The B.C. Lions got what they deserved Sunday.
A solid 34-27 overtime CFL Eastern semi-final victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The Lions played with the desperation that they have lacked at other times this season. Their starting quarterback managed to play a full game, and their defence held up in overtime, despite the usual meltdown in the final minute of the fourth quarter.
As a result, B.C. handed Hamilton a heart-breaking loss in its first home playoff game since 2001 and first playoff appearance in five seasons. Now, the Lions are evoking memories of an 8-10 Calgary team that Buono coached to the 2001 Grey Cup title after it also had injuries to its key quarterbacks.
Buono and his then Calgary coaching staff, many of whom are now with the Lions, managed to inject enough confidence in journeyman QB Marcus Crandell that he played like the second coming of Johnny Unitas. Casey Printers does not lack confidence, and he has much more ability than Crandell, who never showed the same magic again. Which suggests the Lions will give the Montreal Alouettes a run for their money in next weekend's Eastern Final.
Talent-wise, says Buono, this Lions club is much better than his 2001 Stamps. And, now, a B.C. club that began the season 1-4 and suffered three straight losses before Sunday is one win away from the Grey Cup.
A championship game berth would be a fitting finish for the underdog Lions. They have used five quarterbacks, including four starters, while also battling major injuries to running back Martell Mallett, kicker Paul McCallum and centre Angus Reid, among others.
How much whackier can their season get? We're about to find out.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Many Lions facing last game together
The B.C. Lions caught a break Sunday. For a change, it wasn't a fractured limb.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats did the Lions a favour by beating Winnipeg 39-17, eliminating the Blue Bombers and putting the hard-luck Lions in the CFL playoffs.
Just how the Lions will fare against the Ticats is anybody's guess, but it was good to see the Leos get a reprieve after their embarrassing 45-13 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos on Friday. The one-sided setback was a gift to the Eskimos as both starting quarterback Casey Printers and nominal backup Buck Pierce went down with injuries.
"I tried to do everything in my power to go back out there on the field and put some drives together but, physically, I just couldn’t do it,” said Pierce, who re-entered the game briefly in the second half. “You can kind of feel how we feel right now. It’s hard to process right now what we just went through. A lot of guys in this locker room have never experienced something like this – so many times this year."
Often through no fault of their own as bizarre injuries took their toll.
Pierce showed his character as he put his shoulder pads back on after taking a couple of injections and undergoing treatment to loosen up his arm.
“It’s been a tough year,” said Pierce. “This shoulder thing, it’s worn me out emotionally and physically.”
His season is, almost certainly, over. Buono will likely go with Printers, who was showing signs of early recovery from a jammed thumb, rookie Travis Lulay, almost fully recovered from a shoulder injury, and Zac Champion, the only other available quarterback.
“It’s unbelievable,” said dejected receiver Geroy Simon. “We can’t keep a quarterback healthy to save our lives. This is amazing. It’s like we’ve never even played football before.
“How many quarterbacks do we need to go through in a season?”
As it turns out, five.
“This (Edmonton) game is the story of our season,” said Simon. “It’s the biggest game of the year and we don’t show up to play."
You can bet the Lions will show up next Sunday as they get an opportunity to avenge two earlier losses to Hamilton. It's a question of whether the quarterbacking carousel starts to pay off now or later.
Eventually, the use of five quarterbacks will benefit B.C., presuming some can stay healthy. The pivots' experience makes them marketable assets in a leage that has trouble recruiting pivots with extensive pro playing time. Buono, who spent this season rebuilding the offence, can deal some QBs as part of his inevitable defensive remake in the coming off-season.
Say what you will about the quarterback troubles, the defence is largely to blame for this whacky 8-10 Lions season. If the defenders could have held the Calgary Stampeders for a minute and 35 seconds, the Lions would be hosting a playoff game, not playing as the crossover team in the East.
Despite a dominant front four, the defence continued a trend, started last season, of allowing big gains at critical times. For all his bravado, mid-season middle linebacker pick-up JoJuan Armour has had little effect, especially against the run. Meanwhile, the veteran secondary, which includes Barron Miles, Dante Marsh and Korey Banks, has lost its former magic. Its extreme makeover is imminent.
Whatever happens against the Ticats, the Lions should enjoy the semi-final. For many of them, it could be their last game in a Lions uniform.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats did the Lions a favour by beating Winnipeg 39-17, eliminating the Blue Bombers and putting the hard-luck Lions in the CFL playoffs.
