Ever heard this one?

“I went to see a fight and a football game broke out.”

It used to be an all too familiar adage in the mid 90′s to early 2000’s anti-golden era of football in BC.  Wins were few, ownership questionable, fans dwindled and fights were aplenty.

Not anymore.  Not for a long while…the last point anyway.

Early in his tenure as President and CEO of the Lions, Bob Ackles was becoming increasingly frustrated with the ruckus in the stands.  Mr. Ackles had quickly turned the fortunes of this floundering product with his pedigree, the hiring of Buono, the signing of Dave Dickenson and a whole lot of “W’s”.  However the media and fans focused on the fighting in the stands.

A black eye? Surely.

Conducive to getting bums in the seats?  Not likely.

Enter the 2005 season and a new initiative from Mr. Ackles and BC Place General Manager Howard Crosley.  They began a brilliant fan empowerment program called “Be a Fan Not a Fool”.  It was a multifaceted approach that helped the “fans” regulate themselves and weed out the unruly “fools” while punishing their poor behaviour.

Like any good behaviour management program it began with education, describing what “fan” behaviour should look like and what being a “fool” would look like.

Fans were reminded of the rules throughout the season through a consistent print, ad and multimedia campaign highlighted by popular Lion players of the day saying the catch phrase “Be A Fan Not A Fool”.  I still remember snapping to attention in my seat when Jason Clermont was shown on the video screen slapping his ruler on a chalkboard informing me that being a fool was not tolerated.  I wasn’t about to question him.

The Lions and BC Place made it easy for fans to discretely and quickly report fools in their area. All you had to do was call, in recent years even email, the number or email address displayed in the advertisements.

The increased security, which did not make eye contact, smile or give high fives, would come and escort troublemakers off the premises with severe penalties such as revoking season tickets or lifetime bans.  It was quite a punishment, but did it work?  Sure it did.

Howard Crosley reported that in the first year of the program security received 89 calls with 75% resulting in eviction.  By 2007 the calls reduced to 69 with only 33% eviction with numbers continuing to fall.  Well done Lions, well done fans.  So look around the next time the green men from Saskatchewan and all their fans come to town and ask yourself if you are going to be a fan or a fool.

Now if we could only do something about those streakers…

The 8th annual BC Lions Orange Helmet Awards took place on Friday March 4th at the Vancouver Convention centre and once again the event was a huge success for amateur football in BC. The awards were the brainchild of the late Bob Ackles who wanted to create a way to assist and grow grassroots football in British Columbia. Prior to last nights event, the program had raised more than $420,000 over its seven year history.

I was lucky enough to this year’s event at the invite of Kristina Sinclair of the Rosedale on Robson. The first thing you notice is that this event brings out some of the big names in Vancouver. Leaders of the business community, current/former players and even politicians attend this semi-formal affair and many of them bring their pocket books. Additional funds are raised through the impressive silent and live auctions, which feature a large variety of sports memorabilia and other unique items.

Following the reception that starts the evening, a tasty three course dinner was served which this consisted of butter lettuce salad with candied pecans, followed by a delicious merlot braised beef dinner with mashed potatoes and winter vegetables. The meal was topped off by an Okanagan apple tart and caramel sauce for dessert.

The Orange Helmet awards are presented during the festivities and of course this year’s event featured an impressive lineup of speakers. The quarterbacks who led the Lions in each of their five Grey Cup championships; Joe Kapp, Roy Dewalt, Danny McManus, Damon Allen and Dave Dickenson, were all on hand to share their stories and memories from their stints as BC Lions.

All and all it was a great night and a great experience for this BC Lions fan. Bob Ackles would be proud of the success of the event and how much money has been raised for amateur football in BC. A thriving amateur football system can only help the CFL down the road, and the Lions are certainly doing their part to develop football in the province of BC.

For a full list of this years Orange Helmet Award recipients, check out BCLions.com. The also have some video footage of the event.

The last football game for the season was played on Sunday, and kudos to the Colts and Saints for putting on a great show in the Super Bowl. Canadian fans now count the days, as the next meaningful game for fans of professional football will be played North of the 49th when the CFL gets going in July 1st.

Bye Bye Foley

Of course there is free agency fast approaching, and one player the Lions won’t have worry about signing is Ricky Foley. In a recent Vancouver Sun article, Mike Beamish reports that Foley is on the verge of signing a deal in the NFL.

VANCOUVER — Ricky Foley flew in Monday from San Diego — and, boy, are his arms tired.

The joke may be lame, but apparently Foley’s chances of signing with a National Football League team are not.

Paul Sheehy, the representative for the B.C. Lions rush end, is confident that Foley will be offered an NFL contract by the end of this week.

“There are three situations which are ideal,” Sheehy says. “It comes down to meshing opportunity for playing time and an opportunity to make an impact weighed against the contract opportunity. It’s a matter of doing what we think is right and not just going for the maximum dollars.”

Foley is scheduled to work out with the Seattle Seahawks Tuesday following a session with the San Diego Chargers today.

The CFL’s most outstanding Canadian in 2009 was at the training facilities of the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams and Philadelphia Eagles last week.

“He’ll be in the NFL this year,” Sheehy says. “We’re closing in on a couple of things … and we should have it wrapped up by the end of the week.”

This is a big blow for the Lions, who for the second straight season lose their top pass rusher, and a Canadian starter. CFL free agency season is getting less and less exciting. By the time free agency opens most of top talent has signed an NFL deal. Recruiting and free agent camps are going to become more and more important as more players are taking a chance to try their luck down south.

Braley/Argos Deal All But Done

Several news sources are reporting that Davis Braley’s purchase of the Argos is all but done and I’m not really sure how I feel about this. I am a big David Braley supporter, and I am not sure the Lions would be around today if it wasn’t for him. I know there is no league bylaw against it, but I’m still not sure it’s “right’. That said, David Braley loves this league, and has put his money on the line several times to help keep it alive. With this purchase, it’s pretty likely the Lions will come up for sale sooner rather than later. Braley has indicated he’ll only sell the team to local owners who have a passion for the game and the CFL. I hope that proves to be the case when the time comes, and that while he owns both he keeps them separate. Are any other Lions fans a little nervous that Wally Buono hasn’t signed an extension? Just sayin…

Orange Helmet Awards

The BC Lions are once again pleased to present the Orange Helmet Awards Dinner. It will be the seventh annual event, and will feature Darren Flutie who will emcee the event and his brother Doug who will be the keynote speaker. The awards were the brainchild of the late Bob Ackles, who’s commitment to minor league football was strong. The event goes Friday, April 9th at the Vancouver Convention Centre.