Forum » which dropped 26 straight

KAMLOOPS, B.C. -- Khari Jones stepped in for a snap at B.C. Lions training camp on Monday morning and launched a tight spiral down the sideline reminiscent of his time as a CFL quarterback. In some ways, it represented what the clubs new offensive co-ordinator hopes to accomplish in 2014. Jones was hired this off-season to kickstart a Lions attack that had been criticized in recent years for being both predictable and conservative under Jacques Chapdelaine. The team parted ways with its former offensive co-ordinator in November and handed the keys to Jones, whose aggressive philosophy as a player seems to have followed him into coaching. It was one of two big off-season hires -- Mark Washington was promoted from defensive backs coach to defensive co-ordinator -- and a move the Lions hope will help get them back to the Grey Cup. "I hope its a high-powered offence," said Jones. "I hope its an offence where we can put points up on the board, because thats what wins you football games, but a balanced offence as well. An offence that uses its weapons, and we have a lot of weapons on this team. Lions head coach Mike Benevides said he expects Jones personality to be reflected in his play calling for a team that has not won a playoff game since its victory in the 2011 Grey Cup and will be feeling the pressure to perform with the big game set for Vancouver again this November. "Hes going to find a lot of ways to get matchups and tempo and things like that -- things he believes from the quarterback position," said Benevides. "Hes had enough experience as a player and as a coach to understand how you have to make sure you stay balanced, you attack and find ways to expose your athletes." Lions starting quarterback Travis Lulay said Jones wants his offence to be on the front foot in all aspects of the game, something the team didnt always do last season. "One of the big things and one of the first points of emphasis he says is we want to be aggressive," said Lulay. "We want to be aggressive when were running the football, we want to be aggressive when were throwing the football. "We want to have a confident, fast-playing, high-tempo attitude and approach to the game. We dont want to be passive, we dont want to be back on our heels." Jones started his playing career with the Lions in 1997 before moving on and having his best years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He spent the last two seasons coaching quarterbacks with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and before that he held the same position with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for three years, including one as offensive co-ordinator. Lions No. 2 quarterback Kevin Glenn -- who could start the season in the top job if Lulay isnt fully recovered from shoulder surgery -- played for Jones with Hamilton for three seasons and said one of his best attributes is his ability to put players in a position to succeed. "I think he does a very good job of learning a guys skillset and being able to exploit the defence," said Glenn. "Hes just one of those guys who believes in his players. Its not going to be a situation where he thinks he has to trick the defence into doing something. Hes going to say Hey, were going to line up and were going to beat you. "Hes an aggressive offensive co-ordinator and I think thats because he was an aggressive quarterback." Aggression is a common theme at Lions camp and is also something players use to characterize Washington, B.C.s new defensive co-ordinator after six seasons coaching the secondary. "Mark doesnt even like the word defence. He thinks its kind of passive," said Lions defensive back Ryan Phillips. "He wants to be aggressive and smart." Washington, who replaced Rich Stubler in the off-season, said he wants his defence to force the issue at all times, but not necessarily in the classic sense of the word. "When we say we want to attack, attack, attack, people automatically believe that thats going to be blitz, blitz, blitz, pressure, pressure, pressure, but thats not always the case," said Washington, himself a former defensive back with the Lions. "Attacking is a mentality. Attacking is were not going to sit back and let you dictate to us. Were going to dictate terms to you." Benevides was the Lions defensive co-ordinator when Washington first got the job to coach the secondary and is confident his former pupil is ready for the challenge. "What I know about Mark is hes an outstanding teacher," said Benevides. "Hes a guy that understands what it takes to win, a tremendous competitor. Even when he was a player, he made sure he had some answers to attack the opponent." Phillips said even though be has a new job, Washington hasnt altered his approach to the game or his players. "Just because they changed his title, it didnt mean he changed himself. Hes been the same since he started coaching. Hes going to be a guy who wants to work," said