Sporting Vancouver

Who's in for Clinchbeard?

2015-04-08T10:38:00.004-07:00

Ok. Here we go. The Vancouver Canucks have officially clinched a playoff spot, and as is tradition in hockey markets amongst players and fans alike, its time to grow a playoff beard.

A playoff beard is a beard that you start growing at the start of the playoffs and don't shave until your team is eliminated or, ultimately, raises the Stanley Cup. The longer your scruff, the longer your team has survived in the playoffs. Call it superstition or call it support, or, nowadays, call it a fashion statement, it has been a Canadian tradition for many, many years.

A clinchbeard is basically the same thing, except you shave and start growing your beard when your team clinches a playoff spot. In the Canucks case, that was last night when the lowly Oilers surprised the LA Kings with a regulation win. The Kings, even if they win out
and the Canucks don't pick up any points in their last 2 games, cannot catch the Canucks. So the Canucks are in.

So whoever is on board for the playoff clinchbeard, shave now and post a clean-shaven selfie. Obviously, facial hair is not possible for everyone, so a suggestion for female Canucks fans, or guys who have difficulty growing facial hair is:

Clinchpits. Clinchpits involve the shaving of the armpits and subsequent NON-SHAVING until the Canucks are eliminated or hoist the Cup. Though this has been considered the norm for some women in other parts of the world and even this part of the world in past times, it doesn't appear to be gathering much steam with female Canucks fans as yet. I'm pretty sure it will catch on though. If the Canucks go on a long run, and the armpit hair gets too long, I suppose one could braid the hair, though they would probably need to ask a friend for help.

Anyways, the point is to support the team. So, go shave and post a clean-shaven selfie (you can post here in the comments section if you like) and post periodic selfies at various stages of growth as the Canucks begin their quest for Lord Stanley's Mug.

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Oilers Play Spoilers and Canucks Clinch From Couch

2015-04-08T09:54:00.004-07:00

Canucks Nation was abuzz all day Tuesday after a huge Canucks come from behind shootout win over the reeling LA Kings. The win put the Canucks firmly in control of their own destiny and, even though they picked up a loser point, put the Kings in a spot of trouble.

However, the season wasn't over yet and the Canucks hadn't officially clinched, after all. They could clinch with another win on Thursday versus the lowly Arizona Coyotes. Or, with a little help from the out-of-town scoreboard, they could clinch beforehand. There were multiple scenarios that would put them in. The least likely was the Spoilers, err.. Oilers beating the Kings in regulation.

Canucks followers, myself included, basically ignored that possibility. The Los Angeles Kings had only lost in regulation ONCE in the last 27 games against the Oilers. The Oilers are having a terrible season even by their standards. The Kings thumped the Oilers 8-2 in their last meeting. You could basically chalk up 2 points
next to the Kings column in the standings. Hell, the Kings didn't even bother putting starting Quick in a game they had to have.

Everyone was looking forward to the game on Thursday between the Kings and Flames as the big one. Hopefully the flames could take out the Kings. Not many figured the Oilers could put a major dent in the Kings playoff chances and officially clinch a spot for the Canucks in the bargain.

The Kings can, of course still make the playoffs, but it won't be easy. They will definitely need to beat the Flames on Thursday, preferably in regulation, and hope Winnipeg and Calgary falter in their remaining couple of games.

As for the Canucks, all that remains to be seen is who they will face. They currently sit 2nd in the Pacific and with wins over the Oilers and Coyotes are guaranteed to stay there, but Calgary could still catch them meaning they'll face in the 1st round with the Flames having home ice.

The Kings could still catch Calgary, meaning the Canucks would face the Kings in the 1st round. An outcome that Canucks fans would have like to avoided, but with recent wins over the Kings, it might be Kings fans who are nervous about a playoff showdown with the Canucks.

Regardless what happens, wer're in for a wild ride over he next few days, and that's just the warm-up act as the real show starts next week with the Canucks back in it after missing last season.

Yes, thanks to the Oilers upsetting the Kings last night, the Canucks are definitely in; All that remains to be seen is who they will face.

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The Canucks Playoff Chase As it Stands on Good Friday

2015-04-03T17:02:00.000-07:00

The Canucks appear to be in good shape to get into the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year after missing last year. With 4 games to go in the regular season, the Canucks hold down 2nd place in the Pacific Division and sit 4 points up on 3rd place Calgary and 5 points clear of the 4th place Los Angeles Kings. However, last night's regulation loss to the Blackhawks couples with LA's win over Edmonton, makes things even more tricky for the Canucks.

The Canucks currently hold the 1st tie-breaker (ROWs) on both Calgary and LA.

The remaining schedule for Vancouver looks like this:

@Nashville (WIN 5-4 in shootout)
@Chicago (LOSS 3-1)
@Winnipeg
Los Angeles
Arizona
Edmonton

Compared to Calgary and LA, the Canucks have the toughest remaining schedule
based on their opponents record. LA has the weakest opponents' strength remaining schedule:

Edmonton (WIN)
Colorado
@Vancouver
@Edmonton
@Calgary
San Jose

Calgary's schedule looks like this:

@St. Louis (LOSS)
@Edmonton
Arizona
Los Angeles
@Winnipeg

Winnipeg also factors in to the Canucks' playoff chase. They have 90 points and hold the final Western Conference Wildcard spot and have 5 games to go against:

Vancouver
@Minnesota
@St. Louis
@Colorado
Calgary

This is how it shakes down.

Vancouver loses in regulation to the Los Angeles Kings (could easily happen) and Winnipeg, even if you 'gimme' the 4 points against Arizona and Edmonton (which is a BIG gimme seeing how the Canucks have fared against the NHL bottom feeders of late), the Canucks end up with 99 points.

Calgary beats St. Louis, Edmonton, Arizona and loses to Winnipeg and LA in overtime or the shootout. Giving them 99 points.

LA wins out over Edmonton (X2), Colorado, and San Jose. Would you bet against the defending Stanley Cup champs? Giving them 100 points.

Winnipeg beats Vancouver (in regulation) Minnesota, St. Louis, and Colorado, and beats Calgary in overtime or shootout. Giving them 100 points.

