Farhan Lalji on Luke Gazdic; dealing with trolls on #Canucks & #Oilers Twitter; BC Lions x 50 Cent

Farhan Lalji on Luke Gazdic; dealing with trolls on #Canucks & #Oilers Twitter; BC Lions x 50 Cent

and we bring tsn’s Vancouver bureau chief the one and only the dean Mr Farhan L into the program we deified him heav we okay the dean the de there there even though he’s retired there’s no other Dean bar McDonald yeah come on you know this there’s no other even even in retirement there’s only one you can’t you’re out there in the field you’re out there in the field daily on the Canucks on the Lions yeah there’s not many others not others left in the TV business there there aren’t you know we we talked about this um during the playoffs about how many of us were actually around covering this team in person on a day-to-day basis uh you know in 2011 and there was only five of us left right and uh I was second on the age list behind Ian McIntyre which me in the face just that realization so yeah this uh this L gasic thing caught your ear caught your eye you wanted on this yeah you know it did and I like Luke and and I like his analysis but I I get how he feels and I say that because there is a toxicity one element of both the Canucks and Twitter or the Canucks and Oiler Twitter fan bases that’s gross like completely gross and so I I get how it feels because a couple of years ago you know I made a comment in response to an Eric Francis article about how uh McDavid was carrying the Oilers right and and and I responded and said that he is allowing this entire team to exist and I probably should have pulled out Leon dry cdle from that tweet right and done a notwithstanding but anyway like oh my goodness like the the responses numbered above a thousand to the point where I had to and the vitriol that came back like mute everything for a few days because I still needed to get some CFL information out there so I couldn’t like get off Twitter entirely but you realize that Twitter’s not a real place but at the same time it does take you back and so for me I spent summers in Edmonton my mom had nine brothers and sisters in Edmonton I spent time there in the summer growing memories of Edmonton I know there’s good people there that I still still spend time there with but that particular experience can’t help but take over how you feel about a fan base yeah so if you’re Luke gadzik you know you you can’t help but think about that I was surprised you went so far as to say the team sucked that was a little a little much but if that percentage of Twitter fan base of which Edmonton has the same leaves you impacted I feel you I get it right and then go ahead well my point forhan yesterday and on this topic for some time now is we do public jobs uh people oftentimes don’t like what we say or what we report part of the job is taking slings and arrows you have two options either read it and let let it roll off your back or don’t read it at all and that you know you need to rise above and not engage with the deepest recesses on Twitter or social media you know Gord Miller doesn’t read a single thing until he turns off his mentions and I’ve got my I’ve got my mentions throttled to a point where you know only the the top 10% of of the replies get through you know people that I follow and all that sort of stuff like I don’t see the vital that I saw 10 years ago so you know and even if you can’t adopt that as a personal policy taking shots at an entire fan base on the eve of the Stanley Cup Final when your employer wants very much to cultivate them as viewers is not exactly a great business tactic I you know what I I couldn’t agree more and so you know when I got it like you know I didn’t go back and the same thing here right like I limited a lot of that stuff and certainly wound up muting a lot of people this time around the made it through on my mentions but yeah so you’re 100% right like at the at the end of the day he does need to rise above it he can feel the way he feels but in terms of how you respond to it I mean you’re not you know you’re not big swipe at uh you know at all of Edmonton because I still like the city and you know there’s no way for that but and I when I even provide my commentary here on this podcast I’m still just talking I’m really careful to talk about a specific portion of a specific fan base as opposed to wiping all of Edmonton with a big broad brush stroke because it’s it’s not it’s not that fan based and if you look at Taj at the end of every you know Oiler game and you you see guys fighting like you you know that that’s not the entire fan base right so you just kind of have to take it all with a grain of salt and you know and Luke still somewhat knew at all of this right I gonna say it’s a rookie move it’s is what it is it’s basically what it is he he’ll learn from this and then there’s here’s the other thing too is that you know you heard be EXA talk about you know the meets or the media in Edmonton and you know I think we all don’t want to view the the concept of a Canada’s team right like and but we need an excuse because as media for whatever reason there’s kind of an expectation that we buy in uh because we’re all and we we are but nobody really believes in the