Just how the Lions will fare against the Ticats is anybody's guess, but it was good to see the Leos get a reprieve after their embarrassing 45-13 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos on Friday. The one-sided setback was a gift to the Eskimos as both starting quarterback Casey Printers and nominal backup Buck Pierce went down with injuries.
"I tried to do everything in my power to go back out there on the field and put some drives together but, physically, I just couldn’t do it,” said Pierce, who re-entered the game briefly in the second half. “You can kind of feel how we feel right now. It’s hard to process right now what we just went through. A lot of guys in this locker room have never experienced something like this – so many times this year."
Often through no fault of their own as bizarre injuries took their toll.
Pierce showed his character as he put his shoulder pads back on after taking a couple of injections and undergoing treatment to loosen up his arm.
“It’s been a tough year,” said Pierce. “This shoulder thing, it’s worn me out emotionally and physically.”
His season is, almost certainly, over. Buono will likely go with Printers, who was showing signs of early recovery from a jammed thumb, rookie Travis Lulay, almost fully recovered from a shoulder injury, and Zac Champion, the only other available quarterback.
“It’s unbelievable,” said dejected receiver Geroy Simon. “We can’t keep a quarterback healthy to save our lives. This is amazing. It’s like we’ve never even played football before.
“How many quarterbacks do we need to go through in a season?”
As it turns out, five.
“This (Edmonton) game is the story of our season,” said Simon. “It’s the biggest game of the year and we don’t show up to play."
You can bet the Lions will show up next Sunday as they get an opportunity to avenge two earlier losses to Hamilton. It's a question of whether the quarterbacking carousel starts to pay off now or later.
Eventually, the use of five quarterbacks will benefit B.C., presuming some can stay healthy. The pivots' experience makes them marketable assets in a leage that has trouble recruiting pivots with extensive pro playing time. Buono, who spent this season rebuilding the offence, can deal some QBs as part of his inevitable defensive remake in the coming off-season.
Say what you will about the quarterback troubles, the defence is largely to blame for this whacky 8-10 Lions season. If the defenders could have held the Calgary Stampeders for a minute and 35 seconds, the Lions would be hosting a playoff game, not playing as the crossover team in the East.
Despite a dominant front four, the defence continued a trend, started last season, of allowing big gains at critical times. For all his bravado, mid-season middle linebacker pick-up JoJuan Armour has had little effect, especially against the run. Meanwhile, the veteran secondary, which includes Barron Miles, Dante Marsh and Korey Banks, has lost its former magic. Its extreme makeover is imminent.
Whatever happens against the Ticats, the Lions should enjoy the semi-final. For many of them, it could be their last game in a Lions uniform.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Flames never gave Anderson a chance
Count Craig Anderson as another goaltender that got away from the Calgary Flames.
Since grooming Mike Vernon into a Stanley Cup winner two decades ago, the Flames have had a terrible time when it comes to drafting and developing backstoppers within their system.
Anderson, a Flames castoff now in his first season with the Colorado Avalanche, is the hottest goaltender in the NHL right now. He tied a record for victories in October with 10 and played a record 15 to start the season, although he has had better nights than he did in a 3-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.
The 28-year-old Park Ridge, Ill., ranks among the league-leading goaltenders in wins and save percentage, but he never got a shot with Calgary after the Flames chose him in the third round, 77th overall in 1999.
“They had a management changeover,” said Anderson, recalling the firing of then general manager Al Coates and the hiring of Craig Button. “They drafted a (goaltender) first round, Brent Krahn, and no terms were ever negotiated . . . I don’t even remember a contract being offered.”
Calgary chose not to sign him and he went back into the draft two years later in the same round, albeit four places earlier, by Chicago. Watching him Sunday night, you could only wonder what might have been.
The Flames got lucky when general manager Darryl Sutter plucked Mkikka Kiprusoff from the San Jose Sharks, where he was the third-stringer, for a second-rounder in the fall of 2003. Sutter, freshly fired from San Jose and hired by Calgary as coach and GM, was familiar with Kiprusoff, and disgruntled with the likes of Roman Turek, Dany Sabourin and Jamie McLennan.
Kipper merely backstopped the Flames to an unexpected Stanley Cup final berth as they made the playoffs for the first time in seven years.
While he has obviously showed that he is a world-class goaltender, the Flames have struggled to find an adequate backup and an injury to him is akin to an injury to Vancouver's Roberto Luongo.