In this (highly unlikely, but still mathematically possible scenario), LA would finish 2nd in the Pacific Division, the Jets would nail down the last wild card and the Canucks and Calgary would finish TIED for 3rd in the Pacific. The 1st tie-breaker would be ROW (regulation/overime wins). The Canucks currently hold an edge over the Flames 40-38. Depending how the last 5 games shake down for each team, the Flames could potentially pass the Canucks in ROW and remain tied in points. They could also be tied in ROW which would trigger the second tie-breaker. The second tie-breaker (Points in Head-to-Head Games) is owned by the Calgary Flames.
So, though unlikely, the Canucks still could miss the playoffs with as many as 99 points!

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The Lowdown on the Canucks Playoff Implications (updated)

2015-03-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

The Canucks appear to be in good shape to get into the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year after missing last year. With 5 games to go in the regular season, the Canucks hold down 2nd place in the Pacific Division and sit 4 points up on 3rd place Calgary and 7 points clear of the 4th place Los Angeles Kings.
The Canucks currently hold the 1st tie-breaker (ROWs) on both of those teams.

The remaining schedule for Vancouver looks like this:

@Nashville (WIN 5-4 in shootout)
@Chicago
@Winnipeg
Los Angeles
Arizona
Edmonton

Compared to Calgary and LA, the Canucks have the toughest remaining schedule
based on their opponents record. LA has the weakest opponents strength remaining schedule:

Edmonton
Colorado
@Vancouver
@Edmonton
@Calgary
San Jose

Calgary's schedule looks like this:

@St. Louis
@Edmonton
Arizona
Los Angeles
@Winnipeg

Winnipeg also factors in to the Canucks' playoff chase. They have 90 points and hold the final Western Conference Wildcard spot and have 5 games to go against:

Vancouver
@Minnesota
@St. Louis
@Colorado
Calgary

So, if these 3 teams go on a run, it is conceivable that the Canucks could miss the playoffs with as many as 99 points. Yes. 99 points. Imagine missing the playoffs with 99 points!

There exists a scenario, though highly unlikely, that could play out if the Canucks falter and the other 3 teams basically win out.

This is how it shakes down.

Vancouver loses in regulation to the Los Angeles Kings (could easily happen) and fails to pick up at least 5 points against Chicago, Winnipeg, Arizona, and Edmonton. Even if you 'gimme' the 4 points against Arizona and Edmonton (which is a BIG gimme seeing how the Canucks have fared against the NHL bottom feeders of late), the Canucks, in this scenario would still need to find at least a point in road games against Chicago and Winnipeg.

Calgary beats St. Louis, Edmonton, Arizona and loses to Winnipeg and LA in overtime or the shootout. Giving them 99 points.

LA wins out over Edmonton (X2), Colorado, and San Jose. Would you bet against the defending Stanley Cup champs? Giving them 100 points.

Winnipeg beats Vancouver (in regulation) Minnesota, St. Louis, and Colorado, and beats Calgary in overtime or shootout. Giving them 100 points.

In this (highly unlikely, but still mathematically possible scenario), LA would finish 2nd in the Pacific Division, the Jets would nail down the last wild card and the Canucks and Calgary would finish TIED for 3rd in the Pacific. The 1st tie-breaker would be ROW (regulation/overime wins). The Canucks currently hold an edge over the Flames 40-38. Depending how the last 5 games shake down for each team, the Flames could potentially pass the Canucks in ROW and remain tied in points. They could also be tied in ROW which would trigger the second tie-breaker. The second tie-breaker (Points in Head-to-Head Games) is owned by the Calgary Flames.
So, though unlikely, the Canucks still could miss the playoffs with as many as 99 points!

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Canucks Playoff Poll

2015-03-27T11:43:00.001-07:00

Canucks fans, let me know what you think the Canucks chances are for the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs for my next blog post.

Will the Canucks make the playoffs?

Yes or no?

Can they beat the LA Kings in the 1st round?

Yes or no?

Can they beat the Calgary Flames in the 1st round?

Yes or no?

IF they get to round 2, what are their chances to beat Anaheim?

Yes or no?

Winnipeg?

Yes or no?

Minnesota?

Yes or no?

How far do you see the Canucks going?

a) miss the playoffs
b) lose in 1st round
c) lose in 2nd round
d) lose in Western Conference Championship
e) lose in Cup final
f) WIN THE STANLEY CUP!

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Canucks Trump the Kings in Crucial 4 Pointer

2015-03-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

The Canucks came into the Staples Center for a key battle against the Los Angeles Kings with both teams jockeying for playoff position in the NHL's tight Western Conference. Still smarting from a blowout loss at home to the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets and having been owned by the Kings in recent years, things didn't look good early on as LA took a 1-0 lead 7 seconds into their first power play of the game. Usually a 1-0 lead is all the Stanley Cup Champions need to cement a win. Especially at home. Especially, especially against the Vancouver Canucks.

But not today.

No today, would be different. The Canucks came alive
and battled back to tie the game on a brilliant effort by Nick Bonino to chip it over Jonathan Quick's shoulder to tie the game at one. Being tied 1-1 on the road is usually a good thing, but you go the feeling the Canucks would need a lot more to get at least a point in LA. Even after Vrbata scored on a 5 on 3 power play to put the Canucks up 2-1, many of the Canucks fans who have seen this movie far too many times still didn't think they were home and cooled.

It would in fact take not one but two empty net goals late, one with the Canucks short-handed, to put ice the win for the Canucks and give them a crucial 2 points and just as importantly keep LA from getting any points.

This is, in my opinion, and I don't think I am exaggerating here, the Canucks single biggest win of the season. Its a 4 pointer against a team they are battling for playoff position with, a team that, if they make it in, they have a good chance of facing in the 1st round, they're the Stanley Cup Champs, and they have absolutely owned them the last 3 years,

A massive win indeed, but if they can't follow it up tomorrow with a win over the tanking Coyotes, then it will be a case of one step forward and one step back. A dance the Canucks can't afford to be doing this time of year.

