CFL NOTEBOOK
(Vancouver) – As announced on the club’s 1st and Now Podcast Thursday, the BC Lions are proud to welcome the 2000 Grey Cup Championship Team to our Wall of Fame. The ceremony takes place as part of Legends Night presented by Lordco Auto Parts on Friday, September 13 against the Toronto Argonauts.
“It was a Cinderella story as we snuck into the playoffs and went all the way, capturing the coveted Grey Cup,”said Lions’ director of community partnerships and offensive lineman from the 2000 team Jamie Taras.
“It’s an honour to have the entire team join our Wall of Fame and forever be enshrined with the long list of franchise greats.”
Led by franchise passing leader Damon Allen, the two-headed backfield monster of Sean Millington and Robert Drummond plus a stout defence which included Division All-Stars Eric Carter and Herman Smith and charismatic game-breaker Carl Kidd, the 2000 Lions defied the odds by becoming the first team to sip from the Grey Cup after finishing below .500 in the regular season.
Before November came around, the squad endured some tough losses and a change at head coach as Steve Burattotook over from the departed Greg Mohns with the Lions sitting at 3-4 in mid-August. Under Buratto, the squad got hot at the right time, backing into the playoffs as the third-place team in the West.
After edging Edmonton 34-32 in the Western Semi-Final at Commonwealth Stadium, the road warriors went into Calgary and stunned the division-leading Stampeders 37-23 with Carter’s first-half interception return touchdown serving as a major catalyst. From there, the squad moved across the hall into Calgary’s dressing room for the 88th Grey Cup against Montreal.
Two touchdown runs from Allen and a 44-yard scamper to the end zone from Drummond provided the damage on offence while Lui Passaglia authored the perfect fairy-tale ending to a Hall of Fame career as his 29-yard field goal with 1:25 left proved to be the winning points as the Lions prevailed 28-26 to bring home the fourth Grey Cup in team history.
Added co-GM/director of football operations Neil McEvoy who served as a special teams assistant in 2000:
“That was a very special group of men who battled hard for each other and knew how to win. While the regular season standings may have indicated otherwise, this team proved what they were capable of when it mattered most.”
The 2000 Grey Cup champions’ induction serves as the backdrop to a special Legends Night where we honour our storied past and look ahead to an exciting future as the evening is dedicated to celebrating the BC Lions’ 70th season.
BC Lions season ticket holders can enjoy some great perks in 2024 including priority access on seats for the 111th Grey Cup on November 17, a 15-percent discount on BC Lions merchandise and invites to exclusive season ticket holder events throughout the year.
(BC Lions Communications)
The CFL Players’ Association has joined the Canadian labour movement.
The CFLPA and Canadian Labour Congress joined forces Thursday. The CLC is Canada’s largest labour organization, with a membership of more than three million workers and over 500,000 retirees across the country.
The CFLPA represents roughly 650 professional football players.
“This is one of the biggest announcements we’ve ever had as an organization and I’d argue it’s one of the bigger announcements the league has had in a significant period of time,” said CFLPA executive director Brian Ramsay, a former CFL player. “This makes for a stronger CFLPA, which makes for stronger Canadian football.
“But it also makes for a stronger CFL and provides stability for the league.”
The CFL didn’t immediately have comment on the CFLPA-CLC affiliation.
The Ottawa Redblacks will start the 2024 season without American running back Devonte Williams.
The CFL club announced Thursday that Williams recently had surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon suffered during off-season training.
The Redblacks added the operation was successful but didn’t say when the injury occurred or provide a timeline for Williams’ return.
Given the nature of the injury, it’s unlikely the five-foot-nine, 170-pound Williams will play in 2024.
Williams, 27, ran for 1002 yards and averaged 5.5-yards per carry in 15 games last year with Ottawa.
Williams has spent the last two seasons with the Redblacks, rushing for 1,456 yards on 272 carries (5.4-yard average) with three touchdowns in 23 regular-season contests.
(Canadian Press)
Was 2000 really 24 years ago? Well that was a very pivotal year in more ways than one. Contrary, that was not a cinderella team. They had Damon Allen and for some reason he just never got the due he deserved. They just put it all together and it was really an eye opener. That team and year put a lot of things in motion for the 2000s decade. For some reason BC just never kept him. A couple years later it’s Wally Buono/Dave Dickenson. Damon got shuttled to the scrap heap of Toronto. He has this renaissance under Pinball.… Read more »