Winnipeg Archives | BC Lions Football

The 2015 CFL season is in the books, and we start by offering our congratulations to the Edmonton Eskimos and their fans on their Grey Cup Championship. They were the best team all season long and are very deserving champions.

The Ottawa Redblacks and their fans also deserve a nod for everything they accomplished on just their second season back in the league. Their franchise is doing everything right and the future is bright for CFL football in the nation’s capital.

Grey Cup week was a blast as usual, and like every year there just isn’t enough time to do everything you want to, or see everyone you want to see.

With that said, here are some random thoughts and observations on the events that made up a great week of celebrating our country and the league we love.

Friendly Manitoba

The Manitoba moniker couldn’t have been truer during our visit. From the moment we arrived at the airport to moment we left, the people of Winnipeg were welcoming and helpful. The city brought in extra cabs and transportation was never an issue. And of course while the weather was still cold for us west coasters, Mother Nature also cooperated by keeping the temperatures tolerable.

There is something about Grey Cups on the prairies, and this one was no exception. A huge thank you to the people, the volunteers, hotel workers and the Festival committee for a job well done and some tremendous hospitality, even if I heard “BC Sucks” a million times during the week.

The Festival

Everything in the Festival was well organized and planned. In keeping with recent Festivals most of the events were centred in the down town core in and around the convention centre, making checking out as many events as we could convenient.

I did notice that most of the team parties were lower attended than usual. I can’t remember the last time you could walk into the Spirit of Edmonton on a Friday or Saturday night without waiting in a lineup. That said, the other teams would do well to look at the Spirit model of securing enough sponsorship to make their events free to enter. The fact is Grey Cup is becoming more and more expensive and $20.00 to enter each party is keeping some folks away.

The BC Lions Den party felt this pinch on Friday evening, and on Saturday dropped their entry from $20.00 to $10.00. The result was a much fuller room and a much better party. Their drink prices were reasonable compared to the convention centre parties and the smaller room was nice as well, giving the event a more cozy feeling. The band was outstanding this year and there were plenty of players and former players on hand to mingle with the fans.

If I could make one suggestion to the Lions and other teams for their parties, it would be that all season ticket holders making the trek to Grey Cup get into the parties free of charge, with a nominal entry fee for other fans.

Commissioner Jeffery Orridge was asked during his State of the League address to the fans about rewarding the devoted fans of this league, and one way to do that would be to make sure this league stays affordable.

Investors Group Field

IGF is a beautiful stadium with great sight lines for the most part. I was really looking forward to seeing this stadium and it didn’t disappoint. There were some nit-picky things I didn’t like however. Our seats were in the upper deck and our view was obstructed by a railing. And in the upper deck there were just two small washrooms, one at either end for the men. There were two for women as well, but I have no idea how big they were of course. There was also not much for concessions on that level and no TV screens to watch the action while we were waiting in long line-ups.

We actually left our seats for the second half and watched from the concourse of the lower level which features an open design so that you can see the game from any vantage point. All in all it’s a great place to watch a football game, and I hope to return in the warmer months of the season to take in another game there.

The Grey Cup Club

This year marked a new program launched by the CFL called the Grey Cup Club. The league offered 300 “Founding Memberships” for a cost of $50.00 that promised insider details, a welcome reception and hotel deals on future Grey Cups. From what I’ve heard, the response was strong to the idea, so is it worth the annual $50.00 membership?

We received a hat and a membership lanyard labelled “Founding Member”. The reception was held at the Fairmont Hotel and while it was well attended, there was no one there from the league to welcome us, or speak about the club and the vision for it in the future. All members received two free drink tickets, but it would have been nice to be paid a visit by the commissioner or someone from the league at the event.

At this point I will be renewing my membership and we’ll see what happens moving forward. But it was a nice new fresh idea by the league to recognize fans that go to the big game every year.

The Rebranding

At the Commissioner’s State of the League address to the media and fans, the re-branding of the league was announced. That #WWMO hash tag you’ve been seeing on Twitter was finally explained to all as “What We’re Made Of”. The new promotional video was very well done, but the new league logo is being met with apprehension and in some cases disgust by fans.

Personally I think the old logo was still current and don’t see the need for the revision. Those that are speaking out are not impressed with the simplicity of the new logo the tiny half of the maple leaf and the partial football that is part of it.

Over time this should subside and with everything the league has put into the re-branding, I wouldn’t expect anything to be reversed. But this is the fan’s league so perhaps the league will reconsider. Re-branding is good at times, but I feel the league could have accomplished this without a logo revision.

The league will also unveil a new website, which is apparently being launched this week, and will feature more comprehensive stats (finally) and a solid fantasy component, which is another way the league wants to attract more fans. It’s not known at this time whether individual team sites will also get a similar makeover, but I look forward to seeing what they’ve come up with.

Overall it was a great week in Winnipeg and the city did a fantastic job of hosting fans from across the country. If you’re a fan of Canadiana and the league, it really should be on your bucket list to attend a Grey Cup week. You won’t be sorry that you did.

In the coming days I will have a recap and post mortem on the season of the BC Lions, as well as some changes I hope to see from the franchise in 2016.

For now, it’s time to relax and recover from another hectic week with the best fans of any league in the world. Because what the league is made of is it’s fans and to all of you who made last week special, I say thank you, and we’ll see you in Toronto in 2016!

