With a bang we said goodbye to Empire Field. It was a great day for a Tailgate party and party it up we did. There were plenty of blueberry hotcakes, crepes and French toast to be had. There were multiple pounds of bacon and ham and Swiss cheese. Mimosas and freshly brewed coffee were there too.

We had a great time and we celebrated the End of an Empire. The Tailgate Empire strives to live on regardless of the playing field, but we will be forever grateful to the people that operated the facility for providing us a great spot to tailgate, and enabling us to reminisce about a different era in Vancouver.

A “Breakfast’Gater”, is when a tailgate party starts so early that breakfast is the meal prepared. We at the Tailgate Empire love these. This is one of the great appeals of the afternoon games at Empire Field. An early morning rise to head down to the stadium, and a beautiful sunny morning of cooking pancakes and bacon can’t be beat. You can add bacon to almost anything and it is instantly better!

At most breakfast’gaters I have been known to prepare crepes. The thin French pancake is a great breakfast/lunch item as you can stuff them with whatever you would like. For this day, I came prepared with Black Forest Ham, Maasdam Swiss Cheese and mushrooms. This was a great combo, but then I had an epiphany. Why not add bacon? The “Crepenator” was born and it was epic!!!!!!!

Fellow Tailgate Empire member Andrew was grilling up some Blueberry pancakes that were just melting in my mouth and the Emperor himself Brian W. grilled up his Dad’s famous French toast.

We all had full bellies and full hearts as we said goodbye to an era in Vancouver sports that was much needed. It was good to get away from the hustle and bustle of downtown and get back out to East Van to watch pro sports. That said, it will be great to open up the new BC Place stadium and get back to where I fell in love with the Orange and Black.

Tailgating downtown has always been a bit of a struggle. The PNE was the birthplace of the Tailgate Empire, but we will live on. We always do. Look for us at the corner of Quebec and Terminal and always obey the rules of tailgating that have never failed us.

• Pack it in. Pack it out. Be prepared to take your garbage home
• Propane bbq’s are the only type that should be used. Briquette bbq’s are just too dangerous to use around parked cars. Not to mention the disposal of hot coals as game time approaches. It just doesn’t make sense.
• Pay for every spot that you occupy. Pay for the spot when you get there. The parking lot deserves to earn revenue for their spots, and ensuring that they do will only help tailgaters.
• All beverages must be in cups. Simple, just put it in a cup.
• Plan a safe ride home! Make sure you have a designated driver.

From everyone at the Tailgate Empire, we enjoyed your company at Empire Field and look forward to seeing you on Friday September 30th!!

 

Dear PNE and the BC Lions Football Club,

We started off with a blip and ended with a bang and as avid tailgaters we are here to say thank you.

After our rocky start, you stepped up to the plate and gave football fans in Vancouver the best tailgating experience this city has ever seen. There have been large tailgate parties in the city before. But nothing compared to what you provided for us. It was real, it was encouraged and it was awesome.

You proved beyond a doubt that tailgating is not an evil activity. You proved that with the foresight to provide garbage cans and washrooms and a few non-meddling authorities to watch over the proceedings that tailgating is an activity that just adds to the game day experience of fans, and boy did Lions fans have it good for the last year and a half.

Great steaks, prime ribs, homemade burgers, crepes, French toast, cedar plank salmon and other delicious meals were created in Lot 9. Footballs were thrown around, new friends were made and the BC Lions game experience rivaled that of our friends in Calgary, where the standard for this pastime has been set in the CFL.

The tailgaters in your lot were mostly season ticket holders, many who have never tailgated before. They are now wondering why they never did this before, and where they will do it when the games move downtown. They may be in for a shock.

We’re hopeful that those involved will make something happen downtown. It can only fill the parking lots, and create new fans if it’s done the way you showed them how to do it.

To the BC Lions we thank you as well. We know that both the PNE and the club worked together to make this happen for the fans. We hope you can work with your new partners to make sure this great football tradition doesn’t disappear in Vancouver. Your fans are now hooked.

Lastly to all the fans that came out and joined the tailgate experience thank you as well. You picked up your garbage. You respected the lot and your fellow tailgaters and you showed all the parties involved how great this can be.

We’re all members of the Tailgate Empire and it was a great ride!

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Signed,

Tailgate Empire

We invite you to share your memories of the great tailgates at Empire Field, we would love to hear them.

Oh, as a Lions’ fan, how sweet it is. The drought has ended.

