It’s official. After last week, the BC Lions are the worst team in the Canadian Football League. The club has lost seven straight games, and find themselves out of a playoff spot, one game shy of the midway point of the season. The same BC Lions that were getting used to hosting Western Finals, have now seen the other end of the spectrum, and it’s downright frustrating for the club and its fans.

But how did they get here? What has led to the team’s radical fall from the top of the CFL west? Fans and media like to concentrate on the now. It’s the coaches, it’s the schemes, it’s the personnel. While that may be true to a point, when you look at the bigger picture over the last three seasons, you can start to see how this all came to be.

The passing of Bob Ackles

It’s no secret that the BC Lions franchise turned around with the arrival of Bob Ackles. It’s also not wrong to suggest their downward spiral started with his passing.

Ackles was the face of the franchise and his football experience and contacts were of extreme value to the organization and in particular to Wally Buono. Ackles network of football people gave the club an endless resource to finding diamonds in the rough. Wally Buono could concentrate on the football team knowing that Ackles was looking after the operations of the club. He was a sounding board and confidante for Buono.

With Ackles gone, Buono has had to take on more of the day to day duties. Before Dennis Skulsky was brought in the Lions were without a President for a good amount if time. Skulsky is an excellent hire on the business side of the equation, but in no way does he replace what Ackles contributed to the football operations.

The departure of Obie

When Bob O’Billovich left the Lions, the loss was massive. O’Billovich has a great eye for talent and found some outstanding players for the Lions during his tenure here. Obie was aided by Richard Wade who also followed him to Hamilton. These two losses put a huge dent in the Lions scouting staff, and the product has reflected in the time they have been away. Roy Shivers was added to the fold, but has yet to produce the success that Obie and Wade did. It’s no coincidence that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have risen from the bottom of the league to a respectful team since the arrival of these two talented football minds.

Murphy’s Law

The offensive line hasn’t been the same since the departure of Rob Murphy. Big number 56 brought an attitude and an aggressiveness to the unit that has yet to be restored. The departure of Jason Jimenez was a curious one, and the Lions have failed to find a replacement there as well. The tackles are a huge part of any successful line, and the rotating door at the position has been counter-productive to the unit. Justin Sorensen, Dane Randolph, Dumane Duckett, John Hameister-Ries, Daren Heerspink have all had shots, while Sherko Haji Rasouli hasn’t stayed healthy enough to be evaluated. The offence can be critiqued all you want, but instability in the trench has caused huge issues for the quarterbacks who are more often than not running for their lives seconds after the ball is snapped. And while Jacques Chapdelaine is taking a lot of heat for the inept offence this season, some responsibility should also lie at the feet of OL coach Dan Dorazio.

Bad timing

Dave Dickenson wasn’t optioned by the Lions because they couldn’t invest the dollars in him due to his concussion issues. He ended up signing in Calgary, went in for Burris, got another concussion and retired. He stayed on with the Stamps last season as a running back’s coach, and this year was promoted to offensive coordinator after George Cortez departed for the NFL. Change that timeline a little bit and Dickenson may have been added to the Lions coaching staff. He’s a great football mind, and he’s proving in Calgary his transition to the coaching ranks will be a rapid one. It’s rumoured that Buono may have considered offering Dickenson a job in some capacity, but he’s remained in Calgary, and the Stamps offense is thriving.

The NFL

The big bad league to the south has not been kind to fans of the Lions of late. Cameron Wake was a given to fly south but the recent departures have cost the Lions some nice talent. Jamal Johnson, Ricky Foley, Stefan Logan, Martell Mallett, Ryan Grice-Mullen, Rolly Lumbala have all departed for the lure of the NFL and to date none of returned.

Draft disappointment

One just has to look at the last three CFL drafts to see that pick retention and development has not been very successful in the last three drafts.

