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The BC Lions off-season has been an eventful one so far and Thursday night the biggest surprise so far came with the news that tackle Jovan Olafioye would be returning to the team after a “medical issue” was listed as the cause of his release from the St.Louis Rams. The nature of the medical issue was not reported. The NFL window in his contracted closes next Wednesday, but Olafioye’s agent announced he would be returning to BC.
The 24 year-old Olafioye worked out for 15 NFL teams this off-season before signing with St. Louis. In a statement Thursday Olafioye indicated the news was “unexpected” but that he was happy to be returning to BC.
The big right tackle didn’t allow a sack in 2011 and it was a forgone conclusion he would be lost to the NFL in 2012 given his age and potential. His return scratches a huge need of the Lions list heading into training camp, depending of course on the nature of the reported medical issue.
The media release from BCLions.com:
The BC Lions Football Club was informed Thursday evening that offensive lineman Jovan Olafioye has been released by the St. Louis Rams.
Olafioye’s representative Dan Vertlieb issued the following statement: “The St. Louis Rams have notified Jovan Olafioye that they have released him from his contract due to their concerns about a medical issue. Given the closing window to explore opportunities in the NFL in Jovan’s current CFL contract, he will return to the BC Lions for another season after thoroughly addressing his status.”
Lions VP of football operations and GM Wally Buonohas issued the following statement: “We are pleased to welcome Jovan back and we will work with him closely in coming months to ensure any issues that may have arisen are addressed.”
Anchoring a Lions offensive line that gave up the fewest sacks in the CFL for the first time since 1995, Olafioye was dominant throughout the year and earned the nod as the West Division’s Most Outstanding Lineman.
Jovan Olafioye has issued the following statement: “While this news was unexpected, I am very happy to be returning to my family at the BC Lions.”
Related stories:
About turn: Olafioye back with Lions – Lowell Ullrich, The Province.
Korey Banks will be in a Lions uniform until at least the end of the 2013 season. Photo: BCLions.com
The BC Lions announced Wednesday the signing of defensive back Korey Banks. The extension is a two year deal which will see the popular veteran remain with the Lions until at least the end of the 2013 season. Banks was entering the option year of his contract and was not set to become a free agent, but locking him for another year is another key core signing for the team this off-season.
Banks enjoyed another all-star season with the Lions, the fourth such honour of his career. Banks will begin his ninth season in the CFL in 2012, all but two of those have been with the BC Lions after being selected in the 2006 dispersal draft of the folded Ottawa Renegades.
Reporters and media members will be happy with today’s news as Banks is known to never shy away from a microphone and provides them with great material for their newspapers and sound bites.
Here are Banks career starts, as found on BCLions.com, where you can find the official release of today’s news.
Stats via BCLions.com
Paris Jackson had better offers, but in the end he chose to stay with both is immediate and CFL family over the other options.
The BC Lions announced following the Super Bowl that the popular veteran non-import receiver had extended with the Lions for another year plus an option.
Jackson assumed a back up role for the team last season and helped mentor younger receivers such as Akeem Foster, Shawn Gore and Marco Iannuzzi. He’ll assume that role again and also be ready to make a clutch catch when called on, as he did in last season’s Western Final and Grey Cup game.
“Paris has always been a very good receiver and in recent years he has developed into both a leader and mentor for our younger receivers,” said VP of football operations and GM Wally Buono. “He is an important part of our team and this is another offseason win for the club to have him returning.”
More details on the signing can be found at BCLions.com and at Lowell Ullrich’s Fifth Quarter blog.
The BC Lions have added another key potential free agent Thursday evening with the announcement that the team has re-signed place kicker and punter Paul McCallum.
General Manager Wally Buono is thrilled to have the 19 year veteran and CFL record holder for consecutive field goals back in the lineup.
“Paul has been one of our most consistent and dependable players since coming here in 2006,” said VP of football operations and GM Wally Buono. “He has been one of the very best at his position and this is a very important signing for the club.”
The BC Lions will be looking for a new middle linebacker in 2012, as the agent for Solomon Elimimian announced on Twitter Wednesday that his client had signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
Lowell Ullrich of The Province reported that the Lions may have had the chance to make an offer on Wednesday to the all-star linebacker but no offer was made. If that was the case, one has to wonder how good the NFL offers were. According to the Ullrich report, the Lions say no official request for an offer was made.
The off-season loss is the second in as many seasons to the Vikings, who plucked wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux from the black and orange last year.