This week, for the first time since the preseason, our boys in orange and black don’t have to walk off the field with the bitter dregs of defeat in their mouths. Also, this week, instead of getting the standard sports report write-up of the game [I did spend a few years writing sports desk a little over a decade and a half ago], you’re getting a fan’s report. If you want the other sort, I’m sure you can find the Sun or the Province, and either of them will have solid enough reportage describing the game.

But, like me, you’re fans. Chances are you were at the game, or watched it on television- whether on TSN, or for those of us stuck on the southern side of the border, the NFL Network, or listened to it on the radio.

It’s a win, and one which looks fairly decisive on the scoresheet. 24-11 looks solid- a two-score margin of victory, and breaking the winless streak feels pretty darn good. For that matter, up until the final few minutes of the first half we saw the Lions play the way the team did in the preseason and dominate the game.

Travis Lulay was pretty good for the first half of the match, and Geroy Simon had the sort of evening that recalls Superman in his prime, closing the night out with seven catches for 134 yards and a touchdown while setting up another one. Lulay ended up 18 for 27 for 257 yards with one interception coming on a bad read in the third quarter.

Jamal Robertson had ten carries for 56 yards; Tim Brown had a carry for a touchdown- set up by three successive Lulay to Simon passes.

Inside the three-minute mark of the first half, the Lions were looking like Empire emperors, keeping the Saskatchewan offense in check and moving the ball fairly regularly, and showing off a 20-3 edge. That final Rider possession of the half likely had some fans- myself included- a little uneasy. It was the one series where the defence showed some of the little mistakes which have plagued the team in the year to date, culminating in a Darian Durant to Chris Getzlaf major to cut the lead to 20-10.

Coming out to start the second half, neither side could establish much in their first possession, and the Leos moved the ball but stalled on their second, leading to Durant starting to march the Riders down the field for them to end up coming away empty handed when Eddie Johnson’s 35-yard attempt clanked off the upright. The visitors would have another crack at the scoreboard to close out the third quarter, but would settle for a single on another Johnson miss.

The fourth quarter was a chance for the Leo D to show its stuff, keeping Saskatchewan in check while the offence sputtered and failed to capitalize on a brilliant opportunity, managing only a Paul McCallum field goal after a shanked punt and ensuing no-yards penalty gave the Lions the ball inside the 30 yard line. A later punt rouge would round out the scoring.

It was a solid showing by the defence, and a good enough one by the offence to stake out the victory over a struggling opponent; and showed some promise. By and large, the errors which have plagued the team were kept to a minimum, the defence showed that they could pin their ears back and sustain pressure on one of the league’s most mobile passers.

Solomon Elimimian led the defence with a stunning twelve tackles and registered one of the three sacks absorbed by Durant, and he and Keron Williams rarely missed an opportunity to lay a big hit on anyone wearing green and white.

The defensive backfield wasn’t spectacular, but was solid enough, with newcomer Tad Kornegay showing he knew a bit of the Rider offense. More importantly, none of the d-backs were burned on long completions, not yielding a completion netting more than 21 yards nor getting victimized on penalties. The Lions only took three on the evening, and benefited from 12 flags being thrown against the Riders.

Next week, the Lions will face a stiffer challenge at home, as they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5-1), who this week knocked off the previously undefeated Edmonton Eskimos in a battle of surprise Division leaders.

Quick Hits:

• A crowd of 25,238 took in the game. Just over a 1000 more than watched the Hamilton game. So much for half a stadium of green. There were Rider fans, but in very small pockets. Despite another debunking of “the myth” it’s always a good atmosphere when the Riders come to town.
• The crowd at last night’s game seemed to know the importance of it. They were more into the game then previous ones this year.
• The Lions had a moment of silence for the late Richard Harris before the game.

Okay Vancouver, we all know the BC Lions are winless in their first 5 games this season and none of us are happy about that. Not the fans, not the coaches, and most of all not the players. I’m hearing a lot of fans jumping off the bandwagon, so for each of the five losses so far I’m giving you a reason why you should buy a ticket and get out to support the BC Lions. So here they are!

The top 5 reasons to buy a BC Lions ticket to Friday’s game:

5) There are only three games left at Empire Field.

I can’t tell you how many people have told me over the years that they don’t go to Lions games because it’s too hot in BC Place. Now that Empire Field is in place and has been for over a year, where are all you people? Enough excuses, buy a ticket and support the Lions. Empire Field is an intimate setting that brings you up close to the action, and if you haven’t been yet, you’re missing out.

4) Don’t believe the haters, this is professional football.