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Canucks Face Do or Die vs Arch Nemesis

2015-03-20T17:06:00.003-07:00

Dating back to Round One of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the LA Kings have absolutely owned the Vancouver Canucks.

Yes, the Canucks have had difficulty with all of the California based teams in recent years, but the LA Kings it seems, have proved to be kryptonite to the Canucks Superman
impersonation. This season, it seems, the Canucks have, at least somewhat, solved the other two Golden State teams getting victories against the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks. The Kings, however, are another matter entirely. They have just one win against them in the last 10 games and 3 in the last 25. This is further exacerbated by the fact that the Canucks now find themselves in a battle against these same Kings for a playoff spot, and with teo games against them left in the season, the Canucks better find a way to build an immunity to kryptonite... and FAST. Like, faster-than-a-speeding-bullet FAST.

If the Canucks do manage to find their way into the playoffs, there is a very good chance that they will be facing the Kings in the first round. So, it becomes quite clear that the LA Kings, Stanley Cup Champions 2 of the last 3 seasons, are the biggest obstacle facing the Canucks and one they must overcome if they wish to have any success this season.

We'll know a lot more about the Canucks and their playoff chances tomorow afternoon when they face the Kings in Los Angeles at the Staples Centre.

Canucks Lack of Depth is Showing

2015-02-06T11:00:00.002-08:00

The Vancouver Canucks got thumped by the San Jose Sharks last night by a score of 5-1. Can't score, can't keep the puck out of they're own net.

While the Sharks appeared to be firing on all cylinders and looked like a team ready to seize a playoff spot in the NHL's tough Western Conference, the Canucks looked like a team with no direction.

Injuries on the back end to Tanev and Bieksa, and a Dan Hamhuis in the lineup who looks like he hasn't fully recovered from injury, have exposed the Canucks lack of depth on D. Even without any significant injuries up front, their lack of scoring depth throughout the forward lines is apparent. Without any significant secondary scoring threats through the line-up, it all falls on the top line of the Sedins with Vrbata; and when they're not going, the results are self-evident.

The Canucks, if they are going to threaten for a playoff spot and do anything at all meaningful should they get there,
are going to need at least one more scoring forward. Adding a 25-30 goal scoring winger to bolster the second line would work wonders. The question is, are Linden and Benning willing to gamble some of the future at a chance to do something this season. The answer is 'probably not'.

Heading into this season, even the most optimistic Canucks observer would have a hard time expecting this team to do much this season. Even making the playoffs seemed like a stretch and squeaking in and doing anything against teams like Anaheim or LA seemed incredibly unlikely.

So, where does this team go? What to do? A team that desperately needs a spark and an infusion of offense up front and stability and consistency on the back end remains an enigma. Some nights when they're on, they look competitive, they look like if you were to add a piece or two, they may be able to make some noise and surprise a team or two in the playoffs. Other nights, when they're off, one wonders if they're not better off pulling the plug and hoping for a good draft position to reload for down the road.

The Canucks are a team in limbo. Probably not good enough to make the playoffs and certainly not good enough to do anything once in; but not crappy enough to become sellers at the deadline and build for the future.

So, with the NHL trade deadline looming, Canucks GM and former defenceman, Jim Benning finds himself in a tough place. Trade a draft pick or two and/or a prospect or two to try and fill a couple of holes to make a run for the playoffs and get some of the younger players on the team at least a round of playoff experience? Or, maybe move a few vets like Higgins or Hansen, etc and give the kids from the farm some playing time and experience and look to the off-season to reload for next year?

It will be interesting to see what Benning does at the deadline, if anything. Either way, I'm sure half of Canucks nation will think he should have done more. Or less. Or whichever.

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Evander and the Jets

2015-02-05T15:52:00.003-08:00

Evander Kane missed the game against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night at Rogers Arena because: (vote for your favourite in the comment section below)

a) he was late for the team bus
b) he went drinking at a bar on a game day
c) he wore sweat pants to the arena
d) he's injured
e) coach's decision
f) Dustin Byfuglien threw his pants in the shower
g) he wants out
h) his balls were deflated while getting a lap dance
i) all of the above

Depending on any number of reports, or what time of the day it was, one could believe
any of the above reasons for why the Winnipeg Jets, in a tough fight for a playoff spot in the NHL's Western Conference, would sit one of their best players for a game against a conference rival who they are battling for a playoff spot.

We were all rather surprised to hear that Jets head coach Paul Maurice had made Kane a healthy scratch for the game and that it was a coach's decision. There was rampant speculation on why this decision was made. The Jets seemed rather tight lipped, but in the 24-48 hours since, we have heard a lot of different stories leak out. None of them seem very good and all of them speak to a larger, lingering problem that seems to have been going on for some time and isn't going away anytime soon.

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Lynch Doesn't Need to Talk; He's "All About That Action"

2015-01-28T20:36:00.001-08:00

Much has been made this week about star Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch thumbing his nose at the media and the NFL. He made his NFL mandated appearance of 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Not a minute more. He did the bare minimum that was required of him for player media availability, answering all questions with. "I'm only doing this so I don't get fined" or "You know why I'm here."

This begs the question. Is Marshawn Lynch making a mockery of the NFL
media availability protocol? Or is the NFL media protocol a mockery in and of itself?

Ask yourself: Who is your favourite NFL player? Then ask yourself: Why is he your favourite NFL player? If you answered "because he is a great interview", then turn in your media credentials and ask yourself why you're wasting your time reading a blog.

We watch the NFL and its players because of the athletic ability they demonstrate; because of their competitiveness, aggressiveness, play-making ability, desire, drive, commitment, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Its "all about the action" not their words after the game or a few days before the game. Is it nice to hear from the players? To hear what goes through their mind during a miraculous comeback or a game-winning drive as media darling and superstar Seahawks QB Russell Wilson so eloquently shared with the media after leading his team over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game in Seattle? Of course. Its interesting. Its entertaining. It endears us to the players a little more. But its not essential. Its something that should be shared not mandated.

There are those who say these are millionaires making tons of money that comes from fans and through the media. The players OWE IT to the fans and the media to cooperate and stand in front of reporters, microphones, and cameras, and do it often. So that the media can ask questions that they already know the answer to in most cases, and give their cliched answers that the media can use as a quote for the story that they have already outlined and need quotes to bolster.

