Courtesy Vancouver Province:

By defining X as your starter over Y, who naturally becomes X’s backup, you are declaring Y not quite as good as X.

In essence, that’s what B.C. Lions head coach and general manager Wally Buono has done with his quarterbacks.

Monday he announced Buck Pierce would start the Lions season opener on Thursday in Calgary against the Stamps.

By doing that, he is telling the players in question, all of their teammates on offence and the team’s defence, too, that he believes Pierce is at least a smidgen ahead of Jarious Jackson.

The team’s season-ticket holders, the casual fans on the street and newspaper readers now think the No. 1 guy is Pierce and Jackson is No. 2.

In reality, this is more a team with no starter than one with a starter and a backup. But sure as the Lions’ colours are orange, black and white, that won’t be the way it’s viewed. Not even by the principals.

While it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow for Jackson, the fact is it’s all perception. And he was the first to congratulate Pierce.

“That,” said Pierce, “shows the kind of relationship we have.”

Besides, they both know they’ll get to play significant amounts. Buono admitted to Province sports reporter Lowell Ullrich that he once determined a preseason starter by flipping a coin.

Read More….