like the semi, Jacobs made enough mistakes that le

Its been two years since the BC Lions hoisted the Grey Cup and Wally Buono handed the head coaching reigns to Mike Benevides. Since then the Lions have entered each season with one of the most talented rosters in the league before falling short of expectations. Two years is a short time to be sure, and its not like the Lions cant supply excuses for their shortcomings since 2011 – Travis Lulays shoulder injury last year – but in the ultra-competitive and impatient world of professional sports, the pressure is on. Bad teams feel pressure to be better; good teams feel pressure to be the best. And dont forget the added burden of a potential home field for the Grey Cup and the three-year streak of Grey Cup champs winning at home. The Lions were smart in acquiring veteran leader and “quarterback 1A” Kevin Glenn from the Ottawa Redblacks during the CFL Draft for the fifth-overall draft pick. The price was a little steep for a player few figured would actually end up with Ottawa for the upcoming season, but with Lulays shoulder still a talking point, Glenn provides quality insurance at the most important position. BC has opted for younger projects at QB behind Lulay the past couple years but the Glenn acquisition makes sense for a team that cant get derailed for even a short period of time, should Lulay miss games – for whatever ailment – this season. Especially with Thomas DeMarcos selection in the Expansion Draft, Glenn gives the Lions peace of mind at one of their most worrisome areas for 2014. Another solid move, adding to a position of strength, was the free agent signing of Jamall Johnson. Johnson returns to BC after five seasons in Hamilton, his last a down year after being asked to play in the middle, and joins a frightening linebacking corps that already includes Solomon Elimimian and Adam Bighill. BCs task in once again entering the year as one of the most talented teams on paper is replacing receiver Nick Moore and a number of large bodies on the offensive line. Not to diminish Moores impact, but the Lions receiving corps still has enough burners, and more importantly, added Canadian content, that Lulay – or Glenn – shouldnt feel frustrated for lack of quality targets. The line however, may have to rely on more youngsters than would be considered ideal. The good news is their young contingent on the offensive line is talented and the unit is still anchored by perhaps the best left tackle in the game in Jovan Olafioye. While theyve fallen short of the Grey Cup the past two years, the Lions still qualified for the postseason those years, and were just a win away from a return trip in 2012; so it feels strange to suggest the team enters the season under pressure to do more. That reality is part testament to how well the Lions organization is run, but as is the case with all good teams, being good only counts for so long; greatness sticks. Like the Argos and Riders before them, look for the Lions to go all out in 2014. Notes Parting Ways After a long tenure with the Lions as an offensive coach and coordinator, Jacques Chapdelaine left the Lions early in the off-season, the coach and team mutually agreeing to part ways. It was certainly a big shakeup on Benevides staff, getting rid of the offensive mainstay of 10 of the past 11 years. Up and coming offensive mind Khari Jones replaced Chapdelaine as well as taking on the QB coach role. Expansion Draft The Lions search for a backup quarterback began anew after the Ottawa Redblacks selected Thomas DeMarco, who gained solid experience filling in for an injured Travis Lulay In 2013, in the first round of the Expansion Draft. BC also lost guard Matt Albright and DT Andrew Marshall to the Redblacks. Free Agency With the least amount of players to hit the free market, the Lions were one of the least active teams during the free agency period. They did lose promising receiver Nick Moore to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers however, but made a splash on the other side of the ball when they brought back linebacker Jamall Johnson, who last played for the Lions in 2008, from Hamilton. Retirements The Lions offensive line took a number of big hits this off-season with the retirements of three big pieces. Veteran centre Angus Reid was the first to announce his retirement. The 13-year veteran was a three-time West Division All-Star and one-time league All-Star. Not long after tackle Ben Archibald retired. The two-time All-Canadian spent the past three seasons in BC. Then late in the off-season Patrick Kabongo joined the two in retirement. The nine-year vet was a one-time West Division All-Star. CFL Draft The Lions traded out of the first round in order to solidify their backup quarterback situation by grabbing Kevin Glenn from the Redblacks for the fifth-overall pick. The team had two picks in the second round, grabbing OL Tchissakid Player from Northwestern State and FB Pascal Lochard from Laval. With their final five selections the Lions took LB Casey Chin from Simon Fraser in the third round, DL David Menard from Montreal in the fourth round, WR Alexander Fox from Bishops in the fifth round, DL Dylan Roper from Simon Fraser in the sixth round, and RB Guillaume Bourassa from Laval in the seventh round. Khalif Mitchell Returns One of the most enigmatic players in the league the past few seasons made his return to BC late in the off-season after a year with the Toronto Argonauts. Khalif Mitchells talent and impact at his DT position