CFL Soundtrack: How will B.C.’s power trio handle living in the limelight, caught in the camera eye?

Finishing up our CFL Soundtrack series of previews, here's a look at the B.C. Lions and their similarities to famed Canadian power trio Rush.

Yes, a Rush comparison was inevitable. Hold your fire: this is the Canadian Football League, after all, and Rush is one of the most famous (and best-selling) Canadian bands of all time. (Beyond that, I happen to unabashedly love them.) The current B.C. Lions do legitimately have a lot in common with Rush, though, despite being from the other side of the country. Most noticeably, there's the stability seen with three of the team's key figures: general manager Wally Buono, head coach Mike Benevides and offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine. All three have been with the team since 2003 (except for Chapdelaine's brief departure for Edmonton in 2007), and while that's nowhere near the 29 years Rush's current three members have been playing together, it's incredible continuity by CFL standards.

It's notable that B.C.'s own power trio has held substantially different roles over the years, though. Benevides started as a special-teams/linebackers coach with Buono in Calgary in 2000, then followed him to B.C. and kept that role through 2007 before taking over as defensive coordinator in 2008, a position he held through 2011. After a stint as Laval's head coach, Chapdelaine was the Stampeders' receivers coach in 2001, then became their offensive coordinator and then followed Buono to B.C. in 2003. With the Lions, he was the receivers coach from 2003-2004, then took over as offensive coordinator for 2005 and 2006 before leaving for the same role in Edmonton. That didn't work out, though, and he came back to B.C. in 2008 as a receivers coach before taking the OC reins again in 2010. Meanwhile, Buono came over from Calgary as general manager and head coach in 2003 and held both roles until 2012, when he promoted Benevides to head coach and kept only his GM role.

The roles of the guys in Rush haven't changed nearly as much as their B.C. counterparts, but the band's style has jumped around dramatically, from early Zeppelin-influenced jams like "Working Man" to epic prog anthems such as "2112" and "Xanadu" to guitar-heavy radio-friendly fare such as "Limelight" to keyboard-focused pieces like "Subdivisions" and softer fare like "Ghost of a Chance." Add that all up, and they've arguably changed things around even more than the Lions.

Benevides is the clear choice to represent Rush bassist/keyboardist/singer Geddy Lee for a number of reasons. First off, as the team's head coach, he's now featuring centrally in their press conferences and media appearances, much as Lee does with Rush. It's a good fit for both, as they're both arguably the most outgoing members of their own trio. Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart tend to be more quiet and private, making Lee the logical choice to often represent the band; similarly, Chapdelaine doesn't talk to the media much, and Buono's reduced his focus there since stepping away from the coaching seat. Beyond that, though, Lee is renowned for his ability to multitask, often playing the bass and keyboards at the same time while singing live. Benevides can do that as well, helping Rich Stubler with the Lions' defence and Chapdelaine with the team's offence while still remaining focused on his head-coaching responsibilities. Multitasking on that level isn't an easy thing to do, but both Lee and Benevides manage it well. They're even from the same part of Canada, as both were born and raised in Toronto. Now, let's see Benevides do a bass solo...

Meanwhile, Chapdelaine is the obvious analogue for Lifeson, and that's about more than just his aforementioned reticence. Peart and Lee both frequently receive high acclaim in industry publications and are often listed among the top 10 drummers and bass players of all time, but Lifeson's skills on the guitar are often overlooked. Similarly, Chapdelaine has run some incredible B.C. offences over the years, including last year's edition that was first or second in the league in most key categories, but never seems to get all the credit he deserves. Perhaps that's because he doesn't talk to the press much, perhaps it's because of all the other characters in the Lions' organization, but the point remains that he's underrated but extremely effective. B.C. fans will be hoping he doesn't get kidnapped by the Trailer Park Boys (language warning), though...

That leaves Buono as Peart, and there are similarities there too. Peart writes the vast majority of Rush's lyrics, which is a similar role to the roster construction that's on Buono's plate at the moment. It's a critical and important job, but one that's not always thought about day-to-day. Both are also known for their willingness to think outside the box, whether that's writing a space opera or overstocking a position. Perhaps most impressively, both aren't content to live in the past. Buono's shown a ruthless willingness to get younger this offseason by cutting some big-name veterans, but he's done so in an effective manner, only trimming the roster where he has a surplus of depth. Similarly, Peart and Rush released an impressive new concept album last year in Clockwork Angels, which is far from an easy feat; it's much simpler to write a bunch of unconnected songs then to try and tell a whole story through an album's songs. Peart did that effectively, though, and he even worked with renowned science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson to expand on the album's story in an excellent companion novel. Buono's also now playing a vital role that's closer to the background of the stage, just as Peart does behind his drumset in every Rush concert. Buono and the Lions are continually working to improve and gain one little victory, as are Peart and Rush.

There isn't necessarily a lot of improvement this B.C. team has to do, though. They bring back a ton of depth at most positions, and with Travis Lulay, Andrew Harris and an incredible receiving corps, they should put up plenty of points this year. Add that to a defence that was historically good last year and has most of its key components back, including pass-rushing specialist Keron Williams, amazing linebackers Adam Bighill and Solomon Elimimian and top defensive backs Korey Banks and Ryan Phillips, and you get a team that looks pretty frightening. The CFL seems as likely as usual to be full of parity, so snakes and arrows could waylay B.C., but they're the Vegas betting favourites for the Grey Cup for a reason, and you might want to roll the bones with them. There's a lot of pressure on the Lions, so we'll see how they handle the limelight, but the league may still want to watch out for these modern-day warriors and their mean, mean stride:

Prediction: 12-6, first in West, win West Final, win Grey Cup.