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The End of an Era in BC

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Ryan Phillips

On Friday, the BC Lions will likely announce the release of veteran defensive back Ryan Phillips. It will mark the end of an era in the Lions Den and will be the final chapter of one of the best defensive backfields the CFL has ever seen.

Like Korey Banks, and Dante Marsh before him, no player can escape the clock that GM and Head Coach, Wally Buono has in regards to players. Phillips and Buono had been in discussions over his role for 2017, and a reported pay cut as well. The two sides couldn’t agree on those scenarios and it’s reported that Phillips asked for his release.


In their prime, Banks, Marsh and Phillips formed “Lockdown U”. A self-named moniker that held true for several seasons and struck fear into receivers and quarterbacks across the CFL. All three should be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame one day, and if all is right in the world, all three will also be added to the Lions Ring of Honour as well.

Dante Marsh never played again after his release, Banks ended up in Winnipeg and didn’t last long after they decided he wasn’t a starter. Phillips obviously still feels he can play and is also chasing that 50th interception, just two away from the mark.

So he will test the waters and see if there are any takers while leaving behind the only CFL team he has played for.

Following the release of Marsh, I wrote a blog a bout how Phillips was the last man standing from the trio of Lockdown U. It was meant as a tribute to Ryan, but as any proud player would, he took exception to my thought that while he wasn’t the best tackler on the team, his leadership was invaluable. We talked about it, and I apologized if he saw it as a slight, but it was never my intention to insult him. He played two more seasons for the Lions and was a huge contributor in mentoring young players like Keynan Parker, Ronnie Yell and TJ Lee, among others.

At the end of last season, Phillips said he had no desire to play anywhere else but BC. Obviously, he has changed his mind, and he has earned that right to try and continue his career. He’s been around Wally Buono long enough to realize that this day might be coming, and he’s ready to end his career in another uniform, just like Geroy Simon. No player is immune when Buono decides the best before date has come.

But make no mistake, Phillips bleeds orange and understands the business of football. Don’t be surprised that when he finally decides to hang up his cleats, he signs a one-day contract in BC and retires a Lion. Very rarely in sports these days do players finish their careers with one team, and Phillips lasted longer than the average player does.

He’s one of the all-time greats, not only as a BC Lion, but as a CFL player, and we were lucky to have him in orange and black as long as we did.

He’ll always be a Lion, no matter where he finishes his career and Lions fans will be ready to welcome him to the Ring of Honour, along with Banks and Marsh when and if the club deems it appropriate. And if there is any question about that, this blogger will be sure to be campaigning hard for it to happen.

Thanks for the memories RP, and all the best on your new adventure.

The BC Lions Den Pawdcast: Episode 64

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Korey Banks - BC Lions - Darryl Dyck - Canadian Press

After a week off Brian and Mojo return to talk about the recent plights of the BC Lions. We also chat with former BC Lions defensive back Korey Banks about life after football, the rule changes in the game, the best receivers he played against and the way his career came to an end.

Former offensive lineman Belton Johnson of CJME in Regina checks in ahead of the BC Lions and Roughriders game at BC Place Stadium on Saturday.

Follow our guests::

Korey Banks: @24Banks

Belton Johnson: @BJizzle56

This show was recorded on September 29th, 2015.

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

Last Man Standing – Ryan Phillips is the last remaining member of Lockdown U

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For years the BC Lions secondary was the picture of continuity. Dante Marsh, Korey Banks and Ryan Phillips could read each other like a book and the Lions reaped the rewards of their cohesiveness. They quickly became fixtures on the team and won two Grey Cups as a group anointing themselves ‘Lockdown U’.

ryanphillips
Ryan Phillips will be starting his 11th season with the Lions.

Two seasons ago they talked about finishing their careers together as BC Lions. The “Grey Beards” as they referred to themselves, all felt they were still at the top of their game. They aged like fine wine, they said.

But their dream of retiring together proved to be just that. In 2014 Wally Buono decided that Banks’ best days were behind him, and at the conclusion of that year, he decided that it was time Marsh was replaced as well. As in all pro sports, the choice is rarely the that of the athlete.

Wally Buono has never been afraid of change and very rarely is he wrong. After being traded to Winnipeg, Banks scoffed at his role with the Bombers and retired. Dante Marsh has yet to find work with a club since his release, but has told me he’s fine with working on his clothing line and personal training business if the right offer doesn’t come along.

Phillips might have been next, if not for the fact of his durability and leadership value to the team, and as such it was announced he would receive an extension through 2016, even though the same thing had been an announced prior to the 2014 season.

He starts his 11th season in the CFL, all of them with the BC Lions. He has never missed a game in his career (all 180 of them) which is the longest active streak in the CFL.  Phillips will be counted on to be a veteran presence in a secondary that has been overhauled the last two season with promising results. The additions of Cord Parks, TJ Lee, Ronnie Yell and Josh Johnson have been solid. The Lions hope to have free agent signing Chris Rwabukamba address their need for a national safety, and also have the snake bitten Matt McGarva returning from injury as insurance.

Phillips will be counted on to be the man that guides the unit. His 40 interceptions are second only to Lions legend Larry Crawford who tallied 51 over his career. It would likely be tough for Phillips to reach that mark over the next two seasons, and really there is no guarantee he will be here past this campaign. But for now, the Lions simply find his intangibles too valuable to let go.

