British Columbia Lions

According to a TEAM Radio report, the naming rights for the renovated BC Place Stadium have been sold to telecommunications giant Telus.

The radio station estimates Telus will pay $2.5 million a year to crown corporation and owner of BC Place, BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo).

The report suggests the stadium could be named Telus Park or Optik Park after their television service. Other possible names include Telus/Optik Field, Telus/Optik Stadium, or Telus/Optik Place.

Last name, BC Place Stadium general manager Howard Crosley admitted to the Vancouver Sun that there may be some negative reaction from Vancouverites since the stadium has been known by its current name since its opening in 1983.

"I have been listening to radio reports over the last day and there seems to be some negative reaction to the change from GM Place to Rogers Arena," he said. "So there is going to be some negative reaction, I'm sure, but we would hope that people will understand that this is all to assist the taxpayers and helping us to refurbish the stadium."

Whichever name Telus chooses to name BC Place Stadium, we could see them add the moniker “at BC Place” to it.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders play out of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field—the latter being the name of the stadium since 1946.

Similarly, the new corporate name for BC Place Stadium could be something like Telus Park at BC Place.

There are plans to redevelop lands in and around BC Place Stadium and Rogers Arena and turn the area into an entertainment district with a new casino and a new Vancouver Art Gallery.

It’s likely these developments will collectively be referred to as BC Place.

After one game this year, in which wide receiver Derick Armstrong declined to play since he was made designated import, he was released.

Following his release, many Hamilton fans like myself believed it would be a match made in heaven for Armstrong to team up with star Prechae Rodriguez and young quarterback Quinton Porter.

But that never turned out and Hamilton ended up trading the rights to defensive lineman Corey Mace (now with the Bills) to the Argonauts for unhappy star Arland Bruce.

Now let's think here, Hamilton now has more than likely no interest in him, Montreal should be good without him, Calgary has seven active ones so no need there, Edmonton is solid enough and Saskatchewan has really no problem with its wideouts.

So that leaves BC and Toronto since I doubt Winnipeg will take him back. But since Toronto recently re-signed P. K. Sam (he signed with Buffalo in the offseason but was waived when he became injured) and so far Mike Bradwell and Tyler Scott have held their own as well. So I'll take Toronto out of the running.

That leaves BC if you didn't figure that out already.

Why BC you ask? Yes, Paris Jackson was a CFL West All-Star last year and Geroy Simon is just amazing. Rookie Emmanuel Arceneaux has also impressed while there's really nothing wrong with Ryan Grice-Mullen, Rufus Skillern, Greg Hetherington and Lyle Green.

But that's just the thing everyone other than Simon will get no more one defender. And since you play three that's not so good.

By bringing in Derick Armstrong, the Lions add another scary wide receiver which will take some attention off of Geroy Simon who's been held pretty quiet for who he is.

In my opinion, if the Lions intend to turn around their 1-4 start, bringing in Armstrong would be a great building block towards doing that.

Ted Gregory Today


Day 85: Ted Gregory '74


The Middletown, Ohio man came to Columbia in 1970 as a wide receiver who many thought wasn't big or strong enough to make an impact.

Then, Head Coach Frank Navarro switched him to the defensive side of the ball and by the time he was done, Gregory would have put in a career that would later earn him a spot on the Ivy League Football 25th Anniversary All-Time team.

Gregory made opposing teams crazy in the secondary and as a kick returner. He started his Ivy League career with a bang in his first Ivy League game against Princeton in 1971. In a game Columbia eventually won, Gregory intercepted Tiger QB Rod Plummer and went 56 yards for the TD to make it 13-7.

Gregory finished that season as an Honorable Mention All Ivy, but he was a first Teamer in both his junior and senior seasons of 1972 and 1973.

Gregory remains very close to the Columbia program and was my guest for a great interview during halftime of the Lafayette game last season.

Star of Two Prides: Tad Crawford as a BC Lion


Day 84: Tad Crawford '07

The Ontario native broke into the lineup right away as a freshman and played in all 10 games in 2003.