But don't give TOO MUCH of an answer, don't go all Richard Sherman after last year's NFC Championship win over the San Francisco 49ers, or they may call you a thug! Don't give too many cliche answers either cuz that's too boring, and certainly don't be controversial.

The fact of the matter is, that Marshawn Lynch, for whatever reason, does not feel comfortable talking to the media. Whether he has had a bad experience with a reporter or reporters before who misquoted him or made him unfairly look bad in a story, or if he genuinely suffers from an anxiety disorder or is just plain shy. He has made it abundantly clear that he is not very willing to cooperate with the media and the NFL on this. Yet, the media continues to give him grief, and the NFL continues to fine him, when he doesn't live up to the minimum requirements for media availability. So, what does he do? He shows up for media availability for the exact required minimum amount of time and gives the media standard answers. They basically know that's what he's going to do. Yet, the story doesn't die. Still, so much is made of it every time he does this.

I say, let it go. Let it go, like my 4 year old daughter always serenades me with. He is showing up to not get fined, because of the NFL's ridiculous policy demanding that players make themselves available. If a player shows time and time again that he doesn't want to deal with the media and yet is forced to, what do the media really expect to get out of him? Do they think he's going to show up one day and start orating on the history of the game? Why his team is going to win? Or break down a game for them?

The media should be thankful that they have people like Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, and, yes, even Richard Sherman who are more than happy to give them the juicy sound bites and stories they so crave. They should probably turn the page and get of Lynch's back. After all, he is a man of few words, but he's "all about that action".

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One For the Ages: Seahawks Compete Improbable Comeback in NFC Championship

2015-01-27T14:20:00.003-08:00

As I sat to watch this game, I was feeling quite confident that the Seahawks would knock off Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers en route to their second consecutive Super Bowl. As the game progressed, and as the Seahawks offense sputtered, and the defense were forced to contend with short fields due to turnovers, I must admit, I started to get a bit of an uneasy feeling. However, I never gave up hope, and like just about everyone I've spoken to since is claiming to, I had a feeling they would come back, I must admit things looked quite bleak at 16-0. Not just because of the score, but because of how terrible the Seahawks' offence looked. Not only were they not scoring or even moving the ball efficiently, they were turning the ball over time and again and gifting the Packers fantastic field position. The Seattle defense kept them alive by holding the Packers to field goals instead of touchdowns and the team had a pulse, however faint.

What is most amazing to me about this game is
how many rare and improbable plays had to fall into place for the Seahawks to get back in the game, take the lead, and eventually win it in overtime.

I mean, how often do you see a team fake a field goal? Maybe 2 or 3 times league-wide during an entire season? The chances of the holder, in this case Canadian punter Jon Ryan, completing the pass, maybe 20%? For a 1st down? We're looking at 10% at best. But for a touchdown? Gotta be less than 5%, right?

They also got a 1st down on a play where they were 31yds from moving the sticks. This doesn't happen very often. The Packers decided to be conservative (a theme throughout) and play a prevent defense rushing only 3. Somehow they left WR Doug Baldwin open and Russell Wilson found him for the 1st down. This, obviously, isn't as rare as a fake field goal touchdown pass, but the conversion rate with 31 yards to go isn't very high.

We also saw a successful on-side kick recovered late in the game when Packers TE/special teamer Brandon Bostick messed up his assignment and, instead of blocking Seahawks WR Jordan Matthews, stepped in front of sure-handed teammate Jordy Nelson and took the ball off his grill and helplessly watched it fall into Matthews' arms and into the Seahawks' possession. Okay, success rate of on-side kicks? According to Advanced Football Analytics, the success rate of on-side kicks in situations when the receiving team is expecting the play, which was clearly the case here, is about 20% or less. Somehow, the Seahawks, through luck, determination, or destiny, found a way to get their mitts on the ball for the recovery.

Even though they recovered the ball they weren't there yet. They still had to get the ball into the end zone. No easy feat with time ticking off the clock and no time-outs left. As we know, they got their touchdown, but there was still 1:25 left --plenty of time for Aaron Rodgers to move the ball into Packers' kicker Mason Crosby's field goal range. Therefore they needed a 2-point convert to give them a 3 point lead and safeguard themselves against a game-winning field goal by Green Bay and give themselves a chance in overtime. Green Bay got a lot of pressure on Wilson on the convert attempt forcing him out of the pocket and into throwing a desperation rainbow across the field. Surely Green Bay could easily make a play on it. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, already with 2 interceptions in the game was covering Luke Willson and looked like he could make a play on the ball that seemed to take forever to come down, but the ball just seemed to be so perfectly placed, in such a way that only Willson could get to it and the Seahawks had their 2pt convert and a 3pt lead.

After Aaron Rodgers did his thing and marched down the field, Crosby put up a successful field goal to tie the game. Off to overtime we go...

In overtime, long story short, we see Russell Wilson complete the game winning touchdown pass to Jeavon Kearse, who to this point was having a dreadful game, targeted 4 times for 4 interceptions, two of which bounced off his hands. Improbable. Miraculous. Inexplicable.

If you add the numbers, and I'm sure some number-cruncher out there as already tabulated the odds of that miraculous comeback ever happening again, you have to think that this is a team of destiny,

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BC Lions Welcome Back the Throwin' Samoan

2014-02-07T01:05:00.000-08:00

Former Lions QB Joe Paopao back in den as receivers coach

The BC Lions announced that they are bringing back their former QB and Head Coach Joe Paopao as receivers coach. Paopao was most recently head coach of
the Waterloo Warriors of the CIS, a position he held since 2012, initially joining them in 2007 as their Offensive Coordinator.

Joe Paopao, the Throwin' Samoan as he was known in his heyday, was the Lions QB in the late 70s and early 80s. He also played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Ottawa Rough Riders.