notion of a Canada’s team in a domestic league right like it is fantasy and so we all have to kind of come up with a reason so you know whatever our reasons here are you know In This Moment uh for not necessarily getting board with getting on board with Edmonton they are uh you know I remember 2011 probably the the worst of that we found was from Edmonton media and every single member of the Edmonton media I really really like and respect and view as a friend but collectively there was that right and in 2011 if you wanted to view the Canucks as you know biters and divers and with the lens of Max laier and maybe the worst of Alex Burrows so that you could feel morally okay about not viewing the Canuck’s Canada team okay but you know 12 years later 13 years later you probably think you should be viewing the Canucks in the lens through the lens of Daniel and hendrik sadine you know because that really was what identified that era of kanu and there’s a shame to that so for me like you know you can say what you want about you know Edmonton and Canada’s team and all of that but I think we all hope that at some point McDavid doesn’t become that guy that’s the best ever to never win like he deserves a cup at some point his Carew do he not oh I I mean I think so uh he he is that level of talent and we we’re both of the mind that it will happen like he’s going to get yeah and and I’m not I’m not hoping Edmonton wins by any stretch but at some point at the end of his career you hope this guy wins a cup uh moving on how about this ticket selling operation from the BC Lions or is it 50 Cent as a massive draw or is it a combination thereof but your thoughts on what is looking like a sold out BC place a week from Saturday I think I think it’s a combination of both and I’ll tell you why BC Place was virtually sold out for the season opener before they announced 50 Cent as the act now you know in everybody has an expectation that there’s going to be a big time act right so there was enough faith in the Lions and Amar Dolan in that organization that they were going to buy tickets before they knew it was it was 50 cents so um so I I do think it’s a bit of both right and you know that now they have that and now it’s kind of become a thing oh what we got to 40 oh wait we we got to 50 I better buy every ticket left because I just want to be there right regardless of of all of it it’s kind of become that kind of thing and now it’s even extending over into the gray cup where before you even announce the act the lower bows virtually sold out so um what Amar Doan’s doing what the ticketing department is doing and think about this from a math perspective let’s say there are 30,000 additional fans for this opener at $50 a ticket for an average ticket price and I think that’s a low number that’s a million and a half additional dollars for that game so taking a bath on the concert I got news for you they’re not so you know message to the rest of the Canadian football league and not everybody else has the ability to bring in 30,000 new fans to Any Given game but um it’s it’s a pretty awesome thing that they’re doing and I think it benefits the entire league and everybody feels that way League wide it’s pretty I hope this team gels quickly so that they can show early enough that they keep as many butts in seats right to the end of the game it’d be nice if we saw at least 40,000 people in the fourth quarter in those seats hasn’t been a problem last two years they’ve scored early and often against Edmonton and Calgary yeah people have left because the game’s gotten one-sided by the end of the they didn’t want to stay for the game so I totally agree with you you know I mean and and it’s hard for the players to not look ahead to that game this week I was there yesterday and they’re talking about it like they’re into it and you know just and it’s not even the ACT I think they’re just into it to play in front of that many fans I mean if you’re uh if you’re Travis fulam and you’ve spent time in the NFL you’re the leading receiver for the Eagles right and you you’re wondering what your first experience was going to be like to have your first experience at least at a home game like that wow right it so I think it’s a it’s a cool thing for all concerned and you will get the best of the Lions on that day what’s the personality of the Lions what what what can we expect this season and and maybe even early on here just in terms of what what will be better what will they look like uh you know will they be defensiv lead or a points leader what do you think I I think there’s a freshness to this team that’s pretty cool to watch and um I think they’re going to be better defensively and I say that with the fact that they’re going to potentially have four new starters in the secondary not potentially right and actually adri and green did start the last few games last season but you’ve got Gary Peters the Wy vet and TJ Lee on the injured list until until member but then after that there’s going to be some new guys but there’s still some excitement and there’s a belief that they can improve with the guys that they’ve added and and got in that group right so um if that part of the team I think this defense can be