Krahn, a great junior goaltender with the Calgary Hitmen, was a bust with the Flames, and Kiprusoff's other understudies have been equally forgettable. Anderson's case illustrates the need for NHL clubs to show more patience when it comes to developing a goaltender, which in case you haven't heard by now, is the most important position in hockey.
“I had a great two training camps (with the Flames),” said Anderson. “I got to meet Grant Fuhr, my idol (who lest we forget closed out his career with Calgary in 1999-2000). It was just a great experience. Nothing really came out of it. They were rebuilding their goaltending. They went through a bunch of guys before they got Kiprusoff.”
Now, Anderson has a chance to suit up for the U.S. in the Olympics, although probably as a backup to Buffalo's Ryan Miller, after bouncing from the Blackhawks to the Florida Panthers and their farm clubs to Colorado, with whom he signed as a free agent in the summer.
“This team was the one where I knew I could come in and battle for the No. 1 job,” said Anderson. “There was no clear-cut No. 1 guy.”
Peter Budaj, back in the lineup now after battling illness, was the No. 1 netminder at the end of last season. But he likely will have difficulty regaining his place if Anderson stays as hot as he has been. Thanks to him, the underdog Avalanche, who missed the playoffs last season, continue to lead the Northwest Division and sit second overall in the NHL despite Sunday's loss.
Suffice to say he has come a long way from the days when the Flames dumped him.
“I knew if I just stayed the course and showed up every night when I was called upon, there’s 30 teams you’re auditioning for,” said Anderson. “You’re not just auditioning for one team. There’s gonna be change. Guys are gonna retire. A guy’s going to go down with injuries.”
It's an important lesson for the Flames to heed as Miikka Kiprusoff approaches his retirement, although that's not likely to happen anytime soon.
Anderson is not the only goaltender who came back from the scrap heap to star. For details, see Tim Thomas in Boston, Dwayne Roloson during his glory years with Edmonton (although he is another goaltender who rebuilt his career after being dumped by the Flames) and Anaheim's J.S. Giguere. Oops, he's another former Flames draft pick.
The Flames are by no means the only team guilty of failing to develop goaltenders properly. (In fairness, Roloson was never drafted. Calgary gave him his chance in the NHL, but quickly discarded him after his first two seasons.) Vancouver also has a dismal record of developing its drafted goaltenders. Cory Schneider, destined to be dealt now that Luongo has signed a 12-year contract extension, will eventually join a long list of others who got away after little training time. Except for notable cases like Marty Turco of Dallas and retired star Patrick Roy with Montreal, few stars are groomed from within the organizations that drafted them.
As Craig Anderson's case proves, it's time there were more.
Since grooming Mike Vernon into a Stanley Cup winner two decades ago, the Flames have had a terrible time when it comes to drafting and developing backstoppers within their system.
Anderson, a Flames castoff now in his first season with the Colorado Avalanche, is the hottest goaltender in the NHL right now. He tied a record for victories in October with 10 and played a record 15 to start the season, although he has had better nights than he did in a 3-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.
The 28-year-old Park Ridge, Ill., ranks among the league-leading goaltenders in wins and save percentage, but he never got a shot with Calgary after the Flames chose him in the third round, 77th overall in 1999.
“They had a management changeover,” said Anderson, recalling the firing of then general manager Al Coates and the hiring of Craig Button. “They drafted a (goaltender) first round, Brent Krahn, and no terms were ever negotiated . . . I don’t even remember a contract being offered.”
Calgary chose not to sign him and he went back into the draft two years later in the same round, albeit four places earlier, by Chicago. Watching him Sunday night, you could only wonder what might have been.
The Flames got lucky when general manager Darryl Sutter plucked Mkikka Kiprusoff from the San Jose Sharks, where he was the third-stringer, for a second-rounder in the fall of 2003. Sutter, freshly fired from San Jose and hired by Calgary as coach and GM, was familiar with Kiprusoff, and disgruntled with the likes of Roman Turek, Dany Sabourin and Jamie McLennan.
Kipper merely backstopped the Flames to an unexpected Stanley Cup final berth as they made the playoffs for the first time in seven years.
While he has obviously showed that he is a world-class goaltender, the Flames have struggled to find an adequate backup and an injury to him is akin to an injury to Vancouver's Roberto Luongo.