Then in each of his next three seasons, he ended up as the Lions' top tackler for the year. His biggest impact came in his senior campaign of 2006 when he also came in third in the Ivies for tackles. He was also a very steady punt returner, bringing stability to a position that had been more than a little shaky in the season before he got the job.

Now Tad is in the middle of his third season in the Canadian Football League, going from the Columbia Lions to the British Columbia Lions. In 2007, he had an outstanding rookie season with BC after being selected by the Lions in the third round of the CFL Draft. He wound up with nine defensive tackles, one sack and a fumble recovery.

Last year Tad avoided the sophomore jinx, recording 11 defensive tackles while adding another 12 on special teams. His highlight game of the season came against Edmonton on Aug 8th when he grabbed his first career interception and a blocked punt which resulted in a TD by teammate Rick Foley.

Day 83: Prosper Nwokocha '06

Originally, Nwokocha wanted to follow his brother Chuck and play for Harvard. But he settled on coming to Columbia and he ended up as one of the best corners and kick returners in CU history.

Harvard would come to really regret not grabbing Prosper in 2003, when his two interceptions sealed a shocking 16-13 win over the Crimson at a windy Wien Stadium.

My second favorite memory of Prosper was his kickoff return for a touchdown that turned things around in a 23-17 win over Fordham in 2005.

Nwokocha now works in Dallas as a personal banker at Bank of America.

“No matter how many Wally Buono and the Lions try to spin it, the team lost a lot of key players during the offseason. This has led the casual fan to wonder if the Lions will be in rebuilding mode this season.”

It seemed like the BC Lions were good but never great last season.

The team had its highlights in 2008, and got some great individual performances from key players.

Defensive end Cameron Wake had a monster year with 23 sacks.

On offense, running back Stefan Logan had a break-out season with 889 rushing yards, while receivers Geroy Simon and Paris Jackson continued their solid play.

But when all was said and done, these players could not lead the Lions to a Grey Cup appearance.

Despite losing out on a home playoff game in the last game of the season, the Lions shocked Saskatchewan on the road to advance to the Western Final, where BC was defeated by the Calgary Stampeders.

Yet it seemed like whenever the Lions took a step forward, they seemed to take another one back.

The Lions traveled to a hostile Mosaic Stadium in the playoffs and beat the Roughriders, but lost in the regular season finale against a Stampeders team that was resting its starters.

Heading into the offseason, one had to believe the Lions would look to add a few players to help push their team over the top. Instead, the team lost a lot of players to free agency.

All of this makes one wonder what things will be like in BC this season.

Let’s take a closer look at the BC Lions:

What’s New?

The Lions' offseason didn’t exactly start the way they wanted.

In a disappointing (but not unexpected) move, Defensive Player of the Year Cameron Wake left the Lions to sign a four-year contract with the NFL's Miami Dolphins. 

Wake, a defensive end, was not the only defensive player to leave the Lions, as BC lost a trio of linebackers. Jamall Johnson joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jason Pottinger was traded to the Toronto Argonauts. BC also released veteran Otis Floyd.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Lions lost the bidding war for lineman Rob Murphy, who was signed by the Toronto Argonauts. The team also released slot back Jason Clermont.

Perhaps the biggest loss on the offensive side was running back Stefan Logan. Logan, who would have been the starting running back for the Lions, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Lions added a few players during free agency to counter-balance some of these losses. The team’s best pick-up was Saskatchewan linebacker Anton Mackenzie, who was part of Saskatchewan’s dominant linebacking corps.

Defensive end Nautyn McKay-Loescher was also added as a replacement for Cameron Wake.

The Lions also manage to re-sign key players, such as Paris Jackson, Aaron Hunt, and Baron Miles.

The Lions used the three draft picks obtained from the Pottinger trade to select running back Jamall Lee, linebacker James Yurichuk and slot back Matt Carter.

Concerns

Can the Lions hope to replace defensive end Cameron Wake and his 23-sack performance with the often-injured Nautyn McKay-Loescher?

Wake was a key force on BC’s defensive last season, and his aggression struck fear in the hearts of opposing offenses.

BC’s linebacking corps also has huge question marks after losing Johnson, Floyd, and Pottinger. The team did add Anton Mackenzie, but what other options do they have?