lights out good because uh chrisan Covington is is going to be a big- time addition um it’s going to shore up their run defense in a real hurry uh so I I think that defense can run around and fly around and be an exceptional group as good as there is in the CFL um you know and offensively into the offseason I had some concerns about what it would look like at receiver without some key guys but the the correct context is that they rarely had those key guys as a group last year right I mean there was never a time when rymes whad and Hatcher were all on the field together doing great things uh one of them was always hurt now they’re G to try to you know to have fulam and Eberhart and if they if they need to go deep to Barry Hill they have those guys to get them through until hatch comes back and and I think they can do more than get him through so um I think it’s a good group it’s it’s going to be a lot of fun to watch this group MH so you think Covington can be that dominant huh immediately and I ask only because Farhan as you all know coach the one yard off the line of scrimmage is a massive difference for lineman um and that it changes the blocking angles it changes a whole lot about the interplay between o line and dline you think Covington can be that good that soon huh I I do and I think that you’re 100% right Matt like and it’s a bigger Advantage for the offensive linan it’s a harder adjustment for the defensive lineman because a guy can get up and get into you before you take that first step but I do think he’s lost a little bit of weight not too much that he can’t be a forced against the run and that’s kind of where you want him right now right like that’s where this defense struggled was against the run so I think as the season progresses and he gets more comfortable more effective as a pass rusher but I think in the early going he can fortify that run defense and you know this team’s going to start at least one maybe two extra Canadian so they’ve got a flexibility that they can bring guys in and out they can keep guys fresh so um you know here’s the thing with Christian is he’s hungry to be here like you look at a guy like Daniel Joseph who they waited three years to in the first round and came in here and just the attitude wasn’t right and they moved on from him whereas you know Christian knows what the CFL game is his dad understood stood it and can kind of give him that extra advice but there is a true Pride excitement and authenticity for his enthusiasm to be here and I think you’ll see that in his play like he’s going to be to have all of his family and friends be there at that first first ex uh regular season game you know on the 14 if you’ve uh ever talked to Christian he does not lack for enthusiasm or energy I’m not surprised always smiling always smiling drives me so crazy when the Canadian player comes back from like Penn State or something like that with the attitude right like I somewhat expect that from the American players but when the Canadian players come do that and try and Big League the CF like it’s just uh drives me crazy uh so this has got to be gray cuper bust right I mean you’ve been knocking the winter yeah like they’re not even just happy to get to a great cup which they haven’t been in 13 years this is win the damn thing right oh yeah I mean it has to be right if you if you’re Vernon Adams that’s the next step you’ve got to take show you can get through a western final get there and when you get there you don’t have these opportunities forever and and collectively for the organization um the owner is doing everything possible to put you in the place to have that level of success and you know people around the league who who you know have their home team favorites all of them are kind of rooting for Amar doen right like if your own team can’t win it you hope this guy gets rewarded but yeah I mean you know Vernon and and the coaching staff and the organization Neil McAvoy and Rick K here to believe that um consistency and stability is what drives success in this quick League Quick Fix league right that you know because there’s only nine teams nobody believes you have time to grow everybody has to win every year well this team’s had the opportunity to grow so you know they took growing you know significantly better in the first two years last year they they weren’t necessarily significantly better they treaded water this year’s that time so gray cuper bust is an absolutely Fair assessment of this organization’s expectations this year can I ask you a a hot button topic that we’ve talked about in Years Gone by I wonder where we’re at right now especially with uh a particular quarterback now on the sidelines because of his behavior although he settled his lawsuits they on what’s the status of quarterbacking in the Canadian football league right now we’ve been mildly concerned about that in recent years uh where are we right now on this league getting difference makers Stars uh to to move the football yeah I think it’s a real question and and concern and um you know initially when we saw people are like oh well we’re just coming out of covid and it takes time and I don’t think this league does a good job of developing young quarterbacks