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 event that puts the “social” into party, the very popular Touchdown Manitoba.
The province of Manitoba is known for its parties known as “socials” and every year at Grey Cup they throw their biggest party of the year, affectionately known as Touchdown Manitoba. The unique aspect to the party is that unlike most of the parties at Grey Cup it is held during the day, providing a great party option for those looking for an early start on Friday’s festivities.
Touchdown Manitoba was established after a successful 1991 Grey Cup Festival in Winnipeg. The organizers decided they wanted to keep that spirit going at future Grey Cups and the event was born. That spirit is in the form of a traditional Manitoba social and it’s become one of the most popular events of Grey Cup week.
Like other parties at during the week, Touchdown is a melting pot of CFL fans from all teams coming together to celebrate Canadian football in the spirit of the Grey Cup. The event obviously has a Blue and Gold theme and some of the CFL’s most loyal fans come from the Manitoba capital and surrounding areas. With the resurgence of the Bombers, this year’s event should be a great one. You may even run into a little swagger!
You can expect to see a few Bombers players/personnel, great live entertainment and enjoy some traditional Manitoba rye bread, kobasa, cheeses and pickles for some much needed party fuel. Tickets are available now and will also be available at the door in limited quantities, which at this time may be your best option.
There are tables and chairs at the event, another unique aspect compared to other parties, but get there early if you want one as they disappear quickly once the doors open.
The event charges an $18.00 entry fee, which includes:
- Live music by headliner band Faith & Desire as well as a DJ to keep you dancing all afternoon.
- A limited-edition Touchdown Manitoba 2011 lapel pin (while supplies last).
- A delicious “social buffet” with all the traditional delicacies – rye bread, kobasa, cheese cubes and dill pickle spears. (while it lasts).
- Appearances by cheer teams, including the Labatt Blue Lightning Dance Team.
- A Choice Auction, with loads of great PRIZES!
- Get your picture taken with the Grey Cup!
Website: http://www.touchdownmanitoba.com/
When:
Friday November 25th, 1pm to 6pm
Where:
Exhibition Hall “C” (East Convention Level)
Vancouver Convention Centre
1055 Canada Place, Vancouver BC
We’ll see you, at Touchdown Manitoba!
Travis Lulay fends off the Bombers Jonathon Hefney – Photo Credit: John Woods – Canadian Press
The BC Lions just can’t get a break. It also seems can’t they make one of their own and Thursday night in Winnipeg, the Lions dropped their 5th game in a row to remain winless in 2011, losing 25-20 to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers who moved to 4-1 on the year.
The Lions had maybe their best performance of the season, but once again drops at key times and defensive breakdowns cost them the game. To add insult to injury they let Bomber backup QB Alex Brink drive 64 yards in the 4th quarter to give the Bombers the win. Brink entered the game in the 3rd quarter after Buck Pierce left with what appeared to be another concussion.
The Lions defence had played well up until the Brink drive, going toe to toe with the best defence in the CFL. But when it counted the most, Ryan Phillips let Terence Edwards walk right by him over the middle, and the the seas parted for Brink who ran a QB draw up the middle for a huge gain. The drive ended with Edwards beating Davis Sanchez for the winning touchdown and the Lions failing to respond on their 2nd to final drive. BC were facing a 3rd and 10 with just over two minutes remaining but Lulay’s pass to Geroy Simon sailed onto the turf after Simon was blatantly interfered with by Merrill Johnson and no call was made. The Lions got the ball back with 28 second left on the clock but it was just a formality.
The Bombers were playing on an emotional roller coaster after the passing of defensive line coach and former Lions coach Richard Harris to a heart attack earlier in the week. The two teams met at the middle of the field for a tribute to the popular coach prior to kick off.
Both teams started slowly, but both Pierce and Lulay began to move their teams after the first quarter. The Lions took a 13-6 lead to the half after a great catch by Geroy Simon and a run by Jamal Robertson. Paul McCallum added a late field goal.
But Winnipeg came out and took less than four minutes to take the lead. On their first drive, Bombers’ rookie slotback Clarence Demark caught an 82-yard reception, resulting in a Winnipeg touchdown. With 11:28 left in the third quarter, Justin Palardy connected with a 38-yard field goal giving the Bombers into the lead by a score of 16-13.