Yeah I’m taking to you in the Micheal Vick jersey. You’re the one that mocks the three downs, the bigger field and considers the CFL minor league. Slap yourself across the face, splash some cold water on it and wake the hell up. No the CFL does not have the money and the television production that its southern cousins do. But if you like football, and claim to be a fan of the game there is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy the CFL game. The wider field provides for a faster more open game. Kickoffs and punt returns are more exciting. None of the fair catch stuff here. And who needs four downs when you can get it done in three? Put you’re uninformed hatred aside and check out the CFL live. I bet most of you will come back. Geroy Simon is one of the greatest athletes to ever play in this city and you have the chance to see him up close and personal.

3) The Lions need your support.

The CFL is a gate driven league. They don’t have the huge television contracts that guarantee a team a profit before they even play a game. The BC Lions have been a part of this province for over 50 years. They have brought five championships to this city, more than the other sporting properties combined. They do great work in the community and the players are every day people like you and me. They play for the love of the game and the desire to compete. They play for the fans. It’s affordable family entertainment, so take the kids and support you BC Lions.

2) Tailgating

Anyone who follows this site knows how much we love to tailgate. The tailgating at BC Lions games has never been better and will never be like this again. Empire Field and the PNE have provided an awesome pregame atmosphere for football enthusiasts who love the pregame tradition of the tailgate party. While not in the same numbers as Calgary, the quality of this tailgate party is on par. In fact I’ve been told that because of crackdowns in Calgary the BC tailgates are now the best in the country. Take the BBQ and some pregame beverages. Come and meet new fans, throw the football around and see what this unique culture is all about. Join us in the Tailgate Empire at the Northwest corner of Lot 9!

1) And the number one reason to buy a ticket to Friday’s BC Lions game?

You’ll be stopping these kind from invading Empire Field!!!!

ROAR YOU LIONS ROAR!

There comes a time in every man’s life when he looks in the mirror and decides that nothing less than his “A” game will do. For the Tailgate Empire that day was last Friday at Empire Field. Members of the Tailgate Empire put their pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else, but on this particular Friday afternoon something was different. Something smelled different and we were counting on something tasting different.

The football club was 0-3, but that would not damper our spirits. There was no running game to be found in Jacques Chapdelaine’s play book, but the Tailgate Empire were prepared to run through a wall. Travis Lulay’s squad were a pass happy bunch, but the Tailgate Empire were happy to merely pass the mustard. The football club was struggling, but the tailgater’s were in mid-season form.

A tailgate menu is not unlike a coach’s game plan. We usually start preparing for the next game right after the last game has ended. It takes careful planning and preparation, and it will only be a success with proper execution. The menu this week was the best it has ever been. A slow cooked rotisserie Prime Rib, some Candied Yam, and a Garlic Lovers Caesar Salad. This was definitely an “Adult” tailgater. Well planned out and brilliantly executed.

We had to bring a full size BBQ down to Empire in order rotisserie the Prime Rib. It is a little bit more work, but a small price to pay for the epic meal that was in store for us. We started with getting our smoke box loaded up with Mesquite chips. We placed the smoke box close to the flames. We found a nice central spot on the roast to run the spit through so that it spins evenly. Once that was done we salted the fat by hand with a generous portion of table salt, and then rubbed the entire roast with Montreal Steak Spice. The roast is now ready for flame. We had a three burner BBQ, so we place the roast over the middle burner and we lit the two outside burners so as to cook the roast with indirect heat. This will ensure that we cook the inside of the roast without burning the outside.

We roasted it on medium for about 2 ½ to 3 hours checking occasionally. It is always best to use a meat thermometer. We wanted an internal temperature of 140-150 degrees for a nice medium to medium well Prime Rib. We usually like medium rare, but in this case we like to see the marbling in a Prime Rib cook thoroughly and inject more flavor into the meat. We pulled the roast off of the grill and tented it in foil to rest for about 10 minutes before we carved it up.

The Candied Yams are a favorite of ours from way back. They are easy to do and quite enjoyable. First, peel your yam and slice them into silver dollar sized pieces. Next, position the yam pieces into a domino like row on a sheet of foil with one yam piece leaning on the next. Drizzle some honey over the yams and sprinkle some brown sugar as well. Add a dollop of butter and wrap into a foil pack. Cook on the grill with indirect heat for about 15-20 minutes and they’re ready to serve.

We will spare you on the details of cutting lettuce, but we will hook you up with the only Caesar dressing recipe you’ll ever need. 3-4 cloves of garlic minced added to one egg in a tall container. Add ½ cup of vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of olive oil while blending with a hand mixer. Once we’re all mixed in then we can fold in with a fork a dash of pepper, ½ tsp of mustard powder, tsp vinegar, tsp of lemon juice, tsp of Worcestershire sauce and ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese. Add this dressing to some romaine lettuce and croutons and your have the only Caesar you’ll ever need!