Krahn, a great junior goaltender with the Calgary Hitmen, was a bust with the Flames, and Kiprusoff's other understudies have been equally forgettable. Anderson's case illustrates the need for NHL clubs to show more patience when it comes to developing a goaltender, which in case you haven't heard by now, is the most important position in hockey.
“I had a great two training camps (with the Flames),” said Anderson. “I got to meet Grant Fuhr, my idol (who lest we forget closed out his career with Calgary in 1999-2000). It was just a great experience. Nothing really came out of it. They were rebuilding their goaltending. They went through a bunch of guys before they got Kiprusoff.”
Now, Anderson has a chance to suit up for the U.S. in the Olympics, although probably as a backup to Buffalo's Ryan Miller, after bouncing from the Blackhawks to the Florida Panthers and their farm clubs to Colorado, with whom he signed as a free agent in the summer.
“This team was the one where I knew I could come in and battle for the No. 1 job,” said Anderson. “There was no clear-cut No. 1 guy.”
Peter Budaj, back in the lineup now after battling illness, was the No. 1 netminder at the end of last season. But he likely will have difficulty regaining his place if Anderson stays as hot as he has been. Thanks to him, the underdog Avalanche, who missed the playoffs last season, continue to lead the Northwest Division and sit second overall in the NHL despite Sunday's loss.
Suffice to say he has come a long way from the days when the Flames dumped him.
“I knew if I just stayed the course and showed up every night when I was called upon, there’s 30 teams you’re auditioning for,” said Anderson. “You’re not just auditioning for one team. There’s gonna be change. Guys are gonna retire. A guy’s going to go down with injuries.”
It's an important lesson for the Flames to heed as Miikka Kiprusoff approaches his retirement, although that's not likely to happen anytime soon.
Anderson is not the only goaltender who came back from the scrap heap to star. For details, see Tim Thomas in Boston, Dwayne Roloson during his glory years with Edmonton (although he is another goaltender who rebuilt his career after being dumped by the Flames) and Anaheim's J.S. Giguere. Oops, he's another former Flames draft pick.
The Flames are by no means the only team guilty of failing to develop goaltenders properly. (In fairness, Roloson was never drafted. Calgary gave him his chance in the NHL, but quickly discarded him after his first two seasons.) Vancouver also has a dismal record of developing its drafted goaltenders. Cory Schneider, destined to be dealt now that Luongo has signed a 12-year contract extension, will eventually join a long list of others who got away after little training time. Except for notable cases like Marty Turco of Dallas and retired star Patrick Roy with Montreal, few stars are groomed from within the organizations that drafted them.
As Craig Anderson's case proves, it's time there were more.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Kane shows he's able to play in the NHL
Evander Kane is as good as gone from the Vancouver Giants.
The 18-year-old winger, drafted fourth overall by Atlanta in last summer's NHL draft, has three points in his first five games with the Thrashers. If the Vancouver native plays 10 games in the NHL, the first year of his entry-level NHL contract will kick in, making it unlikely that he will return to major junior hockey.
If he only plays nine games, he can go back to junior without having salary cap implications. Because of his age, he is ineligible to play in the minors.
But Kane ranks among Atlanta's leaders in scoring, shots and ice time, so it appears that his days in the WHL are over.
Centre James Wright, 19, who played with Kane on Vancouver's top line last season, has also stuck with Tampa, at least for the time being. He has been much less productive with the Lightning, but the Saskatoon native's chances of returning to the WHL also appear unlikely.
"I consider those guys NHL players now," Giants general manager Scott Bonner told the Vancouver Province. "I am moving forward as if they have moved on.
"It's never easy, but you learn to deal with it. Early graduation, as well as injuries, are two of the uncontrollable parts to managing in the WHL."
The next question: Will Atlanta will free up Kane to play for Canada again at the world junior championships?
The 18-year-old winger, drafted fourth overall by Atlanta in last summer's NHL draft, has three points in his first five games with the Thrashers. If the Vancouver native plays 10 games in the NHL, the first year of his entry-level NHL contract will kick in, making it unlikely that he will return to major junior hockey.
If he only plays nine games, he can go back to junior without having salary cap implications. Because of his age, he is ineligible to play in the minors.
But Kane ranks among Atlanta's leaders in scoring, shots and ice time, so it appears that his days in the WHL are over.
Centre James Wright, 19, who played with Kane on Vancouver's top line last season, has also stuck with Tampa, at least for the time being. He has been much less productive with the Lightning, but the Saskatoon native's chances of returning to the WHL also appear unlikely.
