01-11-2020, 12:43 AM
VANCOUVER - Kevin Glenns fill-in role with the B. Ronnie Lott Jersey .C. Lions took on greater importance Friday as they prepared for their 2014 CFL season opener. The Lions placed starting quarterback Travis Lulay on the six-game injured reserve list in advance of Saturdays game against the Edmonton Eskimos at B.C. Place Stadium. The move means that Glenn, a 14-year veteran who has built a standout career by being a stand-in, will start for the Lions in more games than planned, barring injury. You can watch the game live on TSN and TSN GO in the second half of a doubleheader at 6pm et/3pm pt. "It takes the pressure off of (Lulay), it takes the pressure off the club. … Its just the smartest thing to do," said Lions coach Mike Benevides. Glenn, a 35-year-old Detroit native, was acquired from the expansion Ottawa RedBlacks in an off-season trade to help offset the effects of Lulays off-season shoulder injury. Benevides was even more grateful for the deal which he sincerely dubbed "the trade of the century" after he admitted the club "miscalculated" Lulays recovery period. It was already known that Glenn would start against the Eskimos, but Lulay, who was placed on the one-week injury list at the start of this week, was expected back soon. Now Lulay, who took part in a walk-through Friday, can not practise with the team for at least four weeks under rules that were revised by the new collective bargaining agreement between the league and players association. Glenn went 10-3 with the Calgary Stampeders last season while helping them post a 14-4 record that was the best in the CFL. But despite a 66.6 per cent completion rate that was the second highest of his career, he was made available in the expansion draft. The RedBlacks claimed him, but he balked at being a backup with the first-year club after it signed former Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Henry Burris. Glenn was in limbo before the Lions sent a 2014 first-round pick to Ottawa for him on May 13. He has quickly made an impression with B.C. by helping his new club go unbeaten in two exhibition games. "The guys have gravitated to him," said Benevides. "Hes a guy thats overcome a lot of obstacles. Hes a winner. He took his team to a championship game (in Calgary in 2012 and Winnipeg in 2007.)" Glenn, who will try to bring the Lions back to glory after his Stampeders beat them in the 2012 Western Final, says hes thankful for his chance with B.C. "I think its a pretty good situation," he said before the club revealed Lulays revised status. "I get an opportunity to continue to keep playing. I get an opportunity to be on the field. … Its just an opportunity to put forth an effort to help a team win in that capacity of the team." Glenns acquisition has emerged as the most important of several changes made by the Lions, who lost former backup quarterback Thomas DeMarco to Ottawa in the expansion draft and veteran signal-caller Buck Pierce to retirement. He is the only healthy Lions quarterback with CFL experience, but has felt comfortable with the schemes injected by new offensive co-ordinator Khari Jones, who was a teammate and coach while they were with Hamilton. "I think were on the right track," said Glenn. "Nobody ever won the Grey Cup in Week 1. But at the same time, you want to see progress, and Ive seen it from the time we started (training) camp until now — and I expect us to keep going up that road." Added B.C. receiver Courtney Taylor: "With (Glenn) here, its almost like we didnt miss a beat." The third-year Lion attributes Glenns success thus far in B.C. to his familiarity with Jones and his experience. "Hes familiar with the offence," said Taylor. "Thats one of the key things why we havent missed a beat. He came in. He knew where guys were supposed to be. Hell tell you where youre supposed to be." With Glenn set to guide the club for a third of the season, if not longer, the challenge now is for the Lions to start proving they can adapt to other changes as smoothly — notably on the offensive line where rookies Andre Ramsey, a 28-year-old left tackle from Ball State and T-Dre Player, a 22-year-old Winnipeg native who played at Northwestern State, will start at left tackle and left guard, respectively. Despite limited experience playing together, centre Matt Norman does not have any concerns about the new-look offensive-protection unit. "Throughout all of training camp, weve had guys rotating in and out of positions, and everybody has shown their worth and their capability to earn those spots," he said. Quarterback protection will also be a key issue with the Eskimos under new coach Chris Jones and their extensively revamped playing and coaching ranks as they try to improve on a disappointing 4-14 record last year. The Eskimos will also start two rookie offensive linemen in left guard Tony Washington, a 28-year-old Abilene Christian product and Andrew Jones, a 21-year-old out of McMaster. Mike Reilly, who was sacked more than any other CFL quarterback last season and put on about 20 pounds of muscle in the off-season to help him withstand hits better, looks forward to seeing how Edmontons offensive and defensive schematic changes, and such personnel additions as free agent cornerback Pat Watkins from Toronto, play out against the Lions. "Theyve been good changes," said Reilly. "Theyve been changes to help us become a championship football team." Notes: Earlier Friday, the Lions announced they had re-signed receiver Courtney Taylor and defensive tackle Eric Taylor to contract extensions. Both were entering the option year of their previous contracts. ... B.C. wide receiver Marco Iannuzzi is out with an undisclosed in injury. … Linebacker Jamall Johnson, who signed on for a second stint with the Lions in the off-season, was elected as a team captain by his teammates. … Rennie Curran is slated to start at middle linebacker in place of the injured J.C. Sherritt (lower body) while rookie Dexter McCoil will start at an outside linebacker spot as a result of the moves. Larry Allen Jersey . The veteran fighter will be squaring off with Henderson in a five-round lightweight bout as part of another network televised card at the United Center on Saturday night. Terry Kirby Jersey . Canada will host Japan in a World Group first-round match in 2015. It will be a rematch of their first-round clash last year when Japan defeated Canada 4-1 to reach the World Group quarter-finals for the first time in its history. http://www.custompatriotsjersey.com/cust...1101f.html . The Los Angeles Clippers showed them just how ugly that life could be. Jared Dudley scored a season-high 21 points, Chris Paul added 16 points and 17 assists, and the Clippers jumped all over the Bulls in Roses absence for a 121-82 victory Sunday.FUKUOKA, Japan - Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan beat three-time world champion Patrick Chan of Canada with a record score to lead the short program at the Grand Prix Final on Thursday. Skating to "Parisian Walkways," Hanyu opened with a quad toe-loop and hit all his other jumps to the delight of a sellout crowd at Marine Messe. His 99.84 points surpassed the previous high of 98.52 by Chan at the Trophee Bompard last month. "I was surprised when I saw the score," Hanyu said. "All my jumps were very good. I lost a bit of concentration near the end and need to improve that but now I have to focus on the free skate." Chan hit his opening quad toe-loop, triple toe-loop combination but touched the ice on the landing of his triple axel and doubled a planned triple lutz to finish with 87.47. "Im not super happy with how I skated," Chan said. "When you achieve close to pperfection like I did in Paris its hard to do it again. Jim Plunkett Jersey. . Tomorrow is a new day and the long program is where its won and where its lost so well see." Nobunari Oda, a late substitute for injured Japanese compatriot Daisuke Takahashi, finished third with 80.94. Mao Asada led after the womens short program with 72.36 points despite under-rotating her opening triple axel. "The judges saw it as under-rotated but I personally felt good about it," Asada said. "So I wont be worried about it going into the long program." Adelina Sotnikova, one of four Russian skaters in the field, was second with 68.38 followed by Ashley Wagner of the United States who had 68.14. The GP Final is the first and only event where most of the worlds top skaters will meet before the Sochi Olympics. The mens free skate and the ice dance short program are scheduled for Friday. ' ' '