This series of blogs will take a look at some of the best parties of Grey Cup week as we count down to the Vancouver event, November 24th to 27th. In this edition, we take a look at the party that sets the bar for the rest, the always popular Spirit of Edmonton.

If you’re a Grey Cup regular, you know all about the spirit of Edmonton. If you’re a Grey Cup rookie, you soon will. There is one party that all others strive to emulate and that is the fine event put on nightly during Grey Cup week be the fine folks at the Spirit of Edmonton.

The Spirit is the melting pot of CFL fan fellowship, where fans from all teams come to gather and celebrate Grey Cup week. The event promotes the City of Edmonton as a great place to live and do business as well as promoting the CFL and the Grey Cup Championship and the Edmonton Eskimos football club.

Volunteer Coordinator and Web / Social Media representative Neil McCulloch says the Spirit is the benchmark for all other CFL parties for a few simple reasons.

“We treat each guest as a friend, family and with respect. Our hospitality suite offers awesome value to our guests, great entertainment, a friendly CFL environment and no cover charge, ever!”

The spirit was formed in 1974 and started as a typical Grey Cup room party. It has expanded over the years to what it has become today. McCulloch says the there are typically between 150 to 250 volunteers that help with the event depending on what city the event is in.

When asked what surprises the party has in store for Vancouver in 2011, McCulloch wouldn’t spill all the beans, but did indicate social media will have a role, particularly in keeping fans informed about lineups.

“We have a few kept secrets for Vancouver this year but, I can tell you is that our social media will be the way to find out what’s happening prior to and during Grey Cup. Live Twitter and Facebook updates letting people know what entertainment is coming up and letting our guests who are not in our room how long the line-up really is. We are also going to have a new feature in our room, Mojo Photo. Mojo Photo is best described as a “old school” photo both whereby guests can take their pictures in the CFL garb and a few other trinkets, goofy hats etc. as a takeaway with the Spirit logo on framed around their picture. There will be a minimal cost for this as the service is being provided by a 3rd party.”

If there is one drawback to the Spirit, it has become very hard to get into on Friday and Saturday night. So much so that the event has now opened it’s doors two hours earlier on thise nights to allow more people to get to attend. If you want to attend on these nights, you’ll likely have to get in early and be prepared to stand in line. Follow the Spirit on Twitter (@spiritofyeg) for lineup updates and possible wait times!

The Spirit of Edmonton runs nightly during the Grey Cup festival.

Where:

Sheraton Wall Centre – 1088 Burrard Street

Entertainment:

Live bands, cheer teams and various other appearances.

Cash bar, and various food items for purchase.

Schedule:

Thursday: 4:00pm to 1:00am

Friday: 2:00pm to 1:00am

Saturday: 2:00pm to 1:00am

Admission: Free, must be of legal drinking age to enter.

***Footnote***: Due to BC Liquor Laws you will need a ticket to gain access to the Spirit of Edmonton room this year. There are a couple of ways to do this.

http://spiritofedmonton.com/uploads/hospitality-room-invite.pdf

Click on the lick above and scan the QR code on your mobile device, or print the ticket and present it at the door. There is still no cost to enter, but this will be required thanks to our lovely BC governments archaic policy on liquor. Spread the word about this because a lot of people will not know about this.

Behind every great team is a great support staff and the BC Lions are no exception. Whether the players are on the roster or on the practice squad, they need to be kept in top physical condition. That’s where BC Lions strength and conditioning coach Chris Boyko comes in. Boyko is a fitness and personal training guru who has many private clients in addition to his job with the Lions.

Former Lion Emmanuel Arceneaux, now with the Minnesota Vikings flew to Vancouver this off-season, just to work out with Boyko.

We recently had the chance to speak with Chris about his duties with the Lions, his business of training athletes on many levels and his passion for his own love of martial arts.

BCLD: Chris, thanks for talking to us. Let’s start with a description of your duties with the football club and how you became involved with the team?