We definitely brought our “A” game this time out. It was some of the best Prime Rib we’ve ever had. The best part is that we pulled this gourmet beauty off in a parking lot and then headed in to Empire Field to see another entertaining football game. Check back next week as the Roughriders are in town and Cedar Plank Salmon is on the menu. Only three games left at Empire!

Related: For more photos from last Friday’s tailgate party, check out the gallery!

Follow the BCLionsDen.ca Tailgate Empire on Twitter @TailgateEmpire

Casual and hardcore BC Lions fans alike were looking forward to the transition to Empire Field last year because it would be the first time in almost 30 years they’d be seeing professional outdoor football.  With a smaller venue consistent sellouts during the regular season were all but guaranteed…right?

Empire sold out once, ONCE!  The season opener last year was all but assured a sell out considering the curiosity and hoopla surrounding the new venue.  What’s more alarming is the clubs attendance record trending the wrong way since 2009.  See Graph

2007 season

292,108

Average 32,456

2008 season

306,744

Average 34,083

2009 season

257,494

Average 28,610

2010 season first at empire

216,956

Average 24,106

2011 season

Game 1 average 22,738 – lowest since Ackles/Buono arrived!

So what’s the problem here? Armchair analysts have thrown plenty of theories around since the lackluster opener July 8th.  Let’s dissect a few:

• The location of Empire and the issues with parking, transit and long line ups for concessions are negatively impacting the walk up crowd and casual fans who are biding their time for the move back to BC Place.
• The drop in average attendance began the year before the transition to Empire – a dramatic 5,000 per game drop from 2008 to 2009.  The first couple of games at Empire admittedly had challenges with concession and washroom lineups but they were quickly rectified to reasonable levels.  Interestingly enough, the average attendance the first four games at Empire was 25,671, which was 93% capacity, the highest average of the year.
• The Vancouver Canucks long playoff run has “burnt fans out”.  This one is reaching.  The argument would have more validity if these were similar sports for example, if the Vancouver Giants were starting their season now.  Football in terms of style and pace is a completely different experience than hockey and a sports fan that enjoys both sports should have the ability to easily separate the two.  I would argue that a long and grueling and ultimately frustrating end to the hockey season should motivate the sport fan to look for something different.
• The Whitecaps FC are popular and have taken some fans away.  The Whitecaps have always been around; play at the same location fans complain about, have only 2 wins this year and can’t score.  Next.
• The Lions record is impacting attendance.  This suggestion is interesting because there certainly appears to be a correlation.  See graph.
• The decrease in attendance began in 2009 with the sub .500 overall and home records and has consistently decreased as the record worsened.The affect could be two fold.  Not only do fans hate losing, and losing at home for that matter, which the Lions in recent history do on a remarkably regular basis.   But with the losses have come a poor entertainment value during the home games.
• Poor offensive and defensive starts to a game coupled with a lack of success can be frustrating, not entertaining.
• Here’s a potential factor that I feel needs to be considered.  The increased role television broadcast has in fans attendance.  See Graph:

Since 2007 there has been a dramatic increase in television viewership on TSN, we have also seen a steady increase of high definition televisions and broadcasts in the past 5 years.

At this time TSN cannot black out a teams home games on the HD feed.  If you are a sports fan you’re going to purchase the HD sports package that includes TSN and you will have the option of watching a Lions game from the comfort of your home, with friends and family, broadcast in beautiful HD by a great broadcast crew.  Very tempting.

My final point, which quite frankly I’m surprised others haven’t spent more time discussing and which links with the poor record, location, and HD broadcasting is this -

The Lions, over the course of 5 years, might have begun pricing some of their fans out of home games.

I will focus more time on this issue with more specific information in a future article but I have heard grumbling from fans recently.  One went so far as to show me the increase in their season tickets from the 2008 season to 2011 a 64% increase in price during three straight losing seasons of football!

Fans were disappointed that prices increased when the team moved to Empire, a nostalgic venue but a downgrade in quality from the previous venue.  Fans were disappointed when prices increased substantially this year to new venue prices when over 60% of the games will be played at Empire and only a few in the new venue.  The pricing at the end zones seem to be a factor – sitting crammed on a cold bench with the elements hitting you for $35 to $45 does not seem appealing to most.

No question the return to the stadium formerly known as BC Place will pique interest and attendance numbers will go up. But with increasing ticket prices, a losing product and HD alternative how long will it last?