are unquestionable, but his return to the Lions was surprising after Mitchell seemingly burned a lot of bridges on his way out of BC a year ago. Lions GM Wally Buono has said all the right things about Mitchells return so far, noting the player has matured over the years. Cheap Shoes Outlet Stores .J. Mayo made seven three-pointers and scored 25 points, Ersan Ilyasova added 20, and the Milwaukee Bucks placed seven players in double figures in a 130-110 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost their 11th straight game on Monday night. Authentic Shoes Wholesale . Watch the announcement live on TSN.ca at 12:30pm et/9:30am pt. This years honourees will be recognized at the 2014 Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic, scheduled for June 23-24 in Vancouver. http://www.cheapshoes.us.org/ . - Because they didnt go into Beast Mode, the Seattle Seahawks found themselves in Spin Mode. Best Cheap Fake Shoes . Redden played a total of 1,023 regular-season games with Ottawa, the New York Rangers, St. Louis and Boston. He finished with 457 points (109 goals, 348 assists) and a plus-160 rating over his career. Cheap Fake Shoes Online . The Padres made the moves before Fridays game at Washington. They promoted infielder Jace Peterson from Double-A San Antonio and right-hander Kevin Quackenbush from Triple-A El Paso.WINNIPEG -- It was fitting that Brad Jacobs sealed his right to represent Canada at the Olympics with one more big-weight double Sunday afternoon, and he never even considered a less risky shot. "Youre throwing that double to win the game," he said after beating John Morris 7-4. He said his third, Ryan Fry, told him it was coming. "Fry said it to me, Youre going to have a double either way here and were playing it. So my mind was already wrapped around some big weight shot before I even threw it." Jacob joins Winnipegs Jennifer Jones, who defeated Sherry Middaugh 8-4 Saturday night to win the womens slot, the one prize that has eluded her in a championship-filled career. Jacobs went into the game as the favourite, after earning his final spot by sweeping the round robin seven straight with a hard-hitting, muscular, fist-pumping brand of curling that delighted the crowd. Its also clean and near perfect when it counts. "Thats our style," he said. With no hometown heroes left to root for Sunday at Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings (Jeff Stoughton and Mike McEwen were knocked out before the semifinals), the crowd switched its allegiance to the Jacobs rink. It doesnt hurt that Winnipeg-born Ryan Fry -- the son of Manitoba curling legend and Brier winner Barry Fry -- now plays third. E.J. Harnden is at second and brother Ryan Harnden at lead for the rink based out of Sault Ste Marie, Ont. Just like Jones, Fry said it was especially sweet winning in his home town. "It hasnt even sunk in yet," he said right after the win. "Its just an honour to be able to play in front of my home town and my friends and family and for us to be able to pull this out. We had a great week." Morris was also born in Winnipeg and is the son of curler and curling coach Earle Morris, although he grew up in Ontario and has spent most of his curling life there or Alberta. From 2006 to early this year he was Kevin Martins third and part of the 2010 gold medal winning team in Vancouver. He came from behind to beat Martin in the semifinal to earn the right to play Jacobs. Morris signeed on to skip Jim Cotters B.ddddddddddddC. rink this year with Cotter moving to third but throwing fourth, Tyrel Griffith at second and Rick Sawatzky at lead. Morris said they had their chances. "Especially after five, being tied up at five, if we could have blanked the sixth end I think it would have real tight coming home," he said. "Were going to take a nice long break here over Christmas, regroup and refresh and come out the last half of the season real strong again." He said they couldnt get Jacobs away from the hitting game that served him so well all week. "The Jacobs team are real good hitters and you want to try to make them draw and we werent able to do that." Morris said both teams showed any doubters out there that they have what it takes to win, but losing still hurts. "You cant say were not going to have a great rep at the Olympics, its just a tough one to swallow right now because its real fresh," he said. Like the semi, Sundays final didnt go his way at the start. But, also like the semi, Jacobs made enough mistakes that let him at least stay in the game, if not move ahead. Jacobs took an early 2-0 lead in the first end when Morris second Griffith flashed. Over the last four years, Curling Zone reports Jacobs has a record of 31-4 when he scores a deuce in the first end. Morris had to draw for a single in two facing a pair of Jacobs stones but Jacobs was in the same boat and had to draw for a single in three when he failed to get the roll off a hit on his first skip rock. They blanked four but Morris was able to grab a deuce in five with the hammer, after Jacobs misjudged a hit and removed his own counter from the button, to tie at 3-3. Jacobs was able to grab a deuce in six and go up 5-3 after Cotter, facing a possible three, went for a hit, short roll and freeze, but left Jacobs a makeable double. They blanked seven and Cotter was forced to draw for a single in eight and surrender the hammer. Jacobs didnt play safe in nine and facing two, made that final double that gave him two to go up 7-4. The 10th end was a formality. ' ' '