Palardy connected with a 24-yard field goal, extending the Bombers’ lead to 19-14 after a McCallum single, and the Lions would manage two more field goals to take a one point lead.
It was then time for Brink’s heroics. After the go ahead touchdown the Bombers failed to covert on their two point attempt after a delay of game penalty pushed them back to the 15 yard line, leaving the Lions down by five, but BC couldn’t generate anymore offence.
The Lions must now look at making changes. It’s unlikely coaching changes will occur unless Wally Buono resigns, or David Braley has seen enough. However, Braley has been fiercely loyal to Buono and that seems unlikely at this time. With the team moving into a new BC Place stadium and hosting the Grey Cup this year, the season could not be off to a worse start.
Let the airlift begin.
Quick hits:
- The Lions have yet to officially announce it but the club has signed DB Tad Kornegay who was released by Saskatchewan last week. With more secondary blunders it’s highly likely someone could be cut to make room for him.
- Dobson Collins may have run out of chances with three more drops and a dumb penalty for taunting.
- BC Lions centre Angus Reid tweeted “Sorry” to the fans after the game. If everyone had his effort and passion for the game, the Lions wouldn’t be in this spot.
- Travis Lulay continues to struggle at times, missing receivers at key times in the game. That said against the Bombers he was running for his life a lot. Winnipeg had six sacks to add to their league leading total, while the Lions had four.
- Lions fans can have the chance to checkout BC Place stadium this Sunday from 12:00-3:00pm. Enter at the west end of BC Place at Pacific Boulevard and Terry Fox Way.
Next game: Friday, August 5th versus Saskatchewan Roughriders at Empire Field.
Brian Wawryshyn, BCLionsDen.ca
The BC Lions held a 21 point lead in the second half and ended up losing in overtime to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 47-35, and missed a huge chance to put a stranglehold on a playoff spot in the process.
What was responsible for the Manitoba meltdown? Untimely penalties, undisciplined play, poor special teams and the inability to move the ball in the 4th quarter all played roles in the most disappointing loss of the season to date.
Both teams started slowly on offense, and for awhile those suffering from an overdose of turkey induced comas had little hope for a remedy from watching this game. With the score 11-8 at halftime, and the Winnipeg faithful having little faith in QB Alex Brink, the Lions started to put some things together, an were spraked by yet another highlight return by Yonus Davis, who gave the Lions a 15-11 lead with a 73 yard punt return. A botched fake punt set the Lions up in the redzone and Travis Lulay found Geroy Simon in the endzone and then found Emmanuel Arceneaux to put the Lions up 32-11 heading into the fourth quarter.
Travis Lulay evades Winnipeg tacklers. Photo: BCLions.com
But with Lulay finding a rhythm, he was forced to leave the game with an injury to his right hand, and Casey Printers entered the game to hopefully take the win home…yeah, no.
Trailing 32-11 heading into the fourth quarter it was Winnipeg QB Steven Jyles who entered the game, and who would guide his team to a win with his team on playoff life support. The fans had been calling for Jyles after Brinks was continually ineffective. Jyles got the team in position to get a 45 yard field goal, then found Terrence Edwards in the endzone to cut the Lions lead to eleven points. Following that TD, Davis Sanchez lost it and racked up 25 yards in penalties and the Bombers easily added a single on the ensuing kick off cutting the lead to ten.
You could feel the game slipping away from the Lions, and Casey Printers had no response leading the offense. Jyles would find Greg Carr in the endzone late, cutting the lead to three at 32-29 with under a minute to play. All the Lions really needed was a deep kick, some solid special teams and a stop or two and the game was over. Instead, Jovan Johnson took the kick off into Lions territory, setting up a 43 yard Justin Palardy field goal to send the game to overtime and sending the Winnipeg crowd into a frenzy.
The Lions could only manage a Sean Whyte field goal after procedure penalties hindered any progress the Lions could make. Then, with the Lions defence on the field, the Bombers appeared to be taken out of field goal range on a sack, but Khalif Mitchell was ejected from the game after losing his cool and punching a Bomber player in the pile. The mental mistake cost the Lions dearly, as the Bombers tied the game with a field goal of their ow and the teams went to the second half of overtime tied at 35-35.