CB: Thanks for the opportunity to give some insight to what happens behind the scenes. As a strength coach and a member of a 5 man training room/equipment staff, I have many duties but my main focus is the players. All 5 of us Billy, Benjie, Kato, Gavin and myself do our best to make sure the players are well prepared to go into battle! My duties can be challenging but its simple. First, to get all players ready to use there talent to the best of their ability. Second, to get injured players back on the field as quickly and safely as possible, and third to develop the practice roster players and to have them ready for the possibilities of getting into the lineup.

I became involved with the team after years of being a personal trainer to up and coming athletes, including CFL players. I would design in-season and off-season programs for players years before I was a staff member and had some communication with Billy throughout, so when the position opened up 4 years ago I was on the list as a candidate and needless to say I attacked the opportunity!

BCLD: Can you tell us the difference between working with different types of players? Like for instance obviously with receivers you want them to maintain speed while being strong, offensive linemen you want bulk and power combined with agility. How do you approach things as a coach for different positions?

CB: I work with many different types of athletes who play different sports as well, and the first and most important factor is that every good trainer must know their athlete because no two athletes are the same. So when I have guys at different positions and body types I pay close attention to each athletes movements, his strengths and weaknesses and his primary function on the football field. So basically I assess my athlete! But even before that, I get info from Billy regarding previous injuries, and recruiting info from Wally and other coaches on specific attributes that need to be improved. So my approach is based on having a communication relationship with my player. Obviously he has talent or he wouldn’t be here, so I want to know what programs he followed in the past or in college or previous team to get a better understanding of my athlete, from there I work him into my program accordingly, then the quest for improvement begins! I will get each guy who works with me as big, strong, fast and explosive as possible based on his own capabilities. I have a certain expectation of the type of athlete that can be a champion, I will bring that quality out in my athlete.

BCLD: Describe your working relationship with long time Lions trainer Bill Reichelt. Obviously when players are injured team doctors and Bill are actively involved in the treatment that player takes. Are you involved from the start or does your role kick in once the player is ready for rehab?

CB: My working relationship with Bill is fantastic! We work very well together. Bill is an amazing athletic trainer and therapist. Bill is cool as ice in the hottest situations, and I do my best to follow his lead. First there is always time invested in going over the players that we have and the injuries to watch out for based on a history of our athletes. By the time training camp hits, Bill has already briefed me with an advantage. At that point I develop injury prevention programs. So yes, I am involved from the start, however when injuries happen during the season the athlete goes through Bill and the doctors first and then depending on the severity of the injury I begin active rehab based on what Billy and the doctors authorize. As we know injuries can be inevitable in contact sports so my goal in my program is to lessen the severity of these injuries so that my guys can stay on top of their game.

BCLD: You often tweet about players on the practice squad coming in for training sessions at the facility. I know these guys are professionals, but is it a challenge to keep a player on the practice roster motivated?

CB: Yes I do often tweet about practice squad players and their training success. First I can’t tell you how much I appreciate and respect the guys who are still grinding away to become a better athlete! And even though they are pros I can see that motivation for some begins to fade. But we are blessed to have each other in this environment. It is definitely a challenge at times to keep the PR guys pumped up! There comes a time that produces a negative thought I call THE ENEMY, when a PR guy may think he dosnt have a shot in ever playing a game during the season, and that’s where I come in! I am passionate about not ever giving up! So this is the point I get across to my players, I always tell them to BE READY! Because things can change so quickly. Before you know it your the guy expected to fill in for a fallen soldier. I usually develop a close relationship with some of these guys due to the fact that I spend more time with them during the week and when the team travels I stay with the slightly tweaked guys and the hungry guys fighting for a shot! I fully appreciate every drop of blood and sweat that my guys shed for me and I won’t stop grinding with them, its an honour.

BCLD: How closely do you work with veteran players like a Geroy Simon? Obviously he’s been doing this for a long time and is in great shape year round. Does a player like Geroy still get input from you or is he pretty much left to do what works for him?