"I consider those guys NHL players now," Giants general manager Scott Bonner told the Vancouver Province. "I am moving forward as if they have moved on.
"It's never easy, but you learn to deal with it. Early graduation, as well as injuries, are two of the uncontrollable parts to managing in the WHL."
The next question: Will Atlanta will free up Kane to play for Canada again at the world junior championships?
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Leaf story gets a lot of play
Here's a link to a story that I wrote for The Canadian Press on former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf, who's now living and working in Vancouver.
The piece has been getting a lot of play on the blogosphere in the past couple of days. Just do a Google search on Ryan Leaf and Vancouver. You'll see what I mean.
http://tinyurl.com/yg55uhu
The piece has been getting a lot of play on the blogosphere in the past couple of days. Just do a Google search on Ryan Leaf and Vancouver. You'll see what I mean.
http://tinyurl.com/yg55uhu
Monday, October 12, 2009
Benn scores first NHL goal before friends and family
Jamie Benn picked a good time to score his first NHL goal.
Benn, a Victoria native playing an NHL game in his home province, scored before a lot of family and friends as his Dallas Stars fell 4-3 to the Vancouver Canucks in a shootout at General Motors Place.
“It means a lot,” said Benn of his first NHL tally. “I had a lot of friends and family here so it was a good time to get the goal, too . . . It took me four games to get it but hopefully I’ll start rolling from here.”
Benn tied the game 3-3 with only 1:33 left in regulation time as he converted a goal-mouth pass from Stephane Robidas. The rookie picked up where he left off in Vancouver last season, when he helped his Kelowna Rocket oust the junior Giants en route to a WHL title and berth in the Memorial Cup final.
The goal helped the Stars roll back from a late 3-2 deficitadline to force overtime and a shootout before Ryan Kesler netted the shootout winner for the Canucks.
“(It was) a big goal for sure," said Dallas coach Marc Crawford. "He’s got so much poise and presence and patience with the puck and he’s a big strong kid that hangs on to it and does good things with it."
Benn extended his points streak to three games. He recorded an assist in each of the two previous games at Calgary and Edmonton.
“People are going to quickly realize how good he is," said Crawford. “He’s playing on a good line with (Mike) Ribiero and (Brendan) Morrow . . . They’re talented players and I think they’re probably easy for him to play with.”
Benn, 20, managed to crack a fairly deep Dallas roster on his first attempt even though he was only a fifth-round draft choice in 2007. The six-foot-two, 203-pound winger expected to go the U.S. college while beginning his junior tenure with his hometown Victoria Grizzlies of the B.C. Hockey League, but he jumped to the WHL and excelled offensively there with 147 points over two seasons.
What's the biggest difference between junior and the NHL?
“Just that the guys are bigger, stronger, faster," he said. “You’ve got to get used to it, but I’m getting more used to it every day.”
Benn, a Victoria native playing an NHL game in his home province, scored before a lot of family and friends as his Dallas Stars fell 4-3 to the Vancouver Canucks in a shootout at General Motors Place.
“It means a lot,” said Benn of his first NHL tally. “I had a lot of friends and family here so it was a good time to get the goal, too . . . It took me four games to get it but hopefully I’ll start rolling from here.”
Benn tied the game 3-3 with only 1:33 left in regulation time as he converted a goal-mouth pass from Stephane Robidas. The rookie picked up where he left off in Vancouver last season, when he helped his Kelowna Rocket oust the junior Giants en route to a WHL title and berth in the Memorial Cup final.
The goal helped the Stars roll back from a late 3-2 deficitadline to force overtime and a shootout before Ryan Kesler netted the shootout winner for the Canucks.
“(It was) a big goal for sure," said Dallas coach Marc Crawford. "He’s got so much poise and presence and patience with the puck and he’s a big strong kid that hangs on to it and does good things with it."
Benn extended his points streak to three games. He recorded an assist in each of the two previous games at Calgary and Edmonton.
“People are going to quickly realize how good he is," said Crawford. “He’s playing on a good line with (Mike) Ribiero and (Brendan) Morrow . . . They’re talented players and I think they’re probably easy for him to play with.”
Benn, 20, managed to crack a fairly deep Dallas roster on his first attempt even though he was only a fifth-round draft choice in 2007. The six-foot-two, 203-pound winger expected to go the U.S. college while beginning his junior tenure with his hometown Victoria Grizzlies of the B.C. Hockey League, but he jumped to the WHL and excelled offensively there with 147 points over two seasons.
