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Streaming Sports Network Canada Username Password Login Games Leagues Teams Venues Hockey Football Basketball Soccer Volleyball Blogs Not your average JoeWe have so many hurdles to overcome Joe Fishman July 14 2009As we steer closer and closer to September last years CIS football season continues to trail off in the rearview mirror becoming blurrier as the days go by And thats exactly what York Lions fans are banking on as time passes it will become easier to bury forever last years embarrassing run At first glance Yorks dismal season could be seen as nothing more than water under the bridge a young team plus a new coach rebuilding In the rebuilding stage no one expects a team to outperform its competitors and as we all know its all about managing expectations But upon closer inspection one could get the sense that a losing season was really a microcosm for a losing school year Starting in late 2008 the university faced unprecedented pressure from its faculty support staff and entire student population Although the strike ended back in January its effects can still be felt today Come September York University faces some major challenges lack of student enrollment change in senior management and a public relations nightmare that wont go away Of course the university isnt exempt from the harsh realities of an economic downturn so theres that to consider What does this all mean for school athletics Motivation to win back the hearts and minds of a demoralized community of over 50000 strong trapped in disarray Thats why I present to you my first ever Q & A Session this time with Lions coach Mike McLean Q What are your realistic expectations for the upcoming season Can we count on a few wins A Hopefully well have more than a few wins but lets not talk about that We have so many hurdles to overcome and building blocks to put in place Were still three or four pieces shy of a complete puzzle but Im optimistic Last year we were that team that competed for four quarters especially in our last three games which turned out to be great battles We just need a few more pieces to be truly competitive From a team perspective our house is in order were disciplined were aggressive we just need to add a few more pieces and a finishing instinct Q Tell me a little about how you adjusted to coming into the Lions organization as a firsttime head coach A Last year I was literally thrown into the fire I came in the recruiting season late picked up some quality kids like Cal Rich and Nick Coutu From a football program perspective my coaching staff was able to mend bridges within the football and academic community with a swift shift in philosophy and focus and so far weve garnered some positive responses As a matter of fact it was it was an all encompassing makeover Were starting to get our alumni back on our side but we need more W...