CB: I work closely with a lot of the veteran players throughout the year but Geroy and I have been training together for over 6 years. Geroy hired me as his personal trainer in 2005 to get him ready for the 06 season and that led to an outstanding player award, new record and a Grey Cup championship! Since then we have had a lot of success with my program. Geroy is an unbelievable athlete, he never seizes to amaze me with the things he does on that field. Geroy is a unique man with unique training needs and I feel I have developed a training style that fits. Geroy treats his body like a finely tuned machine and stays in shape year round, and as geroy would tell his teammates ” that’s the difference between being good and being great”

Even though Geroy has been around a long time and has a lot of experience in training for football, we both have an understanding that when it comes time to train even the most elite athletes can benefit from having a trainer guide them to a higher level of performance. It’s because of all the experience we have together that makes the training process so successful. Geroy knows his body and I know Geroy’s body! So when I develop the program, I know what needs to be improved. The human body goes through changes year after year in this sport so the program has to evolve along with the athlete.

There is certain things that Geroy likes to keep in his training because he knows they work for him, but he is a true pro and still is open for input because he is a competitor and wants to always improve! I can tell you that Geroy is one of the hardest workers on the field and in the weight room/ track. The up and coming athletes should use his work ethic as a manual for athletic success. Its an absolute honor to be his trainer and his friend! I am definitely a Superman fan!

BCLD: I understand you do other training besides working for the Lions. Do you have individual clients in other sports?

CB: Yes I do other training besides the Lions. My passion for developing athletes of all ages has put me in a position to be a conditioning program designer for the youth program at GAME READY FITNESS, in addition to that I am the strength and conditioning coach for a high level of athletes for the India Field Hockey club, youth soccer and high school football teams. My amazing wife and I run our company BOYKO ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT and cater to team, group, fighter and individual personal training.

Photo by: www.masiphotography.com

BCLD: Can you tell us a little bit about your passion for martial arts? Do you have a desire to, or do you compete in UFC type events?

CB: I have a burning passion for martial arts! I am deeply rooted in the lifestyle of a martial artist, I have been training since I was 12 years old in different fightings arts. Starting with tae kwon do, kung fu, and muay thai. I have been in many fighting tournaments, form competitions and in the ring fighting muay thai. I have been blessed with great trainers that have prepared me to fight here in Vancouver, Vince at WKX years ago and recently Master Song at KAI SING THONG MUAY THAI. I believe that if you want to be the best you have to train with the best! I absolutely love UFC and mixed martial arts. I still 100 percent have a desire to compete as a fighter and I don’t know if I will ever lose that, its such a part of me! I train hard year round, always developing new methods of improvement to add to my tool box. I also enjoy training other fighters when I am not preparing for a fight. I am a peaceful warrior, but my mind, body and spirit are ready for war.

BCLD: Chris, thank you for taking the time to give us a glimpse of your role with the BC Lions. Best of luck to you and the club in your pursuit of a Grey Cup in 2011 and with all your goals and ambitions for the future!

CB: A big thank you to you and everyone who is interested and supports us as we pursue a Grey Cup title in 2011! The pleasure is all mine. Talk to you soon!

Following a great night of football at BC Place where the BC Lions took a share of first place in the CFL west, some fans are complaining that the game was blacked out on standard definition cable.

Boo hoo.

You have a brand new stadium and a team playing in it’s biggest game in a  long time and you can’t get off your butt and head to the stadium? The team hasn’t had a blackout in over a year and a half, and it hasn’t exactly resulted in sold out games. It seems there is always an excuse for “fans” not to buy a ticket. It’s too hot, it’s too cold, it’s not the NFL, it’s the Lions, I can afford a Canucks ticket but the Lions are too expensive.

I’m sick of it.

The CFL is a gate driven league. They don’t have a huge TV deal that ensures a profit for each team before a ticket is sold. They count on ticket revenue to be profitable and to run their business. Do you provide your services for free?

There seems to be a sense of entitlement by BC football fans that they should be able to sit on their couch and not contribute to that business model. I have no sympathy for them.

In a day when more and more households have high definition TV, where the games are not blacked out, it’s really not that hard to see the game anyway. If you can’t afford a ticket, and you don’t have HD, you could head to a friends, a bar or a restaurant like Boston Pizza to watch the game. If you’re outside the GVRD the game isn’t blacked out anyway.

The real question you should be asking yourself, is why didn’t I buy a ticket to one of the biggest football games this city has seen in three years?