2008: Justin Sorensen, Rolly Lumbala, Justin Shaw, Jason Arakgi, Mike McEachern, Brady Browne, Hubert Buydens

2009: Jamal Lee, James Yurichuk, Matt Carter, Matt Morencie, Tang Bacheyie, Jonathan Pierre-Etienne

2010: Danny Watkins, Shawn Gore, Joash Gesse, Hamid Mahmoudi, Nate Binder, Akeem Foster, Cauchy Muamba, Matthew Chapdelaine

Only the players in bold are in the organization, and only Arakgi, and Yurichuk have made solid contributions. Lee isn’t touching the ball much, Sorensen has yet to step up and assume a starters role, and the others are too raw to contribute. Browne, Carter, Bacheyie and Morencie were lost to rival teams. Others such as Watkins may never see a Lions uniform because of NFL ambitions and potential.

Too many leaders lost

The Lions were once a team of veterans but perhaps too many were discarded too quickly. Jason Clermont, Barrin Simpson, Otis Floyd, Lavar Glover, Jamal Johnson, Jerome Dennis are just a few of the names that were moved in favour of younger, cheaper options. Every team has to do it, but did the Lions cut too much? Angus Reid was on the radio recently questioning whether this team’s leadership is good enough, adding that those veteran’s remaining need to pull the young ones along more. He also stated that this club isn’t the closest he’s been apart of, but added it’s also not the most divided. There is usually a fine mix that makes a cohesive team and right now the mixture on the Leos appears to be a little muddled.

So what next?

Every successful organization has to rebuild at some point. Some like the Montreal Alouettes seem to be able to retool and keep rolling along, and while that is admirable it’s rare. The Lions will try and stop the bleeding and they’ll be working hard to save this season. Regardless it’s likely some major changes are coming at the end of the 2010 campaign. Perhaps Wally Buono moves upstairs to fill the “football” vacancy left by Ackles. Perhaps the coaching staff is reevaluated and revamped and perhaps the club makes some nice free agent signings, drafts better, or has a few existing players develop. Wally Buono hasn’t “lost it”. You don’t devote your life to a game and all of a sudden suck at your job.

Lions fans have been spoiled for a few years. Sure a couple of more Grey Cups would have been nice and one could argue the failure to achieve that was another disappointment. However, Wally has rebuilt this team once and Lions fans should have faith he can do it again, even if it’s in a different capacity. He deserves that chance.

When you look at the big picture, it’s easier to see why this team is rebuilding. As fans, we can only hope the construction goes quickly.

Here are the photos from the June 8th morning session of BC Lions training camp in Kamloops, BC. The morning live blog recap is here.

The morning session on June 7th produced some physical football on day two of training camp. Big hits, and a some heavyweight punches by Justin Sorensen on Jeremy Gibbs showed the intensity on the field was reaching new levels.

Here are some photos of the morning session, and you can review our live blog of the session here.

Jim Mullin is the Sports Director at CKNW 980 AM in Vancouver and has offered us the chance to share his blog posts here on BCLionsDen.ca. We’re excited to have Jim’s opinions on the CFL and encourage you to follow his own blog on CKNW.com

By Jim Mullin (CKNW 980)

The season is quietly rolling up upon us, but no stretch in time may be as important to the long-term operations of the BC Lions. The next two years will set the Lions path for the next decade.

Attendance was way off last season. It dropped from 32,000 per game down to 28,000. A bad economy, bad play – especially at home – and a vacuum of leadership all contributed to the downward spiral.

This is a year to right the ship with new president Dennis Skulsky at the helm.

Fate gives the new boss a good start. The 27,500-seat (T)empire Stadium will be a one-year wonder of nostalgia. That, of course, until the rain arrives in October and the familiar fan fickleness from Vancouverites ensues.

Then it’s off to a brief honeymoon period in the dome with a sunroof.

The Lions will have to roll up their sleeves. The Vancouver Whitecaps will have lots of money to spend in the market to launch their new brand, and will compete for corporate support.

Wally Buono will have a decision to make soon. When will he become the full-time general manager and hand the coaching reigns off to another? And who will that new head coach be?

As for the parts on the field, Casey Printers has the athleticism and the charisma, but the questions remain: Can he stay healthy? Can he deliver in big games? And can he keep his emotions in check?