What's the biggest difference between junior and the NHL?
“Just that the guys are bigger, stronger, faster," he said. “You’ve got to get used to it, but I’m getting more used to it every day.”
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Printers approaching expiry date
Let's hope Casey Printers gets it this time.
"It" is the understanding that pro sports careers are fleeting at the best of times. "It" is the understanding that the opportunity to compete or just hang out with the team is priceless and time-limited.
If you talk to any athlete, he or she will tell you that the opportunity to compete at the highest level and go after a Stanley Cup, Grey Cup or even a Mann Cup makes up for any fame, or fortune, or risk. Theoren Fleury gets it. That's why he tried to resurrect his hockey career after six years away from the NHL because of substance abuse issues.
Dave Scatchard gets it. That's why he was trying out with the Vancouver Canucks after more than a season away from the NHL because of concussion problems, and was still saying all the right things as the club cut him without giving him another chance after he suffered a groin injury or whatever it was. (He wasn't saying exactly.)
Dave Dickenson got it. That's why he signed with the Calgary Stampeders after B.C. Lions general manager and coach Wally Buono chose to release him out of concern that he would suffer another concussion. That's also why Dickenson returned to the Canadian Football League when he probably could have carried a clipboard in the NFL for another season or two and made more money.
Alas, Buono's fears were realized and Dickenson's career did end prematurely, but it much longer than many other CFL quarterback hopefuls.
Printers didn't get it in his first go-round with the Lions, so he chose to bolt to the NFL, after he was offered a deal that likely would have landed him the No. 1 quarterback spot ahead of Dickenson. And, that's why he signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after initially agreeing to terms with the Montreal Alouettes.
But maybe he gets it now, after Hamilton cut him and no other team wanted him until Buono three him a life line after Buck Pierce and Jarious Jackson came down with injury problems. Tonight, Printers will dress as the third-string quarterback as the Lions visit the Edmonton Eskimos.
Reports suggest that he has been a model teammate while biding his time on the practice roster and showing a good grasp of the playbook. He has told reporters that "it" is all about the team now. Well, Casey, cliche or no cliche, most sports always have been about the team.
Let's hope he finally realizes that athletes have short shelf lives. Sometimes that shelf life can last 20 seasons. Sometimes the expiry date comes after 20 days.
Why do you think Brett Favre signed with the Minnesota Vikings?
For those who play the games at the highest level, careers never last long enough. If Edmonton Oilers coach Pat Quinn had his way, he would still be playing, even after almost three decades behind the bench.
The same likely goes for Buono.
I have seen "it" a lot over the past month or so while covering the Mann Cup lacrosse championship series, NHL preseason and the CFL. I saw it when Chris Gill of the New Westminster Salmonbellies saw his chance at a home-floor slip title away, after he had waited and hoped for 16 years, and he knew that the series would likely be his last at the senior A level.
The series showed what athletes are willing to do just to have a chance to compete and excel.
Brampton Excelsiors goaltender Anthony Cosmo flew across the country three times in the span of a week to help his team and preserve his teaching job back home in Ontario. Dan Dawson also went back and forth while trying to meet the requirements of being a rookie firefighter.
I saw "it" with Fleury in a pre-season game against the Vancouver Canucks, and I saw it with a desperate Scatchard in another exhibition tilt against Quinn's Oilers. Scatchard was one of the best players on the ice that night.
And, I saw it with Tanner Glass, a longshot to make the team, who actually beat out highly-touted rookie Cody Hodgson. And, I saw "it" when disgruntled veteran Lions kicker Paul McCallum watched on the sidelines in street clothes as rookie Sean Whyte booted the winning field goal in a victory over Saskatchewan.
Whyte got his chance to play regularly this season only after McCallum was injured while making a tackle on a return. (His desire to compete was evident there, too. As a rule, kickers do not tackle.)
Buono, somewhat surprisingly is giving McCallum another chance tonight as he replaces Whyte. McCallum, 39, will play like it is the final game of his career because, no matter what happens, he knows that the time to hang up his kicking shoe will soon come.
In theory, Printers, about a decade younger and a former CFL Most Outstanding Player award winner, should have much more time left. But he has clearly worn out his welcome.