I realize there are people that simply can’t afford to go out to a game or can’t afford HD cable. People that are REAL fans of the BC Lions that would kill to be in the stadium if they could. Unless you’re one of those people, I really have no time for you sense of entitlement.

The Lions are great value for your entertainment dollar. Many of their players are making less than some of the fans complaining about blackouts.

If you were there last night you would have witnessed a record be broken and a great moment on the final play of the game. I’m pretty sure the 30,622 that were there got their money’s worth.

The Lions next game is October 29th versus the Edmonton Eskimos and will be another big battle for playoff positioning in the West. Good tickets are still available.

Found this pregame report on Vikings.com, the official website of the Minnesota Vikings, who play the Dallas Cowboys in preseason action today. According to the writer, former Lions receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux is among the third tier of receivers trying to make the team:

“One of the position battles still raging is at WR, where the top 3 are set (Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin and Michael Jenkins) but the next two or three are still open. I’m not sure if the Vikings will keep five or six WRs, but either way there are jobs still available. We won’t count anyone out, but the guys I’ll be watching tonight are Devin Aromashodu, Greg Camarillo, Juaquin Iglesias and Jaymar Johnson. The next tier of guys are Manny Arceneaux, Stephen Burton and Andre Holmes. Aside from performance in the offense, another factor in determining which players will earn roster spots is special teams. Johnson can increase his value by proving effective in the punt return game, while Aromashodu has increased his value by making a pair of special teams tackles.”

Wishing the best of luck to Manny today and hope he gets a shot to show his stuff.

A recent video by Global News BC takes a closer look at the massive roof project at BC Place and gives an update on the construction.

With today’s news that the 99th Grey Cup championship is now officially sold out, we thought it was time for another photo update on the facility where the game will be played. BC Place (soon to be renamed) is really starting to take shape and football fans across Canada are going to be in for a treat when the big game goes down in November.

The fixed fabric portion of the roof is now being installed and every day it seems a new section or two is added.

New progress appears to show that the interior finishing is also well underway, with what appears to be the installation of the new seats. Unless the seats are covered in some sort of wrapping, tthere would appear to be two different colours of seats. One a reddish/orange/maroon colour and the other grey.

From the exterior, looking from Science World, you can really see the shape of the building and can start to visualize the finished product. In the early stages many people suggested the design was ugly and going to be an eyesore. My opinion was wait to see the finished project before making your judgement. Looking at the photo below, I personally think this design is going to become an attractive focal point of our skyline, much more so than the previous roof.

With our time at Empire Field winding down, BC Lions fans and Vancouverites are going to soon have a first class state f the art stadium to attend events in once again. It all starts on September 30th, when the BC Lions take on the Edmonton Eskimos in the first sporting event to grace the new facility.

Personally, I can’t wait! Stay tuned for more updates!

A release in the CFL often means you’ve been cut but not really. With that said, here is a quick recap of the BC Lions transactions over the last 48 hours:

The club released:

Keyon Brown – DT (Purdue)
Tim Cronk – FB (Bishop’s)
Alex Ellis – DT (Wilfrid Laurier)
Ronnie McCullough – LB (Bethune-Cookman)
Yannick Sage – OG (Sherbrooke)
Jared Perry – WR (Missouri)
Michael Smith – RB (Arkansas)
Justin Sorensen – OL (South Carolina)
Dane Randolph – OL (Maryland)
Sean Ortiz – DL (UBC)
Adam Baboulas – OL (St. Mary’s)
Adam Bighill – LB (Central Washington)
Kierrie Johnson – WR (Houston)
Nick Hennessey – OL (Colgate)
Marquez Hall – DB (Tennessee State)
James Bryant – DT (Louisville)
Chris Hodgson – DT (Saint Mary’s)
Michael Carter – DB (Maryland)

Among the released, the following players agreed to practice roster assigments:

OL Adam Baboulas
LB Adam Bighill
CB Marquez Hall
DE Rajon Henley
OL Nick Hennessey
DL Chris Hodgson
WR Kierrie Johnson.

The following players were placed on the nine game injured list:

QB Corey Leonard
K Hugh O’Neill

The following players were placed on the one game injured list:

RB Jamall Lee
LB Joe Henderson
S J.R. LaRose
DB Stanley Franks

Sources: CFL.ca and Lowell Ullrich of The Province.