Welcome back Joe! Paopao returns to BC as the team’s receivers coach. READ MORE —> http://t.co/Cff2cR6XRI ~ pic.twitter.com/8fo7OQJtud
— BC Lions (@BCLions) February 6, 2014

Canucks Continue to Collapse

2014-02-07T00:33:00.000-08:00

The Vancouver Canucks lost tonight to the Montreal Paciorettys.

Let's try this again...

The Vancouver Canucks lost to the Montreal Canadiens --powered by Max Pacioretty, who netted a hat-trick on Sochi-bound Roberto Luongo. Luongo, going head to head with fellow Team Canada goalie Carey Price, stoned Max Pacioretty on not one, but two penalty shots in the second period. Pacioretty was the first player to get
2 penalty shots in one period since Erik Cole did it in 2004 against the Buffalo Sabres. He scored once on the two attempts making Roberto Luongo the first goalie, that I now of, in NHL hsitory to stop two penalty shots in one period off of the same player.

@vansport @strombone1. To my knowledge, yes.
— Liam Maguire (@Liams_Hockey) February 7, 2014

The Canucks continue to limp along with a plethora of injuries to key players. They found out before the game that team Captain Henrik Sedin would not only miss the next two games due to his rib injury courtesy of Phoenix Coyotes villain Martin Hanzal, who also took out Hank's teammate Mike Santorelli in the same game, but would not join his twin brother Daniel and teammate Alex Edler in representing Team Sweden in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

I know I've touched on this before on this page but giving Martin Hanzal a $5000 fine for taking out 3 Canucks players in one game is absolutely deplorable. The Coyotes are trying to catch the Canucks for a playoff spot and since these injuries the Canucks have gone into an absolute tailspin. Hanzal meanwhile scored the game-winning goal for Phoenix the next game out, made possible by avoiding any supplemental discipline from the NHL and Director of Player Safety (LMAO) Brendan Shanahan. Hanzal will also be representing the Czech Republic in Sochi. They play Team Sweden in their first round-robin game.

Sedin is shut down for the next two weeks and will stay in Vancouver to rest and rehab in the hopes of being ready to return to the ice and lead his team after the Olympic break. Mike Santorelli is done for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Thinks are not looking good for the Canucks who have now lost 6 games in a row in regulation and are quickly falling out of the NHL's Western Conference playoff picture.

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Latest Loss to Cup Champs has Canucks Fans Calling for Rebuild

2014-01-30T14:43:00.000-08:00

Latest Loss to Cup Champs has Canucks Fans Calling for Rebuild

We all saw it, we all know what happened. It was ugly. What made it even uglier was the fact that the Vancouver Canucks jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the defending Stanley Cup Champions raising the hopes of the hometown faithful. Only to have it ripped away like velcro on a kids running shoes.

The Chicago Blackhawks responded with 4 unanswered goals in approximately 8 minutes in the second period on their way to a 5-2 win.

Cue fan angst. Cue widespread panic. Cue unruly mobs and general pandemonium.

If you've listened to the call-in shows or seen the
message boards or peaked at Twitter you know that this town is in full-on panic mode. Trade everyone. Blow it up. Demand players with NTCs waive them. Further adding to the dismay is word that Mike Santorelli has had successful shoulder surgery but will require 5-6 months to rehabilitate, meaning he is done for the year. A team that is already having problems scoring and has already been bitten by the injury bug in a big way is missing two of their top scoring centres, essentially decimating their scoring depth. Both thanks to the stick of Martin Hanzal of the Phoenix Coyotes who got to take out two prominent players from the team they're trying to catch for a playoff spot for the low, low price of $5000; and the NHL wonders why the Canucks feel the need to stick up for their teammates. Kevin Bieksa also appears to be injured.

It is looking more and more like Canucks GM Mike Gillis is going to have to make a decision here; and soon. Give up on this season as hopeless due to the vast amount of injuries and inability to score regularly and start trimming some fat off the roster looking to next season? Or does he recognize the effort put forth by some of the veterans on this team, who, despite everything still are in playoff contention and find a band-aid or two at the trade deadline.

One way or another, I expect to see some action coming out of the Canucks head office immediately after the Olympic break. It looks like Mike Gillis' hand is forced.

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Canucks Dropping Like Flies

2014-01-29T12:19:00.004-08:00

Ahead of tonight's big tilt against the Chicago Blackhawks, comes word that Chris Tanev will miss at least one game with a broken thumb, and likely won't be ready until after the Olympic break.

GREAT! Just what they needed! Another injury!

In what is quickly becoming a season
spiraling out of control, the Canucks have been bit hard by the injury bug. Many key players have missed multiple games this year among them Roberto Luongo, Alex Burrows, Alex Edler, Mike Santorelli, Henrik Sedin, and now Chris Tanev. In fact, I'm not sure if the Canucks have iced their entire starting line-up for more than 2 consecutive games all season.

For a team that is hard-pressed to score goals and needs to play staunch defense and rely on stellar goaltending to eke out one goal wins, these injuries are certainly taking a toll. Though the Canucks are currently sitting in a playoff spot in the NHL's Western Conference, they might not be at season's end; and if they do make the playoffs it would be hard to imagine them getting past the first round, even with their full line-up.

Maybe the Canucks will have better luck with injuries next year.

Canucks Explosion of Scoring

2014-01-26T23:25:00.000-08:00

Canucks Explosion of Scoring

The Vancouver Canucks, somehow, managed 5 goals tonight at home against Mike Smith and the Phoenix Coyotes, a team chasing them for a playoff spot in the NHL's Western Conference. This comes on the heels of a run of games that has seen the team's scoring drying up of late, further exacerbated by injuries to Henrik Sedin and Mike Santorelli -courtesy of Martin Hanzal of these same Phoenix Coyotes.

Though none of the Canucks players risked a $5000 fine (the penalty that the NHL levied on Hanzal for committing stick fouls on 3 Canucks players in one game shaking up one and seriously injuring two) to go after Hanzal or his teammates in earnest, they did exact some revenge by beating them on the score sheet with a 5-4 overtime win, albeit in overtime. The Canucks once again gave up a 3rd period lead, something that has plagued them this season especially of late, but managed to get it together in time to pull 2 points out of the fire courtesy of a Kevin Bieksa overtime goal. Bieksa had two on the night doubling his season total.

