2009 CFL Western Preview - British Columbia Lions

Football Betting Lines

06/23/2009 - Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - West. 2008 Record - 12-8. Playoff Result: Lost, 22-18, to Calgary in divison finals. Stadium - B.C. Place. Capacity - 29,706. Colors - Orange, black and silver

Last season, had the Lions been playing in the East Division of the CFL they would have been tied for first place with Montreal, thanks to a points total that numbered 22. Instead, BC was third in the tougher West Division, the only team among the four with a losing record against the rest of its members.

This year general manager and head coach Wally Buono is hoping to move his squad up the totem pole and give it a better shot at postseason glory. The Lions' all-time leader in wins with 74, Buono has gotten his group into the postseason in each of the last six years and into the Grey Cup tilt in 2006, but the three-time CFL Coach of the Year still has something to prove.

Guiding the British Columbia offense in 2009 is Buck Pierce, the quarterback now entering his fifth season out of New Mexico State University. Pierce had his most successful season thus far in 2008 when he completed better than 64 percent of his pass attempts for 3,018 yards and 19 touchdowns. Much more a part of the offense a season ago, Pierce still has some kinks to work out after tossing nine interceptions.

Former Notre Dame product Jarious Jackson provides a dual threat for the Lions because he can both pass (2,164 yards and 17 TDs last season) and run (362 yards) to keep defenses off balance and give the BC offense a different look from time to time.

Not to be completely overlooked is second-year man Zac Champion, someone who could easily step in and make throws in a pinch for the Lions.

Wideout Terence Scott should be one of the go-to guys on the outside for Pierce, even though he is in his first year and has signed on as a free agent. O'Neil Wilson showed huge promise in just his third season back in 2006 when he played for Montreal, catching 92 balls for 1,056 yards and yet he failed to take any one of those into the end zone. A drop-off in production the last couple of seasons means he is due to bounce back.

At running back, Ian Smart figures to be the man getting most of the carries, considering how the depth chart is beginning to shape up with some other inexperienced runners. The knock on Smart is that he is prone to putting the ball on the turf, something he did seven times on just 32 carries two seasons ago. On average, Smart has dropped the ball, literally, once out of every five attempts, something that doesn't exactly make him the most reliable guy on the roster.

Even though he was not the primary ball carrier while at Iowa the last few years, being a part of that run-happy Hawkeyes group means that Damian Sims knows what it takes to be productive and that translates into him getting a chance to show what he has for the Lions.

During training camp, the defense, specifically lineman Gary Butler, didn't exactly seem to be rolling along with the program and was instead rolling with the punches against fullback Rolly Lumbala during drills.

Perhaps the biggest problem facing the Lions is finding a replacement for Defensive Player of the Year Cameron Wake, who after logging an astounding 23 sacks, headed to the Miami Dolphins and the NFL.

Just as bad, BC also saw three key linebackers fall off the roster in Jamall Johnson, Jason Pottinger and Otis Floyd, which means the unit in the middle is having to regroup before they get too deep into the schedule.

Former Saskatchewan linebacker Anton Mackenzie was picked up to try and fill the void, but that still leaves some huge gaps that need filling. Defensive end Nautyn McKay-Loescher was brought in to hopefully ease the pain of losing Wake, but that won't be easy by any stretch of the imagination.

Some inexperience and growing pains on both sides of the ball will probably keep the Lions from reaching their full potential in 2009, and that in turn will have them struggling in the division yet again. Will it keep British Columbia out of the playoffs? We shall see.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Finish: Fourth

Thebigbok Football Betting News

<< Roddick, del Potro reach second round at Big W
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two-time runner-up Andy Roddick and fifth-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro were a pair of first-round winners Tuesday at Wimbledon. The sixth-seeded Roddick hiccupped in the third set in an othe

<< 2009 CFL Western Preview - Saskatchewan Roughriders
Regina, SK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - West. 2008 Record - 12-6. Playoff Result: Lost, 33-12, to British Columbia in the West Division semifinals. Stadium - Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field. Capacity - 30,945. Colors - Gree

<< 2009 CFL Western Preview - Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - West. 2008 Record - 10-8. Playoff Result: Lost, 36-26, to Montreal in division final. Stadium - Commonwealth Stadium. Capacity - 60,081. Colors - Green, gold, black and white De

<< 2009 CFL Western Preview - Calgary Stampeders
Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - West. 2008 Record - 15-5. Playoff Result: Defeated Montreal, 22-14, in the Grey Cup Championship. Stadium - McMahon Stadium. Capacity - 35,650. Colors - Red, white and black Sixt

<< Del Potro rolls in Wimbledon opener
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fifth-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro was an easy first-round winner Tuesday at Wimbledon. The 6-foot-6 del Potro blasted speedy Frenchman Arnaud Clement 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 to set-up a second-rounde

2009 CFL Eastern Preview - Hamilton Tigercats >>
Hamilton, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - East. 2008 Record: 3-15. Playoff Result: None. Stadium - Ivor Wynne Stadium. Capacity - 29,600. Colors: Black and Gold The 2008 season was one to forget for the Hamilton Tigerca

2009 CFL Eastern Preview - Montreal Alouettes >>
Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - East. 2008 Record: 11-7. Playoff Result: Lost, 22-14, to Calgary in Grey Cup Championship. Stadium - Percival Molson Stadium. Capacity - 20,202. Colors: Red, blue, silver, white, a

2009 CFL Eastern Preview - Toronto Argonauts >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - East. 2008 Record: 4-14. Playoff Result: None. Stadium - Rogers Centre. Capacity - 53,000. Colors: Oxford blue, Cambridge blue, White The 2008 season was a disaster for the Toron

2009 CFL Eastern Preview - Winnipeg Blue Bombers >>
Winnipeg, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - East. 2008 Record: 8-10. Playoff Result: Lost, 29-21, to Edmonton in division semifinals. Stadium - Canada Inns Stadium. Capacity - 29,533. Colors: Blue and Gold The good news f

Red Wings part ways with Chelios >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings will not re-sign veteran defenseman Chris Chelios, ending his nearly decade-long run with the team. The Detroit News reported that Red Wings general manager Ken Holland met wit

Police report: Terrell Owens hospitalized after attempt

Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.

The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.

Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.

NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.

"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.

The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.

But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.

The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.

Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.

The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.

The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.

The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.

Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.

Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."

Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.

"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."

Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.

It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.

"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."

Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.

"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."

At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.

According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.

Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.

Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.

When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.

He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.

Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.

Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.

Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.

While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.

"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.

Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.

Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your VISA Sportsbook needs.