Wally Buono gave his players the morning off Saturday and the result was a spirited afternoon session that saw a fast tempo and some heated tempers to close out the day at Hillside Stadium in Kamloops, BC. There was a good crowd on hand in the stands to watch the practice, several who had driven up from the lower mainland to check out the 2011 hopefuls

Watching:

Geroy Simon, Eric Taylor and Stanley Franks Michael Carter, Joe Henderson, Stanley Franks, Shawn Gore were on the field but not in pads and not practicing.

Returning:

Davis Sanchez was back practicing.

Leaving:

Cornerback Dante Marsh left practice on a cart after an apparent hamstring injury. The veteran corner went down defending an offensive play and immediately grabbed the back of his leg. Marsh pulled off his helmet and threw it 15 yards down field and was in obvious pain. He left with an ice bag wrapped around the leg and on a golf cart. He did not return, and according to Lowell Ullrich of the Province will -be re-evaluated in the morning.

Offensive line:

The first team offensive line remained unchanged from our previous practice. From left to right, the starting five were Ben Archibald, Jon Hameister-Ries, Angus Reid, Dean Valli and Jovan Olafioye. The line opened some nice holes for the backs during live reps and looks to be gelling nicely. One item of note here, it seems as though Jesse Newman who is listed on the depth chart as the starting right guard has been leapfrogged by Valli, barring an issue we don’t know about regarding Newman.

Defensive line:

With Eric Taylor watching, Khalif Mitchell assumed the majority of the starting reps at nose tackle, with Keron Williams and Aaron Hunt on the ends.

Quarterbacks:

Travis Lulay continues to be sharp. The pecking order hasn’t changed behind him with Jarious Jackson and Mike Reilly assuming the 2^nd and 3^rd reps. Tough to give any assessment on Matt Johnson and Corey Leonard at this point with minimal reps.

Running backs:

Jamal Robertson is the starter right now and that hasn’t changed. Andrew Harris continues to impress and how no effects from an off-season torn pectoral muscle. Newcomer Tim Brown is making a case to stick around.

Returners:

The two main returners to date seem to me Kierrie Johnson and Michael Smith. Both have had some success to date and both have very good top end speed and shifty moves. The real test will come in Calgary next week.

Hot tempers:

Practice ended with Korey Banks laying a hard lick on receiver Calvin Simon. That brought the offence and defence together and a tempers flared. From the crowd came the words of wisdom “It’s over, it’s over, we a damn team!” And with that practice was done.

You’re Twitter Questions:

@j_rower asks: “@BCLionsDen, How does Kamau Peterson look? Could he have as good a season as he had in the past?”

Kamau doesn’t look out of place and is getting up to camp speed. He is seeing a lot of first team reps and is running good routes and catching balls thrown his way. Can he be as effective as in the past? That will depend in large part his health and on the return of Paris Jackson who doesn’t seem to be feeling many effects from his injured knee as he works out by himself. That said Kamau is a great addition who brings Canadian depth and a wealth of experience to the room.

@98celtic asks: “@BCLionsDen, Is Stephen Black looking like he will have a breakout year??? Go #82 and Lions!”

Steven Black made some clutch catches last year and by the end of the season was a starter in the offence. So far in camp he looks like he has the chance to take that to another level and I think he has the chance to.

@Markfrancis23 asks: “@BCLionsDen, how is Chris Hodgson doing? I’ve known him since he was a kid…athletic freak…say hello for me.”

You’re right about Hodgson being an athletic freak. I can tell you this the guys arms are huge! Right now Hodgson is a bit of a project. I haven’t been able to keep that close a watch on him, but here is a video the BC Lions did on him if you haven’t seen it: http://www.bclions.com/article/getting-to-know-chris-hodgson

At KieranM37 asks: “@BCLionsDen who’s who in the secondary? Hyland getting the most reps at S? Banks back at HB?”