Phillips. "He was the same way as a player -- a guy that went out and worked hard, did the things he had to do and took it to the next level." After two straight disappointing seasons and a year ahead filled with the added pressure of being Grey Cup hosts, the Lions are banking that both Jones and Washington can help them climb even further. Cheap Jordan From China . -- Jay Haas and Peter Jacobsen took the second-round lead Saturday in the Champions Tours Legends of Golf, teaming for a 6-under 48 in windy conditions on the par-3 Top of the Rock course. Air Jordan Outlet .I shared with him how much I appreciated all he had done for us, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said of that Thursday night farewell. https://www.jordanchina.us/.Mila Kunis was a guest on Kimmel last night and revealed a surprising side of herself that comes out when she watches sports. It turns out screaming something vulgar at professional athletes is therapeutic for Kunis. Jordan China . Brassard and Coyotes defenceman Derek Morris were battling for position in the crease when a nudge from Morris sent Brassard on top of Smith late in the third period. Fake Jordan . -- Josh MacDonalds second goal of the game kept his team alive as the Peterborough Petes edged the host Kingston Frontencas 6-5 in overtime on Friday in Ontario Hockey League playoff action.PHILADELPHIA -- The Sacramento Kings were keenly aware of the streak. They just didnt feel the need to talk about it. Instead, they went out and played the attacking style their coaches want to see. Rudy Gay scored 27 points, Isaiah Thomas added 20 and the Kings were 40 for 50 from the free throw line on their way to defeating Philadelphia 115-98 Wednesday night to extend the 76ers losing streak to 18 games. "To be honest, we didnt mention it once," Kings coach Michael Malone said of the losing streak. DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Ben McLemore scored 15 points for the Kings, who snapped a three-game skid. Jason Thompson added 14. "Im from around here so I know about it," Thompson said. "You dont try to put extra pressure on yourself. Obviously, you dont want to lose to any team." The Kings are in the midst of a seven-game, 12-day road trip, their longest of the season. They are 2-3 on the trip. Henry Sims posted career-highs of 20 points and 10 rebounds, James Anderson added 17 points and Thaddeus Young had 16 for Philadelphia, which fell to 15-49 in dropping its 14th in a row at home, an ongoing franchise record. "My teammates were just trusting Id make the right decision," said Sims, who was acquired from Cleveland as part of a trade deadline deal for Spencer Hawes. "A couple shots fell for me. Im definitely proud, but Id be more proud of a win. I just try to go out every game and its a new day, a new season. I try not to think about it. I just focus on the next game." Michael Carter-Williams had 13 points, seven rebounds and two assists just two nights after earning his second career triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists at New York. Tony Wroten chipped in with 10 for the Sixers, who havent won siince a 95-94 victory at Boston on Jan.dddddddddddd 29. "Its not doom and gloom," Sixers coach Brett Brown said. "We will have another good day tomorrow." The Sixers held a nine-point advantage in the first quarter before falling behind 58-54 at halftime. After a subpar first half, Cousins showed why he was the fifth overall pick in the 2010 draft. He had 12 points and seven rebounds in the third quarter to help the Kings extend their lead to 90-76. "We played good ball tonight," Cousins said. "We did a pretty decent job defensively. Still made some mistakes tonight, but well take the win. We had some spurts where we let up. I feel we did a lot better than we did in some of the previous games, but we did step forward tonight, so lets just continue to take steps forward and get a little streak going." The Kings didnt allow the Sixers to gain any momentum, making a quick 7-2 run for a 97-78 lead. By then, the crowd had largely dwindled as the Sixers moved closer to tying a franchise mark for most consecutive losses. The 1972-73 Sixers -- who finished 9-73 and still own the fewest wins in an 82-game season -- dropped 20 in a row. The NBA record for consecutive losses belongs to Cleveland, which dropped 26 straight from Dec. 20, 2010, to Feb. 9. 2011. The Sixers remain two games behind the Milwaukee Bucks (13-51) for the worst record in the league. The team with the worst mark will have a 25 per cent chance of garnering the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery. NOTES: Cousins earned his 40th double-double and his sixth in the last seven games. . Gay was 16 for 19 from the free throw line, both career-highs. ... The Kings failed to register one assist in the first quarter and had just six at halftime. . The Sixers announced they had signed reserve F Jarvis Varnado for the remainder of the season. ' ' '