Mackenzie and Javier Glatt appear to be the only proven options available. Glatt is a good linebacker, but he has never really been a great one.

On offense, the Lions running game may be a weak point for them with Logan's departure.

The lack of a running game will put more pressure on Lions quarterback Buck Pierce, who lacks solid receivers to throw to besides Paris Jackson and Geroy Simon.

When it comes right down to it, there are a lot of question marks in BC with few answers.

Summary

Few can argue that Wally Buono has been a successful coach, and that the Lions always have a chance with him at the helm.

And the team still has talent. Jackson looks to be a rising star in the league and Simon is always reliable. On defense, the team still has a stellar secondary and all-star defensive tackle Aaron Hunt.

But with all the offseason losses, one has to wonder if BC will slide down the standings this season.

Whether the Lions have success could come down to a few things:

Will they find a solid running back? Can Buck Pierce be a consistent starter? And will the defense take a huge step back after losing Cameron Wake?

Another thing to keep in mind is the weak East division. Last season the Eskimos crossed over to the East and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Lions do the same this season.

But don’t expect BC to finish high in the West because, though Wally Buono may not want to admit it, the Lions are in a rebuilding year this season.

My Prediction: Between six and eight wins, a fourth-place finish in the West and a possible crossover playoff berth in the East.

Outstanding Player of the Year: Paris Jackson

Defensive Player of the Year: Anton Mackenzie

Canadian of the Year: Brent Johnson

Lineman of the Year: Aaron Hunt

Special Teams Player of the Year: Ian Smart

Rookie of the Year: James Yurichuk

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report in the coming weeks for the West team previews.

Past Previews: East

Toronto Argonauts

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Hamilton Tiger Cats

Montreal Alouettes

Free agency doesn't begin until Feb. 27, but that didn't stop the Miami Dolphins from already adding a potential defensive starter for 2009. Highly sought after by more than half the NFL, the Dolphins agreed to a four-year deal with the Canadian Football League's best defender, BC Lions defensive end Cameron Wake, on Jan. 19.

Background

Wake (then going by his given first name, Derek) played college football at Penn State where he recorded 191 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 24 tackles for a loss as a linebacker and defensive end. Following his collegiate career, he ran a 4.55-second 40-yard dash at Penn State's Pro Day in 2005.

After going undrafted in the 2005 NFL Draft, Wake signed with the New York Giants in April. This is where his past gets a little fuzzy.

Wake's BC Lions bio says he was signed by the Giants in April 2005 and released in December 2006. However, according to my research, he was released by the Giants in June 2005 just two months after being signed and was never re-signed.

The only other NFL connection I could find was a 2007 Baltimore Ravens head shot on the photo website JAMD.com by searching 'Derek Wake.' However, I cannot find any record of him being a member of the Ravens so it's possible he just participated in one of the team's minicamps on a tryout basis.

Regardless, we do know Wake's NFL career didn't materialize in those first years. He signed with the Canadian Football League's BC (British Columbia) Lions in May 2007 and began going by his middle name, Cameron. That's when the fun began.

Wake burst onto the CFL scene with 16 sacks as a rookie in 2007, earning the CFL's Most Oustanding Rookie Award, Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award and Western Division All-Star honors. He also recorded 72 tackles and blocked a field goal during his first season.

Wake was once again the CFL's most dominant pass rusher in 2008 with a whopping 23 sacks. He also recorded 65 tackles and three fumble recoveries (including one returned for a score) on his way to his second straight Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award and Western Division All-Star selection.

According to Adam Schefter of NFL.com, Wake drew interest from 17 NFL teams this offseason. He worked out for eight, including the Miami Dolphins on Thursday, Jan. 15. He agreed to a four-year contract with a $1 million signing bonus on Jan. 18. Per Schefter, the deal could be worth up to $4.9 million.

