Blogskee Wee Wee

Copeland Retires... Becomes Coach in Hamilton

2012-01-25T11:25:00.000-05:00

Jeremaine Copeland has ended his playing career. The 11-year veteran retired today and immediately took a coaching position with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Copeland is the team's new Receivers Coach. The Ti-Cats also hired Doug Sams as Quarterbacks Coach and retained Doug Malone as Offensive Line Coach.

The biggest news is obviously Copeland, who is the most well-known of the three. Going over Copeland résumé is unnecessary; everyone knows what he accomplished during his playing career. It's what he can bring as a coach that has the most intrigue.

Copeland is familiar with the two biggest names the Ti-Cats brought to town over the off-season: Head Coach George Cortez and Quarterback Henry Burris.

Copeland was with both in Calgary. Copeland, therefore, knows what Cortez likes to do offensively, and can relay that to the group of Receivers he is working with.

But it is Copeland's familiarity with Henry Burris that might end up paying the most dividends. Copeland played with Burris for five seasons (2005-2009) and both achieved amazing success together. As a coach, Copland can impart his wisdom to the Receivers that will be catching Burris's passes this season. That could prove to be invaluable.

Bringing in Copeland also puts a dent in Hamilton's closest rivals. The Argos are in desperate need of Receiver help, and losing their most veteran guy – even if he was long in the tooth and not an elite Receiver anymore – hurts.

The Cats have almost filled out their coaching staff. The big one left is Special Teams Coordinator, but a few positional coaching vacancies still exist. I'm sure the team is scouring the land looking for the right people.

Casey Creehan Named Defensive Coordinator

2012-01-20T19:01:00.000-05:00

The worst-kept secret was finally officially confirmed: Casey Creehan is the new Defensive Coordinator of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Creehan spent the last two season with Winnipeg, where he was their Linebacker Coach. He held the same position with Montreal in 2008, and was the Defensive Line Coach in Calgary the four season before that.

Creehan and new Head Coach George Cortez worked together in Calgary in 2007. It is that previous working relationship which likely helped Creehan get the job.

Creehan comes to the team with no CFL coordinating experience, and we saw how welll zero experience worked last season with Corey Chamblin; however, his tenure in Winnipeg came when the Bombers had one of the best Defenses in the CFL, so hopefully he can translate his success with Winnipeg's Linebackers to the entirety of Hamilton's Defense.

With Creehan on board, the team can develop the defensive roster based around his philosophy. It will be interesting to see what players will be brought back and which ones will be released or allowed to leave. Hamilton is stockpiled with talent on Defense, in my opinion, so it is finding the right way to harness that talent – which I don't think Corey Chamblin did – rather than mass player change that will make the difference.

The hiring of Creehan leaves one coordinating job still vacant, that of Special Teams Coordinator. No names have surfaced and since he hasn't been retained already, I doubt Brad Miller will be brought back. Filling that position is the last major move the Cats have to make to the coaching staff. With free agency set to begin in less than a month, the team will likely fill that position sooner rather than later.

Bob Young's Blog

2012-01-19T23:46:00.000-05:00

Bob Young is always willing to try new things. He is, as far as I know, the only owner in the CFL that has a Twitter account, and now he has decided enter the blogosphere (I really hate that word) by starting his own blog on tumblr.

I am of the opinion that Bob Young is unarguably the most-beloved owner of any sports team in any league. I can't think of one owner who is more loved by the fans, even those of opposing teams, than Bob Young. He has a folksy charm and everyman demeanour that makes him easy to like, and his embracing of new technology makes him one of the most accessible owners in all of pro sports.

Bob Young seems like the kind of guy you'd like to have a beer with. I, for one, am happy he is the owner of my favourite team, and I look forward to reading his thoughts.

I have added a link to Bob Young's blog in the sidebar and I suggest you all give it a read from time to time. I am sure it will be interesting.

Everything with Bob Young usually is.

Dylan Barker Retires

2012-01-18T23:28:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the lack of posts over the last couple of days. I moved earlier this week and that has occupied all of my time and energy. But enough about my personal life, let's move on to some Tiger-Cats news.

The biggest, and saddest, news over the past 72 hours is Dylan Barker's decision to retire due to a back injury.

Barker was drafted first overall by the Tiger-Cats in the 2008 CFL Draft; spent his rookie year on the shelf due to a broken leg; really blossomed in 2009 and 2010, especially on Special Teams, where he tied the record for tackles in 2009; and missed the entire 2011 campaign because of the back injury that now ends his career.

It is a shame that Barker has played his last game, but based on what he told The Hamilton Spectator's Drew Edwards, it is absolutely the correct decision.

Deciding to retire, especially at such a young age, is never an easy decision. But risking a life of paralysis is simply not worth it. Barker is trying to ensure his long-term health will not be compromised, so while he will be missed on the field, his decision is absolutely the correct one.

So I'll just close by saying, thank you to Dylan Barker for all that he did during his time with the Tiger-Cats. I hope you find happiness in your post-football life. Best of luck to you in the future.

The Secrecy of Player Salaries

2012-01-14T13:31:00.000-05:00

The Winnipeg Free Press released a list of what seven starting Quarterbacks (the one team missing was Winnipeg because all their QBs are headed for free agency). Anthony Calvillo and Ricky Ray, not surprisingly, top the list at approximately $400,000 per season.

I use the word "approximately" because it is not known what the exact amounts are because the league does not release that information.

I should stay that way.

I have never understood the obsession some fans have with knowing what players make. It is, quiet frankly, no one's business what anybody makes, and that doesn't change because the person is a professional athlete. You wouldn't stop a stranger on the street and ask them what their annual income is, so I don't understand why fans feel like it is their right to know what a player makes.

Complaints about the lack of transparency when it comes to certain aspects of the league – like contract length or the negotiation list – I understand. I don't need to know what a player makes, but it would be nice to know how long they signed for. Waiting for the league to release a free agent list is silly, especially when the list includes retired players or players playing in the NFL. Knowing when a player is about to hit the open market is not a necessity, but it also isn't so invasive that it needs to be kept private.

I've also heard the reason for the neg list not being made public – it's a fluid list, with names going on and off all the time – but it's not like names don't get leaked (Tahj Boyd, Geno Smith and Kellen Moore are on the Ti-Cast neg list; Robert Griffin III is on Calgary's), so there seems to be no harm in releasing each teams' full list.

But demanding to know what a player makes is where I personally draw the line. I just don't think anyone deserves or needs to know what someone else is making. Sure, it would make for interesting water-cooler talk and it would allow fans to play fantasy GM and discuss how to fit players under the salary cap. But the need to know is trumped by the fact that these players deserve some privacy.

There are ways the league could, and should, be less secretive; divulging player salaries to the public is a step the league does not need to take.

New Stadium, New Alignment

2012-01-13T09:16:00.000-05:00

It looks like everything at the new Ivor Wynne Stadium will be different, as the idea of rotating the stadium has now been made public.

It had long been rumoured that this was a possibility, and now it is definitely a possibility, and it may even be an inevitability. This was obviously not in the plans when the north stands were simply being renovated, but this became a viable option once news came out that those stands needed to be completely replaced as well.

Changing the stadium's orientation would provide that new fan experience that the Tiger-Cats have been trumpeting for a while now. It is no surprise that it was the team that brought the idea up.

Nothing is concrete, and we won't know until July if the change will occur. Still, it does make for some interesting water-cooler talk for the next couple of days or weeks, while we all wait for the start of free agency on February 15th.

It's Win Now for the Tiger-Cats

2012-01-12T18:22:00.003-05:00

Amidst all the warm, fuzzy feelings following Tuesday's introduction of new Head Coach George Cortez and new Quarterback Henry Burris, the underlying truth of the matter is that the Tiger-Cats have now set a very high bar for their rookie Head Coach and hired-gun Quarterback.

It's Grey Cup or bust for the boys from Steeltown.

The decisions to part ways with Marcel Bellefeuille and Kevin Glenn were made because the team (namely Vice President of Football Operations – formerly General Manager – Bob O'Billovich) did not think those two men could get the Tiger-Cats to, and win, a Grey Cup.

The expectations are that both Cortez and Burris not only can, but will. They will not be given the same grace period that was given to Bellefeuille – who took over a terrible franchise that had managed to win 15 games the previous four seasons – and, to a lesser extent, Glenn.

Bellefeuille took over a team that treated winning like some sort of contagious disease; Cortez takes over a team that made it to the East Division Final last season. Any regression, or even stagnation, from what the Bellefeuille-led teams accomplished will be seen as an abject failure.

Much like Casey Printers, Jason Maas and Danny McManus, the Tiger-Cats brought in Burris because they think he's the guy they need to win it all. McManus was a success in that role, guiding the team to back-to-back Grey Cup appearances in 1998 and 1999, and winning it all in 1999. But I am sure we all still shudder at how terrible the Printers and Maas eras were. The 57 losses that accompanied those 15 wins came mostly with Printers and Maas at the helm. They failed as miserably as McManus succeeded.

Glenn, because he was not seen as a franchise saver, did not shoulder the same burden as McManus, Maas and Printers; Burris will. Smilin' Hank was acquired with much the same fanfare as McManus, Maas and Printers, and will therefore have the expectations of ending the second-longest Grey Cup drought in the CFL.

Burris also has a lot to prove, namely that the end of his 2011 season in Calgary was a small blemish on a stellar career résumé and not a harbinger of things to come.

Normally, these type of sky-high expectations come from a team's fan base, but the Cats put this pressure on themselves by making these moves. It was Bob O'Billovich himself who said that these moves were made to take the team to the next level. Better is not a repeat of 2011, 2010 or 2009. Better is doing what no Tiger-Cat team has done since 1999.

It is win now for the Tiger-Cats, and anything less than the ultimate success will be seen as the ultimate failure.

George Cortez Named Head Coach

2012-01-07T14:42:00.001-05:00

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have announced that George Cortez is the team's new Head Coach.

Cortez comes to Hamilton with nearly two decades of CFL coaching experience, but he spent the last two years in the NFL as the Quarterback Coach for the Buffalo Bills.

Cortez's last CFL stop was as Offensive Coordinator with the Calgary Stampeders from 2007-2009. During his time there, he won a Grey Cup with the recently acquired Henry Burris. Cortez has also won three other Grey Cups, all with Calgary.

Luring Cortez is a pretty big get for the Tiger-Cats. He wasn't expected to leave the NFL, and was thought to only come back to the CFL as a Head Coach if he thought he could win. He must feel as if the Tiger-Cats have the players to win immediately. That should make fans pretty happy.

With Cortez on board, his first order of business will be to fill out his coaching staff, which has vacancies at both Offensive and Defensive Coordinator. Both Corey Chamblin and Khari Jones left to take jobs with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, so replacing them will be job number one.

The Tiger-Cats have scheduled an introductory press conference on Tuesday for both Cortez and new starting Quarterback Henry Burris.

Jim Popp Might Be Leaving Montreal

2012-01-07T09:57:00.000-05:00

A report surfaced early this morning that Montreal Alouettes General Manager Jim Popp has is being considered for the vacant General Manager position in Indianapolis.

The Colts are in need of a new GM after the team fired Vice Chairman Bill Polian and his son Chris, the team's General Manager, on Monday.

This is an different twist on the familiar "who is leaving Montreal" off-season storyline. Normally, it is either Anthony Calvillo retiring or Marc Trestman taking an NCAA or NFL job, but very rarely does Popp's name surface when talking about Montreal departures (he was brought up as a possible candidate in Washington a couple of seasons ago).

Popp's loss could really hurt an Alouette team that is about to head into a transition period. They are coming off their worst season since 2007, and the team has a lot of questions to answer. How many more years does Anthony Calvillo have left in him? What will Marc Trestmen do when his contract expires at the end of the season? Will Jamel Richardson sign an extension or test the free agent waters? Throw Popp potentially leaving into the mix and Montreal will have another big question to answer.

Popp leaving would reverberate around the league as well, especially in the East Division. Montreal is penciled in every season for a playoff appearance, but one has to wonder how well they would do without the man that put those 16-straight playoff teams together. With all the moves that have been made by teams in the East Division teams so far this off-season, the Als losing Popp could be the biggest development for any team.

Popp moving to Indianapolis is probably unlikely, but if he was to leave, an already news-filled off-season would get that much more interesting.

Rumour: Thigpen Signs With Miami

2012-01-05T23:23:00.000-05:00

According to Hamilton Tiger-Cat Receiver Jeremy Kelley, Marcus Thigpen is about to become the newest member of the Miami Dolphins.

Thigpen used the option year in his contract – which was signed before that window was closed to players with the new CBA in 2010 – to explore his NFL opportunities. It looks as if the Dolphins liked what they saw when Thigpen worked out for them in mid-December.

We'll know what chances Thigpen has of sticking around once the contract details come out, but with his speed, he could be a very dangerous Kick Returner, not unlike former BC Lion Stefan Logan.

Obviously, a tweet from a player is not irrefutable proof, but I would imagine that unless Kelley was given some really bad information, confirmation will be coming in the morning.

As of now, it looks like the Tiger-Cats most explosive player has taken his talents to South Beach. (I won't do that again, I promise.)

Did Obie Ever Truly Want Kevin Glenn?

2012-01-05T21:29:00.000-05:00

Kevin Glenn's tenure with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats has come to an end, but there is one question I have been asking myself the last couple of days:

Did Bob O'Billovich ever really want Kevin Glenn?

I know this might sound silly at first, because it was O'Billovich who signed Glenn after he was released by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Clearly, Obie had no problem bringing Glenn to Hamilton. If he did, he never would have picked him up in the first place.

However, I don't believe Obie ever wanted, or envisioned, Glenn as the starter, and I think O'Billovich did a poor job of hiding that fact over Glenn's three seasons with the Tiger-Cats. I'm not saying that Obie explicitly undermined Glenn while he was in Hamilton, but Obie acted in a way that might suggest he was never fully behind Glenn as the starter.

For starters, Glenn, who had success as a starter in Winnipeg and was only 29 when he was signed, was brought in as a backup. Glenn, much like the role he is likely to play in Calgary, was signed to be a veteran presence behind a young starter (in Hamilton, it was Quinton Porter; in Calgary, it will be Drew Tate). It was not the intention of the team to have Glenn become the starter, and the expectation was that Porter would replicate his success at the tail end of the 2008 campaign and become the Tiger-Cats starter for a decade. It might even be possible to think that when Glenn was signed, O'Billovich didn't imagine he'd be here for as long as he was, and only stayed as long as he did because of how well he played in 2010.

Despite that magnificent season, Obie was still willing to part with Glenn immediately following the 2010 season. In the aftermath of the Ricky Ray trade to Toronto, it was reported that Hamilton nearly acquired Ray the previous off-season. It has never been divulged just who or what would have gone to Edmonton in exchange for Ray, but it seems reasonable to guess that Glenn would have been part of the deal, especially in light of the fact that Glenn was part of the package that landed Henry Burris. Ray's 2010 season was disappointing to say the least, while Glenn had one of the best seasons a Hamilton QB ever had, yet Obie was an agent's plea away from dealing his record-setting Qaurterback.

When the 2011 season started off less than ideally for the Cats, O'Billovich went public with the fact that he thought backup Quinton Porter needed to see some more playing time. Again, Glenn was coming off arguably his best season; yet just two games into the new season, and the General Manager was saying the backup needed to see game action.

As the 2011 season progressed Glenn had what could best be described as a mediocre season. As the season wound down the team decided to use both Porter and Glenn in game situations. Call it a two-quarterback system, call it a platoon, call it whatever you like, the point is that both Glenn and Porter played in team's final four games. What does this have to do with Obie, you ask? I have no proof to back this up, and this is strictly my opinion, but I believe that the idea to play both guys came from the GM. Marcel Bellefeuille said that he "generally subscribed to today's thinking that you've got a starter and you develop somebody behind them to take over someday," so it would seem that the idea to play both did not come from Bellefeuille. Obie also has a history of using more than Quarterback, doing so successfully when he was the Head Coach of the Toronto Argonauts. The move to use two Quarterbacks always felt like an Obie decision.

Glenn's time with the Tiger-Cats finally came to an end Tuesday when he was officially traded to the Calgary Stampeders, along with Mark Dewit and a conditional draft pick, for Henry Burris. Remember when Obie declined to trade for Glenn because he knew that the Bombers were going to release him? All the scuttlebutt was that the Stamps were going to ditch Burris, yet Obie still opted to trade for him. Obie wanted Burris, so he went and got him; Obie settled for Glenn, so he was willing to wait.