David Hyland is currently second in the depth chart at halfback behind Stanley Franks. I haven’t seen him playing any safety and the Lions are currently trying to Canadians in J.R. LaRose and Jason Arakgi at that spot.  Korey Banks is still lining up at nickleback and will do so often as the Lions for with a 3-4 defence on many downs. Banks had a solid year last year and the team will look for more of the same. The rest of the secondary is a little banged up. Stanley Franks, Ryan Phillips and Davis Sanchez all have minor ailments, and as we alluded to above Dante Marsh left practice today.

Photos: June 11th, 2011

Can you smell it? Can you feel it getting closer? Yes fans the long hibernation known as the CFL off-season is coming to an end and across our country football fans are getting their colours ready for another great season of Canadian football, as training camps open everywhere and every team has its sights set on a trip to Vancouver in November for the 99th Grey Cup championship.

For the BC Lions, it’s a big year. The team ended the 2010 season playing some very good football and almost knocked off Saskatchewan in the Western Semi-Final. Heading into this year’s camp the club hopes to build on that momentum, return to the top of the CFL’s West Division and play in the Grey Cup in their newly renovated state of the art stadium.

But to get there the journey will be a long one and it all starts on Sunday, June 5th when those looking to make the 2011 squad hit the field at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops BC.

With the Lions finishing strong last season, the club elected to make continuity a key ingredient in their off-season planning. With the exception of a trade, a few free agent signings, a defection to the NFL and an unfortunate run in with the law, many players will be returning to the den to build on the momentum they ended last season with.

If you’re planning to head to training camp, BCLions.com has all you need to know on their training camp page. Bookmark it because if there are changes to the daily schedule they will post updates there. You can also download the club’s official Training Camp guide as well.

So all that said, take a look at the Lions as they head into training camp and begin their journey to a Grey Cup appearance in 2011!

A new leader emerges:

Last season the Lions fielded a very young team and many of the players were learning the CFL game. By the end of last season that growth was evident and the Lions started to show they had a lot of talent that was starting to get it. Early injuries to the offence and a revolving door at quarterback saw the team struggle out of the gate on offense. By the end of the year Travis Lulay had become the club’s starting quarterback and the undisputed leader of the offense. Nowhere was his growth more evident than in the Western Semi-final where he walked into Mosaic Stadium in Regina and nearly led the Lions to an upset over the Roughriders.

Lulay has all the tools to be a star in the CFL. Intelligence, toughness and the ability to pull the ball down and get yardage when nothing is there. He has the attention and respect of his team in the huddle and they are willing to follow him. That probably couldn’t be said of last season’s starter to begin the year. His arm strength may not be the best in the league but it’s more than adequate and he can pick teams apart by taking advantage what they give him. The beauty of Lulay is he is still learning and is eager to do so. He spent much of his off-season in BC and was a regular at the team’s practice facility,working on the offense, studying film and preparing himself to be the face of the offence. Look for very big things from Travis Lulay out of the gate.

Jarious Jackson returns as the backup and Mike Reilly will start camp as the number three, but the Lions have also brought in Corey Leonard, and Matt Johnson to compete. Knowing Buono’s knack for finding quality quarterbacks don’t be surprised to see the pecking order below Lulay change somewhat.

Protecting the leader:

Lulay will have better protection to start the season and a big reason for that will be the off-season acquisition of the 2010 offensive lineman of the year Ben Archibald, formerly of the Calgary Stampeders. The 6’4″ 322 pound Archibald will be protecting Lulay’s blind side at the left tackle spot, shifting last year’s promising rookie tackle Jovan Olafioye to the right side. The interior of the line will once again be anchored by the dependable and experienced Angus Reid. The Lions had asked Reid to assume a back up role to begin last season, looking to groom Dean Valli for the position but by the end of the year it as Reid returning to provide a calming influence on the line, showing the team he was still more than capable of being a starter. There will be key battles along the interior of the line in training camp. When the Lions drafted Justin Sorensen they likely saw him as a possible candidate for a tackle spot, but he is now listed on the depth chart as a backup centre to Angus Reid. Non-imports John Hameister-Ries and Jesse Newman are slotted in at left and right guard respectively. Dane Randolph and Nick Hennessy will slot in at backups at tackle while Andrew Jones and Dean Valli will backup as guards. Non counters Adam Baboulas (2010) and Yannick Sage (2011) will look to impress and possibly displace any of the previously mentioned backups along the interior of the line.