Analysis

As I'm not a follower of the CFL, I learned about Wake earlier this season from some fans of the league on my Dolphins' facebook group. It was pretty clear the guy was a beast and had the potential to be a damn very pass-rusher as a 3-4 outside linebacker. I'm ecstatic the Dolphins signed him and I think the presence of the Parcells, as well as Miami's 2008 turnaround, probably aided Wake in his decision to pick the Dolphins over the other interested teams.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, Wake told reporters after his signing that he weighs between 250 and 260 now, which is closer to ideal for the position he'll play in Miami. He already has a great blend of strength, speed and athleticism to go along with a nonstop motor. Physically, he looks a lot like Vernon Gholston, but hopefully he has a better NFL career than Gholston's had thus far.

Of course, one has to be somewhat wary of Wake since he didn't have an impressive college career and couldn't make it in the NFL the first time around. He certainly seems to have turned the corner though, and even though the talent level of the CFL drops off quite a bit from the NFL, one guy racking up nearly as many sacks as some whole teams in a single season is an impressive feat.

I expect Wake to compete immediately for a starting job upon his return to the NFL. Outside of Joey Porter (and even including Porter in the second half of the season) the Dolphins' pass rush was pretty poor for a lot of 2008. The guy who needs to be concerned most about the signing is Matt Roth.

Roth was strong against the run during his first season as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but his pass-rushing skills leave plenty to be desired. I am of the opinion that Roth does not have a long-term future as a starter in Miami's current scheme and won't return when his contract expires following the 2009 season.

While it seems unlikely Wake is as strong against the run as Roth, he certainly seems to have more upside as a pass rusher and his superior speed and athleticism should give him the edge in over Roth the coverage department as well.

At the very least, Wake should factor into the pass-rushing rotation (a la Charlie Anderson in 2008) immediately. He should have no problem jumping Erik Walden, Tearrius George and Quentin Moses for playing time and will likely push at least one off the roster entirely. Wake should also benefit from the presence of Joey Porter, from whom he can learn the finer points of pass-rushing in the NFL out of the 3-4 outside linebacker spot.

Quite simply, this is a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Dolphins. The contract will not be an issue in the event Wake doesn't pan out, and having him locked up for four years if he does thrive will be a big plus. While still a huge question mark, Wake will potentially one of the biggest sleeper signings off the offseason.

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Chris Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins blog, which can be found here.

A day after re-signing seven of their own practice squad players for 2009, the Dolphins added their first fresh face of the new year by claiming linebacker Tearrius George off waivers from the New Orleans Saints on Jan. 6.

Undrafted out of Kansas State in 2006, George has spent time with the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, and Saints in the NFL while playing for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League in 2007.

Background

George (6-4, 250) began his collegiate career at L.A. Valley Community College, playing two seasons and earning all-conference honors. He then transferred to Kansas State prior to the 2004 season.

As a junior at Kansas State in 2004, George appeared in 10 games for the Wildcats, including five starts and recorded 21 tackles (11 solo), six tackles for a loss and three sacks. He then appeared in 11 games as a senior in 2005, recording 27 tackles (six for a loss), four sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.

After going undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft, George was signed by the New York Jets on May 15. However, he was waived by the team just a day later and eventually signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.

During his rookie season with the Stampeders in 2007, George recorded 33 tackles while leading the team in both tackles for a loss (four) and sacks (eight). He also recovered one fumble on the season.

George signed with the Dallas Cowboys in early 2008 and participated in training camp with the team. Attempting to make the team as an outside linebacker in the team's 3-4 scheme, George recorded seven tackles during the preseason and had two sacks against the Minnesota Vikings in the preseason finale.

However, Dallas waived George during final cuts on Aug. 30.

George was re-signed to the Cowboys' practice squad to begin the 2008 season and remained there until Dec. 4 when he was signed to the active roster of the New Orleans Saints. (Coincidentally, the Saints also signed linebacker Rob Ninkovich off the Dolphins' practice squad the same day.)

George did not appear in any games with the Saints and was eventually waived on Dec. 28.

By adding him off waivers, the Dolphins will take on the two-year contact George signed with the Saints in December. He will have a base salary of $385,000 in 2009, after which time he will become an exclusive-rights free agent in the 2010 offseason.

Analysis

George was almost listed in my Six Potential Cowboys Cuts to Watch entry from August, but instead I went with fellow linebacker Darrell Robertson. He just seemed like a guy the Dolphins would be interested in based on his potential as a 3-4 pass rusher.