In the aftermath of the trade, O'Billovich said a few things that could reveal his true feelings on Glenn, the most damning being that he said some candidates for the vacant Head Coaching position told him that the team would be better with Burris than with Glenn. While that may or may not be true – we won't know how good the team will be until they take the field in the summer – the fact that he made the comment is pretty telling. Obie also stated that he believed Burris to be a better athlete and more capable of bringing a Grey Cup to Hamilton than Glenn was. I understand a General Manager trying to talk up a recent acquisition, but the compliments he gave to Burris also speaks to his feelings on Glenn.

None of us will ever know how Obie truly felt about Glenn, and perhaps all of Obie's comments and actions say more about what he thinks about Quinton Porter and Henry Burris than it does about how he feels about Kevin Glenn.

Whatever the case may be, it certainly looks like Bob O'Billovich never really got behind Kevin Glenn.

Quarterback of the Future

2012-01-04T15:35:00.003-05:00

With the trade for Henry Burris, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are set at Quarterback for the next year or two.

But what about the beyond that?

Henry Burris is 36, and is not the long-term answer at Quarterback. Kevin Glenn, who was traded for Burris, is 32 and could have been with the team longer than Burris, but with 11 years under his belt, he was not the answer either.

The Tabbies have two guys on their roster that could be ready to ascend the throne, in Quinton Porter and Jason Boltus. But Porter, at 29, has been given ample opportunity to seize the starting role over the last couple of season and has yet to do so. Boltus has seen very little playing time and is therefore a complete unknown.

There has been talk of Boise State superstar Kellen Moore coming to Hamilton. He is currently on Hamilton's negotiation list, which means that the Cats have the first shot at bringing Moore's immense talents north of the border. Moore is thought of as a mid-to-late round draft choice in the NFL, so his football future is currently up in the air. If Moore is not selected in the NFL Draft, or if he gets cut during Training Camp, he could find his way onto Hamilton's practice roster.

Moore had an undeniably stellar career at Boise State, and is unarguably the best Quarterback that school has ever had. Moore led the Broncos to a 50-3 record in his four seasons as the starter, which is a feat that is likely not to be matched by any Quarterback at any school. He also put up incredible stats and finished in the top 10 in Heisman voting the last three seasons.

But does his NCAA success mean he's destined for CFL success? If recent history is any indication, the answer is no.

Over the past few seasons, the top Quarterback to come from a major college program is probably Darian Durant, who went to North Carolina, which is hardly known as a football factory. Drew Tate went to Iowa, but his CFL career is in its infancy and it is too soon to tell if he will be a success. Adrian McPherson went to Florida State (alma mater of CFL Hall of Famer Danny McManus), but had a less than stellar collegiate career that will best be remembered for him getting kicked off the Seminoles. Jarious Jackson has carved out a nice career for himself, but he's spent most of his time being a backup. And of course there is Quinton Porter, who went to Boston College.

However, the vast majority of Quarterbacks who arrive in the CFL do not even reach the heights of a Quinton Porter. The list of failed big-time college Quarterbacks is a lot longer. Chris Leak won a National Championship while at Florida, but flamed out when given a chance to start for the Montreal Alouettes in 2010. Timmy Chang came to the CFL as the NCAA's all-time leader in passing yards, but looked completely lost when he took the field for the Tiger-Cats.

But those guys are successes compared to players like Graham Harrell, Todd Reesing, Bryan Randall, Tyler Palko and Cody Pickett. All of whom either never made it off the practice squad (or out of Training Camp) or played so sparingly or poorly that there CFL careers were over almost before they began.

Winnipeg has two Quartebacks that played at BCS programs – Joey Elliott at Purdue and Alex Brink at Washington State – but neither of those guys did much during their college careers. Both have looked promising in their limited time on the field, but it is way too soon to tell if either will take the next step.

Then there are the two players that have the most in common with Moore: his predecessors at Boise State, Jared Zabransky and Ryan Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie is still best remembered for making his first start for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup back in 2007, and Zabransky was given the chance to unseat Ricky Ray in Edmonton and failed to do so. Zabransky is now out of the league, while Dinwiddie is currently a backup in Saskatchewan.

The path from NCAA stardom to CFL starter is not an easy one. Kellen Moore has all the tools to succeed on either side of the border, but the same has been said about countless players who amounted to less than nothing in their professional careers.

Is Kellen Moore the "Quarterback of the Future" for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats if he decides to ply his trade in the CFL? Maybe. But history suggests it is not a slam dunk.

Khari Jones Off to Saskatchewan

2012-01-03T15:55:00.000-05:00

Less than a year ago, Khari Jones was named the Offensive Coordinator of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He will not be in that role in 2012, as he has been named the Quarterback Coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Jones's first year as a coordinator provided mixed results. There were times when the Offense looked unstoppable and other times when it looked like they didn't know the difference between a football and a baseball. A perfect example of that is their play in the two playoff games: near flawless in victory over the Alouettes and completely inept in defeat at the hands of the Blue Bombers.

With a new Head Coach coming in – soon? – it was unlikely that Jones would return in the same capacity with the team in 2012. Jones has a lot of potential, and it showed in spurts during the 2011 season. I would have preferred to see him continue to grow in the roll with the Tiger-Cats, but I'm not surprised he is moving elsewhere.

The Cats are now need to fill both coordinator positions, as well as name a Head Coach. The list of candidates for all those positions are dwindling by the day – not to mention, Winnipeg is still in need of a new Offensive Coordinator – so the Ti-Cats can ill-afford to dillydally any longer. It's time to pick someone move on to other business. Hopefully a decision comes down before the end of the week, but with how long it has taken them so far, I will not be holding my breath.

Thank You, Kevin Glenn

2012-01-03T11:41:00.000-05:00

Meeting Kevin Glenn for the first time back in 2010

If you are a Tiger-Cat fan (as I assume most of the people reading this will be), you remember how dreadful the franchise was from 2005 to 2008. It was a terrible time to be a fan of the Black & Gold, with the losses piling up and the wins few and far between.

When the 2009 season started, no one thought much of Hamilton. They had a young Quarterback in Quinton Porter and a new Head Coach in Marcel Bellefeuille. The Tiger-Cats were expected to struggle, and when the team lost at home on opening day to the Argonauts, it felt like the same old story would play out.

The season was up and down, but following a miserable Thanksgiving Day showing against the Blue Bombers, the decision was made to pull the plug on the Porter experiment and hand the reins over to Kevin Glenn. The Tiger-Cats would go 3-1 down the stretch and secure their first home playoff game since 2001.

Glenn was named the starter entering 2010 and he played Quarterback better than almost anyone in Tiger-Cat history. Over 5,000 yards through the air and a team record 33 touchdown passes, Glenn once again led the Tiger-Cats into the playoffs; their first back-to-back trips to the post season in a decade.

The 2011 season saw a decrease in the stat and win columns, yet Hamilton still advanced to their first East Division Final in 10 years, and defeated the Montreal Alouettes in Montreal in an epic clash in the East Division Semi-Final.

Glenn was one of a handful of key players that helped take the Tiger-Cats out of the East Division basement and turn them into a perennial playoff team. Considering where the team was before he arrived, his tenure with the Tiger-Cats is a success in my eyes. Glenn may not have guided the team to the Promised Land, but he did more than any Quarterback since Danny McManus, and the list of Quarterback saviours post-McManus is not a short one.

If not for Glenn's arrival, the Tiger-Cats probably do not have the success they have enjoyed over the last three seasons. While the ultimate goal eluded both Glenn and the team, he leaves the franchise in much better shape than when he arrived.

I will fondly remember Glenn's years in Black & Gold because he helped rejuvenate a fan base that had become accustomed to nothing but meaningless games after Labour Day. Glenn, along with a host of other players, brought respectability back to football in Hamilton.

As Glenn leaves for Calgary, I'd like to say thank you.

Thank you, Kevin Glenn, for the three wonderful seasons.

Thank you, Kevin Glenn, for doing everything you could to make this team a winner.

Thank you, Kevin Glenn, for being a player I was proud to call a Hamilton Tiger-Cat.

Thank you, Kevin Glenn. Best of luck in Calgary.

Burris to TigerTown, Glenn to Cowtown

2012-01-02T20:11:00.000-05:00

The Quarterback change that some fans have been clamouring for is on the verge of happening, as Henry Burris is being sent to Hamilton in exchange for Kevin Glenn and Mark Dewit.

I have made no secret of my feelings on Burris coming and Glenn leaving, so it's obvious I don't agree with this trade. But instead of restating an argument I've already made, there are others reasons why I think this is not a good trade.

First, the Cats gave up too much. A straight-up Burris-for-Glenn swap would have been more palatable than dealing Glenn and Dewit. Handing Calgary a good, young, Canadian player – and one that filled in admirably for one of the best Centres in the CFL in Marwan Hage when the latter was lost for the season in September – is not the type of move a team that had ratio problems should make. Dewit proved in 2011 that he can play, and Hage is closer to the end than the beginning. Trading Dewit makes no sense.

The second problem is Hamilton will now have to pay Burris a lot more than it was paying Glenn. Why Hamilton didn't wait until Burris was eventually released – and we all know that Burris's days in Calgary were numbered, but that was solidified when Drew Tate signed a contract extension last week – and sign him at a much more financially sensible number? Rumours are that Burris makes somewhere between $400,000 to $450,000, which means Burris's salary will take up almost 1/10th of the league's $4.3-million salary cap per team. That's a huge chunk. Perhaps Burris has agreed to a pay cut, but he wasn't willing to do that for Calgary, so what are the chances he'd be willing to do it for Hamilton?

There seems to have been no rush to make this change. The team still doesn't have a Head Coach, so it's not like Burris will have a system to learn right away, so waiting another month (when Burris is owed a bonus by the Stamps that they were probably not going to pay) wouldn't have been a detriment. Making a move now seems unnecessary. Another 30 days wouldn't have hurt the team, and may have helped them by getting to negotiate a deal with Burris at a much more attractive number.

With a new Head Coach and Quarterback, the pressure will be on for Hamilton to win it all in 2012. Anything less than a Grey Cup championship will have to be viewed as a complete failure. These are the type of moves teams make to get them over the proverbial hump, so unless Burris and whomever the Head Coach is takes the Cats beyond the East Final, the moves, especially at Quarterback, will have been pointless. Burris, who will be 37 before the 2012 season starts, is not the long-term answer at Quarterback, so this is a win-now move.

Now we just have to wait for things to be made official, but it looks like Burris is headed to Steeltown.

The Cortez Assumption

2012-01-02T14:09:00.002-05:00

The calendar has turned to 2012 and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are still the lone CFL franchise without a Head Coach. The main reason most people believe the Cats have not hired anyone is because they are wishing to interview and/or hire current Buffalo Bills Quarterback Coach George Cortez, which they could not do before the NFL season ended.

Cortez would probably make a very good Head Coach. He has experience – both in the CFL and elsewhere – and success – where he was on the staff of four Grey-Cup-championship squads in Calgary – on his résumé. He is the type of coach the team could sell as an upgrade over Marcel Bellefeuille.

The one assumption is that Cortez will be available because Bills Head Coach Chan Gailey could be fired. The Bills started the season 5-2, but ended the season a disappointing 6-10 and in last place in the AFC East. The belief is that late-season swoon will cost Gailey his job.

But there are a couple of problems with that mode of thinking. First, there has been no talk of Gailey losing his job. None. It seems to be CFL writers and fans that think the Bills' failures will get Gailey fired. It has not been a topic that has come up amongst NFL writers or insiders. None of the lists of coaches on the hot seat that I have seen have included Gailey. Not one.

Secondly, NFL coaches generally get three years to turn a losing team around. Gailey just finished his second season in Buffalo, which means he will probably get at least one more season to try to get the Bills to the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season.

Finally, Bills Owner Ralph Wilson is a pretty patient man. He doesn't fire coaches willy-nilly. The Bills have had five coaches since Marv Levy handed in the headset in 1997, but only one coach lasted less than three seasons (Mike Mularky) and he left of his own accord following his second season. (This list doesn't included Perry Fewell, who took over on an interim basis after Dick Juron was fired mid-season in 2009.)

The above points do not preclude Cortez from becoming the next Head Coach of the Tiger-Cats, but history suggests that it will not be due to Gailey's firing. Fans holding out hope that Cortez will be a free man, thus able to come to Hamilton, should temper those expectations. If Cortez is to become the Tiger-Cats next Head Coach it will be because he wants to, not because his boss in Buffalo was shown the door.

Dickenson Withdraws; Time to Hire Burke

2011-12-23T23:39:00.000-05:00

Looks like the Ti-Cats are down to one coaching candidate, as word is that Dave Dickenson has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Ti-Cats Head Coaching vacancy.

The news that Dickenson will return to Calgary should not come as a surprise. He is a West Division guy, and he is probably the guy that will take over for John Hufnagel when he decides to hang up the headset.

With Dickenson out of the running, that leaves Winnipeg Defensive Coordinator Tim Burke as the lone candidate left. If the Tabbies do not sign Burke either tomorrow (which is highly unlikely since it is Christmas Eve) or early next week, it could lend credence to the idea that they are after Buffalo Bills Quarterbacks Coach George Cortez.

It's been no secret that Burke has always been the preferred candidate of yours truly, so hopefully the Ti-Cats can get his name on a contract sooner rather than later. Unlike some, I'm not too worried that the Cats have yet to select their Head Coach, but the team does need to pick someone soon or this could get farcical.

Forget Cortez; it is time to get Burke and get on with other business. Burke is an excellent choice; everywhere he has gone he has experienced success. It's time for the Ti-Cats to make a decision, and Dave Dickenson's decision made Hamilton's that much easier.

So Obie, Caretaker, if you are reading this: it's time to hire Tim Burke.

Hinds Signs Extension

2011-12-22T11:13:00.000-05:00

The Tiger-Cats made their first significant player move today, signing Defensive Back Ryan Hinds to a contract extension. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Hinds is one of Hamilton's best Defensive Backs, but his 2011 season was marred by injury. His absence clearly hurt the Tiger-Cats, and a healthy Hinds in 2012 could make a big difference.

Hinds's passport cannot be overlooked either. The fact that he is a Canadian playing a position that is typically manned by an American, Hinds allows the Tabbies to play an American at another position. The rapid development of Hinds has been a boon to the team, and his second-round selection in the 2009 CFL Draft might go down as one of the best ones the team has made in the last five years.

While the Cats are no doubt grooming Chris Rwabukamba to be Hinds primary backup, it is never a bad thing to have another Canadian that could fill in. The recently released Tamon George might be worth a look.

It is nice to have Hinds locked up, as he is an important cog on Defense.

Three Question: Canadian Football League

2011-12-22T10:12:00.000-05:00

The end of the season always brings a host of questions, today we tackle three question facing the Canadian Football League.

1. Will we see any rule changes?
The CFL is one of the few leagues that has no problems tweaking their rules for the betterment of the game. I expect the league will make some changes, but one that needs to happen is one I've talked about before: automatic replay on all potential scoring plays. Scoring plays, above all others, need to be correct as close to 100 per cent of the time as possible. If the league makes no other rule changes this off-season, they must at least make this one.

2. Will the league address the reffing issue?
People complaining about officiating is nothing new, but even the most ardent supporters of the league's officials must admit that the officiating in 2011 was worse than normal. There were a ton of bad calls that cost teams dearly. There is no single solution; it's not like the league can just wave a wand and magically make the refs better. Ignoring the problem will not make it go away, so the league needs to step up and do something to ensure a repeat of 2011 does not happen.

3. Will we finally get a date for Ottawa's return?
This has been a question that has hovered over the league since the city was given a conditional franchise back in 2008. It looks like all the hurdles put forth by single-minded buffoons have been swept aside and construction will begin at Lansdowne Park soon. That means we are that much closer to the stadium being ready. We might not get a firm date, but it looks like we could have a more secure tentative date in the next six months.

Three Questions: Hamilton Tiger-Cats

2011-12-21T10:56:00.000-05:00

The end of the season always brings a host of questions, today we tackle three question facing the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

1. Can a new coach get them over the hump?
The Cats fired Marcel Bellefeuille because the front office felt that he wasn't the right guy to get the team to the Grey Cup. That means the next coach will have very high expectations. His sole job will be to win the championship that eluded Bellefeuille during his three-plus-year stint. A new coach can get the Ti-Cats over the hump, because the team as currently constituted is very talented. It might not be Grey Cup or Bust, but the team will need to show marked improvement in the win column for the coaching change to be justified.

