CFL Soundtrack: The Lions will be back in black, but it’s still a long way to the top

Finishing up our CFL Soundtrack preview series, a look at the CFL's nine teams and bands they have things in common with, here are some thoughts on the B.C. Lions and how they relate to AC/DC.

The Lions are under a lot of pressure this year thanks to hosting the Grey Cup (the last three teams who have done that have won, including B.C. in 2011), and the same can be said about AC/DC. The Australian rockers (who've recorded plenty of their big albums in Vancouver) have undergone plenty of lineup changes over the years, most notably reinventing themselves and soaring to even greater heights with new frontman Brian Johnson after Bon Scott's death in 1979. However, guitarist brothers and founders Malcolm and Angus Young have always been at the core of the band, until now. AC/DC announced in April that Malcolm was taking a break from the band thanks to illness, and Johnson's said they're likely to tour by the end of the year, which may mean that Malcolm Young's nephew Stevie is going to fill in for him. That's a substantial change, and the new iteration of the band will be under plenty of pressure to live up to their standards.

The football team's undergone plenty of change too, but not thanks to illness. 2013's 11-7 (third in the West) finish and first-round playoff exit was a bit disappointing for a Lions team that expected to seriously contend for the Grey Cup, and while coach Mike Benevides and general manager Wally Buono are returning, they changed both their offensive and defensive coordinators. Long-time CFL vets Jacques Chapdelaine (offence) and Rich Stubler (defence) are gone (to SFU and Edmonton respectively), and Khari Jones and Mark Washington will attempt to fill their shoes. Both have shown solid promise as assistants, but neither has worked as a coordinator before, so B.C. may be walking a bit of a razor's edge here:

It's not like the Lions are completely new, and it's not like AC/DC's completely new. Angus Young and Brian Johnson have formed such a long and important creative partnership for the band since 1980, and they're still around, as is Cliff Williams, who's been their bassist since 1977. Drummer Phil Rudd was with the band from 1975-1983, then returned in 1994 and has been there ever since. Similarly, Buono has been running the Lions since 2003, and Benevides has been working with him since 2000 in Calgary, serving first with B.C. as a special teams and linebackers coach, then as the defensive coordinator and then as the head coach from 2012 on. There's plenty of continuity with them and with many of the players, such as quarterback Travis Lulay and long-time defensive backs Dante Marsh and Ryan Phillips. However, the coordinator changes are substantial and interesting, and they should give us a chance to see who was more responsible for the substantial offensive and defensive success the Lions have enjoyed over the past two regular seasons. In other words, who made who?

There are lots of impressive pieces on this team, including Lulay, running backs Stefan Logan and Andrew Harris, offensive lineman Jovan Olafioye, receivers Emmanuel Arceneaux, Korey Williams and Marco Iannuzzi and linebackers Adam Bighill and Solomon Elimimian. However, there are plenty of questions to answer as well. Lulay in particular won't be ready to start the season, which adds value to the Lions' draft-day trade for veteran QB Kevin Glenn, but Lulay is a much better starting option if he is able to get healthy. The offensive line's undergoing a makeover, with veterans Angus Reid and Ben Archibald retiring in the offseason, and the defensive line's seen some major changes, with Keron Williams leaving and Khalif Mitchell (who might epitomize "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap") returning. This team should be decent, but although they're going to shoot to thrill with the Grey Cup at home, that may be a difficult task in a tough West Division. They'll have to be careful not to go off the tracks:

There's going to be a substantial focus on this team all year, and they'll undoubtedly be doing plenty to celebrate the hosting of the Grey Cup. One thing to keep a particular eye out for is their black, or "gunmetal grey," uniforms, which proved such a huge hit last season but are only being used on special occasions. We'll see if that black leads to as much success as it did for AC/DC:

Prediction: 10-8, second in the West, loss in the West Final.