The BC Lions named Barron Miles as an assistant defensive coach for the 2010 season, days after he announced his official retirement. Miles, a 12-year veteran of the Canadian Football League, spent his first seven years as a defensive halfback for the Montreal Alouettes before joining the Lions in 2005, where he played safety.

Wally Buono, Lions’ general manager and head coach, is reportedly intent on grooming the next wave of CFL coaches. He sees keeping fiesty veterans like Miles around, who’re popular among peers and fans alike, as a necessary staple to the continued success of the league.

In 1999, the CFLPA named Barron Miles as a starting halfback on its Intergold All Star team. It was the first year of four appearances for Miles while a member of the Montreal Alouettes. The other years were 2000, 2002 and 2003. Miles, who’s name is spelled Barron on some rosters, was also voted in by fans as a safety for the BC Lions in 2006 through 2008. Known for his fiery play and as a “coach-on-the-field”, he was regarded as one of the most diagnostic players in the CFL.

Barron Miles is a shoo-in as a future hall-of -fame inductee. He’s the CFL’s all-time leader in blocked kicks with (13) and had 66 career interceptions, second-most in CFL history.

The CFL team The Calgary Stampeders signed free-agent non-import offensive linemen John Comiskey to a new contract on Tuesday. This will be the second time Comiskey has been a member of the Stampeders. Comiskey was drafted by Calgary in the 2005 draft with the teams third round, Comiskey spent three seasons as a member of the Stampeders before being traded to the Edmonton Eskimos. Comiskey was highly successful during his time as an Eskimo, dressing for 30 games and being his team’s nominee for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Offensive Linemen award.

In response to the signing Comiskey said

“I’m thrilled to be back in Calgary where everything started for me back in 2005,” and that “I’m really looking forward to a great 2010 campaign and am excited for the opportunity to reconnect with former teammates as well as the nucleus that has been put together since I’ve been gone. There is a great coaching staff here and I can’t wait to get started.”

So far no details on the agreement have been released as per team policy.

Jesse Lumsden may be one of the greatest athletes that most people have never heard of. Not since Herschel Walker or Willie Gault has a pro football player attempted to make an Olympic bobsled team.

Lumsden, a running back for the Edmonton Eskimos, has an excellent chance of making the Canadian team. His name has been turned in to the Canadian Olympic Committee which generally assures him a spot on the team. The official list will not be announced until January 27.

A year ago making the team seemed like an impossible task for the running back and it has not been an easy road. A third shoulder injury, this one in 2009, ended his football season and cast a cloud of doubt over his chances to make the Olympic team. Fortunately, two things worked in his favor.

With the injury effectively ending his football season, he had time to prepare to make the team. He dedicated himself to getting into the best possible shape for the event.

Then there was the shoulder injury. Since sledding requires lower body strength, the injury wasn’t much of a distraction. All things considered, Lumsden made wise use of his time and is on the verge of becoming an Olympic participant.

As the 2010 Vancouver Olympics near, Lumsden remains a long shot to win a medal. Their team did win gold in an European Cup event but that was against lower level competition. Regardless, Vancouver will be a very emotional time for him.

There have some major CFL offseason moves which will impact the league quite a bit for the foreseeable future.

In one major move, the Hamilton Tiger Cats were able to ink both of their quality quarterbacks to extension, which shows that their General Manager is committed to a winning formula. Sometimes it certainly can be hard to get both players to resign due to the fact that Quinton Porter and Kevin Glenn have proven they have the skills to be a starting quarterback in the Canadian Football League. If you have two solid quarterbacks like that, it truly can make a difference due to the fact that your entire team is confident no matter who is out there at the quarterback position.

The people who do not believe in having quality kickers would not understand the need for the Bombers to resign a guy like Alexis Serna. Alexis Serna always had a strong leg during his time with the Oregon State Beavers and this has not slowed down since he arrived in the CFL. The Bombers need someone like Serna in case they end up getting stuck in a lot of close games.

It will be interesting to see where some of the more famous names on The CFL free agency list will end up such as Jarrett Payton who is the son of former Chicago Bears great Walter Payton.

There are also other great college football stars on that list such as Brad Banks, who was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy his senior season. It will be interesting to see what kind of impact these two players will have in the league depending upon which teams they sign with.

Todd Blythe is another explosive receiver that some people within the CFL should take a flier on. Injuries always happen it is always important to have capable fifth and sixth options at the wideout position. Blythe is a guy who had a standout career as one the best receivers in the Big 12 as he attended Iowa State. Blythe broke all kinds of receiving records for the schools and the CFL is lucky to have him in my view.

It would be interesting to see what kind of success a former Kentucky quarterback like Shane Boyd could with a Westerm team like the Edmonton Eskimos given that he came from a very explosive offense under Kentucky coach Rich Brooks.
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In a thrilling finish at McMahon Stadium the Montreal Alouettes prevailed over the Saskatchewan Roughriders to win the 97th Grey Cup.

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What, in your opinion, is the toughest position to play in American or Canadian football?

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The 2010 Grey Cup game will be held in Edmonton. This montage celebrates the history of the Edmonton Eskimos heading into 2010!

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Edmonton Eskimos at Saskatchewan Roughriders Game Highlights (TSN)

This video was played in Stadium prior to Kickoff of the 97th Grey Cup in Calgary. It is a short montage of images from the 2009 season. The song is called “Throw Ya Hands Up” (Stadium Mix) by the Stereos, Universal Music Canada.

Canadian Receivers were Darian Durant’s weapon as the Saskatchewan defeated Calgary to advance to the Grey Cup game where they will take on Montreal. (TSN)