The Bombers had the ball first and drove for a touchdown, missing the two point convert. The pressure was on the Lions, and QB Casey Printers, and more penalties hampered the offence. In the end facing a second and long, Printers threw an ill advised ball that was picked off by Deon Beasley and returned for a touchdown, also returning the playoff hopes of the Bombers in the process.
One would hate to be a player in the Lions locker room following the game as they have no one to blame but themselves for the meltdown. What was more disappointing was the people taking the penalties. Veteran’s like Sanchez who need to be leaders have to be smarter and more composed.
Quick Hits:
- Travis Lulay started slowly, but used his feet well. He was 13/22 147 yards and no interceptions. He did have a couple of fumbles.
- The Bombers started Alex Brink in a controversial move, and they nearly paid for it. They gave the QB plenty of time to find his way, much to the displeasure of the Bomber faithful. He finished 4/18 for 61 yards before being pulled.
- Angus Reid left the game in the 4th quarter, an injury that could have huge ramifications to the offence next week if he can’t go. Being a short week, it appears Justin Sorensen could be the centre against Edmonton.
- The Lions missed a huge chance to secure a playoff spot with the loss. Had they won, they would have been two games up on Edmonton and three up on the Bombers in a crossover scenario, making next week’s home game versus the Eskimos huge.
- Geroy Simon’s touchdown was the 90th of his CFL career.
By Jack Bedell for BCLionsDen.ca
For the better part of a decade, fans and pundits alike have been pining for a more competitive CFL East Divison. Too often of late, the division has been a foregone conclusion both within and without.
Aside from a few one-off challenges from Toronto and Winnipeg, the Montreal Alouettes have had the division under wraps by the end of September each season. And the other three teams in the East have been looking over their shoulders at looming crossover teams from the West.
While the numbers suffered a slight correction in 2009 with the Als and Hamilton Ticats winning the majority of their East/West battles, those cross-divisional match ups have pretty much been Nolo Contendere in recent memory.
If the first three weeks of 2010 are any indication, though, it looks like the East might just be back in business with a vengeance. And that’s both in terms of its own race and in its ability to compete with teams from the West.
Now that I’ve had a chance to watch each team both home and away, here’s my take on what I’ve seen:
Hamilton Ticats
Well, it’s safe to say the Ticats showed up this past weekend primed and ready to kick off the 2010 season against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Unfortunately for Ticats fans, this past weekend was week 3 of the 2010 season!
After being pegged by many pundits as a legitimate threat to the Als’ eastern dominance, the Ticats sleep-walked through a 49-29 week 1 drubbing at the hands of the Bombers. Week 2 saw an improved performance against the Stampeders, but the result was the same, a tough 23-22 loss.
In week 3, though, the team most people thought would open the 2010 campaign finally showed up. The Ticats offence operated with great tempo and efficiency behind Kevin Glenn sizzling 29 of 36 passing display for 336 yards and three majors.
Hamilton’s aggressive secondary shut down Winnipeg’s deep passing game, and the Ticats front seven held Buck Pierce in check on the ground, finally pushing him to the sidelines with a knee injury.
With Dave Stala coming back to form, Mo Mann looking like he’s finally back to full speed, and Marquay McDaniel and Arland Bruce III moving chains regularly, the Ticats certainly proved they can be as dangerous as any team in the league offensively. And when you consider DeAndra Cobb has yet to get untracked this season, things can get even better.
Montreal Alouettes
After last Friday’s 16-12 win at Empire Field, the Als managed to come out of a grueling three-game road trip to open their season with a 2-1 record. Instead of earning rave reviews for their toughness and resiliency out west, though, the Als are currently receiving fire for their “slow start.”
While I’d have to agree those two victories were of the ugly variety, don’t count me among those pundits prepping Montreal’s eulogy just yet. Both wins came against teams absolutely desperate to avoid 0-2 losing streaks at home this season, not to mention how difficult it’s been for Montreal to come out of Commonwealth Stadium and any venue in Vancouver with Ws for the past several years.
And the Als’ one loss, a 54-51 double-overtime instant classic in Regina, came at the hands of a team with absolutely everything working in its favour to open the season with a win—a rabid, sell-out home crowd, the burn of last season’s Grey Cup loss, and host of big-play talent healthy and ready to rock and roll. Even with all that tilting the field towards green, the Als gave the Riders all they could handle for 60 minutes and some change.