The team faces another division rival tomorrow, the lowly Edmonton Oilers before battling the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.

Canucks 2012-2013 Aftermath

2013-05-10T01:15:00.002-07:00

Here's my take on the end of the Canucks season. I've given it a couple of days. I've digested it. I've calmed down. Much like Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis intimated in his end of season media address about not making emotional decisions, I didn't want to write this in the heat of the moment in a heightened emotional state. You won't read a hysterical rant about the Canucks' terrible play and the absolutely abysmal and game-affecting officiating throughout their 1st round series with the San Jose Sharks. For that, you can read my twitter feed leading up to and immediately after whatever that was that Kelly Sutherland thought he saw
from a couple of hundred feet away in OVERTIME of an ELIMINATION PLAYOFF GAME. No, you won't get a rant if that's what you're looking for. I've calmed down. Yes, the San Jose Sharks were TREATED to a 26-10 advantage in power-plays in FOUR games, but that's not what I'm going to talk about. But before I get into it, let that sink in for a moment. TWENTY-SIX to TEN disparity in man advantages in a FOUR GAME PLAYOFF SERIES. I mean, you have really got to TRY HARD to get it THAT uneven. There were a whole pile of terrible calls and non-calls and it seemed as though EVERY SINGLE ONE of them went against the Canucks. I mean, refs make mistakes. Its human nature. Its a tough job, granted. But THAT MANY obvious gaffes and ALL of them go against the SAME TEAM??? REALLY???? You've got Sharks throwing pucks out of their zone with their hands and sweeping pucks out of their own net with their hands with impunity...and people aren't gonna be left to wonder what kind of joke officiating this league is serving up in the playoffs?

But that's not what this blog post is about. We're going to talk about the end to the Canucks terrible season where they were swept in four games by the 6 seeded San Jose Sharks who better pray they continue to get a 2.6:1 power play ratio against the Blackhawks in the next round if they even stand a chance.
The Canucks got swept. Yes, the officiating hurt them. A LOT. But, really, they weren't playing well enough to win this series. Even if that bag of hammers behind the bench was smart enough to leave the red-hot Luongo in the line-up instead of putting in an ice-cold, recently injured Cory Schneider and Luongo stood on his head. If Luongo managed, somehow to pull it out of the bag, they would surely have been destroyed in the 2nd round anyways.

Fact is, this team is not playing up to their potential. The coach has got to go.

For the record, I think Alain Vigneault is a good coach. I think it was a good move bringing him in 7 years ago. I think he was exactly what this team needed at the time. However, he has showed in recent years that he has peaked. He has hit a ceiling. He has constantly been out-coached in the playoffs. Basically, the Canucks only win when the goalie stands on his head AND the Sedins/Kesler give them 3 or more goals. If they don't do that, they lose. they have no back-up plan. Absolutely no effective adjustments are ever made when the opposition figures them out.

In short, it was basically a wasted season. Another season of this core's peak playing years wasted. To put it bluntly it was one, giant clusterfuck of a season. Everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. Injuries galore, goalie controversy, a baffling suspension, a terrible power-play that the coaching staff just couldn't or wouldn't fix, biased refs, and so on and so on.

Best to put this one in the rear-view and focus on next season. More on that to come,

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Canucks vs Sharks - Renewing Acquaintances

2013-04-30T16:55:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow night the San Jose Sharks invade Rogers Arena to take on the Vancouver Canucks in Game1 of the NHL Western Conference Quarter-Finals. These teams have met once before with the Canucks taking out the Sharks in 5 games in the Western Conference Final on their way to losing in Game 7 of the 2010-2011 Stanley Cup Finals to the Boston Bruins.

Both teams have made a few changes since then. For the Canucks the most noticeable change
comes in goal where Cory Schneider has wrestled away the starting job from Roberto Luongo. The Canucks have since subtracted, most notably, Sami Salo, Raffi Torres, Mikael Samuelsson, Aaron Rome, Christian Ehrhoff, and Cody Hodgson and have added Zack Kassian, Jason Garrison, and Derek Roy.

The Sharks are very different team from the one that lost to the Canucks in 2011 but still have a large part of their core intact. Noticeable departees include Ryane Clowe, Dany Heatley, Jamie McGinn, Devin Setoguchi, and Douglas Murray. They've since brought in Scott Gomez, Brett Burns, Raffi Torres, and Martin Havlat.
The Sharks started off the season on fire, especially Patrick Marleau who started the season with 4 straight multiple-goal games becoming only the second player in NHL history, and the first since 1917, to complete such a feat. Incidentally it was the Cory Schneider and the Canucks who stopped the streak keeping Marleau to only one goal.

I think this will be an entertaining series with both teams possessing strong goaltending, solid defensive play, and good offensive ability. It will be interesting to see how the special teams battle plays out with the Canucks starting the season off terribly on both the power-play and the penalty kill. They have improved dramatically in the last 10-12 games coinciding, incidentally, with the return of Ryan Kesler from injury. The Canucks will need a healthy and motivated Kesler playing at his best to offset some of San Jose's dynamic forwards, namely Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, and Marleau.
I'm expecting a long series and its going to come down to special teams and which team can stay healthy.

Sharks in 7

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Sporting Vancouver 1st Round Playoff Prognostications - Western Conference

2013-04-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

The Western Conference has a lot of familiar faces in the playoffs this year as well as 2 teams that didn't make it last year in the Anaheim Ducks and the Minnesota Wild. The Columbus Blue Jackets surprised many by nearly making it as well. What we should see are 4 very
competitive 1st round series here in the West and a guarantee that whatever team gets out of the West will be battle-tested if not beaten-down.