George doesn't have great timed speed (he ran in the 4.8-4.9 range in the 40 before the draft) but he plays fast. He has good acceleration and burst off the line and can be a dominant pass rusher at times. On the down side, George can sometimes have trouble shedding blocks and could benefit from being more physical.

George is now one of five outside linebackers under contract with the Dolphins, joining Joey Porter, Matt Roth, Charlie Anderson and Erik Walden. The Dolphins also have Quentin Moses, an exclusive-rights free agent, who I imagine will be tendered and re-signed later in the offseason.

As it stands now, George has a solid shot at earning a backup job for the Dolphins at outside linebacker. He can certainly give Walden and Moses a run for their money and has had a more productive career at the pro level to this point.

However, it seems likely the Dolphins will add more bodies (and potentially even use a high pick on the position) before camp so George will have much more competition by the time July rolls around.

This is a good signing for the Dolphins, though it's important to not get carried away. George wasn't very productive in college and has yet to establish himself in the NFL. He did have a solid rookie season in the CFL and certainly has the tools to be a 3-4 pass rusher, but he still has a long way to go and is by no means a lock to make the Dolphins' roster.

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Chris Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins blog, which can be found here.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and B.C. Lions have pulled off a major deal, swapping Charles Roberts in exchange for Joe Smith (both veteran running backs) in a shocker on Tuesday afternoon.

Charles "Blink" Roberts has been having problems this season behind the Bombers' struggling offensive line. Roberts, who is usually first in yards gained, is now fifth with just 517 yards. He is also not getting as many carries as someone of his talent should be getting, as he ranks only fourth in attempts this year with 111.

These are very surprising numbers for Roberts as the CFL leader in yards gained 1,510 yards just a year ago. Since joining the league back in 2001 he has accumulated 9,987 career rushing yards, having spent his entire time in Winnipeg.

Joe Smith has also had problems this year, playing in only four games this season with a total of 236 rushing yards and three TDs on 55 attempts for the Lions in 2008. Back in 2007, Smith had broken the Lions' all-time season record with 1,510 yards on 281 carries.

With both running backs struggling behind their respective offences this year, it was looking like they needed a change of scenery. This deal just may work out for both teams as Winnipeg and B.C. will get the types of running backs they need in their back fields.

For Winnipeg fans, it is really going to be tough to deal with the loss of the all-time Bomber rushing leader, and one of the greatest ever running backs. However, this may be the right move for the team as Winnipeg needs the bigger and stronger running back to gain yards with a poor offensive line.

I guess we're just going to have to wait and find out.

As for B.C. fans, I believe they have more to be excited about, as Roberts is only 13 yards away from reaching 10,000 career rushing yards. He is arguably the best running back ever to play in the CFL.

I think that Roberts will fit in really well with the Lions. Look for him to start playing at his best behind a better team for the second half of the season.

Under the dome at B.C. Place on Friday night, the BC Lions were looking to "win one for Bob." as Bob Ackles, BC Lions’ President and Chief Executive Officer, died at the age of 69 from a heart attack on July 6.

The Lions hoped to get their second win of the season, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hoped to get their first win.

The Bombers would get the first score of the game with a beautiful 74-yard TD pass from Kevin Glenn to Romney Bryant, who after escaping a diving attempt by a BC Lions defender, ran the ball in for a 7-0 lead for Winnipeg.

On Kevin Glenn's next possession, however, Reggie Myles would intercept his pass for a one yard return.

Reggie Myles's interception would end in a goal line stand by the Blue Bombers defense. The 12 play, 5:19 long drive ended in a 12 yard field goal by BC's Kicker Paul McCallum, who missed his first field goal in the first quarter.

McCallum’s field goal would make the score 7-4 for the Blue Bombers.

On the Bombers next drive, Romney Bryant would make a nice catch for a first down. Bryant's 16-yard catch would put them on their 50-yard line.

After a few more gains, the Bombers were able to set up a beautiful 42-yard field goal for Alexis Serna, who has not missed a field goal yet in his rookie CFL career with the Bombers.