All that said, there are a few storm clouds looming over the defending champs. The Als’ secondary, particularly Billy Parker, Etienne Boulay, and Jerald Brown, have shown a propensity for giving up big plays and bigger penalties in man coverage. The front seven has failed to generate the pressure you’d expect from guys like Anwar Stewart, John Bowman, and Shea Emry. And the inability to get Avon Cobourne off has caused a few hiccups in the redzone.
With Anthony Calvillo showing no signs of a drop-off, however, and receivers like S.J. Green, Jamel Richardson, Ben Cahoon, Brian Bratton, and Kerry Watkins making plays, you’ve got to figure the Als will be in the mix come November. Plus, they’ll have the experience of eking out a few wins early to fall back on when the competition heats up heading into the playoffs.
Toronto Argonauts
The real surprise of the 2010 season in the East for me, though, has to be the Argos cohabitating in first place with Montreal after three games.
As soon as Toronto flushed its previous coaching staff and cadre of QBs, I knew this season would be full of positives steps. I’d be lying if I told you I thought the Argos would be 2-1 after facing Calgary and Hamilton to open their campaign, however.
Considering it had been a while since Jim Barker had been behind the bench and the fact that the Argos were going with Cleo Lemon at QB, the learning curve was sure to be steep. Add to that mix opening the season with games against two teams picked by some to be Grey Cup Contenders, and it would have been better than par for Toronto to earn platitudes for new-found discipline and competitiveness with a scrappy 0-3 start.
Instead, the Argos have made solid decisions on and off the field since Barkers hiring, and the results have come quickly.
Despite opening the season on the road against probably the toughest defensive coordinator a CFL rookie QB could face in his first outing, Lemon and the Argos managed to enter their last possession of the game down only a single score with a good chance to tie things up before Chris Jones dialed up the perfect blitz to cause a turnover and end the game.
In wins over Hamilton away and Calgary at home, Lemon has proven to be a quick study, learning protection schemes and escape routes on the fly. RB Cory Boyd has also proven to be a beast, leading the league with 283 yards on 47 carries.
Watching how quickly the Argos have gotten themselves together this season, I’d have to agree with Coach Barker—they’re no longer the free space on the bingo card for their opposition.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
There’s been quite an about-face in Winnipeg, too, this season. Out is the rudderless Mike Kelly administration. In is Paul LaPolice and a staff of well-prepared, media-friendly coaches who’ve changed the whole feeling around Big Blue, not to mention installing a pro offence that’s improved the product on the field considerably.
Even sitting at 1-2 on the year so far, it’s clear all the changes have given the team some traction, starting first and foremost with new pivot Buck Pierce.
Pierce jumped out of the gate in his first two games for Winnipeg absolutely on fire, passing for over 600 yards and five TDs while rushing for 192 yards and two TDs. No doubt, he showed up in the Peg ready to play as advertised.
As B.C. Lions fans can attest, Pierce deserves to have his picture in the dictionary next to “fiery competitor.” And watching the Blue Bombers play the first three weeks this year, it’s pretty clear that attitude rubs off on teammates quickly.
Unfortunately, as Lions fans know all too well, Pierce should have his picture installed under “brittle” as well. All those running yards took a toll on his shoulder forcing him out of practice, and a knee sprain picked up in last weekend’s loss to Hamilton is going to knock Pierce out of action for at least a week.
Winnipeg’s defence has shown it has the ability to put pressure on the quarterback, and their secondary has shown a nose for the ball. But without Pierce, it remains to be seen if that’ll be enough for the Bombers to keep progressing under the new regime.
Ex-Riders QB Steven Jyles will be under centre in week 4. My money had him winning the starting job outright in camp, so I’d expect the team to be in games with or without Buck Pierce. It may even give Fred Reid a chance to break out with his first 100-yard effort.
Earlier this week, the CFL released the official results of its 2009 Salary Management System audit. Only one club, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, violated the league’s $4.2-million expenditure limit.
According to the CFL’s figures, the Bombers exceeded the cap by $44,687. Under the terms of the SMS, the team now has to pay a dollar-for-dollar fine for that amount by way of penalty for spending beyond the limit.