2. Will the young Receivers take the next step?
The reason the Tiger-Cats traded Arland Bruce back in August was because they wanted to get their young Receivers some playing time. Chris Williams ended up being named the league's Most Outstanding Rookie, Bakari Grant had a breakout game in the East Division Semi-Final, Aaron Kelly also showed flashes of being a big-time player, and don't forget about the gargantuan Jeremy Kelley. The sometimes painful moments that the Tiger-Cats put up with in 2011 could pay big dividends in 2012.

3. Will the Cats fix the problems on Defense?
With Corey Chamblin off to Regina, the Tiger-Cats will have a new man calling the plays for the Defense. Who that man will be is unknown, and depending on who it is will decide what defensive scheme the Cats will run. It is pretty clear that Chamblin's scheme did not match the players he had. For example, Stevie Baggs in coverage is a waste of his immense talents. The Cats will have to find someone who can maximize their personnel. It will probably be one the most important decisions the next Head Coach makes. If the Cats can be a better team defensively, they will be a better team overall.

Three Questions: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

2011-12-20T11:48:00.000-05:00

The end of the season always brings a host of questions, today we tackle three question facing the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

1. Chris Garrett or Fred Reid?
When Reid (and Carl Volny) went down with injuries late in the season, Garrett stepped in and proved he belonged. He had 576 yards and four rushing touchdowns in just six games. Extrapolating that is silly, but those numbers, and his ridiculous 190 yards in the East Division Final, show that Garrett deserves to play. Reid is only one season removed from leading the CFL in rushing, but Running Backs break down faster than any other player. It would be wise for Winnipeg to ride Garrett's younger legs for all their worth, which means Reid is either looking at a reduced role or a new role on another team.

2. Buck Pierce, Joey Elliott or Alex Brink?
Rarely does a team get to a championship game and then have questions at the most important position, but that's exactly what is happening in Winnipeg. All three Quarterbacks are eligible for free agency, and the Bombers will have to decide who to keep. Buck Pierce stayed relatively healthy in 2011, but put up the worst numbers of any starting Quarterback in the CFL outside Toronto; Joey Elliott is coming off major knee surgery, but played well in his very limited time on the field; and Alex Brink filled in more than admirably when Pierce and Elliott went down. It's a tough decision for Winnipeg. All three should be brought back, but that might not be possible. Pierce has earned the right to get at least one more chance to lead the Bombers, but it cannot come at the expense of losing Brink and Elliott. One is probably gone, but Winnipeg must try to bring the other one back. Which one that will be is anyone's guess.

3. How big of a void has Doug Brown's departure left?
For the first time in over a decade, Doug Brown will not be patrolling the middle of the Winnipeg Defensive Line in 2012. Brown's Hall-of-Fame career ended when the Bombers lost the Grey Cup. Players like Brown don't come around often, so Winnipeg will have a huge hole to fill. Brown will not be replaced – you don't simply replace talented Canadians such as Brown – but someone will need to step up and take his spot. Winnipeg had the best Defense in 2011, and they had a very talented Defensive Line. They will find someone, but they won't be of the same calibre as Doug Brown, at least not right away.

Three Questions: Toronto Argonauts

2011-12-19T09:58:00.000-05:00

The end of the season always brings a host of questions, today we tackle three question facing the Toronto Argonauts.

1. Will Scott Milanovich make a difference?
There has been a lot of buzz around Milanovich the past couple of seasons, and now we get to see if the hype can be matched by results. Milanovich was surrounded by star talent in Montreal, with Anthony Calvillo, Jamel Richardson, S.J. Green, Ben Cahoon, Brandon Whitaker and Avon Cobourne playing for him during his time as the Als' Offensive Coordinator. He inherits a Toronto team that doesn't have anywhere near the calibre of players that he had in Montreal. Cory Boyd is a very good Running Back, Andre Durie has the makings of a good Receiver, and the team traded for Ricky Ray to shore up the Quarterback position, but other than that, the cupboard is pretty bare. But he has his shot, and we're going to find out if Montreal made Milanovich or not.

2. Who will Ricky Ray throw to?
The biggest move of the off-season so far is the Argos trading for Ricky Ray. Ray is one of the top Quarterbacks in the CFL and instantly makes Toronto a better team. But a Quarterback is only as good as his Receivers, and Toronto is lacking in that department. Ray will likely have Andre Durie, Chad Owens, Maurice Mann, Spencer Watt and Jeremaine Copeland as his receiving corps. A murderers' row they are not. It's possible that Ray could get out of these guys what Cleo Lemon and Steven Jyles could not – Ray is, after all, a much better player than either of those two – but it will take some work. Results should be better, but it's far from a lock that the Argos' Offense, even with Ray, will be that much better. Now, if they break the bank to sign Andy Fantuz...

3. Will they pull a BC Lions?
Everything Toronto has done since the 2011 season ended was to try to ensure that they can do what BC did and win the Grey Cup at home. It's unlikely they accomplish their goal. This type of massive overhaul – new Head Coach, new Coordinators, new Quarterback – would have been better last off-season. That way, the team could have had a year to work out any kinks and made a few minor, but important, acquisitions this off-season. This much change in one off-season rarely leads to a championship. The Argos will be better, but they won't be a 14-win team or a Grey Cup champion in 2012. Maybe in 2013, but not 2012.

Three Questions: Montreal Alouettes

2011-12-16T10:01:00.000-05:00

The end of the season always brings a host of questions, today we tackle three question facing the Montreal Alouettes.

1. Will 2012 be Anthony Calvillo's last season?
He has said he is returning for another season, and he has made not-so-veiled hints that he still hopes to even his Grey Cup record (which sits at 3-5), so it sounds like 2012 will not be Calvillo's final CFL season. But I think it will be. The East Division is no longer Calvillo's play thing with Winnipeg and Hamilton getting further in the playoffs in 2011 and Toronto making major moves to ensure they don't finish in last again in 2012. The road to a fourth (and fifth) Grey Cup title will not be as easy the road to the first three. Montreal is still a good team and could still win it all, but I don't think they will, and the inability to get number four in 2012 will make Calvillo change course and hang up his cleats at season's end.

2. Will 2012 be Marc Trestman's last season?
Most of the talk in Montreal centres around Calvillo, but Trestman's contract is up following next season and it is possible, probable even, that he won't return. Trestman is a highly valued and respected coach on both sides of the border, and he could be tempted to take an NFL or NCAA job when his contract expires. If Calvillo retires, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Trestman leaves with him.

3. Was 2011 the beginning of the end?
For the first time since 2007, the Montreal Alouettes did not win the East. For the first time since 2007, they lost in the East Division Semi-Final. For the first time since 2004, they lost a playoff game in Montreal. Teams no longer fear the Als. They finished 2011 on a four-game losing streak (including the playoffs), with two of those losses coming in Montreal. The aura around Montreal has faded, and the run that saw them go to eight Grey Cups in 12 seasons is over. Montreal is still a good team, but they are no longer the Beast of the East.

Why I'd Keep Kevin Glenn

2011-12-15T20:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I stated why I don't think bringing in Henry Burris is the right move, even if it seems inevitable that Burris will be piloting the Tiger-Cats' Offense in 2012.

So what I am going to do now, even though most fans will probably disagree with me, is give my reason why I'd keep Kevin Glenn.

I'll start by saying that I am a fan of Kevin Glenn and I make no apologies for that. I try my best to provide an objective voice, but I am still a fan, and as a fan there are certain players I find myself liking. One of those players is Kevin Glenn.

My appreciation for Glenn goes back to his days in Winnipeg, and only intensified when he signed with the Tiger-Cats back in 2009. I am, to put it bluntly, a Kevin Glenn fan. Even if the team decides he's not for them, I will remain a Kevin Glenn fan.

So my stumping for Glenn to get another season with the Ti-Cats is partially biased because I like the guy. Objectively, he has done some good things while wearing the Black & Gold, but not enough to guarantee a return in 2012. But equally as objectively, he hasn't done so little that he doesn't deserve to come back.

During his time in Hamilton, Glenn has had one statistically amazing year (2010), one statistically mediocre year (2011) and one year that is too difficult to judge (2009). It's a trend that Glenn has followed his entire career, but more on that later.

One stat that most Glenn detractors like to bring up is his winning percentage (which hovers around .500), but I think judging players on wins in football – which, in my opinion, is the ultimate team sports – is pointless. Anthony Calvillo threw for over 500 yards against the Tiger-Cats in the 2011 East Division Semi-Final. And lost. Kevin Glenn threw for over 500 yards against the Montreal Alouettes in 2009. And lost. Steven Jyles threw for less than 100 yards against Winnipeg in 2011. And won. Those are just three examples where Quarterback play did not decide the winner or the loser, so judging a Quarterback based on wins and losses is useless, and I am not the only one who holds that opinion.

But in looking for reasons to justify a fourth season in Steeltown for Glenn, you need look no further than his stats to see why 2012 might be the wrong year to get rid of Glenn.

An interesting pattern develops if you look at his year-to-year stats. Glenn, it seems, likes to follow statistically mediocre seasons with statistically great ones.

Indisputably, Glenn's three best seasons as a starting Quarterback were 2005, 2007 and 2010.

In 2005, which was his first full season as a starter, Glenn passed for over 3,500 yards and 27 touchdowns with only 17 interceptions. For a first-year starter (he became the starter midway through 2004 when the Bombers traded Khari Jones), those are very good numbers.

In 2007, Glenn had probably his best year. He threw for 5,117 yards, 25 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, and was a finalist for Most Outstanding Players. He also guided Winnipeg to the Grey Cup, but a broken arm in the East Final in Toronto kept him from playing in it. Had Glenn played in that game, we all might view him differently.

In 2010, Glenn became Hamilton's starting Quarterback and had one of the best seasons a Tiger-Cat QB has ever had. He finished second in the league in passing yards with 5,100, set the Ti-Cat record for touchdown passes with 33 and threw 17 interceptions.

Clearly, the three above years show Glenn can perform at a high level. But Glenn has been far from a model of consistency. In between those great years lies three not-so-good years in 2006, 2008 and 2011.

In 2006, Glenn regressed, throwing for less yards and touchdowns, despite playing in more games. He threw less interceptions, but his TD-to-INT ratio was 17:13, while it was 27:17 the year before. It was a typical sophomore slump, and has been pointed out, he rebounded in 2007.

His 2008 season could be dismissed because he was coming off an injury and was bound to regress following a stellar campaign the year before. But the regression was steep and ended up costing him his job in Winnipeg. He landed in Hamilton in 2009, had a good year as a backup and sometime starter, but he really took off in 2010.

Then 2011 came and Glenn fell back down to Earth once again. His numbers fell across the board and he was platooned with backup Quinton Porter at the end of the season. That explains the lower number of yards and touchdowns (as does a more efficient red zone offense that saw Quinton Porter score nine rushing touchdowns), but if he had played like he did in 2010, there never would have been a platoon in the first place.

So what does this mean? Well, if the past is any indication, Glenn is due to follow up an unspectacular 2011 with a great 2012. If Glenn is given another chance to lead the Tiger-Cats, his personal performance history shows that the team and its fans should expect something akin to 2005, 2007 or 2010 as opposed to 2006, 2008 or 2011.

Kevin Glenn is not the best Quarterback and he is clearly not the most consistent, but his history shows that he follows up bad years with good ones and good ones with bad ones. Since 2011 was a bad year, 2012 should be a good one.

This might be something the Tiger-Cats should think about before they decide to part ways with Glenn.

While I will admit that I am probably fighting a losing battle and Glenn will be replaced and probably by Henry Burris. I still think a case can be made – and I believe I made it – as to why the Hamilton Tiger-Cats should keep Kevin Glenn for 2012.

Chamblin Off to Saskatchewan

2011-12-15T14:40:00.003-05:00

The Tiger-Cats are now in the market for a new Defensive Coordinator as Cory Chamblin will be named the next Head Coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders later today.

Chamblin was Saskatchewan General Manager Brendan Taman's first choice last season, but he was overruled by his superiors. This season, with the decision being all Taman's, he grabbed the man he wanted all along.

This also takes another name off the Tiger-Cats coaching list, which is growing shorter by the day. Kent Austin decided to stay at Cornell, Mike Benevides took the BC job, Jacques Chapdelaine is expected to become Head Coach at Bishop's and now Chamblin is off to Regina. That's a majority of the names that were mentioned just after Hamilton fired Marcel Bellefeuille.

From the outside looking in, it seems like this is a two-horse race between Dave Dickenson and Tim Burke. Two other names still around are George Cortez and Mike O'Shea. Drew Edwards thinks that Cortex is likely to stay in the NFL, and bringing in O'Shea is a long shot at best.

So unless the Ti-Cats go completely off the board, it looks like it's down to Dickenson and Burke. One of their first jobs will be to find Chamblin's replacement. Let the speculation begin as to who that could be.

Three Questions: Calgary Stampeders

2011-12-15T10:14:00.001-05:00

The end of the season always brings a host of questions, today we tackle three question facing the Calgary Stampeders.

1. Will Drew Tate be the next Travis Lulay?
When the Stampeders benched Henry Burris in favour of Drew Tate, it was a move made for the future. It was also similar to a move made a season before by the BC Lions. The Lions decided to cut Casey Printers and play Travis Lulay; a year later they were rewarded with a Grey Cup championship. Calgary is no doubt looking at that as the template for Tate, fairly or unfairly. Tate has the skills to get it done, so don't bet against the Iowa product turning into one the best in league.

2. Where will Henry Burris go?
With Drew Tate's accession means that Henry Burris's time in Calgary is up. There are really only two places that fit what Burris is looking for: Hamilton and Winnipeg. The money is on Burris landing in Hamilton, but Winnipeg could see Burris as an upgrade over Buck Pierce and could outbid the Ti-Cats for him. But if you are a betting man, put your money on the Tiger-Cats.

3. Is Joffrey Reynolds done?
The Stamps are getting younger, which means Joffrey Reynolds is unlikely to be in their plans going forward. Reynolds was benched prior to Calgary's game in Moncton for Jon Cornish, and all Cornish did was establish himself as the one of the best young Running Backs in the CFL. The Stamps even signed Cornish to a contract extension, which means he is the man that Calgary will be going with from here on out. That makes Reynolds expendable, and he'll have a tough time trying to find a job as a 32-year-old, eight-year veteran with almost 1,600 carries. A Running Back's shelf life is notoriously short, and the fact that Reynolds has been at or near the top since 2005 means we have probably seen the last of him on a CFL field.

Why I'd Pass on Henry Burris

2011-12-14T20:39:00.000-05:00

The Henry Burris-to-Hamilton watch is on!

Now that the Argos have solidified their QB situation by acquiring Ricky Ray from Edmonton, the only possible landing spot that could give Burris what he wants – the starting job – is Hamilton.

It is a move that I stand firmly against and hope doesn't come to fruition.

I have nothing against Henry Burris; in fact, I'd even call myself a fan of his. I have always viewed him and Kevin Glenn, the man Burris would be replacing should he come to Steeltown, in the same light. They are two players cut from a very similar cloth. They play the game differently, but each have been dogged by the same doubts when it comes to their careers. Namely, that they couldn't win. Burris got that monkey off his back in 2008, while Glenn has yet to. So I have always had an affinity for Burris and wanted to see him succeed (as long as it didn't come against the Tiger-Cats).

But that doesn't mean I want him as the Tiger-Cats Quarterback next season. Three or four years ago, sign me up. But it's going to be 2012, and my gut and my eyes tell me that his best-before date has passed.

Two skills are brought up as to why Burris would be an upgrade over Glenn: arm strength and running ability. But if you watched Burris near the end of 2011 – especially the game in Toronto where he was finally pulled for Drew Tate – he was skipping passes at an alarming rate and seemed to have lost his speed. Without the cannon arm and escapability that has defined his career, Burris is not much more than an older version of Glenn.

That brings me to the other concern: age. If the team chooses to get rid of Glenn, I might not agree, but that's the way the ball rolls sometimes. I didn't agree with the Cats trading Arland Bruce, I didn't agree when the Maple Leafs traded Doug Gilmour, I didn't agree when the 49ers dealt Joe Montana, but that's the way sports works. Guys get traded, released or sign elsewhere and we just have to accept it. But getting rid of a 33-year-old for a 36-year-old seems like a mistake, like the team would be taking a step back instead of a step forward. If the Cats are going to change their signal caller (which insiders like Dave Naylor think is a given), it makes more sense to go after a guy like Montreal's Adrian McPherson, who has spent the last four seasons behind Anthony Calvillo, and will be just 29 when the season starts.