Out of all the sports operations in this city, the Lions are the team with the deepest roots in the community. They have been operating under the same banner for 56 years.

However, the brand staggered and got stale somewhere along the way in the last two years.

Now it is up to their leadership to reenergize the base, and find new ways to get the message to new fans while renewal in the front office and the buildings they play in have the buzz in this burg.

The BC Lions provided some valuable stability to their organization Wednesday, announcing the extension of head coach and General Manager Wally Buono through the 2013 season.

Buono joined the Lions on 2003 and along with Bob Ackles helped turn the Lions franchise around. He won a Grey Cup in 2006 and appeared in another in 2004, and under his guidance the Lions have remained one of the top clubs in the CFL and a solid organization.

“Wally’s accomplishments over more than three decades as a player, coach and GM are unparalleled,” said Lions owner, president and CEO David Braley.  “His commitment to excellence and his ability to get the very best from everyone in the organization make him highly respected across our league and I am excited about what the future holds for our club with Wally leading the way.”

“My time in BC has been tremendously rewarding and my passion for coaching is stronger than ever as I look forward to earning another championship for Lions fans,” said Buono.

Buono, who was entering the final year of his contract, became the all time CFL leader in coaching wins in 2009. The year was a tough one for the team, despite crossing over in the playoffs and reaching the Eastern final where they were demolished by the Alouettes. This off-season Buono has been active in the the free agent market, and has many changes to the roster in an effort to get back to the team back to the form that saw them appear in 5 consecutive Western Finals under his guidance.

In a new feature here at BCLionsDen.ca, we’re going to try and help keep you up to date on recent happenings from the Lions Den and around the CFL. We’ll gather the top news items of the week and compile them here for your convenience. So let’s get started!

News Items

Simpson off to Riderville

Former BC Lion linebacker Barrin Simpson signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday. The signing had been rumoured for about a week, but was made official. The Lions had been kicking the tires on Simpson, who I know was very interested in a return to BC. However, on his Fifth Quarter blog, Lowell Ullrich reports that after considering bringing the nine year veteran back to where he began his career, Wally Buono perhaps decided that the risk to the chemistry of the locker room would be one too great to take.

“Nobody would ever come out and say so for public consumption, but the clear message was that the Lions feel that Simpson would be some kind of distraction in the locker room. Chemistry is a big thing with Buono, and you can debate if you choose whether that has always been the case.”

The Lions do need linebackers, but with the trade to acquire the younger Dennis Haley from Hamilton earlier this month it appears they will look to free agent camps and possibly the draft to add more depth behind Haley and Anton McKenzie.

Robertson Runs With The Lions

Free agent running back Jamal Robertson signed with the Lions this week. The 33 year old former back of the Toronto Argonauts will had some veteran depth to the lineup that currently features young prospects Jamal Lee and Andrew Harris. Both are promising backs, and both have Canadian passports. Robertson is a hard runner, similar in style to the departed Martell Mallett, but he’s also capable catching the ball out of the backfield. From the sounds of things, new offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine will be designing an offense that is pass heavy, so adding Robertson would compliment that style. The Lions also feel that they let Mallett get worn out last season, and there is a good chance the team will rotate backs a lot more this season in an attempt to keep guys fresh, give teams different looks and build some experience for Lee and Harris.

Competition For Logan?

On the way out there front, there has been speculation from fans that former Lion Stefan Logan could be in trouble in Pittsburgh with the return of Antwaan Randle-El this week to the steel city. If he were to return to the CFL however, he would be a free agent, and it remains to be seen if the Lions would throw their hat in the bidding war his return would create. Before that happens however, Logan will have to be cut, and would likely get looks from other NFL teams before ever considering a return to the CFL. Randle-El hasn’t been very productive of late and Logan set a new Steeler kick return record last year. I’m banking on the little man.