Considering the amount of change ushered in during Mike Kelly’s reign in Winnipeg, especially in terms of player turnover, it’s hardly shocking that the Bombers overspent in 2009.
Granted, some of the blame rests at the feet of the club’s previous management for paying hefty off-season bonuses to players like OT Dan Goodspeed, who wound up being traded. But there’s still plenty of blame left to spread around.
Whether it’s paying out a $40,000 bonus to RB Joe Smith and then cutting him, ponying up big money to Derick Armstrong and then running the all-star off after one game, or bringing in hired gun Michael Bishop to make a bad QB situation less bad, Mike Kelly managed Big Blue’s 2009 roster a lot like he managed the media. And that ain’t good.
Photo by Mats G., on Flickr
To state the fact of the matter, things could’ve been a lot worse in the Peg.
Add the classless $60,000 pay cut they forced on Kelly’s hand-picked pivot, Stefan LeFors, and the tens of thousands of dollars saved by stashing players like Kelly Bates, Arjei Franklin, and even Barrin Simpson (for a short while) on the nine-game injury list, and the Bombers would have been looking at draft sanctions and a doubled fine right about now.
Couple this latest SMS black eye with the reported $1.2-million losses the Blue Bombers experienced last year, and 2009 has to go down as “the year that just keeps taking” for Bombers fans.
To look on the bright side, though, no matter how you take it, this latest bit of bad news definitely puts a cap on the 2009 season in Bomberville.
There’s a new sheriff in town in Paul LaPolice, a new management team in the front office, plans for a new state of the art stadium, a new set of QBs to right the wrongs of last year (maybe even one named Pierce!), and plenty of renewed hope for 2010.
Seven of eight teams, including the BC Lions, were under the Canadian Football League’s $4.2 million salary cap for 2009, the league announced Tuesday.
“The final results of a comprehensive audit and review process show a high level of compliance with the Salary Management System (SMS),” said Commissioner Mark Cohon. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers exceeded the salary cap by $44,687 and have been fined $44,687.
Under the provisions of the SMS, set by the league’s Board of Governors, teams are fined one dollar for every dollar they exceed the cap up to 100,000 dollars, and two dollars for every dollar they exceed the cap between 100,000 and 300,000 dollars, plus the loss of the team’s first-round draft pick. Teams are fined three dollars for every dollar they exceed the cap beyond $300,000 and they lose their first two draft selections.
Because no team exceeded the cap in 2009 by more than 100,000 dollars, the order in the May 2 2010 CFL Canadian Draft will not be affected.
“All of us in the Canadian Football League are confident about the future, but we recognize that we need to be prudent if we are to overcome the challenges, and seize the opportunities, before us,” Cohon said. “With seven of eight teams under the 2009 cap, and the Bombers working diligently over the course of last season to reduce their potential overrun, it’s clear our teams recognize this need.”
The Toronto Sun is reporting that the BC Lions have signed import receiver Derick Armstrong.
BIG COUNTRY IS BACK: Derick Armstrong will attempt to get back into the CFL with B.C. after agreeing to terms with the Lions.
“Oh man, it’s something I’ve been waiting for for a long time,” the 30-year-old said Wednesday from Dallas. “When I got the call, I was ecstatic.”
The Bombers released the three-time 1,000-yard receiver last July after he had a falling out with then head coach Mike Kelly. Armstrong dressed but refused to play in the season-opener after being told just prior to kickoff that he wasn’t going to start.
Armstrong and Kelly made up the day after the game, but it deteriorated because the receiver continued to express his disgust with the situation through the media.
The two almost came to blows in Kelly’s office, and Armstrong was released a few days later.
Armstrong’s connection with the Lions is their player personnel director, Roy Shivers, who brought the former NFLer to Saskatchewan in 2001. Armstrong said the Lions just want him to play, and he’ll do just that.
If Kelly and the Bomber coaching staff had been up front with him, he said, he might still be in Blue and Gold.
“I can accept a role,” Armstrong said. “I don’t mind being the third, fourth or whatever receiver. Because I knew my situation. I knew I was hurting. It wasn’t a big factor in that regard.
“But the way they did me there, that was a feeling I don’t never want to feel no more. I’m happy that I’m moving forward, though.”