But would the Cats make such a move with the spectre of 2013 hanging over their heads?

Ah, yes, 2013. The year without a home.

My main concern in regards to all Tiger-Cat decisions is that the homeless year is the driving force behind every move. Did Marcel Bellefeuille get shown the door for what happened on the field or because the brain trust is worried that another .500-ish record followed by a playoff loss could hurt the team as they prepare for a year away from home? Similarly, are the Cats potentially ditching Glenn because of his performance or because they're worried fans will leave and not come back if the team stands pat and doesn't improve?

None of us know for certain what are the reasons behind the moves the team makes. I just hope they aren't sacrificing the long term for the short term when it comes to their decision making. Signing a Henry Burris smells like a short-term solution, not a long-term one.

I want to see the Tiger-Cats end their Grey Cup drought just as much as any other fan. If the team signs Burris (or any other Quarterback) and wins the Grey Cup, I'll be ecstatic. I just don't think that will happen. I think the Cats have just as much of a chance at winning their sixteenth championship with Kevin Glenn as they do with Henry Burris (or anyone else) in 2012.

But I, thankfully, don't make those decisions, I just react to them.

But if the decision was mine, you know where I stand.

I'd pass on Henry Burris.

Three Questions: Saskatchewan Roughriders

2011-12-14T09:43:00.000-05:00

The end of the season always brings a host of questions, today we tackle three question facing the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

1. Will Andy Fantuz stay?
This is the biggest question facing the franchise, even bigger than who the next Head Coach will be. Fantuz is the type of player that teams salivate over: he's big, strong, fast and most importantly, Canadian. In 2010, he was the first Non-Import to lead the league in receiving yards since Dave Sapunjis in 1995 and won the Most Outstanding Canadian award at season's end. Fantuz can be a difference maker, and losing him would be terrible for Saskatchewan. But lose him they will. Fantuz will hit the open market and he will find himself wearing different colours in 2012. Whether they are Double Blue, Green & Gold or Black & Gold won't be known until February, but he probably won't be wearing Green & White.

2. Can Darian Durant rebound?
If Fantuz leaves, Durant will lose his favourite target, which will make it difficult for him to get back to an elite level. His flaws were exposed without Fantuz for much of 2011, and if Fantuz does seek greener pastures elsewhere, Durant could continue to regress. All those Grey Cup appearances masked what has been an unspectacular career when looking at his stats. Maybe we've seen the type of player Durant is: good, but not good enough. Don't expect a huge improvement in 2012.

3. Who is the next Head Coach?
It seems as if popular sentiment is behind Dave Dickenson being named the next Head Coach. He could make a good choice, but he is raw and untested. It would be a gamble, but one probably worth taking. What Dickenson will need to succeed is freedom. That was the major problem with Greg Marshall's tenure. He had his predecessor looking over his shoulder, which won't be a problem this time around because Ken Miller has retired. Dickenson will need to be given free reign or it won't matter who takes the headset in Regina, dismal results will follow.

Three Questions: BC Lions

2011-12-13T11:28:00.000-05:00

The end of the season always brings a host of questions, today we tackle three question facing the BC Lions.

1. What does Travis Lulay do for an encore?
In his first full season as a starting Quarterback, Travis Lulay won the league's Most Outstanding Player Award, the Grey Cup and Grey Cup Most Valuable Player. That's going to be hard to top. While he is unlikely to match his 2011 season in 2012 in terms of post-season accolades, he will continue to show everyone why he is the next CFL superstar.

2. What does the change at Head Coach mean?
With Buono stepping down as Head Coach and Benevides taking over, things will be different in Vancouver in 2012. But this will be a smooth transition. Benevides will not have a short rope, like Greg Marshall did in Saskatchewan, and the team that Benevides is inheriting is stocked with talent, both young and old. BC should still be considered one of the top teams, even with the change at Head Coach. This will probably be the most seamless coaching change of the off-season.

3. Can the Lions repeat?
The big question facing every defending champion is: can they win it again? With BC, the answer is a resounding yes. They have to be the odds-on favourite to at least get back to the Grey Cup from the West because of all the changes the other three teams are going through. Edmonton will have a new starting Quarterback for the first time in years; Calgary will be hoping that Drew Tate can do for them what Travis Lulay did for BC in 2011; and Saskatchewan will once again have a new Head Coach and could be dealing with the loss of Andy Fantuz. It all adds up to BC at least getting themselves into the big game in Toronto, which gives them a shot to repeat.

What the Ray Trade Means for Hamilton

2011-12-12T14:09:00.000-05:00

The story went from rumours to fact rather quickly, and now that the dust has settled, Ricky Ray is the newest member of the Toronto Argonauts.

The Argos dealt the recently signed Steven Jyles (who will be on his fourth team in four seasons), Kicker Grant Shaw and a the second-overall pick in the 2012 draft. A very steep price, but one worth paying if you're the Argos.

Toronto, as everyone knows, will host the Grey Cup next season and they are going all-in to get there. Adding Ray helps with that, but that alone will not take them from 6-12 to Grey Cup champions. The Argos need a major upgrade at Receiver if this trade is to mean anything. With the exception of Andre Durie, the Argos have no one that scares opposing Defenses.

Jeremaine Copeland is old, with little left in the tank. Chad Owens is much better suited as a Kick Returner, where he can be a big difference maker, than trying to force him into the Offense as a Receiver. And then there's Maurice Mann. If he's as good as he says he is, then Ray has his target. Unfortunately for Ray, he's not. Mann talks better than he plays, and his stat line proves that. But Mann's best season did come in Edmonton, so maybe Ray can get out of Mann what Hamilton could not.

And like all moves that the Argos make, it has implications on the Ti-Cats, and this one is all about Henry Burris

Ray going to Toronto basically means that it's Hamilton or bust for Burris. Burris does not want to be a backup, and the only team he could have a chance to start for is Hamilton (unless Winnipeg is worried about the Ray move and takes Burris instead of re-signing Buck Pierce).

For an off-season that is not even a month old, things have been moving at a rapid pace. Wonder what will happen next.

A New Quarterback Rumour

2011-12-12T11:43:00.001-05:00

It seems like every week there is a new rumour regarding the Quarterback situation in Hamilton. The latest one has Dave Naylor saying that the Edmonton Eskimos might be amenable to dealing two-time Grey Cup champion Ricky Ray (thanks to Drew Edwards for the link to the audio), and that Hamilton is one of two likely landing spots (the other being, of course, Toronto).

On the surface, this would a great move. Ray is one of the best Quarterbacks in the CFL, and adding a player of his calibre would be something even staunch Kevin Glenn supporters (such as myself) could stomach and even support. Ray is a better Quarterback than Glenn, but Ray is a better Quarterback than pretty much everyone not named Anthony Calvillo. Ray is also younger than Glenn, and while he hasn't been as effective the last few season, Ray still has all the tools to get it done.

But that doesn't mean trading for Ray is slam dunk. There are some concerns that need to be addressed.

For starters, with someone with an astute an eye as Eskimos General Manager Eric Tillman, it seems fishy that he would trade an All-Star-level Quarterback a year after making it to the West Division Final. Does Tillman know something about Ray that the rest of the league's General Managers do not? Tillman rarely loses when it comes to trading players, so if he's willing to deal Ray, there has to be a reason.

Secondly, Edmonton would probably want something significant in return; this won't be a great player changing teams for a measly third-round draft choice. Hamilton would have to part with something of value, and I'm sure one would be a Quarterback (either Glenn or Quinton Porter), but the Eskimos will want something else as well. Depending on what Edmonton wants, the price may be too steep for a beaten-up, albeit still very effective, Ricky Ray.

With all the rumours that have surfaced since the season ended concerning the Hamilton Quarterback situation, this one is the most palatable. Ray is an upgrade, and the same cannot be said definitively about Henry Burris (the other Alberta-based QB rumoured to be headed to Steeltown). If Ray is traded to Hamilton, it would likely receive near-universal support from Tiger-Cat fans.

This is a story worth keeping an eye on. Should Hamilton get Ray, and not give too much to Edmonton in return, that could be the move that takes the Ti-Cats from East Division Final participant to Grey Cup winner.

Three Questions: Edmonton Eskimos

2011-12-12T10:04:00.001-05:00

The end of the season always brings a host of questions, today we tackle three question facing the Edmonton Eskimos.

1. Will Jerome Messam repeat his 2011 season?
Messam had an interesting 2011. He started the season in BC, but was cut in training camp under odd circumstances. He was picked up by Edmonton and turned in the first 1,000-plus-yard season by a Canadian Running Back since Sean Millington. He capped the whole year off by being named the league's Most Outstanding Canadian. To say he has high expectations in 2012 is an understatement. A knee injury suffered in the playoffs could slow his start, but if Messam stays hungry and healthy in 2012, he could match or surpass his 2011 totals.

2. Will the Eskimos deal Ricky Ray?
In the last 24 hours rumours have begun to surface that Ricky Ray could be dealt by the Eskimos (the landing spots, as with all QB rumours this off-season, are thought to be either Hamilton or Toronto). These rumours have come up in the past and proven to be unfounded. It is possible that the Eskimos could part ways with Ray, but it would be an odd move. They don't have a QB on the roster right now that could take over for Ray, so they too would have to make a move at Quarterback. It makes more sense for the Eskies to keep Ray, but Tillman is not a shy guy when it comes to making bold moves, so anything is possible.

3. Will Edmonton continue to contend?
As good as Edmonton was in 2011, they were equally as terrible in 2010. Year Two of the Eric Tillman regime should see even more improvement. If there is one team in the West Division that could supplant BC as division champions, it's Edmonton. If the Eskimos stay healthy, especially at Receiver, Edmonton could find themselves in Toronto at year's end.

Cats to Interview Tim Burke

2011-12-09T13:13:00.000-05:00

The Tiger-Cats coaching search continues, and a new contender has entered the ring:

Tim Burke

Burke has been my number-one choice to replace Marcel Bellefeuille since the day Bellefeuille was fired.

Burke has all the qualities a team looks for when hiring a Head Coach, with the exception of previous Head Coaching experience. And while that is a knock against him, he does come equipped with almost 35 years of experience in the CFL and NCAA, which is impressive in its own right.

But if his CFL record is what really matters, and that is where Burke outshines his competitors.

Burke has been the Defensive Coordinator for the past four East Division champions, three with Montreal and one with Winnipeg. Burke's Defenses in Montreal and Winnipeg were among the best in the league during his time in both places, and wherever he goes (or if he stays in Winnipeg) will see a vast improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Simply put, the man gets results, and those results usually find teams playing on the final Sunday in November. Success follows Burke wherever he goes and that is not a coincidence.

Burke might not be the big name some are looking for, but he would be an excellent choice as the next Head Coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Free Agent Wishlist

2011-12-08T13:09:00.000-05:00

The list of potential free agents that the CFL released on Wednesday has a lot of familiar names on it. Some of those players will re-sign with their current team over the next two months, but some won't.

Taking Hamilton's needs into mind – which I believe to be Canadian talent, the Secondary and the Offensive and Defensive Lines – there are two standout players that Hamilton should try to move Heaven and Earth to sign, a couple of non-star players that could help the Tiger-Cats strengthen some of their weaknesses.

If the picture at the top didn't tip you off, the first player is, obviously, Andy Fantuz. Fantuz is likely to be the top player in free agency should he not re-sign with Saskatchewan, and while Hamilton has plenty of good, young players at Receiver, a player of Fantuz's calibre does not come along very often. He had a bad 2011, but various factors contributed to that; however, if you look at his 2010 stats, that's where you see the type of player Fantuz is.

The second player is Byron Parker. The Ti-Cats have not had a ballhawking Defensive Back since Chris Thompson left town following the 2009 season. They could use a player with Parker's skills. It is doubtful that he would leave Toronto, but if he does test the open market, a move down the QEW makes sense.

Those are the two big fish, in my opinion, of free agency when it comes to the Tiger-Cats. They are difference-making players that any team would be happy to have, and Hamilton is no different.

While they may be the two biggest players that could be available, they are far from the only ones.

Hamilton needs help along the two lines and a trio of Eskimos could be the cure for the Tiger-Cats woes. Kyle Koch is not a star, but he could be the replacement for Simeon Rottier if, as speculated, he leaves to go to Edmonton. Koch is also a former McMaster Marauder, so he is familiar with the Hamilton area.

The two other Eskimos both play on the Defensive Line: Greg Peach and Étienne Légaré. Peach could take the spot of Justin Hickman if, as believed, he'll take a shot at the NFL. Légaré could form a nice rotation with Eddie Steele and Robert Rose.

There are, of course, plenty of other players available, and who knows who the Cats would try to go after. Everything will depend on who is named Head Coach.

New player arrive every year, and it'll be interesting to see who the new players in Hamilton will be.

Potential Tiger-Cat Free Agents

2011-12-07T21:46:00.000-05:00

The CFL released their list of eligible free agents today, and the Tiger-Cats have 10 players listed as potential free agents.

The list, with the exception of the two Justins, Hickman and Medlock, lacks star power. It's not that the players listed aren't good players – they are – it's just that they aren't superstar players.

Canadian depth was an issue for the Cats during the 2011 season, and there are four quality Canadian players – Auggie Barrenechea, Matt Carter, Matt Kirk and Simeon Rottier – among the 10 eligible free agents. Auggie left once before, to Edmonton, but came back for the 2009 season. He made the switch to Fullback in 2011, but didn't see much playing time. He is, however, a great Special Teams player and a valuable locker room leader. Carter didn't have great stats, but he played the Receiver position that doesn't see much action. His 2011 will be remembered for the ugly injury he suffered in Moncton. Kirk has battled the injury bug recently, but is an important cog in the Hamilton machine when healthy. Rottier has been very good the past couple of seasons, but rumours persist that he will be heading west.

On the Import front, Ike Brown, Jason Jimenez and Jason Shivers are free to test the market. Brown did not play a game in 2011 because of a knee injury he suffered during Rookie Camp, which he was voluntarily participating in. When he played in 2010, he was a phenomenal Special Teams player. Jimenez was benched late this past season and despite Marcel Bellefeuille being let go, Jimenez will probably be elsewhere in 2012. Shivers was signed before the 2010 season and has not been the player the team hoped for when they pilfered him from the Argos.

Then we have the Justins (I am not going to bother discussing Garrett McIntyre because he is in the NFL and doing quite well for himself). Both Hickman and Medlock are likely going to tryout for the NFL. Both had amazing seasons in 2011 and it would be a shame to see them leave. That said, from the sounds of Hickman's interview with Ticats TV and Medlock's wish to find stability, both would welcome a return to Hamilton if their NFL journey ends in disappointment.

With a new Head Coach coming in, there will be plenty of changes. We'll see over the next two months which of these 10 players will be wearing Black & Gold again in 2012.

The Tiger-Cats Coaching Candidates

2011-12-05T21:29:00.000-05:00

With Wednesday's firing of Marcel Bellefeuille, the Tiger-Cats now have an opening at Head Coach. There are a lot of qualified candidates out there that, and with the team interviewing candidates starting today, now is the perfect time to look at some of the names being tossed around.

Kent Austin
Austin has been covered ad nauseum since Rod Pedersen erroneously stated that he had interviewed for the job, so I won't retread too much.

Austin would be a great choice to replace Marcel Bellefeuille. He has all the attributes the team should be looking for. He is a proven winner with a wealth of CFL experience as both a player and Head Coach. He's ideal, if not perfect, for the job.

But, he has a nice gig at Cornell and the Ti-Cats would have to offer something pretty enticing to get him to return to the CFL.

Austin is a dream choice, but that dream will probably remain just that.

Mike Benevides
With Wally Buono stepping down, he's likely to take over the Lions. It only makes sense for him to stay, so he can pretty much be ruled out.

Tim Burke
I won't hide it, Burke is my number-one choice. I know it is hypocritical to say that considering I think hiring a first-time coach is a negative, but Burke is the exception.

Not only does Burke have one heckuva résumé -- he has been the the Defensive Coordinator for the past four Grey Cup participants from the East Division -- but hiring him would also wound a team Hamilton is in direct competition with, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Hiring Burke just because he is a coach for the Bombers would be a bad idea, but he is also a great coach who could get Hamilton where they need to be.

