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 counts for so long; greatness sticks. 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. C.J. Miles Jersey . They started shooting the puck. Joe Pavelski had a hat trick to move into a tie for second in the NHL in goals and the Sharks beat Philadelphia 7-3 Thursday night in the first game for both teams following the Olympic break. Lucas Nogueira Jersey . Although Olivetti, a qualifier, had 13 aces, he failed to force a single break-point chance on Gasquets serve and lost his own three times. Gasquet next plays third-seeded Jerzy Janowicz of Poland, who won had 18 aces in a 6-2, 6-4 win against seventh-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France. http://www.cheapraptorsjerseys.com/.Y. - DeMarre Carroll felt as though he couldnt miss in the second quarter as he outscored the Brooklyn Nets 14-13 all by himself. Cheap Raptors Jerseys China .com) - A pair of Eastern Conference rivals will meet on Saturday as D. Tracy McGrady Jersey . Torres tells Spanish daily AS "in football you never know where you will be inside one month. Im going to work hard, thats all you can do with this last part of the season so important.Brasilia, Brazil - Costa Rica attempts to continue its Cinderella run at the World Cup when the Ticos tangle with the Netherlands at the Arena Fonte Nova. Listen to the game live starting at 4pm et/1pm pt on TSN 1050, TSN 690, TSN 1200, and TEAM 1410. Costa Rica reached the last eight for the first time after topping Greece in penalty kicks in the round of 16, while the Dutch are attempting to reach back-to-back World Cup semifinals for the first time since 1974 and 1978. The Ticos were viewed as outsiders in Group D, which included Italy, England and Uruguay, but after claiming seven points to win that group, Jorge Luis Pintos team came up against a stubborn Greek side making its first-ever knockout-round appearance. Bryan Ruiz scored early in the second half to put Costa Rica in front, but after defender Oscar Duarte received a second yellow card in the 66th minute, Pintos team spent much of the remainder of the match defending. They almost got over the line, but Sokratis Papastathopoulos scored for Greece in stoppage time, forcing the match into extra time and ultimately penalty kicks. But Costa Rica survived the ordeal to win 5-3 in the shootout, showing the resilience the team has exhibited throughout the tournament. "It was a dramatic match, a very difficult one," Pinto said after the game with Greece. "There were moments when we dominated the match but there were other moments when they did but we were strong and we came through." If Costa Rica is going to continue its journey, the team is going to have to be even stronger against the favored Dutch, who have won all four of their games at this World Cup. The team trailed 1-0 against Mexico in the round of 16 entering the final five minutes, but Wesley Sneijder fired home the equalizer a few minutes from time before Arjen Robben drew a foul inside the penalty area, allowing Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to fire home the winning goal from the spot. Louis van Gaals side has made a habit of coming back in Brazil as the team haas given up the first goal in three of its four games so far, only to rally for the win each time.dddddddddddd "I think we are on a mission together, and when you come to a World Cup its not to enjoy the weather and enjoy the beach in Rio," said Robben, who has tallied three goals and an assist so far. "Youre here to win matches and to go as far as possible. I dont think the expectations were that high before the tournament and, as a result, we can be very proud of where we are." The Dutch found themselves in a tough group with Spain, Chile and Australia, but after winning all three games to sit atop the group, the Oranje have a great chance at making another deep run. Things have come together nicely for the Dutch as the team ended up with a pair of teams from CONCACAF in its first two knockout-round games, making Van Gaals men favorites to reach the last four. But Robben isnt looking too far past the Ticos, especially since the team has already toppled favored sides like Italy and Uruguay. "I think theyre a very strong team. We have to stay focused," Robben told FIFA.com. "Costa Rica have a very good team, they have already proved that in their group, which was very tough, with Italy, England and Uruguay in there. Theyve been really impressive and well have to prepare very well if were going to beat them." One player who wont be available to Van Gaal the rest of the tournament is midfielder Nigel de Jong, who was forced off the field against Mexico after nine minutes because of a groin injury. Costa Rica will be a bit shorthanded in defense after Duartes red card, while Roy Miller is unlikely to be fit in time to face the Dutch because of a foot injury. Pintos team will once again embrace the role of underdogs, and although they have made history already in Brazil, dont expect the Ticos to be content. "We respect the Netherlands, just as we respect all our rivals, but the story goes on and were hungry for more," Pinto said. 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