After the first four weeks of the 2009 CFL season teams are starting to show their true colours. And while there are still some perennial powerhouses at the top, some stronger teams of the past are spiraling to the basement of the league as they struggle to find new identities amongst the changes they have made. Here’s a look at how I see the teams after the first four games of the year.

The Elite

Montreal (4-0)

No doubt they are the class of the East, they always are. This year though they are clearly the class of the league, which couldn’t always be said in the past. The Als look balanced, consistent, and they’ve already knocked off two west opponents, including the Stamps. It’s amazing how the Als restock and reload year after year and never seem to “rebuild”. There should be nothing standing in their way of getting to the Grey Cup (again). Mark Trestman looks like his rookie CFL coaching debut was no fluke. He is respected by his players, and his peers and has his team prepared to play each and every week.

Calgary (2-2)

The Grey Cup hangover appears to be wearing off and the Stamps annihilation of the Lions Friday was impressive and decisive. Henry Burris looks confident, and in my opinion is he best QB in the league right now. The Lions offensive line had no answers for the Calgary pass rush led by Labinjo, and whether that is more of a reflection of the Lions themselves remains to be seen, but this is a solid group and I see the Stamps getting stronger as we go.

The Average

Saskatchewan (2-2)

The Riders offseason changes on defense were supposed to set them back, but they haven’t missed a beat. Picking up Stevie Baggs from Winnipeg was brilliant and their new linebacking core is getting the job done. What’s hurting them is inconsistency on offense and turnovers. Sound familiar? QB Darian Durant looks great on one drive, average the next and downright brutal on others. The Riders have a great back in Wes Cates, outstanding receivers, and their defense is playing well but until they get solid production from the QB spot, they’ll continue to be an average team.

Hamilton (2-2)

As a CFL fan I am loving the fact the Ticats are off to a better start this year. Their latest loss to Montreal was tough, but they were the first club to hold the Als under 40 points, under 30 for that matter, and it looks like O’Billovich is starting to add some nice talent, as we all knew he would after having the time to do so. Quinton Porter is a work in progress, but Kevin Glenn has added a nice backup option off the bench. The Ticat defense looks to be much improved as well, with Otis Floyd fitting in nicely from BC and providing some nice leadership as he did with the Lions. Western teams can’t be assured a cross-over spot this year, and a win over the Lions next week at home could propel this team to even bigger and better things in the East and possibly even a home playoff game which would be outstanding for their long suffering fan base.

Toronto (2-2)

Toronto went the route of the Alouettes and hired a coach with NFL experience in Bart Andrus in the offseason. They also tried to beef up their offensive line with the addition of Rob Murphy from the BC Lions. To date the results have been mixed, and that’s to be expected. Andrus has laid down the law in Toronto with Adriano Belli and more recently Arland “Terrell Owens” Bruce. That move resulted in a big win on the road in Winnipeg. I expect the Argos may continue to improve. They have some nice pieces to work with and a coach with fresh ideas and philosophy’s

Edmonton (2-2)

The Eskimos barely avoided the “weak” category, and only did so with a gutsy character filled comeback in Regina yesterday. After getting it handed to them at home against the Lions, the Eskies could have easily packed it in after getting down 22-0 at Mosaic. But they stuck with it and battled back to take over the game and get a win in a stadium where it’s tough to do so. The Eskimos overhauled defense has been hot and cold. Their biggest issues remain on offense, but that could change if they finally clue in and use Calvin McCarty as their featured back. Ricky Ray has taken a lot of heat from Eskimo fans, but without an established running game, and an average offensive line performance he hasn’t had a chance to be effective.

The Weak

Winnipeg (1-3)

New head coach Mike Kelly made a lot of enemies early on, and from day one I questioned the appointment of Stefan Lefors as the Bombers number one QB. To put all your faith in a QB that has never been more than a backup was dangerous move. Things have gotten so bad the Bombers are now airlifting in Michael Bishop at QB. Can Casey Printers be far behind? Four of the teams next five games are on the road, and if the Bombers don’t solve their offensive woes quickly, their season could be over quickly.

BC (1-3)

Last and possibly least, my own BC Lions. Yes, there have been a ton of offseason changes. But there are still enough veterans on this team that there should have been no excuse for the no-show at home versus the Grey Cup champs,who owned you last season. If they had put up a fight maybe they squeak out of the “weak” label. This team seems to have an overconfidence problem that is reflecting on it’s leadership. Turnovers, missed assignments, dumb penalties…you name it the Lions have done it this season. How many players does Buono have to axe to get his point across? At some point the players in the room have respond and take responsibility, buckle down and play inspired football.

There are questions about the coaches as well, including Buono himself, with many wondering if the game is passing him by. Is he too stubborn to change his ways? Why does he show such loyalty to his coaches, but is quick to axe his players? The defense under Mike Benevides hasn’t been the same since Dave Ritchie retired, and Jacques Chapdelaine continues to call the offense despite his title of receivers coach. At what point to the coaches become responsible?

The offensive line is struggling, there’s a new running back with promise trying to find his way, and QB’s who have zero time to set up not producing. The Lions need to figure it out quickly because at 1-3 and in the West division, there is not a whole lot of margin for failure. It will be interesting to see if the Lions can rebound in Hamilton like the Eskimos did in Regina after their embarrassing loss at home.

A Friendly Manitoba Grey Cup

Friendly Manitoba

The Festival

Investors Group Field

The Grey Cup Club

The Rebranding

The Elite, The Average and The Weak

The Elite

The Average

The Weak

Great CFL Resources

CFL West Fan Sites

CFL East Fan Sites