Corey Chamblin
He seems to be the favourite to land the gig, but his one year of Coordinator's experience seems too little to judge whether he is ready.

Also, it is not like the Tiger-Cats were a fantastic Defense in 2011. The Cats had great games, but struggled for the vast majority of 2011 to find the right combination of players. The Cats were not an elite Defense in 2011, and I don't think anyone would argue that they were.

Some seem to think hiring Chamblin just so he doesn't get hired by the Roughriders is why the team would hire him. That's silly. Chamblin should only get the job if he is the best choice.

That said, he's the leader before anyone has taken a tee shot.

Jacques Chapdelaine
Chapdelaine is in many ways the same as Marcel Bellefeuille was before he was hired. A decently successful Offensive Coordinator, but one that wasn't head and shoulders above everyone else. Chapdelaine did great with elite-level offensive talent in BC, but before that, he was the object of much derision and scorn.

Chapdelaine's future is tied directly to what happens in BC. He could stay in his role as Offensive Coordinator if Mike Benevides becomes Head Coach; however, he could also be shown the door just as easily.

But regardless of what happens in BC, I think Chapdelaine is a long shot at best.

George Cortez
Cortez currently serves as the Buffalo Bills Quarterbacks Coach, but he spent almost two decades in the CFL, most of them with the Calgary Stampeders, which means he has a plethora of CFL experience. He was a member of the Stampeders during four Grey Cup championships, including their most-recent win in 2008.

With the exception of not having been a Head Coach before, Cortez has a lot of the qualities the Cats should be looking for in a Head Coach. Maybe he's a dark-horse candidate, but if he's given a serious shot to get the job, he might be the right guy for it.

Dave Dickenson
It has been confirmed by TSN that the Cats have asked permission to talk to Dickenson, so he is clearly a candidate. He will probably be a very good one... in about two or three years.

Dickenson has the makeup of a great Head Coach, one day. That day, however, is not today. He has three years of coaching experience and only one as a high-level assistant (2011, as Calgary's Offensive Coordinator).

If the Cats decide to go with a newer Coordinator (I don't count Burke), then they could do worse than Dickenson.

Greg Marshall
Marshall was the Defensive Coordinator for the Cats for two years, and he is well though of around the league. Most seem to agree that the problems in Saskatchewan had little to do with him and more to do with the power structure.

But would Marshall want to return to Hamilton? I think after how things went, he might be better off taking the Rich Stubler approach and becoming an assistant again.

Mike O'Shea
On second thought, forget this.

It is probably Chamblin's job to lose, but Dave Dickenson is probably not far behind, with Geroge Cortez not far behind Dickenson. Tim Burke has not been mentioned, but hopefully he gets a call as well. The wild card in all this is Kent Austin. If he expresses interest, all bets are off.

The Cats won't make a decision hastily, but this also won't be a prolonged search either. I believe the team had an idea of who they wanted before they pulled the trigger on Bellefeuille. Before the calendar flips to a new year, the Cats will have their new Head Coach.

Toronto's Moves and their Tiger-Cat Implications

2011-12-03T21:05:00.000-05:00

The CFL off-season is not even a week old and the Toronto Argonauts have made three key moves to position themselves for 2012. Those moves also have some rather large implications for the Tiger-Cats as well.

The Argos hired former Montreal Alouettes Offensive Coordinator Scott Milanovich to be the team's new Head Coach. Milanovich takes over from Jim Barker, who was the Head Coach the last two seasons, so Barker can concentrate solely on being the team's General Manager.

Along with Milanovich comes Calgary Defensive Coordinator Chris Jones. Jones had been with the Stamps since 2008. His hiring in Toronto isn't official, and there seems to be a lot of back and forth between the Argos and Stamps. The Argos are saying they haven't hired Jones, while the Stamps filed a tampering complaint with the league over the issue and the league fined the Argos $5,000 for it.

The last bit of Argos news is that they have signed Quarterback Steven Jyles a two-year contract extension worth a reported $250,000 per season. The Argos traded for Jyles back in March and he took over as starter after the team cut Cleo Lemon in September.

These three moves have some implications for the Ti-Cats.

For starters, it means that both Milanovich and Jones are not going to be coaching the Tiger-Cats. This is not surprising since these moves were known before Ti-Cats fired Marcel Bellefeuille, so it is unlikely that either coach was on any list the Tiger-Cats came up with.

But the Jones hiring could have a ripple effect. With Jones now (or soon to be) the Argos Defensive Coordinator, that means that Orlondo Steinauer, who was Toronto's Defensive Coordinator for the last half of the 2011 season after the Argos fired Chip Garber, will not be. Steinauer could go back to being the team's Defensive Backs Coach (the position he held prior to his promotion) or he could look to move to another team and be their Defensive Coordinator. That team could be Hamilton if Corey Chamblin gets the Head Coaching job in Saskatchewan or Hamilton. That is a lot of moving parts, but it can't be dismissed that Steinauer could be the next Defensive Coordinator in Hamilton. And if Mike O'Shea becomes Head Coach, all bets are off.

The Jyles extension is juicier because it all but guarantees that Henry Burris will not be going to Toronto. The Argos are not going to pay two Quarterbacks a combined $500,000-600,000 – it is doubtful that Burris would go to the Argos for less than what Jyles is being paid – so Burris landing in Hogtown is highly unlikely. The speculation now is that Hamilton is the front runner to land Burris's services. Whether that's a good idea or not is for another time, but expect to see the Burris-to-Hamilton rumours get more intense.

Just a few days in and this CFL off-season looks like it might be one of the most interesting ones in recent memory.

Austin HAS NOT Been Interviewed

2011-12-02T17:45:00.001-05:00

After a bit of back and forth between Dave Naylor and Rod Pedersen earlier today, Drew Edwards is now saying that Kent Austin has not interviewed with the Ti-Cats and that interviews to fill the Head Coaching position will not begin until Monday.

This echos the statements made by Naylor and contradicts those made by Pedersen. I would suggest that "the voice of the Riders" find some new sources when it comes to the Tiger-Cats. Or perhaps he should just stick to Saskatchewan and stop reporting on happenings in Hamilton.

The Tiger-Cats, Kent Austin and Who to Believe

2011-12-02T14:59:00.000-05:00

With the firing of Marcel Bellefeuille on Wednesday, the Tiger-Cats are searching for a new Head Coach. There have been a lot of names mentioned and one is Kent Austin. Austin last coached in the CFL in 2007 when he led Saskatchewan to their third Grey Cup championship in franchise history.

Austin has been at or near the top of every team's wish list (especially Saskatchewan) since he stepped down following the 2007 season to become the Offensive Coordinator at Ole Miss. He has since become the Head Coach at Cornell. He seems happy to be leading Big Red, so his return to the CFL is hardly a guarantee and is probably a long shot at best.

But Rod Pedersen said earlier this morning that the Tiger-Cats had already interviewed Austin. Dave Naylor would later dispute this by saying the Cats have not interviewed anyone yet, and wouldn't until next week. Naylor said he was told this by Tiger-Cat President Scott Mitchell.

It all comes down to credibility and Pedersen, to me, has about as much credibility as Perry Lefko (that is to say, he has none), while Naylor has credibility to spare.

The reason I question the accuracy of Pedersen's source goes back to an incident in 2010. Pedersen said on-air during a Roughriders preseason game that the Tiger-Cats had cut Quinton Porter. Pedersen's report came a few hours after the Tiger-Cats played their first preseason game in Toronto; a game in which Porter played well in limited playing time, going five for seven for 59 yards.

So when Pedersen said during the Riders game that Porter had been cut, it came as a shock.

It also turned out to be false. Quinton Porter was not cut on that June day, and he hasn't been cut on any day since then.

It is that one (and to this point, only) instance of Pedersen "breaking" news on the Ti-Cats that gives me pause. He was so very, very wrong about that. If he is using the same source now that he used then, they don't seem very reliable.

This is not to say that Austin hasn't been contacted about an interview, won't interview in the future or won't be named the next Head Coach of the Tiger-Cats. It's just that I'll take Naylor's word that the Cats haven't interviewed Austin over Pedersen's word that they have.

Cats Fire Bellefeuille

2011-11-30T19:43:00.000-05:00

When teams fail to reach their potential, changes come. Today Marcel Bellefeuille was fired by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats because they did not reach their potential.

Bellefeuille took over from Charlie Taaffe on September 8, 2008 on an interim basis and had the interim tag removed in October of that year. In his three full seasons with the Tiger-Cats, Bellefeuille guided Hamilton to two second-place finishes and three playoff appearances, winning this year's East Division Semi-Final against Montreal.

I have already freely admitted that I was torn on whether the team should retain Bellefeuille. I felt that in winning the Semi-Final in Montreal he had done enough to warrant a fourth season as Head Coach, but I guess the Ti-Cats brass, and specifically General Manager Bob O'Billovich, did feel the same way.

Two names have already been thrown around as potential replacements: Defensive Coordinator Corey Chamblin and Calgary Offensive Coordinator Dave Dickenson.

I don't really like either rumoured candidate. Both have exactly one year of Coordinator experience and would bring with them the same growing pains that all rookie coaches bring. They could both turn out to be excellent Head Coaches, but the same was thought of Bellefeuille when he was hired and now he's unemployed. Basically, when it comes to first-time Head Coaches, you just never know.

If the Cats made this move to take the next step – as O'Billovich said in his statement following the decision – then they must bring in an experienced coach, because that is the only way this move makes sense. I don't necessarily mean a coach with Head Coaching experience, but one that has more than a single year's experience would make sense. If the Cats choose to hire another young, up-and-coming Coordinator, that would be a lateral move. We don't even know if Dickenson or Chamblin are good at their current jobs, so a promotion might be premature.

One man I think the Tiger-Cats should seriously look at is Winnipeg Defensive Coordinator Tim Burke. Burke has been to the last four Grey Cups as a Defensive Coordinator (with Montreal in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and Winnipeg in 2011), winning with the Als in 2009 and 2010. He turned Winnipeg into arguably (and maybe inarguably) the best Defense in the CFL in 2011.

The expectations will be high for whomever the Tabbies pick as their next Head Coach. Those expectations were not in place when Bellefeuille took the job back in 2008. The team will need to be sure that the next man to lead the Cats is prepared to deal with sky-high expectations from Day 1. The talent is here, so a Grey Cup run in 2012 is not at all out of the question. Who will lead the team now is.

But let's not forget what Marcel Bellefeuille accomplished in Hamilton during his three-plus years as Head Coach. He took a terrible franchise – one that won 15 games in four seasons – and returned it to respectability. That, in itself, is something worth remembering.

The Bellefeuille Era did not result in a championship parade or even a division title, but it did result in pride being restored to Tiger-Cat football, pride not felt in a long time. Hamilton became a team to be feared and respected, and that wasn't the case before Bellefeuille took over.

His inability to take the Cats to the promised land ultimately cost him his job, but he did make Tiger-Cat football important again, and for that he should be thanked.

BC Wins the Grey Cup

2011-11-27T22:50:00.000-05:00

Winnipeg did their best to make it interesting, but the BC Lions are the 2011 Grey Cup champions.

BC started off hot, but only led 14-6 at halftime. Winnipeg got the score to as close as 14-9, but the turning point of the game was when the score was 24-9 and Odell Willis drops a sure interception that he could have walked into the end zone. The Lions kept the ball and on what was basically the Arland Bruce drive, scored the backbreaking touchdown that all but ended the game.

Winnipeg scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late. BC took care of business and became the first team to win the Grey Cup on home soil since 1994.

The game's MVP was Travis Lulay. He threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns against a very good Winnipeg Defense. This was Lulay's first full season as a starter and he won the MOP, Grey Cup and Grey Cup MVP. What will he do for an encore?

Andrew Harris was the game's Most Valuable Canadian. His stats weren't otherworldly, but he had a solid outing, scoring the game's first touchdown and finishing with 65 yards on 10 carries. Harris has a bright future ahead of him.

Speaking of bright futures, both BC and Winnipeg look like teams that could compete for championships for a long time. Both looked dominant at different times this season. Winnipeg started the season 7-1 and BC finished the season (including the playoffs) an amazing 12-1. With the veterans both these teams will bring back, along with a slew of talented young players, both teams could very easily meet again in the 100th Grey Cup.

But that is next year; this year, the BC Lions are the Grey Cup champions and congratulations to them (and specifically to former Tiger-Cat Arland Bruce) on that accomplishment.

Changes Needed for the CFL Player Awards

2011-11-25T20:59:00.000-05:00

Last night, the CFL handed out their Player Awards, and while it was a special night for all the players who were honoured, there are aspects of the process that are archaic and should be changed.

For starters, the process for selecting nominees is outdated. Team nominees are voted on by a small cadre of writers from a team's home city, as well as the Head Coach. Back when the game was more regional and it was hard for people to see each team, this made sense. But for the past few seasons, all 72 games have been broadcast on TSN, and then archived on TSN's website. Anyone who wants to watch every game can do so rather easily. The days of people in Vancouver not being able to watch games played in Montreal are over, and have been for some time.

Yet the league still relies on this antiquated model for deciding who is up for the league's awards. The outcry that followed Anthony Calvillo's selection for Alouettes' MOP over Jamel Richardson, thus making Richardson ineligible for the league award, shows that people outside of Montreal were paying attention. Voters in the seven other markets are just as qualified to speak on who the best Alouette is as they are the best Argonaut or Eskimo. Matt Dunigan even complained about the process when he wondered why he was asked to vote for the league-wide awards, but had no say on the team awards. Like most people, Dunigan follows the league, not just one team. I'd think that the majority of people who are interested in the CFL have an interest beyond their local market.

The system has outlived its usefulness, and changes need to be made. For one, teams really do not need to nominate players for the awards. It makes for some nice stories and gives people something to talk about and debate, but it is unnecessary. Instead, the league should hand an open ballot to the same people who vote on the awards and let them choose who they want. If the league then wants to cut the list down to two finalists who will show up at the awards ceremony, that's fine, but someone like Richardson should not be ineligible for an award because a small group of Montreal reporters decided Anthony Calvillo should be the team's nominee.

The next change is about the announcement of the winners. TSN shows every CFL game, yet instead of airing the awards show live, they aired the 1986 Rob Lowe movie Youngbloods, while TSN2 showed a replay of last week's West Division Final and a repeat of Off the Record. TSN will air the awards ceremony on Saturday, but everyone already knows who won and TSN has already posted a plethora of awards-related videos on their website. Putting the show on Saturday is meaningless since the hardcore fans who would watch an awards show already know who won. The league needs to ensure that the awards ceremony is aired live. Otherwise, there really is no point in airing the show at all.

These are a couple of changes that would benefit the awards. Hopefully the ideas here become a reality in the not-to-distant future.

Smitty's Selections: Grey Cup

2011-11-25T13:46:00.000-05:00

At least it's not Montreal and Saskatchewan again. In what was a topsy-turvy year in the CFL, two teams that combined to win zero playoff games in 2010 will play for the championship in 2011. It's just been that kind of year.

99th Grey Cup: Winnipeg vs. British Columbia

This game will hinge on one thing: can Winnipeg's great Defense stop BC's awesome Offense. Winnipeg's Defense limited Hamilton to less than 200 yards of total offense and three points in the East Division Final; BC's Offense scored 40 points against Edmonton in the West Division Final. It will be strength versus strength.

If the game becomes a shootout, Winnipeg does not stand a chance. Their Offense is not built around winning high-scoring games. With the game being at BC Place and the elements not being an issue, I don't think Winnipeg can keep pace with the Lions offensively.

Winnipeg needs to make this a ground-and-pound game, so Chris Garrett will be the key for the Bombers. If he can have half the game he did against Hamilton in the East Division Final, the Bombers will be in a position to score the upset. The key will be for Winnipeg's Offense to keep BC's Offense off the field. The only way they can do that is with a successful running attack.

Winnipeg will put up a valiant effort, but when the clock reaches zero it will be the BC Lions hoisting the Grey Cup on their home field.

Winner: British Columbia, 37-20

Recap
British Columbia

Season Record: 42-34

Chris Williams, Kevin Glenn Win CFL Player Awards

2011-11-25T00:10:00.000-05:00

Two members of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats won CFL Player Awards on Thursday night, one for his on-field exploits and the other for his off-field contributions.

Chris Williams, as expected, was named the 2011 Most Outstanding Rookie.