As the Tailgate Empire grows so does the realization that we only have four more games left to enjoy at Empire Field. We won’t miss the bleacher seats or the tiny scoreboard. We won’t miss the portable toilets or the luke warm hotdogs either. We will, however, eventually see the sun set on what has become a tailgate location unrivaled above the 49^th parallel.

All the more reason to make the most of every opportunity to scrape off the grill and get cooking in the sunshine and beauty of East Vancouver.  Our empire of tailgaters has settled into an excellent spot in the North parking lot of Empire Field. Under the trees and on the grass we cook our meals and enjoy our beverages.

We were all treated to a great football game on Friday night. Big plays on both sides of the football and a potential game winning kick at the end. Alas a victory for the home club was not meant to be, but that would not spoil a great evening of fun for the Tailgate Empire. Unfortunately, this particular setting will eventually close its doors.

There has been a trend of less than stellar attendance at New Empire that may suggest that a downtown retractable roof stadium is exactly what the people of the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley covet. That and maybe a winning football club. As much as Empire has been a boon for tailgaters, it obviously does not have the benefits that a centrally located, state of the art stadium would. The lack of transit options as well as hotels and restaurants has obviously hurt the appeal of Empire, but tailgaters have definitely benefitted from the experience. Let’s hope that these experiences help to foster an enhanced outlook for local tailgaters in the parking lots surrounding a new BC Place Stadium.

On the Tailgate Empire grill this week we cooked up a devastating meal! Fall off the bone ribs with a homemade BBQ sauce. We also had grilled veggies, and a warm potato salad that I am still dreaming about. Others around us were grilling in style as well. There were various meats on a stick, a Greek salad that would have made Zorba jealous, some very colorful shish kabobs as well as the usual fare of burgers and dogs. Some of the very best meals being served today are coming out of the back of a truck in a dirty old East Van parking lot!

When preparing ribs we usually like to use the boiling technique. This should be done at home the night before. First we slice up an onion and a head of garlic and add it to a stock pot full of water. We like to season the water with garlic powder, salt and pepper and Mrs. Dash. Bring the water up to a medium boil.  You’ll need to be sure to remove the membrane from the ribs. This is the silver skin on the underneath portion of the ribs. We then place the ribs in the stock pot and boil at medium for about 90 minutes. Let them cool and these ribs will be “fall off the bone” and will be ready for the BBQ sauce and the grill.

We made a homemade BBQ sauce. It is really easy and you can use most anything that you have in your fridge and pantry. We used 1 cup of ketchup, 1/3 of a cup of honey, 1/3 of a cup of corn syrup, 1 cup of red wine vinegar, 2 ounces of Sailor Jerry’s Rum, some Tabasco sauce, some garlic powder, and some salt and pepper. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil while whisking. Once it is boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Let it cool and it is ready for ribs.

We like to give the ribs a generous coating of sauce and place them on the grill. The best way we’ve found is to place aluminum foil over the grill surface and cook the ribs on indirect heat. Remember, the ribs are already cooked, and we are just trying to warm them and sauce them. Cook them for 10-12 minutes and then flip and re-sauce. Another 10 minutes or so and they’re good to go!

Our vegetable intake was fairly standard. Some onions and white mushrooms cooked in a foil pack with some seasoning and butter, as well as some peppers julienned in foil packs with Mrs. Dash. We also had a warm potato salad that a fellow member of the Empire cooked up. He didn’t give me the recipe, but it was a cheesy, creamy, bacony mixture of potatoes and corn. Absolutely decadent!

It was another fabulous meal cooked in a parking lot. We had a great meal and enjoyed some top notch football! Check back next week to see how we made out, or by all means grab a bbq and some grub and join the Empire!!

Apologies to Vanya Tucherov for the late posting of this recap. I was without internet for a few days while I moved. It may be old news now but as we attempt to be your fan blog for BC Lions coverage, it still needs to be posted.

After a lacklustre first half which saw the Calgary Stampeders score a last second touchdown to take a 7-6 edge into the locker room, the BC Lions came out and went toe-to-toe with the Stamps, with the Lions tallying four second half touchdowns to Calgary’s three and a pair of Rene Parades field goals, leaving the visitors to take the 34-32 victory over the Leos at Empire Field.

While the first half last week in Montreal saw the BC secondary victimized, this week, neither side could get the offense untracked, resulting in an ugly, sloppy display from both sides with Travis Lulay only managing three completions for 25 total yards passing, with the rushing attack equally anaemic, mustering a total of 17 yards- two rushing losses and a Lulay keeper for 19 yards. Lions receivers dropped five passes in the half, and Lulay missed several of them on mid- to long-range seam routes.