Elimimian recorded 175 tackles and 9 sacks over his two seasons with the Lions and in 2010 was named the leagues defensive player of the year.
Khalif Mitchell – Photo: Canada.com
The BC Lions gave their fans a great start to the week with news that all-star defensive lineman Khalif Mitchell had signed a new contract with the club. The signing came after reports that the popular defender had signed with the Dolphins earlier this month.
It’s not clear what happened with that situation and how Mitchell became a Lion again, but fans are glad to hear it and you can bet that new head coach Mike Benevides was as well.
“Khalif was an impact player and big part of our championship last season.”, said the new head coach. Given the choices he had, I believe this signing says a lot about our league and our organization and I am very pleased to have him back.”
Following the win in the Grey Cup, an emotional Mitchell talked about how much the Lions meant to him, and how they were family:
The Lions also shocked fans by announcing the release of defensive back Tad Kornegay. Kornegay was given some of the credit for the Lions turnaround last season and helped solidify the defence by allowing Korey Banks to return to a more traditional role in the secondary instead of the hybrid nickleback position he had been playing.
Twitter erupted with shock from Lions fans over the release of the popular @Thadito but the experienced Twitter user quickly calmed the masses with these tweets:
“Take it easy twitter fam. This was set in my contract the first day I sign. My intentions as well ask Coach Bene is to be in BC. #Patience”
“Just a Procedure that had to be upheld cause it was in writing. Now it does make me open to other teams but I plan to be Lion.”
Tad also let fans know his return to BC wasn’t automatic:
“But I must say….I am business man. Lol. I love money that makes me financially comfortable. Lol”
Stay tuned!
Remember the days of tailgating at the PNE fondly Lions fans…it’s unlikely you’ll ever have it that good again. That said, Tailgate Empire will live on in the streets in Vancouver thanks to our friends at Easy Park.
The BC Lions sent out e-mails to their season ticket holders yesterday offering parking 6 blocks away from the stadium under Pacific Centre Mall. And while the price is definitely right at $21.36 including taxes for all four games at BC Place, an underground parking lot obviously can’t facilitate tailgating.
The Lions staff took some much appreciated time to speak with me yesterday and while they wished us the best of luck in our tailgating future, there isn’t much they can do about it. Parking lots around the stadium are disappearing at the expense of real estate development and those that remain are privately owned lots that refuse to allow tailgating.
The PNE model proved once again that if tailgating is done with planning and some simple rules in place, it provides a great game day atmosphere for fans and even creates new ones for the team. Tailgate Empire will continue to pursue this tradition in Vancouver until we simply have no options left.
With that said, our regular group of tailgaters will be setting up shop at the Easy Park lot at Main and Terminal. The great folks at easy park gave us this lot during the last season at BC Place, and have graciously offered it to us once again on our return. The lot is one skytrain stop or a 10 minute walk to BC Place.
This is a small lot so spots are limited. Also there are some critical rules you must adhere to of we wish for this to continue.
1) Your spot must be paid for apon arrival. If that means you pay extra for arriving early, that means you pay extra.
2) NO CHARCOAL BBQ’s
3) All garbage must be removed by tailgaters. COME PREPARED.
4) All beverages must be in plastic cups.
5) There are no washrooms on site. Do not make the lot your washroom.
6) Eachl tailgater vehicle can only take up one parking spot.
There is another option for Lions fans pregame entertainment and that is the official club Street Party outside of Terry Fox Plaza on Beatty Street. The Lions staff have put a lot of effort into providing a great atmosphere for fans of all ages and on September 30th it will be their biggest event yet to celebrate the reopening of BC Place stadium.
I want to thanks the great people at Easy Park, in particular Greg Watrych who has gone out of his way to give us a home! Whenever you park downtown, please consider their lots for your parking needs!
So Tailgate Empire, we’ll see you on Sept. 30th at our new/old home!
The BC Lions play their last game at Empire Field on September 10th when they host the Toronto Argonauts. For what it is, Empire Field has been a great place to watch a football game. The weather for the most part was outstanding and mountain backdrop made the view unlike any other in Canada.
That said, the stadium really wasn’t that kind to the Leos in win column and the time has come to return to the comforts of home and a refurnished, state of the art BC Place stadium and we want you to be there for this historic Vancouver sporting event.
BCLionsDen.ca has joined forces with the Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel and the Donnelly Group to give you a chance to be there live when the BC Lions and Edmonton Eskimos re-open BC Place stadium on September 30th, 2011.