Williams's 2011 didn't get off to the best of starts. He didn't play in Week 1 against Winnipeg and had a horrible Week 2 against Edmonton. In Week 3 he scored two touchdowns against Saskatchewan, but it was in Week 4, against BC, that he had his proverbial coming-out party. Williams went off for 189 yards and a touchdown against the Lions, and from there he never looked back.

Williams finished the season leading the Tiger-Cats in receptions and receiving yards. He also lead all rookies in those categories as well. Williams is the fourth Tiger-Cat to be nominated for Most Outstanding Rookie in the last five years, but the first to win the award since Mike O'Shea won it all the way back in 1993.

Williams's win was followed up by Kevin Glenn winning the Tom Pate Award, which recognizes a player's charitable contributions to the community that he plays in.

The most well known of Glenn's many community endeavours is his Touchdowns For Kids program with Tim Horton's. For every touchdown that Glenn scores throughout the season, local Tim Horton's stores donate $200 to send kids to the Tim Horton's Children's Foundation camps.

Glenn is the fifth Tiger-Cat to win the Tom Pate award, and the second in the last three years. Marwan Hage won it for all his great community work back in 2009.

Congratulations to both players for their well-deserved awards.

Two Tiger-Cats Named CFLPA All-Stars

2011-11-24T21:02:00.000-05:00

The season may be over, but Tiger-Cats are collecting accolades as Receiver Chris Williams and Running Back Avon Cobourne have been named CFLPA All-Stars.

Williams's selection is no surprise. He had a great rookie season for the Cats, leading the team in receptions and yards.

Cobourne being one of the two Running Backs named is a bit surprising. Cobourne is a great player, and had a very good season for the Ti-Cats (his first in Hamilton), but Cobourne wasn't even named a Division All-Star by the CFL, so it's weird that he would beat out both Cory Boyd and Jerome Messam for the PA's selection.

There were some omissions that were surprising. Neither Jamall Johnson nor Rey Williams made the team, but the biggest snub was Justin Hickman (as well as Odell Willis). I don't know what a player needs to do to be named an All-Star by their peers, but I would think leading the league in sacks, which Hickman (and Willis) did, would be enough. Apparently not.

Anyway, congratulations to both Avon Cobourne and Chris Williams on their selections.

The Day After

2011-11-21T20:14:00.000-05:00

Another disappointing end to another disappointing season for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. For the twelfth off-season questions surround a team that was not good enough to win the big prize.

But unlike some, maybe even most, I don't think the Ti-Cats need to undergo a massive overhaul. A few tweaks here and there, and this team is right where it needs to be to compete for a championship.

I will start by saying rather plainly that it would be a mistake for the team to part ways with Kevin Glenn. Everyone calling for Glenn's head after yesterday must have forgotten the game he had eight days ago or the year he had in 2010. Glenn is a good Quarterback, and he can only be replaced by a better Quarterback, and there isn't a better Quarterback out there. Henry Burris, you say? Burris is not a huge step up from Glenn, and Glenn has the advantage of having been with the team for three years. Glenn is not the problem with this team and he has never been the problem with this team. Dumping him would be a mistake, in my opinion.

The next target of people's anger is Head Coach Marcel Bellefeuille. I'm not as sold on Bellefeuille as I am on Glenn, but that doesn't mean I think Bellefeuille should fired. There is a part of me that likes Bellefeuille. A lot. A part of me that wants to see him succeed. But there is another part of me that wonders if he is just the next Danny Barrett. A good coach, but not the coach that will lead this team to a championship.

Still with the coaching staff, both Khari Jones and Corey Chamblin should be retained. They were both rookies, and growing pains were to be expected. I think both have the wherewithal to absorb what did and didn't work in 2011, and make the necessary adjustments to ensure it doesn't happen in 2012. Getting rid of either of them would be a step back.

No matter what anyone says, it is undeniable that this is a talented team, stocked with players that can win a championship. The Linebackers are among the best, if not the best, in the entire league. The young group of Receivers can only get better with; the Running Back and Quarterback positions are solidified and not areas of concern. The nucleus is there.

There are two areas that need to be looked at: the Secondary and the Defensive Line.

The Cats tried all year to find the right mix of players in the defensive backfield and never really got it right. That said, there are some good players already on the roster. Ryan Hinds, Milt Collins, Loyce Means and Dee Webb all look like they can be depended on in the future, so hopefully they all return. That leaves one more position to be filed.

The Defensive Line needs work, especially the Tackles. Matt Kirk missed most of the season, and that was a huge blow to the team. Eddie Steele showed promise, but apparently suffered a very serious leg injury yesterday. Robert Rose looks to have a very bright future. He made an impact in almost every game he played.

Losing Marwan Hage makes judging the Offensive Line difficult. There will be some changes along the Line – I don't think Jason Jimenez will return and Simeon Rottier could also be headed elsewhere – so perhaps some of the issues people have will be addressed.

Even in the areas where the team needs to improve, it's not major changes that need to occur. A few tweaks and they're good to go.

Like all fans, I was disappointed by yesterday's loss. It was not the outcome I hoped for, nor was it the one I expected. When the season kicked off on July 1st, I thought it wouldn't end until November 27th. I felt that this was the team that would end the Grey Cup drought.

It was not to be.

But this season wasn't a complete failure, and I have faith that better times and championships are on the horizon. The Tiger-Cats play good football and have for three years. It is time to take it to the next level.

With but a few small changes, 2012 could be the year everything comes together.

Winnipeg 19, Hamilton 3

2011-11-20T20:10:00.000-05:00

What if?

Those will be the two words going through my head over the next seven months.

What if Kevin Glenn didn't get hurt?

What if the Cats recovered at least one of the three Winnipeg fumbles in the first half?

Football is a game of inches, and the Bombers got all the inches this afternoon.

The game was won by Winnipeg Running Back Chris Garrett. For a guy who started the year as a third stringer, his play on Sunday was nothing short of remarkable. Hamilton simply couldn't stop him.

The Hamilton Defense allowed only 19 points (and I'll get to the classless call to score the final six points a little later), which is usually enough to win in the CFL.

But what if Hamilton had been able to scoop one or two or all three of the balls that the Bombers put on the turf? That would have flipped the field and given the Cats great field position. Not picking up those loose balls turned out to be a big difference.

At the end of the day, the Defense did enough, but it was Hamilton's Offense – the Offense that put up an impressive 52 points the week before – that let the Ti-Cats down in this one. Just one field goal in sixty minutes will never be enough to win.

But what if Glenn didn't go down with an injury in the third quarter? Glenn wasn't playing great, but he wasn't playing terribly either. One has to wonder, if Glenn had been able to finish the game if the final score might have been different? It probably wouldn't have been – it looked like it was just Winnipeg's day – but we'll never know.

Before I wrap this up I would like to address one final thing. I heard all week how dirty and low and classless it was for the Tiger-Cats to sign Terence Jeffers-Harris. The Bombers and Paul LaPolice upped that today by scoring a completely meaningless touchdown on the last play of the game. With the clock already at zero, Buck Pierce handed the ball to Chris Garret who scored a complete unnecessary touchdown. That was a low class move by the Blue Bombers. There was no need to score that touchdown; the game was already over (literally). I'm not one to complain about running up the score – this is professional football and it is the other team's job to stop their opponent – but I also don't think scoring when you absolutely have nothing to gain is the right thing to do. I lost a lot of respect for Paul LaPolice for doing that.

But regardless of what the Bombers did on the game's final play, the Tiger-Cats' 2011 season has ended. There is some good to take from 2011; the fact that the team got to the East Division Final is a step in the right direction.

But another promising season ends in disappointment, and that is tough to swallow. It means it will once again be a long winter in Steeltown.

Preview: East Division Final

2011-11-19T09:01:00.001-05:00

Despite all the headlines that off-the-field matters are garnering, there is still a game to play on Sunday. A game that I am fairly sure is pretty important.

Sunday's East Division Final is the biggest game for the Tiger-Cats since their last trip to the East Final, which also happened to be their last game against Winnipeg in the playoffs, back in 2001.

The Tiger-Cats are coming off a game where their Offense scored 52 points, but it would be stunning if they matched that output (or even came close) against Winnipeg's. The Winnipeg Defense likes to create turnovers and get sacks, leading the league in both categories during the regular season. It will be of the utmost importance to keep Kevin Glenn upright and for him to avoid turning the ball over.

Winnipeg's Offense is not the type that keeps Defensive Coordinators up at night. The Bombers did not score more than 33 points in a single game all year (they did it twice). In contrast, Hamilton scored 33 points or more on seven occasions in 2011. If the game does become an offensive shootout, the edge goes to the Tiger-Cats.

The Bombers, however, have the edge on Defense, with a ball-hawking Secondary and one of the fiercest pass rushes in the entire CFL. The Cats are no slouches themselves, but Winnipeg has the defensive advantage. A game where points will be at a premium would benefit the Bombers, but not kill the Cats. That said, Hamilton only recorded one victory in 2011 when they scored fewer than 30 points, but never lost when they scored over 30. If the Cats get to the 30-point mark, they should win the game.

It is expected to be cold and windy in Winnipeg on Sunday, so the running game and field position will probably be deciding factors in which team books their flight to Vancouver.

All the off-field stuff has added fuel to the fire that is the burgeoning Hamilton-Winnipeg rivalry, but the game still needs to be played.

And that game should be pretty good.

Smitty's Selections: Division Finals

2011-11-18T11:48:00.000-05:00

Just to show you what kind of year it has been in the CFL this season, none of these four teams made their respective Division Finals last season. Edmonton and Winnipeg both missed the playoffs, and BC and Hamilton were both eliminated in the Semi-Final round.

East Division Final: Hamilton at Winnipeg

Raise your hand if you had the Bombers hosting the Cats in the East Final back in June? Yeah, that's what I thought. This is going to be a low-scoring slugfest. The conditions are not going to be conducive to throwing for 500 yards or scoring 50-plus points. This is going to be a ground and pound game, and one where field position will make a difference. Jovon Johnson said he thinks Winnipeg will keep Hamilton to around 20 points. I agree, but unfortunately for the East Division's 2011 Most Outstanding Defensive Player, his team will only score 17.

Winner: Hamilton, 20-17

West Division Final: Edmonton at British Columbia

Since the BC Lions last won the Grey Cup on their home soil, seven teams have hosted their division final with the chance to play at home in the Grey Cup: Edmonton (1997, 2002), BC (1999, 2005), Calgary (2000), Toronto (2007) and Montreal (2008). The Eskimos in 2002 and the Alouettes in 2008 are the only teams to get to the Grey Cup from that group. Tall task for the Leos. They have the team to do it, but something tells me the Eskimos (who have lost twice at BC Place this season) have the juice to pull the upset.

Winner: Edmonton, 31-27

Recap
Hamilton, Edmonton

Season Record: 42-32

Report: TJH to TigerTown

2011-11-17T22:57:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers released Receiver Terence Jeffers-Harris because he violated team rules.

That is completely reasonable, but now it looks like it might not have been the smartest move.

Arash Madani of Sportsnet is reporting that Harris left Winnipeg and is now in Hamilton.

This is a pretty unbelievable development. Harris has a lot of talent, but he also comes with one major thing: information.

Harris has been with the Blue Bombers all season, and I have to believe he was at practice this week, so he knows some of the plans Winnipeg has for Sunday's game.

I am truly at a loss for words right now. Hopefully, things clear up a bit in the morning, but as things stand right now, it looks like Jeffers-Harris is going to try to stick it to his old employer.

A Rivalry Renewed

2011-11-17T14:01:00.001-05:00

When people think about the rivalries in the CFL they usually talk about Toronto-Hamilton, Calgary-Edmonton or Winnipeg-Saskatchewan. Others have sprung up recently – Hamilton-Montreal was pretty intense this year; Calgary-Saskatchewan had some fire to it because of playoff matchups and the Henry Burris factor – but they pale in comparison to what I would call The Big 3.

But another less celebrated rivalry gets dusted off this weekend in the East Division Final: Winnipeg-Hamilton.

These two teams have a lot of history between them, but most of it is not known to fans under the age of 50. The heyday of the rivalry was the 1950s and 1960s, when the Bombers and Ti-Cats met in the Grey Cup in seven times (1953, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962 and 1965). In total, the Blue Bombers and Tiger-Cats have met in eight Grey Cups and four East Division Finals. At one time, these were the two giants of Canadian football.

The rivalry died down for next four decades as Winnipeg bounced from East Division to West Division and back again, and both teams went through some down years. It's hard to cultivate a rivalry when both teams spend as much time in last place as they do in first place. The last time these two teams met in the playoffs was the 2001 East Division Final. It is also the last time both teams made the playoffs in the same season until this year.

The rivalry has become a little more heated over the last couple of years, starting when the Tiger-Cats eliminated the Blue Bombers from playoff contention on the final day of the 2009 season. That game will forever be remembered as The Boat Game.

This season saw some back and forth, especially via social media. Dave Stala took exception to the nickname the Blue Bombers gave themselves (yes, I am still boycotting using that ridiculous term) and the wife of Blue Bomber Head Coach Paul LaPolice to exception to Stala's comment. Probably one of the silliest spats in recent memory.

A major key to any great rivalry is fan involvement, and I have noticed a nasty rivalry brewing between the two teams' fans. Just go to the CFL forum and read the back and forth between some of the Tiger-Cat faithful and their Winnipeg counterparts or read what fans of both teams write in comment sections on newspaper articles. The hate for the other just oozes off the page.

But until Sunday, these two teams had not met in a truly meaningful game since that 2001 East Division Final. So while there has been some sniping at one another, it doesn't compare to the time when these two teams battled for league supremacy.

But all that could be changing. With the Toronto Argonauts in another rebuilding mode, and the Montreal Alouettes dynasty looking to be on its last legs, the time is now for the Tiger-Cats and Blue Bombers to take the clock back to when it was a two-team show.

If these two clubs can continue to meet in playoff matchups over the next few seasons, we could look back on Sunday's East Division Fial as the day a long-dormant rivalry was renewed.

Hickman Named CFL All-Star

2011-11-16T17:50:00.000-05:00

The CFL announced their league All-Stars today and the lone Tiger-Cat was Defensive End Justin Hickman.

Hickman was one of the best defensive players in the league this season, most notably tying for the league lead in sacks with 13. His selection was almost guaranteed and is definitely completely deserved.

I was a bit surprised to see none of the other four Tiger-Cats – Linebackers Jamall Johnson and Rey Williams, Receiver Chris Williams and Kicker Justin Medlock – were named. I thought Johnson had an excellent shot at being named, and I would have put him in there ahead of Chip Cox.

I also thought that Chris Williams could be named, but seeing the four Receivers that were selected – Jamel Richardson, Geroy Simon, Fred Stamps and Nik Lewis – it's hard to complain about Williams's omission.

But congratulations to Justin Hickman on his first league All-Star selection.

Johnson, Thigpen Named Players of the Week

2011-11-15T12:04:00.001-05:00

After Sunday's thrilling 52-44 overtime shootout win over the Montreal Alouettes, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats had two players honoured with Player of the Week recognition.

Jamall Johnson was named the Defensive Player of the Week. Johnson had a monster performance in his return from injury. Johnson had six tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception. Johnson's play directly resulted in 10 Hamilton points.

Marcus Thigpen was named the Special Teams Player of the Week. Thigpen provided great field position for the Tiger-Cat Offense all day Sunday, finishing the game with 171 kickoff return yards on seven returns.

Congratulations to both players.

Instant Classic

2011-11-15T11:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's thrilling 52-44 overtime win by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats over the Montreal Alouettes was best summed up by Kevin Glenn:

"I would call it a CFL classic."

Truer words were never spoken.

It has taken some time to really digest what just happened on Sunday. I don't mean that from the perspective of a Tiger-Cat fan who is still a little stunned that his team will be playing in the East Division Final, but from the perspective of someone who loves history (sports and otherwise) and has had one question floating around in my brain since Anthony Calvillo's pass to Brandon Whitaker hit the ground to end the game:

Where does this game rank, all-time?

It was a classic, no doubt about it. It was one of those games that people will be talking about years from now. It was that good.

It wasn't the perfect game, but classics never are. There needs to be some intrigue and unpredictability, and that can only come when things don't go exactly as planned. If everything went the way it was supposed to go, Montreal would have won the game with relative ease.

