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Twelve years ago, it was Dan Crowley throwing passes to receivers Jimmy Oliver, Denis Montana, and Eddie Brown, and handing the ball off to Darren Davis. Thats a quarterback with just 253 passing attempts experience, and who would be out of the league in two years; three receivers with just one career 1,000-yard season combined; and a running back who after consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, failed to gain even 300 yards on the ground in either of his two years in Ottawa before leaving the league. Sorry for the painful trip down memory lane Ottawa football fans. Flash forward 12 years and it will be an awfully different scene, one with a lot more promise. Instead of a QB with just 1,696 passing yards at the time leading Ottawas new expansion team, theyll have a 14-year veteran in Henry Burris, a former Most Outstanding Player and Grey Cup champion, who has 51,526 career passing yards. 1,696 yards is a good weekend for the former Calgary Stampeder, Saskatchewan Roughrider, and Hamilton Tiger-Cat. The team has some promise in the receiving corps as well and an electrifying running back in Chevon Walker backed up by some solid CFL experience at fullback. The point is the Redblacks this season will look different than almost any expansion team before them, not just in the CFL or even football, but in all professional sports. Theyll look like a team that can compete. Its a nice change from the Renegades debut, whose problems ran far deeper than their game day roster week in and week out; having a team that can contend, or at least keep things close when the West Division heavy hitters come to town, is a boon to both the new ownership and CFL fans in Ottawa, who perhaps more than anyone deserve some good fortune on the gridiron. Using one part updated expansion draft rules that made more players available and one part a little good fortune in free agency, the Redblacks have built a deeper and more talented roster than your typical expansion team mish-mash. As mentioned earlier, Ottawa will be led by Burris, but theyll have some other veterans sprinkled into the roster to help the roster through their maiden voyage in the CFL. Guys like Walker at running back, receiver Paris Jackson, and offensive linemen John Gott, Joe Eppele, and JMichael Deane will help Burris run an effective offence that could easily be closer to the middle of the pack than the basement come seasons end. And on defence, former Most Outstanding Defensive Player Jovon Johnson should have enough gas left in the tank to lead the unit alongside veterans Keith Shologan, Anton McKenzie, TJ Hill, and Malik Jackson. This isnt to say the Redblacks are instant Grey Cup contenders, which in a nine-team league isnt entirely crazy. With the Winnipeg Blue Bombers heading West and the Argos, Ticats, and Alouettes all coming off at least decent regular seasons in 2013, the Redblacks will enter the year as favourites to finish in the East Division basement, but a 5-7 win season should keep the fans intrigued, and more importantly, excited about the future. Notes Expansion Draft - The Redblacks took their biggest step towards looking like a real team with the Expansion Draft in December. Highlights included picking two quarterbacks in Kevin Glenn and Thomas DeMarco, and other notable names such as Keith Shologan, Chevon Walker, Joe Eppele, and Eric Fraser. Glenn Saga - Kevin Glenn looked to be the Redblacks quarterback of the present until Henry Burris became available on the free market and Ottawa pounced. Not happy with the demotion, Glenn was eventually traded to the Lions where hell instead back up Travis Lulay on his fifth CFL team. Free Agency - Burris was the big coup in free agency but the team landed several other notable players including LB Malik Jackson from the Stampeders, defensive back Jovon Johnson from the Blue Bombers, and WR Kierrie Johnson from the Roughriders. CFL Draft - The Redblacks traded the first overall draft pick to the Stampeders for veteran offensive lineman John Gott, but got back into the first by trading Glenn to the Lions, and ended up with defensive back Antoine Pruneau. Other picks included WR Scott MacDonell in the second round, DL Nijel Romick in the third round, offensive linemen Aaron Wheaton in the fourth and Hugo Desmarais in the fifth, DL Stephon Miller in the sixth, and DL Vincent Desloges, LB Alexandre Bernard, and LS Kevin Malcolm in the seventh. Lansdowne Park - TD Place Stadium has been constructed where Frank Clair Stadium once stood and is expected to be fully ready for the teams Week 4 game against the Argonauts, the Redblacks home opener. Celtics Jerseys 2019 . - Maxence Parrot of Bromont, Que. Boston Celtics Shirts .C. -- The Bobcats announced theyve signed centre Justin Hamilton to a 10-day contract. https://www.cheapceltics.com/ . Notes on Bergeron, Marchand, Gorges, Vanek, Gaborik, Doughty, Hiller and more. BRUINS STORM BACK TO TAKE GAME TWO The Boston