and you know you’ve got some guys that last year were forced into like Dustin Crum Ottawa and um Taylor Powell in Hamilton and they showed you know mixed results but enough to kind of continue to build on there’s no plan like the last time I saw a plan was Nathan worked to a point right but even that was forced by M Riley’s injuries uh in training camp uh to the point where he got not only all the Reps in training camp but most of the Reps in practice during the regular season where they’re like okay we we think we got a guy um and uh before that you probably have to go back to B Levi Mitchell where a team signed a guy brought him in and knew that within two years he was going to be the starter and a plan was created to make him the starter with a bridge quarterback um this team doesn’t do a good job and I think one of the things that’s made it worse is the Advent of the third quarterback which now for everybody’s just a short yardage plunger right uh you know so that that spot should have been a developmental spot and now everybody’s trying to find big physical bodies that can just execute the one- yard plunge and I think the league is s for the service so you know look I think the top end is still really good right whether you’re Zach keros or or Vernon Adams and you know but but after that I think a lot of teams have questions right uh if you’re if you’re Cody Fardo you know like um you had a great great Cup right you had a great great cup and can you can you build on that because Moore is going to be you know I don’t know if Chad Kelly ever plays in this league again right uh so we we’ll see how he responds I know the settlements happen but there’s still got to be more before there’s a blessing from mlsc and the Canadian Football League here that you come back so I don’t know that he’ll ever play again and far on far on he wins some games he’ll be back he’ll serve his nine games and he’ll be back they’re not going to draw a lot believe believe me is not going to be as simple as you think so I I think there’s I okay well we’ll have to talk about it off the air but I don’t believe this is as simple as as as simple as you think so um yeah so but nonetheless there questions around the league and guys are going to be thrust in what does Drew Brown do in his first opportunity as a starter in Ottawa so you know some of those guys that are going to get into those spots have a little bit of Runway uh so I think that’s encouraging um but overall I I want to see I’d like to see the league take some approach back in the offseason to address the issue uh to to to ensure development and to ensure that you guys just take a look at people and and aren’t operating like last year the Lions third quarterback was a 35y old who was never good in this league you know and Dom Davis like what are we doing here yeah no you’re quite right Calgary tried with Jake Meyer but he just wasn’t good enough be the in secondly no what’s what’s happened with Tong of viola is he coming in well we’ll see he’s not good he’s not good he not that’s not the answer that’s the name that’s not a good answer yeah um lucky shot from that Fardo guy in the gray Cup last year incidentally and uh we don’t we you and I you and I don’t entirely disagree on this topic mat see here’s the other thing there were a lot of people who felt like me who just didn’t quite put it in that artic so I such a good guy and he’s so incredibly likable yeah that uh you want to believe when he retires I will tell the story as to who put me on to what the hell are they doing with Cody Fardo I don’t believe this for believe in this guy for a second but we’re a couple of years from that I’m sure and Blake uh just so you know I think I know who it is too I think I know who it is I think you probably do um just so you know quarterbacking is about to get a lot brighter in the Canadian football league in about well seven give it about seven or eight years there’s a real up real up in C with in Washington right now playing High School football who’s eventually gonna matriculate to the league uh lastly tough question 50 or fitty which one are you going with I’m going with fitty yeah I I heard young and hi yeah FID d y yeah fitt I think I’m going fit you’re allowed to pretend it’s all it is uh really looking forward to the ball game on Sunday and of course hugely looking forward to the event that is fit in Alliance a week from Saturday at BC Place uh have a great opening I know what you’re looking forward to Matt you’re looking forward to September you’re going right there we’re going and uh is trying to get us tickets Washington game in October yeah just promise me that you’re not going to use foul language around my no no I will be uh on my best I’ll drive down for tailgate okay done hey everybody if you’re enjoying what you’re seeing here then follow along with Saron price on YouTube I promise more content coming they call it the kids call it subscribe on YouTube well how about liking it do that as well it right now

TSN’s Farhan Lalji stops by with his view on the Luke Gazdic incident, and a look ahead to the BC Lions season overall, not to mention their well-attended home opener.

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