The second half, both offenses made adjustments, while the defences suddenly became inept. The half opened with Henry Burris leading the Stamps down the field, and capped with a Burris to Jon Cornish touchdown. Not to be outdone, Lulay and his recievers started to find ways to hook up, finding non-import reciever Akeem Foster with the 54-yard strike for the major to bring the Lions back to within one after the McCallum conversion.

Burris would bring Calgary right back to tally another TD, this time finding Landan Talley from 16 yards out to stretch the lead back to eight points. Matching the Stamps drive for drive, Lulay brought the Lions back to match, sharing the load between Andrew Harris and Shawn Gore, with Gore doing the honours from eleven yards out.

Not to be outdone, it was Burris again, taking only three plays to take Calgary back to paydirt, connecting with Nik Lewis on a 61-yard strike to restore the lead at eight to close out the third quarter.

Opening the fourth, the Lion offense missed a step, going two-and-out on their opening possession, but the defence got good pressure on Burris and got the ball back following a pair of Joffrey Reynolds runs. Lulay found Geroy Simon for 30 yards on the first play of the ensuing possession, then S. J. Black for another eight down to the Calgary 17 yard line. Jamal Robertson carried for three yards, and Tim Brown took the ball in from six yards out on what looked like a broken option pitch play. The Lions went for the two-point conversion, but missed, with a Lulay pass falling just off the fingertips of Jamal Robertson.

Stanley Franks would snare the third interception of Burris on the first play from scrimmage after the touchdown, but the Lions would prove unable to capitalize, going two-and-out again.

Although the Lions special teams unit managed to hold the Stamps deep in their own end on the ensuing punt, the run defence would look a little suspect, giving up a 19 yard gallop to Cornish, followed by Burris completions of fifteen yards apiece to Romby Bryant and Talley before another pair of runs by Larry Taylor and Cornish again would set up the first of Parades’ field goals to stretch the lead back to five points.

Lulay would get victimized for the second time on the evening, with Keon Raymond snagging the errant pass and returning it 24 yards before being brought down by Jon Hameister-Ries. The defence would hold, with Aaron Hunt coming up with the big sack on Burris on second-and-two from the 14, forcing the Stamps to settle for another field goal and an eight point edge with just over two minutes remaining.

The Lions weren’t ready to surrender the field yet in front of the opening night crowd at Empire, with Lulay hitting Dobson Collins for a 45 yard gain, followed by quick strikes to Gore and Simon of eleven and ten yards respectively to take the ball inside the Calgary 10. After an illegal contact flag on Calgary’s Robert McCune, Lulay took the ball in himself from five yards out, diving to break the plane of the end zone on a scramble to his right, bringing the Lions back to within two points with just over a minute remaining.

When the attempted conversion was dropped Geroy Simon, it looked as if the night might be over, but fate showed that there is a reason games are played until the final gun regardless of how bleak the outcome may seem. With fifty-nine seconds remaining and no timeouts available, it looked as if the Stampeders would just run out the clock- but Burris handoff to Reynolds on first down was about eighteen inches too high, resulting in a loose ball recovered by the Lions Solomon Elimimian at the BC 49 with 55 ticks left. A run, an incompletion, and two short passes later, the Lions had moved to the Calgary 48, but a final incompletion left them facing third-and-8 there, down two points. Paul McCallum came on to attempt the 55-yard field goal into the wind, but left it short and to the right, and keeping the confines of Empire Field not so friendly to the homestanding Lions, who now drop to 3-7 at the facility.

Quick Hits:

• No one stands out as exceptional on the offensive side of the ball. Travis Lulay’s line for the evening: 17 of 39 for 279 yards and 2 TDs, but also a pair of interceptions. He was also the only Lion to carry the ball more than three times or net more than ten yards, carrying four times for 28 yards and a touchdown.
• Among the receiving corps, Shawn Gore shows the benefits of the tutelage he’s been getting from Superman, catching seven balls for 96 yards, while Andrew Harris and Akeem Foster made their solitary catches count, each earning a major- Foster from 54 yards, Harris from 11.
• On the defensive side, defensive tackle Eric Taylor led the way with eight tackles and a sack, while Solomon Elimimian had five and was credited with the fumble recovery which made the last-ditch McCallum try possible. Adam Leonard and Dante Marsh also had fumble recoveries; while Marsh, Ryan Phillips and Stanley Franks had interceptions on the night and Aaron Hunt had the other sack. Special teams were not as strong as last week, yielding over two hundred return yards- 150 to Talley on five kick returns.
• This week the Lions travel to Edmonton to take on the Eskimos on Saturday. Edmonton, is the surprise of the early CFL season and the hottest team in the west, defeating Saskatchewan and Hamilton to open their season 2-0.