Buono is only giving him a chance because the club lacks quarterbacking depth. Travis Lulay, tonight's backup, and Zac Champion, relegated to the practice roster, show great promise but lack pro experience. Printers should view tonight's game as one of his last.
If he does, he'll finally get "it".
"It" is the understanding that pro sports careers are fleeting at the best of times. "It" is the understanding that the opportunity to compete or just hang out with the team is priceless and time-limited.
If you talk to any athlete, he or she will tell you that the opportunity to compete at the highest level and go after a Stanley Cup, Grey Cup or even a Mann Cup makes up for any fame, or fortune, or risk. Theoren Fleury gets it. That's why he tried to resurrect his hockey career after six years away from the NHL because of substance abuse issues.
Dave Scatchard gets it. That's why he was trying out with the Vancouver Canucks after more than a season away from the NHL because of concussion problems, and was still saying all the right things as the club cut him without giving him another chance after he suffered a groin injury or whatever it was. (He wasn't saying exactly.)
Dave Dickenson got it. That's why he signed with the Calgary Stampeders after B.C. Lions general manager and coach Wally Buono chose to release him out of concern that he would suffer another concussion. That's also why Dickenson returned to the Canadian Football League when he probably could have carried a clipboard in the NFL for another season or two and made more money.
Alas, Buono's fears were realized and Dickenson's career did end prematurely, but it much longer than many other CFL quarterback hopefuls.
Printers didn't get it in his first go-round with the Lions, so he chose to bolt to the NFL, after he was offered a deal that likely would have landed him the No. 1 quarterback spot ahead of Dickenson. And, that's why he signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after initially agreeing to terms with the Montreal Alouettes.
But maybe he gets it now, after Hamilton cut him and no other team wanted him until Buono three him a life line after Buck Pierce and Jarious Jackson came down with injury problems. Tonight, Printers will dress as the third-string quarterback as the Lions visit the Edmonton Eskimos.
Reports suggest that he has been a model teammate while biding his time on the practice roster and showing a good grasp of the playbook. He has told reporters that "it" is all about the team now. Well, Casey, cliche or no cliche, most sports always have been about the team.
Let's hope he finally realizes that athletes have short shelf lives. Sometimes that shelf life can last 20 seasons. Sometimes the expiry date comes after 20 days.
Why do you think Brett Favre signed with the Minnesota Vikings?
For those who play the games at the highest level, careers never last long enough. If Edmonton Oilers coach Pat Quinn had his way, he would still be playing, even after almost three decades behind the bench.
The same likely goes for Buono.
I have seen "it" a lot over the past month or so while covering the Mann Cup lacrosse championship series, NHL preseason and the CFL. I saw it when Chris Gill of the New Westminster Salmonbellies saw his chance at a home-floor slip title away, after he had waited and hoped for 16 years, and he knew that the series would likely be his last at the senior A level.
The series showed what athletes are willing to do just to have a chance to compete and excel.
Brampton Excelsiors goaltender Anthony Cosmo flew across the country three times in the span of a week to help his team and preserve his teaching job back home in Ontario. Dan Dawson also went back and forth while trying to meet the requirements of being a rookie firefighter.
I saw "it" with Fleury in a pre-season game against the Vancouver Canucks, and I saw it with a desperate Scatchard in another exhibition tilt against Quinn's Oilers. Scatchard was one of the best players on the ice that night.
And, I saw it with Tanner Glass, a longshot to make the team, who actually beat out highly-touted rookie Cody Hodgson. And, I saw "it" when disgruntled veteran Lions kicker Paul McCallum watched on the sidelines in street clothes as rookie Sean Whyte booted the winning field goal in a victory over Saskatchewan.
Whyte got his chance to play regularly this season only after McCallum was injured while making a tackle on a return. (His desire to compete was evident there, too. As a rule, kickers do not tackle.)
Buono, somewhat surprisingly is giving McCallum another chance tonight as he replaces Whyte. McCallum, 39, will play like it is the final game of his career because, no matter what happens, he knows that the time to hang up his kicking shoe will soon come.
In theory, Printers, about a decade younger and a former CFL Most Outstanding Player award winner, should have much more time left. But he has clearly worn out his welcome.
Buono is only giving him a chance because the club lacks quarterbacking depth. Travis Lulay, tonight's backup, and Zac Champion, relegated to the practice roster, show great promise but lack pro experience. Printers should view tonight's game as one of his last.
If he does, he'll finally get "it".
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