Running by committee:

Behind a steadier offensive line the Lions ground attack will likely be done by committee. Jamal Robertson returns as a duel threat from the backfield with Jerome Messam looking to improve on a solid rookie year. Injuries to Jamal Lee (knee) and Andrew Harris (torn pectoral muscle) will see both of those players get a late start. Rolly Lumbala returns at fullback and will again be a key contributor on special teams. With Yonus Davis no longer an option due to legal problems the Lions have stockpiled a collection of potential backs and have a poker in the fire on former Saskatchewan Roughrider and Hamilton Tiger Cat Kenton Keith who recently impressed at a free agent work out. Before that though, the Lions will see what they have with newcomers Tim Brown, Keegan Herring, Micheal Smith and non counting Tim Cronk. It’s likely that few names from this group will also audition for the returner role previously held by Davis. Smith is the cousin of former Lion Stefan Logan, and says he’s a little tougher and has more top end speed than his relative who was nicknamed “Joystick”. If that proves to be true, the Lions may have found a gem.

Replacing Manny and opportunities to shine:

The Lions didn’t have a lot of turnover this off-season, but one big loss could be felt at receiver with the loss of Emmanuel Arceneaux to the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. Paris Jackson will miss training camp on the training camp injured list as he is still recovering from a knee injury. Of the players returning from last season, look for Shawn Gore and Steven Black to have an impact coming out of camp. Gore and Black are slotted in as the team’s two starting slot backs heading into camp and both have the talent to hold onto those jobs. Gore never really got a chance to show his talents after arriving from the Green Bay Packers part way through the season, seeing most of his time on special teams. But Black became a dependable option for the team down the stretch and will look to entrench himself even more in the starting lineup.

Geroy Simon of course is the cagey and wise veteran who keeps on ticking. He needs 4 TDs to surpass Willie Fleming (87) for first on the Lions’ all-time list. He needs six TDs to reach 90 for his Lions career and 34 receptions to hit the 800 mark to add to his club record total. Simon is also closing in on Milt Stegall for the league’s all time receiving yards record, needing 1,432 yards to pass one of the CFL’s all-time greats and be in sole possession of the record.

Wide receiver is where things could get interesting. Second year player Nick Moore who didn’t see the field and 2010 draft pick Akeem Foster enter camp as tops on the depth chart, but the Lions have brought in some talented players to compete, hoping to find the next diamond in the rough to replace Arceneaux. The Lions have no fewer than 10 wider receivers to evaluate at camp, and early reports from rookie camp suggest that there are some good options to choose from. 2011 draft pick Marco Iannuzzi (Harvard) will look to impress. He likely won’t start right away but may also get a look as an option for kick returner. Other players vying for jobs will be Dobson Collins, Marc Ison, Kierrie Johnson, Calvin Simon, Jared Perry, William Osbourne and Brandon Thompkins.

Strength at Linebacker:

Despite the Lions troubles last year the defense was pretty solid last season and help the team in a lot of games while the offense struggled. The strength of the defence is definitely the linebacking core and the Lions are looking to make it the focal point of their defence this season. Last year’s rookie of the year Solomon Elimimian will be the centrepiece. It sounds as if the Lions will be employing a four linebacker set at least to start the year. If that is the case look for Adam Leonard, Anton McKenzie and nickleback Korey Banks join Elimimian. Joe Henderson returns for another year and will likely get rotated in and there is James Yurichuk who continues to improve and may play a bigger role this year. Joash Gesse, Adam Bighill and Tyrell Graham will also compete, but don’t excpect many surprises when camp breaks.

In search for the next Wake:

The Lions were extremely lucky to enjoy the talents of Cam Wake for two seasons. But since the monster that terrorized CFL quarterbacks left to star in the NFL, they have yet to find a replacement for the rush end position. Brent Johnson returns for another season and the Lions were happy with how fresh he was kept by rotating in and out during games. That’s how he’ll start the year with Aaron Hunt moving to defensive end and the newly acquired Eric Taylor starting at defensive tackle. Keron Williams will start on the other end and look to start the season healthy. Khalif Mitchell who arrived from the NFL last season with a bang but tailed off down the stretch could also see a lot of reps and should have a better handle on the CFL game. Newcomers Keyon Brown, James Bryant and draft pick Chris Hodgson will also look to impress.