Bruins rallied from a 3-1 deficit, scoring four unanswered goals, to win Game Two, 5-3 over the Montreal Canadiens. Boston Celtics Pro Shop .A caravan greeted the former Boston Red Sox pitcher at the airport and took him to a public park in Santo Domingo, where a crowd lined a 19-mile stretch of highway to catch a glimpse of him.Once at the park, Martinez went on stage accompanied by players David Ortiz and Robinson Cano as merengue music played and fireworks lit up the sky. Boston Celtics Gear . But this time, the Gunners weathered the storm. Arsene Wengers team was on the ropes in the early stages of a lively FA Cup tie, until Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a goal against the run of the play.SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Texas Rangers say ace Yu Darvish has no structural damage in his stiff neck but will likely begin the season on the disabled list. Darvish was examined Wednesday by Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas. The right-hander will start a throwing program this weekend and wont need any injections. Rangers general manager Jon Daniels says he expects Darvish will be put on the 15-day DL. The Rangers open Monday at home against Philadelphia. "I would think so, yes," Daniels said. "Thats kind of where its headed. Were looking at 10 days already. He will play catch Saturday and if he continues to improve, then well put a plan together from there." "Thats going to be two weeks. Hes not going to ready to break. Its a relief thats its positive news from the exam," he said. Darvish led the majors in strikeouts last year. With him out, Tanner Scheppers will start the season opener. Scheppers will be making his first big league start after 115 relief appearances. "Scheppers is making his first big league start on opening day," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Hes profiled as a No. 1 kind of guy. The innings he pitched last year were under a lot of pressure and I think he can handle the pressure that goes along with opening day." The Rangers said Nick Martinez will be their No. 5 starter to begin the season. He has pitched in just five games above Class A. Martin Perez will start the second game and Robbie Ross the third and Joe Saunders the fourth, giving the Rangers four left-handers to start the season. None of the five was in the Texas rotation to start last year. Martinez, a right-hander, was not even in the big league camp. He finished last season 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA with Double-A Frisco. He was 12-7 with a 2.50 ERA last year between Myrtle Beach and Frisco. "Martinez gives us an opportunity," Washington said. "He has the stuff to pitch at the major league level. I think its on us to make certain to keep him in the mental state that he needs to be in. I think he can go out there and hold that spot down until we get Colby (Lewis) and Harry ((Matt Harrison) back.dddddddddddd" Harrison, an 18-game winner in 2012, is rehabbing from a neck injury. Derek Holland will start the season on the DL because of knee surgery and Lewis is recovering from forearm and hip issues. "We, maybe not you, but we feel confident that we are going to be competitive and are going to win some ballgames," he said. The 23-year-old Martinez, 23, was an 18th-round pick in 2011 out of Fordham. "Weve had a number of injuries to our pitching staff," Daniels said. "Its obviously a little quicker than we anticipated with Nick. Given the injuries and looking at our options, we had the most confidence in Nick. There was an opportunity for someone to seize it." "As an organization, we feel Nicks the right guy for that opportunity," he said. "Nicks got three solid pitches, four really, plus command and has tremendous makeup. Hes an athlete, a shortstop-second baseman in college. Hes been durable. Hes smart. Hes poised. He attacks the strike zone." The Rangers made a series of roster moves. They signed right-hander Scott Baker, who was released by Seattle, to a Triple-A Round Rock contract. The 32-year-old Baker has a 63-48 record with a 4.14 ERA in 160 big league games. Texas claimed two players off waivers, getting infielder Donnie Murphy from the Cubs and right-hander Seth Rosin from the Dodgers. Rosin is a Rule 5 draft pick and must remain on the 25-man major league roster all season or be offered back to Philadelphia. Murphy can play second base, shortstop and third. The Rangers were in the market for a second baseman with Jurickson Profar out 10 to 12 weeks with a torn muscle in his right shoulder. The 31-year-old has played in 290 major league games in eight seasons with Kansas City, Oakland, Miami and the Chicago Cubs. He spent most of last season with Triple-A Iowa, hitting .265. The Rangers also released right-hander Tommy Hanson rather than guaranteeing his $500,000 salary, which would have increased to $2 million when the season started. Hanson was 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA in four exhibition games. ' ' '