Avid tailgater and creator of the “Tailgate Empire” slogan, Nick Herger joins BCLionsDen.ca as our tailgate correspondent. After each home game Nick will be blogging about that game’s menu and other tailgating tips and pastimes. Nick is a great cook and always takes things up another level at our tailgate parties!

And the Empire Strikes Back for its final season on the PNE grounds. The “Tailgate Empire” that is.

It was a great season in the parking lot, if not on the playing surface of Empire Field in 2010. The tailgating was awesome! It started with a whimper in a pre-season game in which the future of tailgating in East Van was in doubt, but after some lobbying and some persistence it ended with a bang! A true West Coast tailgating atmosphere was born and the Canadian football experience for the people of BC was enhanced.

With that said, we would like to welcome you to the “Tailgate Empire”, a new feature here on BCLionsDen.ca. We are going to blog about the tailgating experience for fans of the BC Lions in 2011 and beyond. Menus and tailgating tips will be found here as well as “Tailgate Etiquette”. It is very important that tailgate etiquette is followed by all tailgaters as a few bad apples can ruin this tradition for the masses.

• Pack it in. Pack it out. – There may be garbage cans available to you, but don’t assume this will be the case. Be prepared to take your garbage with you.
• Respect thy neighbor. – Be sure to keep the tailgating experience positive for everyone involved. From fellow tailgaters to security personnel.
• Drink from a cup.- Alcoholic beverages are not allowed by the PNE and are not encouraged by The Tailgate Empire, but if one was to be consumed it should be consumed from a cup and not a can or bottle.
• Get a safe ride home. – We want you to come and enjoy yourselves, but we really want to see you back at the next game. Plan a safe ride home from the tailgate and game.

Now that that important info is out of the way, let’s get to the tailgating!! For the preseason game we stopped by a true East Van gem. The Columbus Meat Market “Macelleria Italiana” is just a few blocks from Empire Field and has some of the finest meats you will ever grill. We love a place where you order the size of a steak by how many fingers you wave in the air. We ordered 4 Rib Steaks, 1 ½ fingers thick. If that doesn’t give you the meat sweats, nothing will!

Our Menu for the preseason game was a good one. Bone in Rib Steaks, steamed potatoes w/ onions and garlic, corn on the cob and seasonal veggies were all on hand at Empire Field.

When we cook steaks on a grill we want the grill to be “Nuclear Hot!” Get the grill as hot as you can and place your seasoned meat on it. We do this to sear the juices into the meat. Cook for about 2-3 minutes and then flip it over. We then turn the grill down to about medium or possibly a little less. Cook for about 2-3 minutes again and give the meat a 1/4 turn. This will give you a nice grill mark for presentation. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and flip the steak over again to achieve grill marks on both sides. 2-3 minutes on that side and you will be done. Be sure to let your meat stand on a plate covered with foil for at least 5 minutes before you cut into it. This will allow all the juices settle down inside the steak instead of flowing out onto your plate.

To pull off a great meal in a parking lot, you need to do some of the work ahead of time. We bet you can’t remember how many times your steak was done, but you were waiting for your potatoes to fully cook before you could eat. To avoid this, we always pre-steam or bake our potatoes fully or to about 80% and then just use the grill to re-heat or cook the last 20%. Many methods would work, but we like putting our partially cooked ‘toes in either a foil tray or just by making a foil pack with aluminum foil. A little butter and some sliced onions along with some minced garlic inside the foil pack and the ‘toes are good to go.

As your mom probably told you, veggies are the most important, and sometimes the most satisfying part of your meal. For the pre-season game against the Riders we used a couple of different methods for veggie preparation. For the corn on the cob, we just peel the husk and remove as much of the corn hair as possible and then fold the leaves back into place and fire them back on the bbq. Give them about 20-25 minutes of indirect heat and they’ll cook nicely. We also prepared some bell peppers and mushrooms. We sliced the bell peppers, washed the ‘shrooms and put them in a foil pack. Add the seasoning of your choice and cook along side the corn on indirect heat for about 20-25 minutes. We sliced our zucchini into long ½” zucchini steaks and grilled them for about 3 minutes per side. A little salt and pepper and they are ready to eat.

A great meal it was. This was the first of six meals that we will enjoy at Empire Field in 2011. Next up are the Calgary Stampeders. Red meat anyone? I’m thinking beef ribs. Check back next time to see how we did.