Stubler’s Return

One of the best signings the Lions have made this off-season was the one of new defensive line coach Rich Stubler. To say the man is over qualified for that job would be an understatement. Stubler has a long history in the league and will bring a wealth of experience to the table. There is also talk the move my be a part of a plan for if and and when Wally Buono decides to move upstairs and assume the GM role full time. The idea being that Mike Benevides is being groomed for the head job, while Stubler would take over the defensive coordinator role. For now Stubler, who lives in the Pacific Northwest is thrilled to be back in the league and back with the Lions.

Wanna Go Camping?

The Lions posted details of the first week of their 201o training camp on BCLions.com this week. The first week’s preliminary schedule has been posted, and as in past years the Lions will practice twice a day, once on the morning and once in the afternoon. The will be located at Hillside Stadium adjacent to campus of Thompson Rivers University.

Hillside Stadium, City of Kamloops by sportexe, on Flickr

Lions rookie camp will go June 2nd to the 5th, and the first day of the main camp will be the 6th. The Lions will remain in Kamloops until the 12th, when the travel to Regina to play the Riders on the 13th. They will return to Kamloops on the 14th for more sessions, before heading to Vancouver to take on the Edmonton Eskimos on June 20th at their temporary home, Empire Fields. The club opens the 2010CFL season on July 4th in Edmonton.

Tweet @Coach_Brillo (Wally Buono)

Join Head Coach and GM Wally Buono on Twitter on Monday, March 29th between 11:00am and 12:00pm for a question and answer session. The coach who goes by the name @Coach_Brillo on Twitter, will answer as many questions from Twitter fans within the hour. Coach Buono will fresh off the clubs Los Angeles free agent camp which goes this weekend.

It’s a nice move by the team to take advantage of a great social media tool. Hopefully they can maybe do more with Twitter in the future and do similar Q & A’s with Geroy Simon (@geroysimon), Dante Marsh (@dantemarsh) Emmanuel Arceneaux (@84mannie) and others that use the service.

Check it out, and if you’re on Twitter, make sure you follow us, @BCLionsDen!

The BC Lions announced the completion of their coaching staff Sunday afternoon, and the addition is a significant one. Rich Stubler, former defensive coordinator and head coach of the Toronto Argonauts will coach the Lions defensive line on 2010.

“Rich brings a significant coaching resume to his position with us and I believe he will be a strong asset to our club,” said Lions GM and head coach Wally Buono.

Stubler won a Grey Cup with Lions in 2000, when he was the club’s defensive coordinator. He has been noted for his creativity when it comes to defence, and he’ll bring a ton of experience to the defensive line that has led the CFL in sacks for the last two seasons. Under his direction the Argos defence were amongst the lead leaders during his time there between 2003 to 2007.

“We looked at a number of candidates to fill the role of defensive line coach and the name we kept coming back to was Rich’s,” said Lions defensive coordinator, Mike Benevides. “He is the right man coming in at the right time. His work around the league speaks for itself and the overall similarity in our defensive philosophies is something that will be of tremendous benefit to our club.”

Stubler takes over from Mike Roach, who decided not to return to the position. The defensive line coach position is a part time one with the Lions. Other considered for the job included former Lions Mike Gray and James ‘Quick’ Parker.

The BC Lions have named Jacques Chapdelaine the team’s offensive coordinator Monday. It’s more or less just a title switch, as for the last two seasons Chapdelaine has called the plays during the game, despite his title as receivers coach. Chapdelaine will also take over responsibility for the quarterbacks.

Dan Dorazio, drops the O.C. title and concentrates on the offensive line once again. Former CFL star Travis Moore has been added to the coaching staff as receiver’s coach and Barron Miles jumps from the field to the sidelines to help coach the defensive backs along with the returning Mark Washington. Mike Benevides will retain his defensive coordinator role, and Chuck McMann will continue to coach special teams.

It will be Chapdelaine’s second stint as the Lions offensive coordinator. He last held the position during the Grey Cup year of 2006, before spending a year in Edmonton where he was let go after just one season. He returned to the Lions in 2008 as “receiver’s coach” but had a much larger role.