We’ve come up with four pairs of tickets to the big game and every Monday in September we’ll be giving one lucky reader, Twitter follower or Facebook fan two tickets. For our first three pairs of tickets, the winner will also receive a gift certificate to a Donnelly Group establishment.
The fourth week is the grand prize giveaway. Two tickets to the game including a room for the night at the Rosedale on Robson, $150.00 Donnelly Group gift certificate and a BC Lions prize pack.
So how do you win?
- Check out the contest on the Rosedale on Robson Facebook Page and submit a photo of yourself sporting your BC Lions or CFL gear. Each photo you submit will get you one entry to the contest. (1 entry)
- RT this message on Twitter: “I entered to win a #BCLions package for opening night at BC Place from @RosedaleRobson @DonnellyPubs @BCLionsDen http://tinyurl.com/3e35wj7”. (1 entry)
- Leave a comment on this blog post about your love for the Lions or the CFL, why you love the Rosedale on Robson or tell us about your favourite Donnelly establishment. (1 entry)
It’s not a requirement to enter but we’d also love for you to follow us on Twitter:
@BCLionsDen, @RosedaleRobson and @DonnellyPubs
And become a fan on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/BCLionsDen.ca
http://www.facebook.com/RosedaleOnRobson
Also, check out one of the many great public house and night club locations operated by the Donnelly Group at http://www.donnellygroup.ca.
Contest Rules:
No purchase or payment necessary to enter or win
Eligibility
All winners are responsible for picking up the tickets, must be 19 years age or older and are responsible for their own transportation to and from the game.
Entry Format
Entries may be color or black and white digital images, and less than 5 megabytes in size.
Inappropriate Content
Obscene, provocative or otherwise questionable content will not be considered. Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel retains sole discretion as to what constitutes inappropriate content.
Copyright
Any entry you submit must be a picture of yourself. Do not submit a photo of someone other than yourself. You must be the sole owner of the copyright of any image submitted. Your submission of the photo and entry form is your guarantee that you are the author and copyright holder of the photo.
Ownership/Use Rights
By entering the contest, entrants agree to have their submitted photograph displayed on the Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel website and used by Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel for any purpose, at any time, without any fee or other form of compensation. Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel reserves the right to disqualify and delete any photographs or user profiles, without notice, and for any reason.
Winners
Winners will be notified by email within draw dates, using the email address provided on the entry form. No financial compensation will be provided to winners.
Disclaimer
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. By participating, you hereby release and hold harmless Facebook from any and all liability associated with this promotion.
Winners List:
Two tickets to the game and a Donnely Group gift certificate:
Sept. 5th: JordanO81 (Twitter Entry)
Sept. 12th: “Kathryn” (Rosedale on Robson Facebook Photo Entry)
Sept. 19th: “Maria” (Blog post comment)
Grand Prize Winner: Sept. 26th: Will it be you???!
Grand Prize: Two tickets to the game, game night accommodation at the Rosedale on Robson, $150.00 Donnelly Group gift certificate and a Lions Swag bag:
Sept. 26th
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.
Ever been to a sports merchandise or collectibles store and been disappointed with the lack of BC Lions and CFL gear? It’s happened to me many times, but after visiting Sports and Stuff in Chilliwack, you’ll think you’ve died and gone to BC Lions heaven.
There will be no better time to do check them out then on August 6th, when the store hosts its annual Football Day. There are a ton of prizes to be given away and you can meet BC Lion players Geroy Simon, Solomon Elimimian and Paul McCallum.
There are great deals on BC Lions merchandise and every purchase you make gives you chance to win fabulous prizes.
Like what you say?
- A trip to Las Vegas.
- A trip to Calgary to watch the BC Lions take on the Calgary Stampeders on Sept 17th. - Includes flight, hotel. taxi and game tickets.
- 2 tickets to the 2011 Grey Cup game in Vancouver.
- An official pro BC Lions helmet autographed by the whole team.
- Groceries for a week.
- Autographed Jerseys, footballs and many more great prizes!
When: August 6th. Player intros at 1:00pm, Prizes will be drawn at 3:15
Early bird prize will be drawn at 12:45
Where: Sports & Stuff: Chilliwack Mall, 45610 Luckakuck Way, Chilliwack, BC.
We’ll see you in Chilliwack, and make sure you tell Rick and Wendy that BCLionsDen.ca sent you!