Secondary remains strong:

One are where the Lions have always been solid over the last few years is the secondary and 2011 should find them solid again. Coach Mark Washington has a lot of talent to work with led by veterans Dante Marsh, Ryan Phillips, J.R. Larose and Davis Sanchez. Stanley Franks had a strong season in 2011 and he returns along with David Hyland who’s hard hitting take no prisoners style excited fans in the games he played in.  The Lions would like to see special teams demon Jason Arakgi play a bigger role and he’ll enter camp as the backup to LaRose at safety. LaRose is coming off a another serious leg injury and Arakgi should be ready to emerge soon. Second year players Anthony Reddick and Hamid Mamoudi both return and newcomers Marquez Hall and Micheal Carter and Travis Williams look to get noticed and crack a solid group.

Looking for that special player:

The Lions probably didn’t count on having to replace Yonus Davis in 2011. Davis’ legal problems left them with no choice however and the search for a new returner at camp will be one to watch. Various receivers and backs will be given opportunities and Buono will hope he makes the right choice. Last season he handed the job to Robert Jordan (who was also implicated in the Davis situation) who was ineffective before finding lightning in a bottle with Davis. The return game won the Lions a few games last year and replacing that component will be important to the teams overall success.

The kicking game will once again fall in the hand of the capable Paul McCallum who seems to be defying his age. McCallum had won of his best season kicking field goals last season and can still punt accurately and efficiently. Buono chose to keep McCallum over the up and coming Sean Whyte who was dealt to Montreal at the draft. The Lions drafted Hugh O’Neil out of the University of Alberta who be McCallum’s backup and who many feel was the best kicker in the draft.

The Lions return coverage was solid last season and many of the same cast will be back. Arakgi, Yurichuk and Lumbala are lethal down field tacklers and they’ll be the leaders on cover teams.

Who will make a name for themselves?

Every year there is a player at camp who forces the coaches to make a difficult decision and this year will likely be no exception. If it is, the football staff haven’t done their job in finding players to improve the team. Wally Buono is also known for cutting a veteran or two every year. Last season he had a very young team and his off-season to date has shown he wants to maintain continuity in 2011 and let the tam grow. But that won’t mean the plans cant change if a player gives him no choice. The biggest surprise may come at receiver, or perhaps running back. Paris Jackson’s knee is a real concern and a strong showing in camp by another player like Shawn Gore may leave Buono with a tough decision. There are also options waiting in the wings with Kenton Keith and Kamau Petersen.

Other key notes:

Fan Fest will be held June 12th: Gates open at: 1:30 pm
Autograph session: 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Practice: 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

The team will hold a night practice on Monday June 20th.

Fans heading to Kamloops should note that on June 5^th, 8^th, 10^th and 19^th, the club will have very limited on-field activities during the morning practice session.

So there you have it, hopefully we’ve shed some light on some of the battles to watch for at camp. If you’re heading up to Kamloops or live in the area enjoy the practices and the experience of CFL training camp! Let’s hope all the hard work during the next few weeks results in a great year for the Lions!

Sometimes when you make a mistake you need to man up and do the right thing. On Tuesday night, Richmond BC’s Shea Emry had his Grey Cup ring stolen from his car from a parkade in the 600 block of Richards street in Vancouver.  Emry had forgotten the ring in the car and it was stolen some time between 8:30pm Tuesday evening and 5:30am Wednesday morning.

The ring is valued at $20,000 and was the first ring Emry won as a member of the Montreal Alouettes. He will receive another one shortly for the team’s 2010 win, but would dearly love to get this one back.

The ring is a dead giveaway and is personalized, so anyone trying to pawn it for cash should be automatically reported. The right thing to do would be to contact the Vancouver Police Department at and turn the ring in so that it can be returned to Emry.

Hopefully whoever took it, or whoever has it now, will do the right thing.