This could be a great signing for the team. Armstrong is a quality receiver and a big target. The 30-year-old spent the last three seasons with the Blue Bombers, tallying almost 2,500 yards and 14 touchdowns. He started his CFL career with Saskatchewan in 2001 and 2002 before joining the NFL’s Houston Texans for three seasons.
Thanks to @theriders on Twitter for the heads up on this development, and to @Stargazer_Girl for alerting us to it!
The BC Lions came back from an early 14-0 deficit to eke out a 24-21 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The victory lifts the Lions record to 8-7, and has them only a single point behind the 8-6-1 Rough Riders and Stampeders for first place in the West after the conclusion of Week 16.
It was Travis Lulay, on in relief of the injured Buck Pierce, who saved a game marred with turnovers and penalties to lift the Lions over the Bombers. Lulay’s thirty yard connection with recently activated running back A.J. Harris with about thirteen minutes left would cap the scoring for British Columbia.
Pierce may be done for the season according to Vancouver Sun reporter Ian Walker, who was covering the game from Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg. Pierce was knocked out of the game with what is reported to be a shoulder injury before the end of the first quarter after failing to complete a pass to one of his Lion teammates on two attempts. Pierce’s first attempt, on BC’s third play from scrimmage was picked off by Jovon Johnson, who returned it thirty-two yards to the BC 31 to set up the Winnipeg offense with good field position. The Bombers were unable to move the ball, though, and settled for a single to make the score 8-0 at that point after an Alexis Serna miss wide-right from thirty-nine yards.
The Lions would start to move the ball on the ground with Pierce and Harris before Pierce’s injury. Adding to the indignity, Pierce would also lose the ball on a fumble, giving the ball back to the Winnipeggers on their own 44 yard-line. Fred Reid would rip off a fourteen yard run before the Lions defence would stiffen and force another Serna field goal attempt, this one good from thirty-nine yards out.
The turnovers kept mounting, as Ryan Grice-Mullen coughed the ball up three plays into the ensuing possession, leading to yet another Serna attempt, this one good from thirty yards to push the score to 14-0 in favour of the home side, where it would stay to close out the first quarter.
The Lions would start to play the field-position game to their advantage early in the second when an illegal block penalty on Winnipeg’s Lenny Walls after a forty-seven yard punt from Paul McCallum pinned the Bombers on their own seven. After Anton McKenzie stuffed Fred Reid for a loss on first-down, the Bombers’ erratic Michael Bishop started the comeback for the Lions, throwing a pass directly to the Lions’ Dante Marsh, who scampered eighteen yards for the touchdown to cut the margin to seven.
After a two-and-out from the Bombers, the Lions’ offense would start moving the ball, Lulay running for thirty yards on a second-and-ten to key the drive resulting in a thirteen-yard field goal from Paul McCallum narrowing the gap to four. Another two-and-out, with Bishop missing Otis Amey twice and a poor Serna punt of only twenty-eight yards gave the ball back to BC. The Lions mustered only one first down before stalling, but ended up adding a single to the tally when a booming McCallum punt rolled out of the back of the end zone to make it 14-11 in favour of the Bombers.
Korey Banks would come up with a sack and forced fumble recovered by Aaron Hunt which led to another field goal from McCallum to knot the score, this one from thirty-seven yards.
Bishop would manage to connect on a long throw to Terrance Edwards on the next possession for the Bombers to move the ball to the BC 33. An eighteen-yard penalty against Stephen Williams- which also resulted in Williams’ being sent off- moved the ball down to the BC 15 and Fred Reid would carry for eleven more down to the four before the Lions’ defence shut the Bombers down and forced the Serna field goal to put the home side up by three with under half a minute remaining in the half.
A good return from Harris and a pair of completions from Lulay to O’Neil Wilson would set up a forty-seven yard McCallum field goal to end the half with the score deadlocked at seventeen.
Both teams would duel in the middle of the field for the majority of the third quarter, with the only real sustained drive resulting in yet another chip-shot field goal from Winnipeg’s Serna, this one from seventeen yards to break the tie.
