B.C. Lions’ GM reveals origins of viral Jon Gruden unboxing video, ‘blown away’ by results

Screengrab courtesy: @BarstoolGruden on X

The B.C. Lions are feelin’ nicey about the results of their latest guerrilla marketing tactic, which saw former Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden flex his knowledge of the organization on social media.

The seven-minute video, which was posted by Gruden on May 28, featured the current Barstool Sports personality opening up a box of Lions merchandise sent to him by the team. The original clip has since been viewed more than 388,000 times on X, 223,000 times on Instagram, 134,000 times on Facebook, and 109,600 times on TikTok, while being shared en masse by dozens of other popular accounts.

Look what we got here… it’s a box all the way from British Columbia!

The BC Lions of the CFL are some of the most fun football you’ll ever watch… and they got a heck of a QB!

Thank you Coach Pierce and the @BCLions for this awesome box!! pic.twitter.com/3kVX74Iqvh

— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) May 28, 2026

All of that publicity came free of charge thanks to the initiative of B.C. general manager Ryan Rigmaiden, who first got the idea of jumping on Gruden’s popular unboxing trend.

“The idea was he’d done that for many small schools, so we weren’t the first ones to do it, but we were the first CFL team. I just sent a note to (vice president of marketing Carolyn Cody) and (team president Duane Vienneau) and said, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about doing this,’ and sent it off,” Rigmaiden recalled this week.

“I got (Gruden’s) number from a friend of a friend, and just cold-called him on a text and said, ‘Hey, I’d like to send you some gear.’ He said, ‘Fantastic,’ and away we went. This was just Jon being generous and being himself. You guys saw that video, it’s just him being him. It was tremendous, and it certainly lifts the brand and shines some light on us.”

The care package was originally sent around the time of the CFL Draft, but Gruden was on vacation. He informed Rigmaiden that he received the delivery and let him know that the video wouldn’t be out for a couple of weeks. The results were well worth the wait.

Not only did Gruden accept the gear with his trademark glee, but he also went to great lengths to rattle off facts about the franchise and highlight notable players. Two of the coach’s former charges with the Oakland Raiders, Keon Hatcher and James Butler, were given shoutouts, but he also raved about quarterback Nathan Rourke, defensive end Mathieu Betts, the emergence of safety Jackson Findlay, and the acquisition of Darnell Sankey, among others. He delved deep into the historical archives as well, name-dropping Geroy Simon, Al ‘Dirt’ Wilson, Willie ‘The Wisp’ Fleming, Jim Young, and Brent Johnson.

Rigmaiden isn’t naive enough to assume that Gruden had that information already ingrained in his mental Rolodex, but marvelled at the former Monday Night Football announcer’s ability to deliver on camera.

“I was blown away by him doing seven minutes on B.C. Lions, current and past. Boy, did he do his homework,” he said. “I’m sure he researched some of that, but to do it all off the top of your head for that seven minutes and do it with typical Jon Gruden energy, I thought was absolutely awesome.”

Gruden is one of the most recognizable figures in the sport of football due to his colourful personality and his success as both a coach and broadcaster. The native of Sandusky, Ohio, served as head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1998 to 2001 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2002 to 2008, winning Super Bowl XXXVII. After a decade in the broadcast booth as part of ESPN’s top pairing, he returned to the sidelines with the Raiders from 2018 until 2021, overseeing their relocation to Las Vegas.

The 62-year-old was forced to resign after dozens of problematic emails containing homophobic, sexist, and racist language were uncovered as part of an NFL investigation into Washington Football Team owner Bruce Allen in 2021. After those emails were leaked to the New York Times, Gruden launched a lawsuit against the NFL, claiming a “malicious and orchestrated campaign” to destroy his career. That case is still ongoing.

Gruden has since revitalized his media career at Barstool and appears to be as popular as ever, with hundreds of thousands of followers on every social media platform. That reach has provided priceless brand exposure for the Lions, and the ripple effects are ongoing, as Gruden has already worn his new gear in at least two other videos, including in his reaction to the blockbuster Myles Garrett trade between the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns.

Rigmaiden said that the response he’s received since the initial post went online has been overwhelming and believes it will be a huge boost to the Lions’ profile with potential American prospects.

“I think any time we can have positive marketing, it’s a big deal. As popular as this game is, and it’s growing in the States, there are still many athletes and football players that don’t know what the CFL is all about. To have Coach Gruden shine a light under the B.C. Lions and what we’re all about, it’s just awesome,” he said.

“This is one of those things where you wake up, and you see that, but then you get 50 text messages from friends in the NFL or the CFL saying, ‘Man, that was really, really awesome.’ Just a tip of the cap to Coach Gruden, and thanks for doing that.”

The Lions are on a bye this week. They will begin their 2026 regular season on Saturday, June 13, when they visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders at 7:30 p.m. EDT.