1. Chicago Blackhawks vs 8. Minnesota Wild

The Blackhawks had a phenonmenal regular season by any standard, shortened or not. They pretty much coasted through the regular season including a 24 game unbeaten streak to start the season. They are playing as good as any team in the league heading into the playoffs with stellar goaltending from Corey Crawford and typically strong contributions from Kane and Toews. The Minnesota Wild made waves in the off-season signing Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to twin 13 year deals. They started off the season well and looked to be pulling way from the Canucks for the Northwest Division crown but they faltered near the end and ended up having to scratch and claw just to get into the playoffs. Blackhawks in 5

2. Anaheim Ducks vs. 7. Detroit Red Wings

This proves to be quite an interesting match-up with both teams possessing some serious high end talent. Detroit with Zetterberg and Datsyuk and Anaheim with Perry an Getzlaf. Both teams also have good supporting casts and decent goaltending. This, for me, is one of the hardest series to pick this year and I think could really go either way. I think it will come down to goaltending and i think Detroit has a slight edge in that department. Red Wings in 7

4. St. Louis Blues vs. 5. Los Angeles Kings

In this one, we have the defending Stanley Cup Champions going up against a team that finished 2nd in the Western Conference last year with 109 points and who many picked to go very far this season. Two very physical teams with size and speed and good defensively. These two teams are almost mirror images of each other and this promises to be one hell of a series. There most likely won't be a lot of goals scored but both teams will earn every inch they get and the winner of this one will be the team that can survive. Both are capable, but LA has done it before. Kings in 7.

Stay tuned for a more detailed break-down of the Vancouver Canucks - San Jose Sharks series on the next post.

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Sporting Vancouver 1st Round Playoff Prognostications - Eastern Conference

2013-04-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

After a lock-out shortened regular season we finally get down to business...the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs are upon us. This year's shortened season produced some new entrants in the NHL's tournament. After a 9 year hiatus the Toronto Maple Leafs finally
broke through and got into the 5 seed in the East and will face the Boston Bruins. Other teams that are in this year that weren't in last year: New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild and the Anaheim Ducks.

In the East:

1. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 8. New York Islanders

The New York Islanders have been a huge surprise this year and appear to be a couple of years ahead of schedule on their most recent re-build. John Tavares has been leading the way for the Isles and they've been getting solid goaltending from the once reluctant Islander, Evgeni Nabakov. This will be a good experience for Tavares and some of the other young Isles to build on moving forward, but the Penguins take this one easily, Sidney Crosby or no Sidney Crosby. Penguins in 5

2. Montreal Canadiens vs 7. Ottawa Senators

This will be the first all-Canadian playoff match-up in nearly 10 years. The Montreal Canadiens had a great season, winning the Northeast Division after missing the playoffs last season. They played like an elite team most of the season led by stellar goaltending from Carey Price, but he struggled greatly towards the end of the season, leaving a big question mark above the Canadiens collective head going into the playoffs. The Senatos on the other hand have shown a lot of resilience even qualifying for the playoffs at all particularly in a tough division after suffering major injuries to many of their core players including Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson. Karlsson made a surprise return with a few games left in the season and looks ready for the playoffs logging 25-30 minutes a night. This will be an entertaining series and a long series. Senators in 7

3. Washington Capitals vs. 6. New York Rangers

The New York Rangers had high expectations coming into this season after finishing 1st overall in the Eastern Conference a year ago. Backed by Henrik Lundqvist and newly acquired Rick Nash many predicted big things for the Rangers. The regular season was quite a disappoint for the most part and they were in real danger of missing the playoffs but since acquiring Ryan Clowe and jettisoning Marion Gaborik at the trade deadline they got hot and got hot at the right time. The Capitals had a slow start but Holtby and Ovechkin have gotten better and better as the season progressed and so did the team. Expect a lot of intensity early on. Rangers in 6

4. Boston Bruins vs. 5. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs have finally made the playoffs after a long hiatus and will meet the Boston Bruins. There are a lot of story lines in this one with the trades made between the two teams in the past. Both teams have a fair amount of skill and toughness, but the Bruins have more depth, experience, and a decided advantage in goal. Bruins in 6

10 Possible Reasons Alain Vigneault Doesn't Like/Won't Play Keith Ballard

2013-04-29T15:00:00.002-07:00

I don't care what anyone says, I'm convinced that Vancouver Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault has it in for defenceman Keith Ballard. Time and time again, since his arrival here Keith Ballard has been benched inexplicably and been passed on the depth chart by virtually every defenceman in the organization. Most recently by rookie Frank Corrado who has a total of exactly 3, basically mean-nothing NHL games under his belt and a total of 6 total pro games at any level. I mean, you pretty much have to be going out of your way to push him that far down the depth-chart.
I, for one, think Ballard is not being deployed correctly and is being treated unfairly. I know many others in the twitterverse and bloggerverse feel the same way.
The narrative we get fed by the mainstream media closely associated with the team is that Ballard makes too many mistakes and turns the puck over too many times. While I won't argue that he does make mistakes from time to time I would argue that he makes no more mistakes than do Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler, and Andrew Alberts. These three however seem to do so with impunity. So we can rule that out of the possible reasons that Ballard gets sat out so often he has his name engraved on his press-box seat. For if this were the case, if AV sits players out when they make numerous mistakes, Bieksa, Edler, and Ballard would be sitting out half the season! Hell, Mason Raymond would be in the ECHL!!!
So I'm trying to delve deeper into the psyche of our good coach Alain Vigneault to try to uncover the REAL reason that he just won't give Keith Ballard a reasonable chance at cracking the Canucks line-up on a consistent basis...

Reason # 10:

Keith Ballard's name is VERY un-French-like.

Reason # 9:

Keith Ballard reminds him of himself when he was an NHLer and since he didn't play much/got benched a lot he projects that on Keith Ballard

Reason #8

Keith Ballard, once early on, didn't offer AV one of his lozenges even though he knew that AV had run out.

Reason #7:

AV once knew a kid back in high-school named Keith who bullied him

Reason # 6:

He's 'saving him' for game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final

Reason #5

Once had a dog named Ballard who he made a doghouse for.

Reason #4:

Some guy named Keith stole his girlfriend at prom

Reason #3:

If you re-arrange the letters in Keith Ballard's name you can spell CODY HODGSON.

Reason #2:

AV had a thing for Grabner and this is his passive-aggressive way of getting back at GMMG for trading him

Reason #1:

He's not Mason Raymond

If you have some other possible reasons you think Alain Vigneault won't play Keith Ballard, feel free to add them to the comment box below or tweet them to me!

