purchases.

When: Saturday, August 11th, 2012 – 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Where: 45610 Luckakuck Way, Chilliwack, British Columbia V2R1A2


Filed Under: Den Talk, Featured, News Tagged With: Arland Bruce, BC Lions, Football Day, Khalif Mitchell, Merchandise, Prizes, Sports & Stuff

June 7th Training Camp Report/Photos: From The Stands

June 7, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

Sorry this is posted late, internet problems in the hotel and the arranging of a small get together in Kamloops delayed my intentions a little. More on that at the end of this, but first a quick recap of my observations from my first day in Kamloops.

The morning session saw mainly clear skies to start but cool temperatures. The sun didn’t stay long however and was gone by the end of the session. In the afternoon, cool, grey, windy and at times rainy conditions were present and only the diehards were in the stands.

Receivers

The starting receivers group looks to be Simon, Bruce, Foster, Gore, and Kierre Johnson. Newcomer Ernest Jackson had a strong session in the afternoon. Kierre Johnson is looking very fast and is catching everything. With his small stature, some felt he might be in tough for his roster spot, especially with some of the players they have brought to camp, but to me he was one of the most dangerous players out there. He’s also being used as one of the primary kick returners so far and is looking dangerous there, albeit with limited contact to date. Marco Iannuzzi sat out the afternoon session and looked to have a minor “lower body” injury.

Running backs

Andrew Harris is going to have a big year. He looks ready to be a prime time player in this league, in case his performance last year wasn’t enough of a clue. Behind him, I thought Anthony Stewart has a few nice runs, but he’s very small. Didn’t notice much of Stu Foord, but rookie Nic Grigsby also had some nice carries.

Kabongo watch

The best battles of the day were the one on ones between Patrick Kabongo and Khalif Mitchell. The two put on an impressive display and showed a mutual respect for one another. As someone who had concerns about how heavy Kabongo came into camp, I had some of those alleviated after seeing how well the big man moves and seeing his work ethic. He is fitting in well with the existing offensive line members and is a leader on the field. With a little bit of weight loss and some fine tuning by Dan Dorazio, Kabongo could very well prove to be a solid pick up by the Lions with the injuries they have incurred on the line to date.

Linebacker

As reported, the Lions are going to give James Yurichuk every chance to stake claim to the middle linebacker spot of the departed Solomon Elimimian. It’s really tough to get a gauge on  how he’s doing right now, because at this point in camp, there isn’t a lot of hitting going on. I expect to see a bit more on Friday and Saturday, and of course we’ll all get a first hand look Wednesday against the Riders. Anton McKenzie has two strong sessions including  almost picking off Travis Lulay. Adam Bighill is also in the mix, but the job is Yurichuk’s to lose.

The secondary

This is definitely an area of strength for the Lions and it shows. Byron Parker is fitting in nicely, both on the field and the trash talking department among the unit. The real standout for me today though was safety Cauchy Muamba who picked off Lulay and looks to be grabbing hold of the starting safety spot. Lin-J Shell continues to see second team reps and Anthony Reddick looks to be getting most of the reps at the nickle back spot.

Sitting

Angus Reid sat out the morning session for what was referred to by the team as a maintenance day. He was back in the afternoon session. Defensive lineman Maurice Evans tweaked something in the morning and was sitting out the afternoon along with LB Adam Leonard who looks close to returning. As mentioned above Iannuzzi also sat out the afternoon.

Social

If you’re going to be in Kamloops on Saturday night, June 9th, a few Lions fans are getting together at the Boston Pizza at 500 Notre Dame Drive at 7:30pm. If you would like to join us, please e-mail me at brian@bclionsden.ca and we’ll make sure we save a seat for you.

Next practice: Friday, June 8th 8:20 am and 4:00pm.

Here are some photos from today’s sessions:

[AFG_gallery id=’3′]

Filed Under: Den Talk, Featured, Photo Galleries, Training Camp 2012 Tagged With: BC Lions, CFL, Kamloops, Khalif Mitchell, Patrick Kabongo, Photos, Training Camp

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

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

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.