As one might expect it’s a sour mood for most members of the BC Lions. The team has a losing record (4-6 overall; 2-3 both home and away), they have allowed 59 more points than they have scored (222-281), and they are ranked last in both offence (308.6 yards a game) and defence (407.4 yards allowed a game). Oh, and some might consider this the good news.
Attendance has plummeted, down on average over 7,000 a game (28,011 in 2014 to 20,854 this year), their starting quarterback (Travis Lulay) is on the injured list, and there is a sense of growing player unrest.
A frustrated first year head coach Jeff Tedford has decided on home game days to institute mandatory film study just six hours before kickoff. According to tweets from Arash Madani of Sportsnet, this is not sitting well with many of the veterans.
On home game days, Jeff Tedford has *mandatory* film study at 1 pm in Surrey for 7 pm downtown kickoff. Absurd. Players out of routine. #CFL
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) September 15, 2015
Been a number of captain meetings in BC; leaders have told Tedford of discontent and want for change. Ignored. Real tension there. #CFL
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) September 15, 2015
CFL players like to nap in the early afternoon when they play that night. Tedford obviously feels that since the Lions have been sleeping through many of their games they won’t enjoy that luxury hours prior to start time.
Yes, losing causes among other things stress, nervousness and anxiety. The Lions are living proof of this.
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The prospects for the Lions turning their season around are dim. Their next two games are in Alberta and four of their final eight are against either Calgary or Edmonton, the top two teams in the West.
The (4-6) Lions are in a battle with the (4-7) Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the (4-6) Montreal Alouettes for the final playoff spot, but making the post-season does not guarantee avoiding embarrassment.
Last year after a 9-9 regular season, the Lions lost their only playoff game, 50-17 in Montreal.
Shortly after, head coach Mike Benevides was sacked. The Lions have not improved under Jeff Tedford who may end up in the one and done category.
BC Lions final 8 games (4 home 4 road)
———————–
(2 vs Calgary, 2 vs Edmonton, 1 each vs Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, Hamilton & Toronto)
–at Calgary Tonight Sept 19
–at Edmonton Sept 26
–Host Saskatchewan Oct 3
–Host Winnipeg Oct 10
–at Edmonton Oct 17
–Host Hamilton Oct 23 Lions 1-5 against the East
–at Toronto Oct 30
–Host Calgary Nov 7
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After months of anticipation, Northern BC hockey fans are ready to get a first-hand look at the Vancouver Canucks, as Prince George becomes the 12th city to host a Canucks training camp.
It is one thing to watch the Sedins, Ryan Miller, newly acquired Brandon Sutter and Dan Hamhuis on television, but to see these pros in action, first hand, practicing their skills from a front row seat is much more desirable and entertaining.
The players (split into two groups) hold workouts today (Friday) and Saturday at 9 and 11:20am plus Sunday at 9:45 and 11:20am.
The Canucks extravaganza also includes a free Coach’s Hot Stove Saturday at 3 at Kin 1 and a Party in the Parking Lot outside CN Centre all weekend.
(Topics during the Hot Stove the Canucks assistant coaches will cover include goaltending, practice time, diet and nutrition plus player development)
Training camp signals the start of the long season and can be a grind, however, with thousands of enthusiastic fans on board, the experience for both players and their supporters will surely be memorable.
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One should never draw any conclusions from the opening weekend of a long BCHL season but first indications are that the expansion Wenatchee Wild are very good or the Prince George Spruce Kings are very bad. Perhaps it’s a combination of both.
The fact Wenatchee won both games at the PG Coliseum is not a surprise or significant, but it was the manner which it happened that caught the attention of the League.
The Wild took the opener 5-1, outshooting the hosts 50-18 including 22-2 in the 3rd, to the dismay of 1,084 spectators. The next night, Wenatchee cranked it up a notch in slamming PG 8-0 before 872 stunned fans.
Sure the Spruce Kings are in a transition period but to take it on the chin like that was baffling.
GM Mike Hawes is hoping a new goalie will help Prince George become more competitive. The Spruce Kings granted 20-year-old netminder Alex Brooks-Potts his wish and dealt him to the Aurora Tigers (OJHL) for another overage goalie Sam Tanguay, who played in 29 games last season for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL.
Tanguay compiled a 3-18-0-1 record with a 4.79 GAA and a .872 save percentage, so he knows first-hand what it is like to backstop a struggling team.
Wenatchee is in the same division as P.G. The Wild will make a return visit to the Coliseum on Oct 29th and 30th. It will be interesting to see how much the Spruce Kings can narrow the gap, if at all, in the next month and a half.
Meanwhile, both teams play their next game in Langley with Prince George there Saturday and Wenatchee to visit on Sunday. How Langley fares against these two teams could be another early indicator of the strength of the Wild and/or the deficiencies of the Spruce Kings.
From the Quote Rack:
13-year olds are going to be phased out of Little League—right after they get rid of all the 17 and 18 year-olds.
In British Columbia, a photographer stopped by a road and took a picture of a black bear with a blue head. Hmm, maybe this IS the Cubs’ year.”
Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
Apparently Aldon Smith turned down more money from other teams to stay in the San Francisco Bay Area with the Raiders. Is this because Smith is already on a first name basis with most of the local police?
Late in Sunday night’s game against the Cowboys, apparently Eli Manning forgot how many time outs were left and told his team not to score. So the NY Giants QB could count his way up to $84 million on his contract but not up to three on the field?
Contributor Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com
NFL week 2 injury report for the New York Giants: QB Eli Manning, brain cramp – possible.
Tom Brady has endorsed Donald Trump. Commissioner Goodell immediately checks to see if that is cause for a suspension.
Comedy writer TC Chong of Vancouver (http://alwaysfunny.com/)
The Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball club held a Bring Your Dog night. To no one’s surprise there were numerous pup flies, a few hound-rule doubles and even an inside-the-bark home run.
A British tortoise set a Guinness speed record for his species — 0.99 km/h. Apparently he’d been close to the record before, but kept missing by a hare.
Comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com
And in case you missed it:
Army has a junior WR this year named Edgar Allan Poe. I wonder if he will get drafted by the Baltimore Ravens.
Sportscurmudgeon.com (Jack Finarelli)
Hartley Miller is the sports director and morning news anchor for 94.3 the Goat. His column appears Fridays on myprincegeorgenow.com. Send along a quote, note, or anecdote to [email protected]
Follow him on twitter: @Hartley_Miller