59 Facts About BC Lions

BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The BC Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League, and play their home games at BC Place.

BC Lions played their first season in 1954, and have played every season since.

BC Lions were the first Western Canadian team to have won the Grey Cup at home, having done so in 1994 and 2011, before Saskatchewan won in 2013, while becoming the only team to beat an American-based franchise in a championship game, a feat accomplished in 1994.

The BC Lions hold the second-longest playoff streak in CFL history, making the playoffs every season from 1997 to 2016, failing to make the playoffs for the first time in over 20 seasons in 2017 .

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The only positive for the BC Lions happened at the end of the season, when Beaumont won WIFU Outstanding Rookie of the Year honors, becoming the first BC Lions player to win a major CFL award.

BC Lions started the 1961 season by signing former Minnesota Golden Gopher Tom Brown to a contract, but the team continued performing poorly on the field.

Any hopes of the BC Lions becoming a dynasty team after their Grey Cup championship season quickly disappeared in 1965, as the team started to recede back to the basement of the Western Conference.

The BC Lions responded by winning four of their last five games.

BC Lions began the 1975 season with a change at quarterback, as Eric Guthrie and Peter Liske platooned at the position, replacing Moorhead.

The BC Lions turned this into a touchdown two plays later to take the lead for good after Saskatchewan had led for most of the game up to that point.

BC Lions' running back great Willie "The Wisp" Fleming was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

The BC Lions moved into the domed BC Place Stadium, their new home stadium, which opened in June 1983.

One week later, the same BC Lions line-up met Hamilton at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

BC Lions began their 1987 campaign without the services of stand-out wide receiver Mervyn Fernandez, who left during the offseason to join the Los Angeles Raiders.

CFL's competition cap forced the BC Lions to start the 1988 season with 22 new faces in their lineup, one of which was star quarterback Matt Dunigan, acquired in a trade with Edmonton.

The BC Lions entered the playoffs with momentum and were touted as Grey Cup favourites.

Under new head coach Lary Kuharich and general manager Joe Kapp, the BC Lions generated a good deal of preseason hype in 1990 with the signings of West Virginia University quarterback Major Harris, who was fourth in 1989 Heisman Trophy balloting, and quarterback Doug Flutie.

The BC Lions tied their first game against Calgary in the dying seconds of the contest as Doug Flutie tossed a "hail Mary" pass to Ray Alexander in the end zone.

The BC Lions kept close in every game, winning a tight one against Winnipeg at home on a last-second Passaglia field goal, while losing to Hamilton in the final seconds in the next contest.

The eastern road trip to Ottawa and Toronto, during which the BC Lions lost both games, spelled the beginning of the end for the new coach and general manager.

The BC Lions offence led the CFL in 11 different categories and the team was in a three-way battle with Calgary and Edmonton for first place in the Western Division, right down to the end of the season.

The BC Lions struck quickly with wins over Saskatchewan and Toronto before grinding to a halt in Winnipeg after only three days rest between road games.

The BC Lions entered the September 18,1993 game against Calgary in a battle for first place in the Western Division.

Nevertheless, the BC Lions made the playoffs after a one-year absence, facing Calgary in the West Division semi-final game on November 14,1993.

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BC Lions entered the 1994 campaign with a new quarterback, Kent Austin, at the helm.

Passaglia missed the field goal with just over one minute remaining, but the BC Lions' defence rose up to deny Baltimore and stop them cold within their own five-yard line.

The BC Lions won their first three games before suffering a setback in Calgary.

Individually, BC Lions' running back Cory Philpot broke the CFL record for touchdowns in a season with 22, and won the Eddie James Memorial Trophy for the second year in a row as the Northern Division's leading rusher.

The BC Lions held training camp at UBC with over a hundred players invited.

Stability in the front office proved short-lived, as Skalbania and his ownership group lost control of the team, and the BC Lions went into receivership, with the CFL taking over the team once more, just as they had in 1992.

BC Lions started the 1998 season off on the wrong foot, losing their first three games, before finally beating Saskatchewan in week four.

The no-nonsense approach of Mohns seemed to spark the team, as the BC Lions embarked on a memorable, six-game winning streak heading into the playoffs.

The BC Lions started fast out of the gate, winning their first three games to set a new club record with nine straight regular-season wins.

The BC Lions either held sole possession of first place or were tied with Calgary throughout the season.

The BC Lions appeared to be driving toward a chance to kick a game-winning field goal in the last minute before Damon Allen fumbled the ball at mid-field, allowing the Stamps to kill off the remaining time.

The BC Lions fielded three CFL All-Stars in 1999: slotback Jimmy Cunningham, centre Jamie Taras, and defensive tackle Johnny Scott.

BC Lions began the 2000 campaign with only one goal in mind: win the Grey Cup.

Six months later, the BC Lions would fulfill that destiny, but the path to the 88th Grey Cup was one of the most adventurous, unpredictable, and memorable ever in CFL history.

Nevertheless, the BC Lions came together when it counted the most, winning three of their last four heading into the playoffs, and the offence gelling to become the best in the CFL that season.

The BC Lions acquired former Stampeders and NFL QB Dave Dickenson through free agency, which prompted BC Lions QB Damon Allen to leave for the Toronto Argonauts.

The BC Lions, receiving a bye in the first round of the playoffs by virtue of their first-place divisional finish, faced one of their biggest rivals, the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The BC Lions were then pitted against the Toronto Argonauts in the 92nd Grey Cup Championship, a rematch of the 2003 semi-finals.

The BC Lions won only one of their remaining seven games of the regular season.

The BC Lions nearly swept the annual player awards, with Brent Johnson, Geroy Simon, Rob Murphy, Mark Washington, and Aaron Hunt all taking home hardware.

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The BC Lions had a little trouble getting back on track, as they suffered a loss to Winnipeg and a tie with Calgary.

On September 22,2007, the BC Lions battled their biggest foe, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, for the 1st place spot in the West Division.

The BC Lions went on to win all the rest of their games of the regular season and captured 1st place in the West Division for a fourth consecutive year.

The BC Lions held a memorial ceremony at the next home game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and would wear an orange paw on their helmets with BOB on the inside to commemorate Ackles.

Since Buono had become head coach in 2003, the BC Lions had won at least four in a row each year, a streak that ended in 2009.

The BC Lions released former Special Teams Player of the Year Ian Smart, linebacker Javier Glatt and defensive back Lavar Glover, each of whom played a major role in the BC Lions' 2006 Grey Cup win.

The BC Lions staged their training camp in Kamloops, BC – the first of three over the next three years – as a part of the club's desire to represent the entire province.

The BC Lions won their last three games to qualify for the playoffs after Edmonton lost their final game of the season, but lost in double overtime to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West semi-final game.

The BC Lions entered the 2011 campaign with a lot of question marks.

The BC Lions signed two notable CFL players; defensive back Tad Kornegay, who had just been released by Saskatchewan, and wide receiver Arland Bruce, who was acquired in a trade with Hamilton.

The BC Lions were named The Canadian Press Team of the Year for 2011 in voting by sports editors and broadcasters across Canada.

The BC Lions did manage to resign veteran cornerbacks Dante Marsh and Ryan Phillips during the free-agency period, as well as all-star defensive back Lin-J Shell and cornerback Byron Parker.

BC Lions have ten retired jersey numbers, second only to the Montreal Alouettes for the most in the Canadian Football League.

Notable broadcasters for the BC Lions include Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee John Badham.