Preview: Argonauts at Tiger-Cats

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Rivalries make sports what they are, and when it comes to rivalries, none matches Toronto vs. Hamilton.

This is the biggest and best rivalry in all of sports. These are two teams that do not like one another, two fan bases that do not like one another, two cities that could not be more different. When Hamilton meets Toronto, things get intense.

The last time that these two teams met was in the East Division Semi-Final. A game that the Argos won, 16-13.

The Argos are much like the team that stole a victory from the Tiger-Cats back in November, but the results have not been positive for the Boatmen in 2011 like they were in 2010. Toronto has lost five straight and just fired Defensive Coordinator Chip Garber, replacing him with former Argo and Ti-Cat Orlondo Steinhauer.

The Argos are precipitously close to full free-fall mode, and a loss to the Ti-Cats could be the one that pushes them over the edge.

But this is a big game for the Ti-Cats as well, and not just because it's against Toronto.

After the Cowtown Meltdown last week, both the Offense and Defense will want to flex their muscles, like they did during the team's three-game winning streak. Last week, the Offense didn't score in the second half, squandering a 20-13 halftime lead.

The Defense faltered by not making the necessary adjustments to stop Calgary's Offense, especially when the Stamps had so much success with dump-off passes to their Running Backs. It will be paramount for the Ti-Cats "D" to focus on the backfield as Cory Boyd makes his return to the lineup after missing the last four weeks with an injury.

An Argo win, and they could gain some momentum heading into the season's second half; however, a loss would be devastating.

A Tiger-Cat win, and they would put considerable distance between them and the Boatmen for third in the East Division. But I would hate to hear from the fan base if the Cats lose.

All the fun begins at 7:00PM, and since this is the only trip the Argos make to Hamilton this year, I suggest you get yourself a ticket. But if you can't make it to the game, as always, you can watch the game on TSN or listen to the game on AM900 CHML.