Gästeforum » their backup quarterback situation by grabbing Kev

OTTAWA -- Henry Burris boasts an impressive CFL resume. Over 15 seasons, hes twice won a league championship, been named a Grey Cup and CFL MVP and is one of just five players ever to surpass the 50,000-yard passing plateau. But even with 17 years of pro football under his belt -- he also played in the NFL with Green Bay and Chicago -- the 39-year-old Texan will experience a career first Friday night when he leads the expansion Ottawa Redblacks (0-2) into their first-ever game at TD Place Stadium against the Toronto Argonauts (1-2). Watch the Redblacks vs. Argonauts live tonight on TSN and TSN GO at 7pm et/4pm pt. "Ive never been in this position before," Burris said following Thursdays practice. "I played in the first Monday night game following 9/11 (Green Bays 37-0 win over Washington on Sept. 24, 2001), Ive played in Grey Cups and those were some pretty emotional times for me. "But I can just imagine how emotional and how much energy is going to be in this stadium and this entire city. I know this fanbase has waited since 2005 to have a true home game and a true home stadium. Its an honour to be here and able to be part of this team to break ground as far as getting this organization and city back into football." Not since the former Renegades in November 2005 has a CFL team played a home game in Ottawa and the city hasnt celebrated a Grey Cup winner since 76 when Tony Gabriels historic TD catch rallied the Rough Riders to a thrilling 23-20 victory over Saskatchewan. But a sellout gathering of 24,000 will be on hand for the Redblacks inaugural home game. "Its a big deal and weve been waiting for this day for a long time.," said Ottawa head coach Rick Campbell. "Weve had a bunch of firsts over the last several months as far as whats gone on with our franchise and (Thursday) will be a big night and were definitely proud of it." Its only fitting that Burris achieve a career first going head-to-head with Toronto quarterback Ricky Ray. The two had many memorable battles when they were with the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos, respectively, and last year Burris led the Hamilton Tiger-Cats past the Argos in the East Division final. "I feel like were in The Matrix, we keep following each other," Burris said. "It seems in the most special moments, we always go against each other. "Hes done a lot of great things in his time and I hope thats a two-way street. When we see each other on the sidelines we want to beat each other." But Ray has much more to be concerned about than outplaying Burris. Toronto will be minus its top three receivers in Chad Owens (foot), Andre Durie (clavicle) and Jason Barnes (knee), meaning youngsters Anthony Coombs, Terrell Sinkfield and Darvin Adams will all start versus Ottawa. "Thats going to be tough," Ray said. "Any time you dont have a starter in the lineup you cant rely on the production youre used to getting. "With these guys, theyve been here, theyve been through training camp, they know the offence. Its just about being out there and not thinking too much when theyre playing and trying to avoid some of those mistakes and be able to play fast. Until you have that game experience together, you dont know what to expect. Were all going to be out here learning a little bit, hopefully we can get it done." Veteran Ottawa defensive back Jovon Johnson said it doesnt really matter who the Argos have at receiver because Ray is the key to their offence. "He takes the passes that you give him, he doesnt force things downfield," Johnson said. "He doesnt do things hes not accustomed to doing, thats what makes him great. "To not have guys like Chad Owens and Andre Durie, Im sure thats big for them because they go to Owens and Durie a lot. Its one of those unknown things, you dont know who theyre going to play and just have to be ready for whatever comes your way." With Ottawas first home game generating such a huge buzz here -- a pep rally was held Thursday at city hall -- the Redblacks will definitely have the home-field advantage as they search for their first-ever win. However, that also means therell be a lot of pressure on them to perform well. "Hopefully its loud and exciting," Argos head coach Scott Milanovich said. "Our guys are looking forward to playing in the new stadium being kind of the first show in town." Toronto receiver John Chiles, who played collegiately at Texas, said a big, loud crowd can dramatically impact the outcome of a game. "Im expecting it to be crazy, Im expecting it to be loud, Im expecting the fans to be up and screaming and having a good time," Chiles said. "In college I played before 110,000 people every week and I remember when it got loud it got tough for teams and they struggled against us. "And even at some away games it was tougher for me being on the road. The crowd can definitely have an effect on the game." However, Chiles said the Argos arent looking to play the spoiler role. "No, we try not to use that term," he said. "Were just focusing in on what we need to do to win and not get too involved with the extra stuff." Campbell said while hes looking forward to the Redblacks having a rabid home crowd firmly behind them, its important his players avoid being swept up in that emotion. "We just have to make sure we keep our heads about us," he said. "I know this is going to be a great place to be, we just need to make sure were good on our assignments and what were doing and go out there and play football." That wont be a problem for Johnson. "Im never nervous," he said. "Im always even-keeled, thats just me and my personality. I always want to perform and never feel pressure on the field. "You cant look at it as extra pressure. Id call it added incentive for us to go out and play well and give them (fans) a team they can look forward to." Cheap New Balance Free Shipping .J. -- Pete Carroll said it was the suspension of linebacker Bruce Irvin last spring that finally got the attention of the rest of the Seattle Seahawks that they needed to be taking their commitment to the team more seriously. Authentic New Balance Store . Helwani said that Weidman has been dealing with recurring swelling and pain in his knees related to torn meniscus he suffered as a teenager and the problems came to a head last week when he suffered prolonged swelling and pain in his left knee, resulting in the decision to undergo an arthroscopic scope procedure to clean up the tear in both knees. http://www.wholesalenewbalance.com/ . People familiar with the case told The Associated Press on Friday that arbitrator Fredric Horowitz could issue his decision this weekend. Wholesale New Balance China . The agreement comes a little more than one week after the video game manufacturer agreed to a $40 million settlement in a similar but separate case, bringing the total payout planned for athletes to $60 million, said Steve Berman, an attorney for the plaintiffs, and the NCAA. Clearance New Balance Shoes . -- Officials have approved a deal to build a new $672 million stadium for the Atlanta Braves away from the downtown Atlanta area that has traditionally been its home.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 coounts for so long; greatness sticks.dddddddddddd 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. ' ' '