The Lions would go from their 31 to the Winnipeg 20, only to come away empty-handed when Lulay was intercepted by Jonathan Hefney. Michael Bishop answered with an interception toss of his own, hitting the Lions ‘ Barron Miles who had dropped into double coverage, and who returned the pick to the Winnipeg 28. Two plays later, it was Lulay to A.J. Harris for thirty yards and six points, Harris’ first touchdown in the CFL and as a BC Lion. The McCallum conversion made it 24-20 in favour of the Lions with just under thirteen minutes in the game.
Winnipeg would add another single on a Serna miss wide left from forty-seven yards out to close to within three. The Bombers’ offense would be largely stuck in neutral for the remainder of the game with Bishop returning to his erratic form. By the time Bishop threw his second interception to a wide-open Barron Miles, the Lions’ chances of victory seemed greatly enhanced, and the team held on to run out the clock and seal the win.
There will be words in both locker rooms and for the Lions on their flight back to Vancouver about turnovers and discipline, as both teams combined to turn the ball over nine times. Penalties were also a factor in the game, with the home-standing Bombers being penalized nine times for a total of eighty-six yards and the Lions flagged seven times for eighty-six, with each team having a penalty declined.
A big tip of the hat to Andrew Bucholtz of Sporting Madness for keeping this reporter both entertained and informed during today’s game despite the lack of a viable TSN web feed for the game. Andrew, you’re a gentleman and a scholar as well as fine company with which to cover a game.
If the goal for the BC Lions coming into this game was not to let Michael Bishop beat them, they were arguably successful. Bishop was at best merely adequate, but good enough to keep the Lions defence looking confused and hapless as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers behind a career night from Fred Reid ran roughshod over the hosts and snapped the BC winning streak at two with a decisive 37-10 triumph.
Things started promisingly enough for BC. After the opening kickoff, the Lions held the Bombers to a two-and-out, and Jarious Jackson picked up where things left off last week, completing four of five and benefiting from a pass interference call on the fifth as the eighty-six yard drive was capped by a spectacular, one handed catch by Emmanuel Arceneaux from thirty-eight yards out for the touchdown.
Winnipeg answered quickly, though, with Fred Reid carrying five times on the nine play, seventy-five yard drive evening the score.
That name would be one the crowd at BC Place would tire of hearing long before the final gun sounded. Reid galloped for 260 yards of the nearly four hundred the Bombers would rack up on the ground against the BC defence.
By the time Javon Johnson returned a Jarious Jackson interception seventy-three yards with just over eight and a half minutes to play, it was all over but the final indignities, and BC Place was silenced and rapidly emptying out. After all, there are far better things to do in Vancouver on a late summer evening than watch the Lions struggle with futility.
Last week, Lions fans saw the other side of Jarious Jackson- coming on in relief of the injured Buck Pierce and rallying the troops for a come-from-behind victory in Toronto. Tonight, after falling behind before the end of the first quarter, Jackson seemed to be trying too hard and by the end of the third was pushing desperately and to no avail.
Then the turnovers started. Jackson was picked off twice in the fourth quarter, once by Barrin Simpson which was immediately followed by a fifty-two yard Reid run for a touchdown; the second time by Johnson.
The final stats looked better for Jackson than for Bishop- fifteen for twenty-four and a 185 yards before being injured and yielding to Travis Lulay (who ended up five for seven and eighty-nine yards), compared to Bishop’s eleven for twenty and a 131.
Tonight’s story wasn’t the quarterbacks, though. It was the Fred Reid show in Vancouver, and the complete inability of the Lions to stop the run. When it wasn’t Reid, it was Yvenson Bernard, who ran for a hundred and twelve yards of his own.
If there’s a bright spot, it’s that the Lions won’t lose next week, as they have the bye and two weeks to prepare for Montreal and the running of Avon Coburne. Ricky Foley led the orange-and-black defence with eight tackles, Arceneaux the receiving corps with nine catches for 158.
There are bound to be some tough moments in the press after tonight’s debacle, especially with the week off and home and home dates with the 7-1 Alouettes coming right on its heels. Tonight wasn’t pretty, but it’s one game out of eighteen. Unfortunately, at three and five, the number of lacklustre outings this squad can afford and still mount a credible push for the post-season is diminishing, and at very least the Lions have to roar in their remaining games, because getting man-handled just isn’t going to cut it.