However, on the next Bombers possession, BC Lions' DB Koery Banks would pick off the pass, and after rolling and getting back up, Banks would score a 36-yard TD off the interception.

This would make the score 11-10 for the BC Lions. Jason Nugent would retaliate with an interception of his own in the end zone with just over 25 seconds left in the second quarter.

The Blue Bombers would have a 11-11 tie at the end of the second quarter, but that would all change quickly as Cam Hall would intercept a pass by Jarious Jackson and take it home untouched for a 22-yard Bombers score.

The score was now 18-11 for the Blue Bombers.

On the second last play of the third quarter, Jarious Jackson would throw a deep pass that would be caught by Lions WR Paris Jackson for a 56-yard gain. The drive would end in a 18-14 Bombers lead after a 25-yard field goal by K Paul McCallum.

On a 2nd and 20, the BC Lions would have a huge play. Jarious Jackson would air it out into the end zone for a 48-yard TD pass to Geroy Simon. This would give the BC Lions a 21-18 lead early in the fourth quarter.

The Lions would also get another field goal for a 24-18 BC Lions lead.

Kevin Glenn knew he needed to get some points, and he needed them fast. With the fourth quarter ending in 6:19, Kevin Glenn threw a deep ball to Romney Bryant, who would take it 52-yards before being tackled.

This would set up the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on the BC Lions 23-yard line.

However, after the next play would come, the biggest controversy yet in the game. Korey Banks would intercept a pass intended for Arjei Franklin in the end zone and take a touchback.

However, no matter what replay was seen, it was clear to even Lions’ fans that Banks pushed Franklin, who fell to the ground. However, the play was not reviewed by the referees, and the game went on.

The Lions would score one final field goal and would come out of this one victorious, winning 27-18. This would put the Lions at 2-2, and the Bombers would stay winless at 0-4.

The Bombers face the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday night in Winnipeg and will look for their first win.

Player of the Game: In a losing effort, the player of the game, in my opinion, must go to Romney Bryant, who had many key receptions in the game. He caught five balls for a total of 146 yards, averaging out to 24.2 yards per catch.

Congratulations to Romney Bryant on a great game.

Friday's heartbreaking 27-18 loss to the Lions has left the Bombers searching for answers as to what is wrong.  This 0-4 start marks they're worst start since 2005 when then head coach Jim Daley led them to a dubious 0-4 start. 

The Bombers actually probably put out they're best effort of the season on Friday night but still came away with nothing.  They just seem to be always getting the short end of the stick.

While the Lions were able to once again get the better of the Bombers, a missed call in the fourth quarter could very well have changed the game in Winnipeg's favour.  When things are not going well, nothing goes your way and that includes the referees' decisions. 

The Lions had just taken the lead with a Geroy Simon touchdown when cornerback, Jovon Johnson slipped on the play. It looked like the Bombers would not even come back at all.  However, the Bombers, for the first time this season, showed some resiliency.

On the following drive, Glenn hit speedster, Romby Bryant for a 52 yard strike and set up the Bombers deep in Lions territory.  The following play, however, Glenn was intercepted for the third time in the game by Korey Banks. 

However, if you look at the play again, he clearly was bumped by Arjei Franklin who should have been called for pass interference, which would have put the ball down on the one yard line.  With the clock winding down at the time, that could have meant the game.  The Bombers were furious as even GM Brandan Taman was on the Bomber sideline protesting the call.

S,o the Bombers find themselves at the cellar of the CFL, still win-less this season thanks to that call.  While 0-4 looks tough, it is definitely not the end of the season, as the East has really faltered this year with the Allouettes leading the divison by a mere four points and the Argos and Ti-cats with only two points respectively. 

Also, some positives can be taken from the last game, despite the fact that the late missed call may have cost them the game. The Bombers defense deserves a lot of credit for the close game as Doug Brown and Gavin Walls and the entire defense was huge when they needed to be, keeping B.C. out of the end zone several times when they had the opportunity. 

They bent but they definitely didn't break and had they gotten a little more help from the offense in the second half, they could very well have pulled out their first win.  To all Bomber fans out there, stay positive. A few adjustments and the Bombers are close to being back to they're old selves from last year.