With today’s announcement also came word that the Lions will likely add a couple of more coaches before training camp starts in June.

“We’re looking to fill a couple of spots on the defensive side of the ball and we have a number of candidates in mind,” said Buono. “One will be as a defensive line coach and the other will serve as a defensive assistant as well helping out our player personnel department.”

On the hiring of Moore, who spent last season as a running back’s coach in Hamilton, Buono sounded pleased.

“We are fortunate to add Travis to our staff at this time,” said Buono. “He was very highly respected during his stay in Hamilton and he will bring a new perspective to our offense.”

Moore has the plying credentials for sure, and is no stranger to Buono, who he played for ikn Calgary. He played 11 seasons as a receiver racking up  645 receptions, 9,930 yards and 79 touchdowns with the Calgary Stampeders (1994, 1996-2002) and the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2003-05). He sits 14th on the CFL’s all-time receiving yards list. and captured two Grey Cup championships with the Stampeders in 2001 and 1998.

A few more details have come to light on the release of Javier Glatt and Jason Jimenez since our first post on the news. Wally Buono was on the TEAM 1040 Friday, shedding some light on the moves.

In the case of Jimenez, it appears the decision was based on more than the 2008 CFL All-Stars play on the field. Buono told the Team’s David Pratt that Jimenez was unwilling to play the way the coaches wanted him to play.

“Everybody can rub somebody the wrong way at different times.  For us, the big reason was that we wanted to have a guy that was more physical, more the kind of guy that we believe he can be, and at the end of the day we just didn’t feel like we could reach Jason. Jason didn’t give us the impression that he was willing to change some of the things that he was doing from a physical standpoint and from a personality standpoint. He probably will go someplace else and hopefully take what we said to heart and be a better player for it.”

On Glatt, Buono said it was the fair thing to do for the player, and hinted that if Glatt was unable to find a starting role elsewhere, he hoped that the door was open for him to return to the Lions in some capacity. Glatt had asked for his release if he wasn’t going to be a starter.

“Javy felt that if he wasn’t going to be a starter in this organization, that we could get that process (releasing Javy) so he can get an opportunity someplace else. We feel we have to improve the athleticism and the production at the linebacker position and that wasn’t going to be a starting opportunity for Javy, so the best way for us to satisfy his needs was to let him free so he can be on the market.”

Glatt took the loss of his starting role in stride last season and saw a fair bit of rotation behind Jojuan Armour. He was a team player and didn’t rock the boat, so granting him his release was the fair thing to do for him after seven years of service.

Glatt issued a statement posted on BCLions.com thanking the organization and the fans.

“I would like to thank the BC Lions Football Club and its fans for the amazing opportunity to live out a dream for the past seven years. I have met so many incredible people along the way and have built relationships that will last a lifetime, and for that I am truly grateful,” Glatt said.

Once again from the informative blog of Lowell Ulrich comes word that running back Martell Mallett has been working out for NFL teams. First for the Philadelphia Eagles, and now comes word that the St.Louis Rams also put the CFL Rookie of the Year through his paces.

How can this be you ask? Isn’t Mallett under contract? Why yes he is, but as Ullrich reports, Wally Buono is affording him the courtesy:

“Mallett signed a reported minimum two-year deal upon joining the Lions last spring that would not have given him option-year rights until after the upcoming season. It’s believed he has been given a chance for a look-see because of contract protocol that allowed Stefan Logan and Cam Wake their chance to test the market.

“There are a lot of ways to get a player to agree to a contract. Sometimes you have to satisfy your needs. Sometimes you have to satisfy their needs. Sometimes you have to blend both needs,” said Buono, who would not elaborate.”

Not a bad policy to have to get players to sign in BC, but it sure sucks when they have a chance to leave so quickly and fans are getting to know and enjoy watching the player, but such is the way for CFL clubs. As Ullrich reports, the window for Mallett to sign a deal is a lot smaller than that of a free agent, so Lions fans can hope it closes without an offer, but for the man himself, we of course wish him the best of luck.