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Time To Channel Your Hated for the Sharks

2013-04-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

Remember the Canucks 2010-2011 Stanley Cup Run? Of course you do.

1 game short.

Do you remember how much anger and hatred you (assuming you're a Canuck fan) felt towards those evil thug knuckle-dragging Boston Bruins? Of course you do.

Everyone remembers
Burrows slaying the dragon and the Canucks FINALLY getting over on the arch-rival Chicago Blackhawks. Sandwiched in between there were 2 series against the Nashville Predators and the San Jose Sharks. Maybe not as memorable....

Sure! Everyone remembers Kevin Bieksa scoring the series winner in overtime of Game 5 with a fortuitous bounce off "the Stanchion", but it seems not much else in that series is overly memorable to most. Maybe its the fact that the overbearing memory of those playoffs was the loss to the Bruins in the finals. A far distant second would be Burrows slaying the dragon in round one. Maybe it was because it was such a short series. Maybe it was because it seemed so easy for the Canucks who scored power play goal after power play goal seemingly at will.

One might remember a few sparks between these teams...namely Jamie McGinn putting his name on every Canucks' fans shit-list by running around throwing elbows and late hits (at least until Keith Ballard put him in his place and made him look like a human helicopter sending him ass over teakettle with a massive hip-check along the boards).

Its time to get your hatred level up for the San Jose Sharks again. Repeat after me: "Oooohh! I hate those racka-fracka flip-flappin varmint San Jose Sharks!" (with apologies to Yosemite Sam)

Game 1 of the series goes Wednesday May 1st at 7pm on TSN. Yes, TSN...NOT CBC!

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Whitecaps Eke One Out in Edmonton

2013-04-24T22:18:00.002-07:00

The Vancouver WhitecapsFC started the 2013 AmWay Canadian Championship with a 3-2 victory over EdmontonFC of the 2nd tier North American Soccer League.
The Whitecaps were expected to easily handle Edmonton but this game
almost didn't go to plan. Up until very late in the game EdmontonFC were hanging on to a 2-1 lead. A questionable penalty awarded to Camilo allowed the Caps to tie it up. Tom Heinemann banged in a rebound shortly after to put the Whitecaps up 3-2.
EdmontonFC were perhaps unlucky to not at least get a result, but were outplayed for large stretches of the game as the superior quality of the Whitecaps came through.
TorontoFC downed the Montreal Impact 2-0 in the other semi-final.
The second leg goes at BCPlace Stadium next Wednesday May 1st.

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Canucks Playoff Ready? They Better Be

2013-04-23T22:57:00.000-07:00

Last night's game between the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks can be looked at in two ways depending on your perspective.

One might say that the Vancouver Canucks played one of their best games of the season thus far against the top team in the NHL and soon to be crowned President's Trophy winners the Chicago Blackhawks. One might say that the Canucks, despite missing 3 of their top 6 defensemen shut down the explosive Blackhawks save for a fluky rarely seen ref-assisted goal. One might say
that they dominated the Blackhawks --took it to them, even --outhitting them 14-3 in the first period while creating multiple grade A scoring chances forcing Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford to stand on his head to keep the score close, especially early on.

That's one way to look at it.

Another might say that the Blackhawks were not at their best and, in fact, played one of their worst games of the season. That this game meant little to them in the standings and why should they exert themselves and potentially risk injury so late in the season getting emotionally invested in what would certainly be a heated game.

It is likely that somewhere in the middle lies the reality of the matter.

While we will certainly see more from the Blackhawks in the playoffs, one would be hard-pressed to build a reasonable argument that the Canucks were only successful last night because Chicago didn't bring their "A" game. The Canucks quite clearly were motivated and engaged. They wanted this game and it appeared as though they would not be denied. It was likely one of, if not the, most physical the Canucks have been all season with virtually all players getting involved. Even the Sedins were mixing it up with the Blackhawks --particularly with Duncan Keith driving him to distraction and frustration. (I won't get into it as his exploits during and after the game have been more than well-documented)

It was quite clear the Blackhawks were frustrated at not being able to get anything going and being thoroughly outplayed throughout the game. On more than one occasion they took runs at the Sedins (and others) with flying elbows, 2-hand slashes, gloved punches and the like.
The Sedins, and the Canucks as a whole, handled themselves well carrying the play and administering physical punishment as required.
It was playoff style hockey. Perhaps the most playoff style hockey we have seen the Canucks play in quite some time. Not a moment too soon. Is it possible the Canucks have 'flipped the switch' and are able to instantly ramp up their intensity just in time for the playoffs? @strombone1 seems to think so... #fliptheswitch

#fliptheswitch
—Strombone (@strombone1) April 23, 2013

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Khalif Mitchell Might Need to Rethink Some Decisions

2013-04-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

The latest from the outspoken Khalif Mitchell came in the form of a televised sit-down interview with Craig McEwen on Rogers Sportsnet. In the interview, Mitchell re-affirmed his stance that he took when he was traded by the BC Lions to the Toronto Argonauts, stating that he would not report to Toronto and would like to be released from his contract.
He cited his love of the west-coast lifestyle and an apparently lucrative business arrangement with a west-coast beverage company.
Khalif Mitchell has always been, what one might describe, a free-thinker. One need not look any further than his twitter account @Truthwillfree96 for evidence of that. In his Twitter bio he
describes himself as, among other things, a "Believer in TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE CONCEPT". I think it will take a lot more than that to set him free from his contract, and truth is he is either getting bad advice or he needs to grow up a little.
I think he is a fantastic player and from all accounts a great guy and truly unique and gifted person. As a season ticket holder I've shaken his hands after games a few times and he has signed autographs for me and countless other fans. From what I've seen, he has always made a point of greeting fans after games on the way to the dressing room and will sign for anyone who asks.

Khalif Mitchell still has 1 year left on his contract with the Argos and it would probably be in his best interest to honour it, go play for a year for them and make a good impression and either take a crack at playing again down south in the NFL or get on with another CFL team, of his choosing, as a free agent. Then he will truly be free...and that's the TRUTH!

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