Happy Tailgating!!

After a shaky first quarter against the Lions found some traction and treated their home faithful to a 37-16 win at Empire Field, their first win at their 2010 home field, couldn’t have come at a better time, as the Lions are in need of every point they can get after going 2-7 in the first half of the season. The Lions have now won two straight, and will look to build on that next week at home versus Hamilton.

Argos QB Cleo Lemon found import wide receiver James Robinson in a seam for a 41-yard touchdown to open the scoring at 7:39 of the first quarter, and the Double Blue would tack on a rouge after a Grant Shaw field goal miss from 49 yards out; but the Lions would rouse themselves from their early somnambulism and march 73 yards in seven plays covering 2:40, with Yonus Davis capping the drive with  a four-yard reception.

On the first play following the kickoff, Lemon lost the ball, and Korey Banks came up with the recovery, giving the Lions possession at the Toronto 18-yard line. Casey Printers found Davis again to take the ball down inside the one, and Jerome Messam bulled his way into the endzone for the major.

Two possessions later, Messam would record his second touchdown of the game, running over the Argo defence from four yards out to give the Orange and Black a 21-8 edge.

Lemon and Robinson would answer again two plays later, closing the gap to six, where it would stay at the half, but not without a little unexpected drama on the last play of the half. The Lions’ Paul McCallum would miss only his second attempt of the season, this one from 51 yards out, but Toronto’s Chad Owens brought the miss back, only to be tackled by McCallum after an eighty-two yard return, leaving the ball thirty-six yards short of the goal line.

Andrew Harris would take the opening half kickoff seventy-two yards, and an unnecessary roughness penalty would take the ball down to the Argos seven, where it took two plays- a Yonus Davis carry for five yards, and then Printers found Stephen Black for the touchdown.

The teams would trade two-and-outs, with each defence registering a sack when the Lions would seize the moment again, with Dante Marsh picking off Lemon and giving the ball back to the offense in Toronto territory. Two plays later, Paul McCallum atoned for his earlier miss converting a 34 yard field goal.

Things would get worse for the Argos, as they lost the CFL’s leading rusher, Cory Boyd, for the balance of the game as Boyd was taken to the ground by Solomon Elimimian after a gain of twenty-seven yards. The Boatmen offense would find no wind for their sails, and Shaw missed his second field goal attempt of the day, although the Lions would concede the single again.

Two more McCallum field goals would round out the scoring in a final quarter in which both offensive lines seemed to self-destruct. The Lions would end the game having yielded eight sacks, Toronto would give up six- three of them to former Argo Jonathan Brown, who had a good game for his first outing in the orange and black. Elimimian and Stanley Franks  each notched five tackles for the Lions’ D.

The win is the Lions’ second successive victory, but the team still hasn’t completely turned the corner, as the offensive line had a rough day protecting Casey Printers, and the team continued to take just too many penalties- being flagged fourteen times for 112 yards. The performance was sufficient to carry the day against a Toronto side which played most of the second half without their leading offensive threat and with an offensive line almost as battered as that of the Lions.

The day clearly wasn’t intended to go the way of the visitors from Hogtown, and made itself comically clear early in the fourth quarter. Printers took a snap under centre from the Lions 40-yard line, dropped back in the pocket, only to be sacked and have the ball stripped. Toronto’s Ronald Flemons came up with the pigskin and rumbled to the end zone untouched, only to lose control of the ball himself somewhere inside the two yard line. An alert O’Neil Wilson came up with the recovery about seven yards deep in the endzone. The play was originally called a touchdown on the field, but upon review, the points came off the Argonauts’ side of the scoreboard and the Lions took the ball back.

That play will probably serve as a metaphor for the Argonaut beat reporters. The Lions will take the W, but didn’t necessarily play well enough to carry the day without a little luck. They’ll try to run the unbeaten skein to three games next week, as they host the Tiger-Cats, but the team will need a stronger all-around effort.

Quick Hits:

• Geroy Simon celebrated his birthday in style, pulling in a team-high seven catches for a total of 133 yards. That moved the veteran receiver into fifth place on the CFL’s overall receiving list, edging him past Roughrider legendary slotback Ray Elgaard.
• Attendance was a rather disappointing  22,703. The game was a rare afternoon affair at Empire Field and was enjoyed by those in attendance. Rain held off until after the game, making it a perfect day for football. If you weren’t there, you missed out!
• Jonathon Brown had a great game against his former teammates. Brown racked up three sacks and executed a big tackle early in the game stuffing the Argos on 3rd and goal.