Playing in BC is perfect for Phillips, who resides in Washington State and is a school teacher in the off-season. In 2006 he completed his degree in Secondary Education and enjoys working as a substitute teacher in the Seattle school system. Something that is not a surprise if you’ve ever seen him around young fans.

His work in the community is well documented as well, as evidenced by a charity basketball game he held last spring benefiting the BC/Yukon division of Make-A-Wish.

So while two of his fellow mainstays are gone, Phillips churns on. He may not be the player he was five years ago. Not many out there would consider him the best tackler on the team either. But to Wally Buono his other qualities have made him; the last man standing.

Lions lose two good ones in McKenzie and Archibald

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Photo: BCLions.com

As Lowell Ullrich pointed out on the The Fifth Quarter, the Lions took another hit to the depth of their leadership group with the retirement of Ben Archibald and the release of LB Anton McKenzie.

There is a re-tooling happening in BC, and it looks as though the Lions are looking to become a younger more aggressive team in 2014. To be sure there is still plenty of leadership in the Lions locker room after today’s losses, but when you throw Korey Banks and Angus Reid into the discussion, you can see why some are concerned.

Reid certainly feels the loss of Archibald will be a big one for the club, tweeting;

The Lions do have some young talent coming on the offensive line which received a boost when 2013 draft pick Hunter Steward signed with the team. Kirby Fabien looked fantastic before his injury last season and the Lions will hope he comes back 100% for training camp. They’re also talking to the agent for 2010 draft pick Danny Watkins, who isn’t sure he wants to play football any more after toiling for a couple of seasons in the NFL.

But it’s going to have to be up to Jovan Olafioye, Dean Valli and Patrick Kabongo to be the leaders and guide the youth of a new look offensive line. Matt Norman enters his third season with the Lions and must have absorbed a ton of experience in 2013. There is no reason to expect he won’t continue to improve as the heir apparent to Angus Reid.

McKenzie’s loss will also be felt. The consummate team player, McKenzie was a solid option for the Lions in many situations. His play down the stretch in 2011 was outstanding and he was a big part of the playoffs that year. The writing was on the wall though and with Adam Bighill and Solomon Elimimian in the lineup and the addition of Jamall Johnson, the Lions can afford to go with a younger option to bring along.

While some are suggesting that the Lions may feel these departures when it comes to leadership, the fact is there are players ready to assume that role. Dante Marsh, Ryan Philips, Shawn Gore, Travis Lulay, Khreem Smith, Paul McCallum, Adam Bighill, Andrew Harris are all still here among others. One only has to point a young player in the direction of Marsh or Bighill to see what being a professional entails.

Leadership shouldn’t be an issue and as always, the decisions of Wally Buono will be judged in November. He usually gets pretty decent grades.

Korey Banks: The Next Victim of “The Business”

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As a sports fan I think that I am a bit wiser than I was in my younger years. I’ve come to understand that sports is a business and that getting attached to players is just a bad idea. Unlike my younger days when players actually played for one team their entire careers, it rarely happens in sports today.

As the General Manager of the BC Lions, Wally Buono has to make tough decisions each year. He can’t build a football team for the future by clinging to the past and as Lions fans saw last season with the trade of Geroy Simon, no one is untouchable when the boss feels a different direction is needed.

So in Friday when fan favourite and eight year Lions Korey Banks was traded, I like many fans was disappointed, but the rational part of me just considered it business as usual.

The reasons for the trade were two-fold if you read between the lines of what has been reported. Banks himself was not happy with a change of heart by Buono on the way his contract was structured, and always had been during Banks’ tenure with the club. For his part, Buono has decided that the club is going to ask more players to play out their options, especially when they are getting on in age.

To me it was unfortunate that Banks’ pretty much gave Buono no choice but to make a move by voicing his displeasure publically and demanding to be released or traded. Things like this are always better when they are kept within the organization, but then again Banks has never been afraid to speak his mind.

As Lowell Ullrich of the TheProvince.com wrote yesterday, there is some questioning by elder players about just where they stand in the grand scheme of things. As expected Banks’ long time teammates in the secondary, Dante Marsh and Ryan Phillips were not happy with the move.

What’s their plans for me? What direction are we going? First thing I thought is who do we have on our roster for us to make this move?” said Ryan Phillips. “I didn’t want to see this happen. I always felt I wanted all of us to go out together.

Dante Marsh was just as miffed, but knows that it’s part of the business that he’s in.

I understand this is a business, but this is a brutal PR move,” said Marsh, “If you’re not going to pay (Banks), who are you going to pay?

It’s understandable for Phillips and Marsh to be upset at the departure of the long-time teammate and friend. But at the same time Buono wasn’t forced to “pay” anyone. Banks was under contract for the 2014 season and even if he felt the club had reneged on an early promise, he was the one that forced the hand of Buono, who has to look at the complete puzzle when trying to turn it into a championship team.

The Lions say they want to go in a different direction at the nickleback position. A spot where they want to get a little bigger and more physical. Obviously Buono wasn’t convinced that Banks was indispensable, especially if he wasn’t going to be a happy camper.

The business is a tough one, but Banks was compensated well by the Lions during his time with them, and he helped the team win two championships. He’ll go down as one of the all-time great Lions.

Eventually Marsh and Phillips will settle in and do their jobs as they always do, even if in the back of their minds they wonder when their day will come.

Because that folks is the business, and no player is exempt. But if this team is hoisting the Grey Cup in November at BC Place, then all will be good again…until the boss makes his next round of decisions for the future.

 

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