That is what also made yesterday's game so exciting: the underdog won. When you think of past great games, the upset angle plays a big role. Think Boise State over Oklahoma, Appalachian State over Michigan or the New York Giants over the 18-0 New England Patriots. Those game stay in people's mind because they were monumental upsets. While Hamilton over Montreal in the 2011 East Division Semi-Final isn't of the same magnitude, the fact that it was even a slight upset helps it inch up the ladder.

It being a playoff game makes it more meaningful. The game had added value because it was winner goes on, loser goes home. Classic games played for championships are at the top, with playoff games not far behind. When the stakes are the highest, the pressure is the highest and the outcomes have the most meaning.

So where does this game rank? It cannot be first. That spot is (probably) forever reserved for the 1989 Grey Cup between Hamilton and Saskatchewan. If you haven't seen, words do not do it justice. Despite the fact that the Tiger-Cats lost, this is still the best game I have ever seen.

But after the 1989 Grey Cup, I can't think of one game I would say was exceedingly better than the one played between the Tiger-Cats and Alouettes on Sunday. There are others I appreciate:

the 2005 Grey Cup between Edmonton and Montreal
the Labour Day Classic in 2004
the 49ers-Packers Wild Card playoff game in 1998
the no punts game between the 49ers and Bills in 1992
the 2005 "Bush Push" game between USC and Notre Dame
the 2006 Rose Bowl for the BCS National Championship between USC and Texas

I am sure there are others I am forgetting, but those are the ones that first came to mind.

Some of those games meet some of my criteria that should rank them ahead of Sunday's epic battle (namely the '05 Grey Cup and '06 Rose Bowl), so anyone who says those games rank higher will get no argument from me.

But no matter how you slice it, Sunday's game between the Als and Ti-Cats definitely ranks somewhere in the top 5.

I'll be interested to see not only where people think this game belongs in the pantheon of great games, but also what other games people think deserve mention.

Hamilton 52, Montreal 44

2011-11-13T20:24:00.000-05:00

What! A! Game! These two teams traded blows for more than 60 minutes in a contest that will go down as an all-time classic. This game was punch-counter punch from the start.

What impressed me the most was how Hamilton handled adversity. Chris Williams dropped a sure touchdown, a very controversial replay challenge on a Brandon Whitaker fumble (someone care to show me where the "indisputable evidence" was to overturn that call), a horrible pass interference call on the next play led to a Montreal touchdown, they lost an 11-point lead, a brain fart time-count violation that cost the Cats 10 yards and pushed Justin Medlock back to 53 yards on his field goal attempt, and then Medlock missed the ensuing field goal which sent the game to overtime are all of things that could have demoralized the Cats. Instead, they kept fighting and didn't let the unlucky breaks cripple them. It was a great showing of mental strength.

That's not to say that the team didn't have its share of amazing performances. Avon Cobourne ran hard and with a purpose all game, Bakari Grant picked the perfect time to have his breakout game, Jamall Johnson was a monster on Defense, and the Offensive Line allowed zero sacks and paved the way to a 161-yard rushing performance. Everything clicked for the Offense, and the Defense did just enough.

But the coaches deserve some credit too, especially beleaguered Head Coach Marcel Bellefeuille. Bellefeuille gets hammered by Tiger-Cat fans, but today he outcoached one of the best coaches in the CFL. The decision to sit Stevie Baggs was met with almost universal disdain, but after the game Jamall Johnson had, the decision proved to be the correct one. His decision to play Quinton Porter over the final four games paid dividends when Kevin Glenn went down with an injury and Porter came in a lead a touchdown drive. Bellefeuille gets a lot of heat when the team loses, so he deserves some credit for a gutsy win by his charges today.

The Tiger-Cats excised a lot of demons by winning this game. They got their first playoff win in the Bob Young era, they won in Montreal for the first time since 2002, they won a playoff game for the first time since 2001, Kevin Glenn silenced his critics by performing well in a big-game setting and Marcel Bellefeuille did the same by winning his first playoff game as a Head Coach.

As great as this win is, the road only gets tougher. The Cats now travel to Winnipeg to take on a rested Blue Bomber team in the East Division Final. Hamilton lost all three games against Winnipeg this season, so the Cats will have to bring their A-game if they hope to advance to their first Grey Cup since 1999.

For the first time in a decade, the Tiger-Cats will be playing during the second week of playoff games. As a fan, that is exciting, but the team has bigger goals. Goals that can only be reached with a win next week in Winnipeg.

Preview: East Division Semi-Final

2011-11-13T08:23:00.000-05:00

Storylines aplenty for the first playoff clash between Hamilton and Montreal since 2001.

There is Avon Cobourne going back to Montreal; the Kevin Glenn-Quinton Porter situation, which is not that big of a deal, we know Glenn will start and be given every chance to succeed; and the complete collapse by Montreal over the final three games. Then you add Stevie Baggs missing the game due to ration issues and it makes things even more interesting.

But no matter what people talk about prior to the game, only 60 minutes truly matter.

For Hamilton, they need to do two things to come away with a victory. First, the Defense needs to pressure Anthony Calvillo. Teams that have done that this year have had tremendous success. The Tabbies also have to slow down Jamell Richardson and Brandon Whitaker, but making Calvillo's life miserable is the most important, and that will have a trickle-down effect on Richardson and Whitaker.

Secondly, the Offense, and particularly Kevin Glenn, needs to get into a rhythm early. Getting the running game going is important, but the passing game needs to be crisp. If Hamilton's Offense can click from the get go, the Cats will have more than a puncher's chance of winning this game.

The first 15 minutes of this game will decide the outcome. Whichever team wins the first quarter wins the game. It will be important for both teams to get out to an early lead. These two teams are evenly matched, and the one that starts the hottest will pull out the victory.

Hamilton has played, and lost, two very close playoff games in the last two years while Montreal has blown out the last two teams to visit Montreal in the post-season. In this game, something will have to give.

Baggs Won't Play

2011-11-12T21:27:00.000-05:00

Stunning.

That's the first word that came to mind upon hearing about the benching of Stevie Baggs for tomorrow's East Division Semi-Final versus Montreal.

Baggs hasn't had the best of seasons, but with pressure on Anthony Calvillo being one of the things Hamilton has to do if they hope to win, taking Baggs out of the lineup is surprising.

I understand that a change was needed to get Jamall Johnson back on the field – his versatility in both pass coverage and pass rush makes him more important than Baggs – but not playing Baggs is astonishing.

This is one of the those moves that if it pans out, Bellefeuille looks like a genius. But if the Cats lose, he will be second guessed to death. In fact, he is probably already being second guessed by many fans.

Personally, I don't like it. The team brought Baggs in after Labour Day last season for just these types of games. Despite noting having the kind of season he hoped for, Baggs is still a player that opposing teams need to gameplan for. He can be a difference maker.

Now he sits, and I have to wonder if perhaps Baggs has played his last game in Black & Gold. Now is not the time to go into stuff like this too thoroughly, and I admit that I may be reading way too much into this, but if the Cats beat the Als, what will be the incentive to play Baggs in Winnipeg and/or the Grey Cup? What will be the incentive to pay him big bucks if the team can win without him? It'll be interesting to see how everything plays out in off-season.

But the Cats still have a game to play tomorrow, and they will stunningly do it without Stevie Baggs.

A juicy game just got a lot juicier.

Smitty's Selections: Division Semi-Finals

2011-11-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Playoff time. The games don't get much more important than this. Two teams will see their seasons end on Sunday, while the other two will go on to the Division Finals. The closest season in recent CFL history has five more games to excite, surprise and entertain.

East Division Semi-Final: Hamilton at Montreal

All signs point to Montreal. They are the two-time defending champs, they'll be at home, and they have one of the greatest Quarterbacks to ever play the game. All signs point away from Hamilton. They haven't won a playoff game in 10 years, they were 2-7 on the road in 2011, and they haven't won in Montreal since 2002. But for reasons other than homerism, I just feel like Hamilton is ready to take that next step. They have no pressure and no expectations; everyone thinks they are going to get trounced. But something in my gut tells me they are going to find a way to pull it out. Call me crazy, but I think the Cats are headed to Winnipeg.

Winner: Hamilton, 27-24

West Division Semi-Final: Calgary at Edmonton

The Battle of Alberta, one of the fiercest rivalries in the CFL. Edmonton won the season series against the Stamps, but that was before Calgary made two huge changes in benching Quarterback Henry Burris and Running Back Joffrey Reynolds for Drew Tate and Jon Cornish. This will be a different Stampeder team than the one Edmonton faced in the regular season. The Stamps will move on to BC.

Winner: Calgary, 31-27

Recap
Hamilton, Calgary

Season Record: 41-31

Ti-Cats Gettin' Their Mo' On

2011-11-10T21:12:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of the month I lamented the fact that the CFL did not have an official Movember program. I praised their work with the CFL Pink campaign and felt they could do just as much to help raise awareness with a Movember campaign.

That still hasn't happened – and hopefully it will next year – but that hasn't stopped the Tiger-Cats from getting in on the fun.

Yup, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have members of their office staff growin' some mos.

This is awesome! All of these men that work for the Tiger-Cats should be praised for getting involved. Hopefully this is only the beginning, and next year the Movember movement can go from the office to the field.

Five Cats Named East Division All-Stars

2011-11-10T14:58:00.001-05:00

Five members of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats we named East Division All-Stars earlier today. Justin Hickman, Chris Williams, Rey Williams, Jamall Johnson and Justin Medlock were the five men named.

Justin Hickman tied for the league lead in sacks with 13 and was Hamilton's nominee for Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Defensive Players.

Chris Williams burst onto the scene in his rookie year by leading the team in receptions and yards. Williams is also the favourite to be named Most Outstanding Rookie, so his season was a tremendous success.

Rey Williams and Jamall Johnson both finished in the top-10 in tackles, with Williams finishing with 91 and Johnson finishing with 77. Both players played key roles in getting Hamilton back to the playoffs.

In a year when the kicking game was very strong, Justin Medlock had a banner year. Medlock tied for the division lead in points (197), and finished the season second in field-goal accuracy. He also made a habit of booming 50-plus-yard field goals, hitting more than any other Kicker. Medlock was Mr. Automatic for the Cats.

Congratulations to all five men.

Player Award Finalists

2011-11-09T14:47:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, the finalists for the 2011 Gibson's Finest CFL Player Awards was announced. For the most part, I think the right choices we made, with one exception. Now let's take a look at who is up for what.

Most Outstanding Player
East: Anthony Calvillo (QB, Montreal Alouettes)
West: Travis Lulay (QB, BC Lions)

Leaving aside the whole Jamel Richardson controversy, these were the only two who could be named. These two, out of the eight men selected for consideration, were the two best players in 2011. Calvillo led the league in passing yards, was the only Quarterback to throw for over 5,000 yards, tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns and threw the fewest interceptions. In every all those categories, Lulay finished second.

That would seem to make it a slam dunk for Calvillo since he led in every major statistical category. But the image of last Saturday night, when Calvillo and Lulay dueled will be hard to forget. Lulay outplayed Calvillo in every way imaginable, and while the award is for the season, it will be hard to look past what happened in the final game.

Calvillo has set the bar so high that he is his own worst enemy. Calvillo's 2011 season wasn good, but not as dominant as previous seasons. Lulay, however, got better as the season went on. He will also score points for leading the Lions from 1-6 to 11-7 and first in the West. I'm giving this one to Lulay.

Winner: Travis Lulay

Most Outstanding Defensive Player
East: Jovon Johnson (DB, Winnipeg Blue Bombers)
West: Jerrell Freeman (LB, Saskatchewan Roughriders)

This was probably the most difficult award to pick two nominees from. Keron Williams in BC, Justin Hickman in Hamilton and Chip Cox in Montreal could all have easily been their division's finalist and I doubt anyone would have complained. In fact, Hamilton's Rey Williams, Winnipeg's Odell Willis and BC's Solomon Elimimian were not even nominated and all could have won the award. It was a very good year for defensive players in the CFL.

Both Johnson and Freeman had great years. Johnson led the league in interceptions, while Freeman led the league in tackles and was the only player to break the 100-tackle mark. It will be tough to decide between these two as both are deserving. But Johnson was the best player in a very good Secondary on the better team. That swings it for me.

Winner: Jovon Johnson

Most Outstanding Canadian
East: Sean Whyte (K, Montreal Alouettes)
West: Jerome Messam (RB, Edmonton Eskimos)

This one is a no-brainer. I could justify Whyte's selection and debate his merits, but we all know this is going to Messam and rightly so. He was the first Canadian Running Back to rush for over 1,000 yards since Sean Millington in 2000. Messam deserves this award.

Winner: Jerome Messam

Most Outstanding Special Teams Player
East: Chad Owens (WR, Toronto Argonauts)
West: Paul McCallum (K, BC Lions)

This is the only award where I actually have a problem with who was selected. That problem is not with Paul McCallum. He is very deserving and should win the award. The problem here is Chad Owens.

This looks to be a case of the voters choosing style over substance. Don't give me the 3,000-plus combined yards because I don't happen to think that is a very significant feat. With the amount of points the Argos surrendered in 2011 – a league-high 498, to b exact – Owens had plenty of chances to get return yardage on kickoffs. He also played Receiver, ran back both punts and missed field goals, giving him ample opportunity to get to 3,000 combined yards. As long as Owens keeps all of those jobs, he should eclipse the 3,00-yard mark every season. If Owens can get recognized for this season, then he will pretty much have a stranglehold on the East nomination for the rest of his career.

Last year, Owens was 100 per cent deserving of the award. In 2011, he is not. This should have gone to either Sean Whyte or Justin Medlock. With Whyte getting the East nomination for top Canadian, Medlock should have received the Special Teams nomination. Last season, Special Teams was dominated by return men. This year, it's been the Kickers that have garnered the most headlines. Owens was the wrong choice. Hopefully, McCallum will win the award to somewhat right this wrong.

Winner: Paul McCallum

Most Outstanding Rookie
East: Chris Williams (WR, Hamilton Tiger-Cats)
West: JC Sherritt (LB, Edmonton Eskimos)

Sherritt had a very good first year in the CFL. He finished 13th in league in tackles, third on his own team. He made an impact in his first season that helped take Edmonton from last in the West in 2010 to second in 2011.

Despite that, Chris Williams is the winner and it's not even debatable. Williams finished he season seventh on yards (1,064), eighth in receptions (70) and tenth in touchdowns (6), leading all rookies in each of those categories. Williams also pitched in on Special Teams. Williams's impact was so great it allowed Hamilton to ship out veteran Receivers Arland Bruce and Maurice Mann.

As good as Sherritt was, Williams was better.

Winner: Chris Williams

Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman
East: Josh Bourke (OT, Montreal Alouettes)
West: Jovan Olafioye (OT, BC Lions)

I've said it over and over, but picking the best O-Lineman is one of the hardest things to do. You only hear their names when they miss a block, give up a sack or take a penalty. Most people (and I would include myself in this as well), don't really pay attention all that much to the Offensive Line. I know both players have had great seasons, and anchored lines that gave up the least sacks in their respective divisions. Based on little more than he plays for the best team in the league, I'll give this one to Olafioye. But both deserve their nominations and either would deserve to win.

Winner: Jovan Olafioye

Aside from what I think is the ridiculous nomination of Chad Owens, these nominations are pretty solid. My picks are partly prognostication and partly who I would pick. I doubt I'll get all the winners right, but I think everyone I did pick deserves to win. We'll find out who takes home the hardware on November 24th.

Power Poll (Week 19)

2011-11-08T19:37:00.000-05:00

The regular season is over and therefore this will be the final Power Poll of 2011. What a weird season it has been. The season started with Edmonton and Winnipeg on fire, but ended the season not looking so great.. The second half of the season saw BC run roughshod over everyone after starting the year terribly. Toronto and Saskatchewan got off to bad starts and it doomed them for the remainder of the year. Hamilton, Montreal and Calgary were up one week, down the next. It all leads to what will be one crazy tournament.

1. British Columbia Lions (Last Week: 1)

The Lions started 0-5 and have since gone 11-2. If the Lions are not your odds-on favourite to win the Grey Cup, you need to rethink that.

2. Calgary Stampeders (Last Week: 2)

Since Drew Tate was inserted into the starting lineup, Calgary has been a different team. The Stamps have a mysticism about them right now, with Tate being a wild card. Benching Henry Burris in favour of Tate could be the shrewdest move Head Coach John Hufnagel ever made.

3. Edmonton Eskimos (Last Week: 3)

It took the Eskimos more energy than need be to beat the last-place Roughriders, but the end result was a win. Edmonton now gets to host the Stamps in the West Semi. A year after missing the playoffs, that in and of itself is an accomplishment.

4. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Last Week 5)

No team in the East ended with any momentum, but at least Winnipeg lost to a hot Calgary team. That's little consolation, but they owe a big thank you to the BC Lions. Winnipeg needs to play more like the team that started 7-1 and less like the team that ended 3-7 if they hope to win their first championship in 21 years.

5. Montreal Alouettes (Last Week: 4)

The next momentum-less East team is Montreal, and they could be considered the third-best team if Hamilton had decided to give a darn the last two weeks. The Als were beaten soundly by BC, and look like an old and damaged team. I can't decide if these losses are an aberration or the end of the Montreal dynasty.

6. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Last Week: 6)

It's hard to take too much away from the loss to Toronto, as the Cats rested a lot of starters. If they beat the Als, then it was a smart move. An 8-10 record will mean nothing if the Cats advance in the playoffs.

7. Toronto Argonauts (Last Week: 7)

I gave serious consideration to jumping the Argos above every other team in the East. They went 3-3 down the stretch and played some very inspired football. They have targeted next year as their year, and it might not be as crazy a notion as we all thought back in mid-September.

8. Saskatchewan Roughriders (Last Week: 8)

Ken Miller stepping down is far from the only change that will happen in Riderville, it's just the first. It was a season to forget in Saskatchewan, and one that will lead to a much different team in 2012 than the one we all saw in 2011.

Highest Climb: Winnipeg (+1)
Steepest Fall: Montreal (-1)

Morning-After Thoughts (Week 19)

2011-11-06T08:18:00.002-05:00

It took all 19 weeks, 72 games and 4,320 minutes (well, almost) to figure out the playoff matchups, but now we know who will go where. Winnipeg and BC will be sitting at home while Hamilton travels to Montreal and Calgary heads to Edmonton. The Lions never have to leave home, and have to be the odds-on favourite to win it all. Let the playoffs begin!

The league released its list of all the players up for the end-of-the-year awards and the most egregious omission was, of course, Jamel Richardson for MOP. Calvillo is having a good season, but Richardson is having a career year. The man they call Optimus Prime should have been the team's MOP candidate. He has defined the term outstanding all season.
Despite playing for the team I loathe, congrats to Bryan Crawford on a great CFL career. Crawford is a Hamilton boy, and it's too bad he had to spend his entire CFL career in those ugly blue uniforms. He would have looked nice in the Black & Gold.
Another congratulations to Ken Miller, who is retiring as well. Despite not winning a Grey Cup as Head Coach, Miller was one of the more successful coaches in Roughrider history. He is one of only two Rider coaches to lead the team to back-to-back Grey Cup appearances. Enjoy retirement, Coach Miller.
Nickelback will be performing at halftime of the Grey Cup, but does it really matter? Yes, we all agree that Nickelback sucks, but does anyone really watch or care about the halftime show? I know I don't.
The league is really going to have to do something about the refereeing in the off-season. Marcel Young had one of the worst pass interference penalties called on him against Toronto. These types of terrible calls is going to have to be addressed. It cannot continue.
If I ever hear an Argo fan complain about a dirty player, I will simply point to a picture of Lin-J Shell and tell them to shut it. Shell is as dirty as they come.
Andre Durie was voted the most underrated player in the CFL on Friday. On Thursday, he had his best game as a pro with 144 yards and two touchdowns. I have been trumpeting Durie all season, and it looks like he is ready to breakout. We'll see what Durie can do in 2012.
Not since Sean Millington in 2000 has a Canadian rushed for over 1,000 yards. Jerome Messam joined a very exclusive group by doing just that in 2011. Left for dead by BC, Messam resurrected his career in a big way in Edmonton.
There are great games and then there is the game that Adarius Bowman had against Saskatchewan. He was unstoppable with 226 yards and two touchdowns. I haven't seen a Receiver dominate a game like that since Arland Bruce did it against the same Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2010.
With Andy Fantuz gone for most of the season, Chris Getzlaf stepped up and tallied his first 1,000-yard season of his career. He is the only Canadian Receiver to get over 1,000 yards in 2011.
What is it with players named Baker and smacking people in the face?
With the way that the Riders season has gone, the only way their final game could end was on a critical mistake.
Drew Tate is now 3-0 as a starter since taking over from Henry Burris. Every week he makes John Hufnagel look smarter and smarter. The Stamps were left for dead not five weeks ago, and now they have as good a chance as any of winning the whole thing. Don't be surprised if Tate is hoisting the Grey Cup in three weeks.
Where the hell has Odell Willis been the last month?
A very nice return for Ken-Yon Rambo. In his first game back, Rambo played a major role for the Stamps. His return could be the key to any run the Stampeders want to make.
That has to be the worst game I have ever seen the Montreal Alouettes play. There numbers were putird and they lost 43-1. I'll repeat that: they lost 43-1! The Montreal Alouettes lost by six touchdowns. I never thought I'd type that sentence.
There has been a lot of focus (and deservedly so) on Jerome Messam and Jon Cornish, but don't forget the play of Andrew Harris when discussing the next, great Canadian Running Back.
Congratulations to Shawn Gore on getting his first CFL touchdown. Gore has had a very good season, and it's nice to see him finally find the end zone.
Of the eight men that were nominated, everyone seems to be handing the MOP award to Anthony Calvillo. While he is deserving, I'd give it to Travis Lulay. Calvillo's stats are better, but the eyeball test says Lulay should win the award. Will he? Probably not. But here is hoping the voters see what I see and give Lulay his first MOP.
To end the regular season, I went 2-2 and had a total record of 41-31. Not what I wanted, but not horrendous either. At this time last year, I was 38-34. At least I can say I improved.

Would They Rather...

2011-11-05T10:13:00.000-04:00

For the third consecutive season, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will be playing in the post-season. The difference this year is that the game will not be played in Hamilton. We will find out tonight if Hamilton's Grey Cup odyssey will begin in Montreal or Winnipeg.

But which stadium would be the best place to start the journey? Would the Tiger-Cats be better off heading to the Manitoba capital or the largest city in Quebec?

If Montreal is Hamilton's destination, there are many perils awaiting them. The first is that the Tiger-Cats have not gone to Montreal and won since 2002, and they have not won in Olympic Stadium – where their playoff game would be held – since the 1999 East Division Final. Montreal has also not lost at home in the playoffs since 2004, and have only lost twice at home in the playoffs since 1996. Combine that with the larger-than-normal crowd (upwards of 50,000) and the Alouettes have one of the best home-field advantages in the playoffs.

It is not all doom and gloom, though. Just a few weeks ago, Hamilton came within a failed two-point convert (and some egregious officiating) away from finally winning in Montreal. That near victory could be enough to lift the spirits of the locker room. And, of course, there is always the completely unscientific notion of them being due. Aren't the Cats just due a win in Montreal? There is also the question of whether Montreal would have a hard time getting up for a Semi-Final game. The Als have not had to play on the first week of the CFL playoffs since 2007, and because of their immense success over the past decade and a half, they do not have much experience playing in the Semi-Final. (This is admittedly a stretch, but it could play a role.)

Winnipeg presents its own unique challenges for the Tiger-Cats. CanadInns Stadium would be hosting its final game ever, and there is no doubt that the Bombers would want to win that game almost as much as any other. There is also the fact that Winnipeg has owned Hamilton this season. The Bombers won all three matchups with the Tiger-Cats and just may have their number in 2011. The crowds in Winnipeg have been among the loudest in the CFL this season, and a playoff game would only ratchet up that noise.

Winnipeg has not had the same hex on Hamilton as Montreal has. The Cats have won in Winnipeg twice in the last three seasons, with one win coming on the final day of the 2009 regular season where it was win or go home for both teams. The prospective Hamilton-Winnipeg matchup would mirror the elements of last year's Toronto-Hamilton playoff game. The Cats had won all three matchups in the regular season (blowing the Argos out in the final meeting in October; similar to what Winnipeg did to Hamilton this year) and then laid an egg at home in the playoffs. The scenarios are strikingly similar.

Looking at all the factors, a trip to CanadInns next Sunday is probably the best place for Hamilton to start their quest for the Grey Cup. This is the first time Winnipeg will be playing in the post-season since 2008, and playoff neophytes are prone to mistakes or letting the moment get the best of them. In fact, Hamilton in 2009 is the perfect example of that. This is not to say that Hamilton will beat Winnipeg, just that Winnipeg poses fewer threats than Montreal.

We will know tonight where Hamilton will play in eight days when the curtain falls on the 2011 CFL regular season. Will it be Montreal? Will it be Winnipeg? We are about to find out.

Toronto 33, Hamilton 16

2011-11-04T00:34:00.000-04:00

There is not much to say about this game. This was a meaningless game for the Cats and it showed. They didn't play with any fire or with any sense of urgency. It seemed like they didn't even want to be there.

Positives

I won't go so far as to say Markieth Knowlton had a disappointing season, but as the reigning Most Outstanding Defensive Player, his play was off his usual standard. But he played his tail off against the Argos. A sack, a forced fumble and an interception is a nice defensive hat trick. He played probably his best game of the season.

Dave Stala saw his most action in weeks, leading the team with nine catches and 84 receiving yards. He was hurt on the penultimate play of the game, but it doesn't appear to be too serious. Stala played well tonight, and hopefully he can carry that over into the playoffs.

A player who will not get much notice, but who I think played well was Canadian Receiver Liam Mahoney. He didn't have big numbers – only two catches for 27 yards – but I saw some nice blocks out of him and he played with a lot of hustle. I was impressed by his performance tonight, and he could have a very bright future.

One last player who I think deserves some praise but will also likely go unnoticed is Receiver Jeremy Kelley. Kelley did not record a catch, but he played excellently on Special Teams. I don't know what his future holds, but hopefully he finds a way to stay with this team. If he plays Receiver as hard as he plays Special Teams, he could be something special.

Negatives

The first place to start is with the Offensive Line. They did not play a good game at all. The Quarterbacks were given no time at all, and the running lanes were not there either. I know that Jason Jimenez was benched because he takes the occasional stupid penalty, but I think the five yards he gives up once a game may be worth what he adds to the O-Line. His nastiness is something that this team could use right now. At worst, he does a better job blocking than his replacement did tonight.

Marcel Young had one of the worst days I have seen. In defense of Young, he was victimized by one of the worst pass interference calls I have ever seen. But Young also allowed the Argo Receivers to beat him in coverage on a number of occasions, and he took some deserved pass interference calls as well. It was not a good game from Mr. Young.

Final Thoughts

While it would have been nice to get a win, the final score was meaningless. The only game that matters is next Sunday at 1PM EST. I'm sure if the Tiger-Cats could have forfeited this game prior to kickoff, they would have considered it. You could tell from the very beginning that they did not want to be there.

The Cats now finish the regular season at a disappointing 8-10. This is the first time under Head Coach Marcel Bellefeuille that they have finished anything but 9-9. But that record will not matter if they win next week in the East Division Semi-Final.

And that is where the focus turns next, because no matter what transpired on the turf at the ~~Rogers Centre~~ SkyDome, the Tiger-Cats main concerned is preparing for the playoffs. With this game being played on Thursday, it gives Hamilton two full days of rest over whoever their opponent winds up being (both Winnipeg and Montreal play on Saturday). Both the players and coaches get extra time to prepare. That could end up being a major factor.

And in the end, this team will ultimately be judged by how they do in the playoffs. Is it another one and done or does this team do what no Tiger-Cat team since 2001 has been able to do, get to the East Division Final? We'll all find out in 10 days.

Smitty's Selections: Week 19

2011-11-03T08:21:00.002-04:00

This is it. We have reached the final week of the 2011 CFL regular season. We have seen 68 games come and go, and we are down to the final four. This has probably been the strangest season in recent memory, and with only 240 minutes of football left, we still do not know where any playoff game will be played. What a year.

Hamilton at Toronto

Very tempted to take the Argonauts here. Hamilton will be playing a bunch of backups, and the Argos have been surprisingly competitive since being eliminated from playoff contention. But that Cats are known to bounce back from a humiliating defeat, so despite the evidence pointing to the Argos, I'll take the Cats by a touchdown.

Winner: Hamilton, 24-17

Saskatchewan at Edmonton

With Ken Miller announcing his retirement, I imagine that the Riders will want to send him out a winner. Edmonton is still in the hunt for first in the West, so they will be playing to win. Despite the win last week, Saskatchewan has been horrible on the offensive side of the ball. They just don't have enough fire power to match up with the Eskimos. Edmonton by a bunch.

Winner: Edmonton, 31-14

Winnipeg at Calgary

Winnipeg enters this game after a stunning home loss to the Argos; Calgary comes in after a stunning road victory over the Alouettes. A Winnipeg win would see them clinch the East Division title and a first-round bye. Calgary needs to win and get some help to host the West Final. Buck Pierce looks to be out for this game, so Alex Brink will start for the Bombers. That's the turning point. If Drew Tate can beat Anthony Calvillo, he can surely beat Alex Brink. Stamps by a field goal.

Winner: Calgary, 28-25

Montreal at British Columbia

The final game of the regular season could mean everything or it could mean nothing. If Winnipeg wins earlier, Montreal will have nothing to play for. If Edmonton and Calgary lose, BC will have nothing to play for. I'll base this pick on both teams needing to win. With that in mind, I like the Als to take down the Lions by an unconverted touchdown.

Winner: Montreal, 34-28

Recap
Hamilton, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal

Season Record: 39-29

Tiger-Cats Award Nominees Announced

2011-11-02T14:11:00.000-04:00

The CFL announced its nominees for the 2011 CFL Player Awards earlier today. I'll get into the nominees from the seven other teams at a later time. For now, I will focus on the Tiger-Cats candidates.

Justin Hickman being named Most Outstanding Defensive Player was no surprise. He is tied for second in league in sacks with 12, and he has been Hamilton's best and most consistent defensive player all season. His being named the team's Most Outstanding Player was a little surprising, but it makes sense. If you look at the Tiger-Cats this year, there were few players who performed as well as Hickman on a week-to-week basis. Justin Medlock and Chris Williams probably garnered some consideration, but the selection of Hickman is well deserved.

Speaking of Medlock and Williams, both players were unanimous selections for their awards. Medlock is the team's Most Outstanding Special Teams Players, and Williams is the team's Most Outstanding Rookie. Those selections were not the least bit surprising.

Neither was Dave Stala as the team's Most Outstanding Canadian. Stala started off the year very hot, but tailed off around mid-season. He still posted some excellent numbers, most notably his eight touchdown catches.

And finally, Peter Dyakowski was named the team's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman. This award has been owned by Marwan Hage recently, but with The Sultan's injury, it opened the door for Dyakowski to get some much-deserved recognition.

The league finalists will be announced in one week's time, and I would be surprised if one or two Tiger-Cats didn't make the final cut. I expect Chris Williams and Justin Medlock to be finalists. Medlock is in tough, but Williams is a near lock.

Regardless of what happens from here, all five players should be proud of their accomplishments in 2011.

Preview: Tiger-Cats at Argonauts

2011-11-02T12:01:00.000-04:00

8-9

5-12

When the CFL schedule was released, they surely thought that a Week 19 matchup between two playoff teams (and two bitter rivals) from 2010 would have an impact on the playoff race in 2011.

What will we see instead is a glorified preseason game.

The Argos were long ago eliminated from playoff contention, and the Ti-Cats have long been locked into third in the East, making the outcome of this game rather meaningless.

To compound that, the Cats will be resting a plethora of starters -- Offensive Lineman Peter Dyakowski, Running Back Avon Cobourne, Receiver Marcus Thigpen and Linebackers Jamall Johnson and Rey Williams are all expected to miss the game -- in order to get them healthier for the playoffs. Third-string Quarterback Jason Boltus is expected to see some playing time, making this feel even more like a preseason tilt.

The Argos will also be without some key players, chief among them is Quarterback Steven Jyles, meaning Dalton Bell will get the start.

Even with all those players missing, that does not mean the game is without intrigue. For starters, it is still a Hamilton-Toronto game. These two teams hate one another, so the intensity will still be there.

Secondly, the trade these two teams made a few weeks ago adds an interesting layer to the proceedings. Both Maurice Mann and Dee Webb will want to show their former teams the error of their ways.

If you will not be heading down to the ~~Rogers Centre~~ SkyDome for this one, you can catch the action on TSN or AM900 CHML starting at 7:30PM EST.

Movember

2011-11-01T11:49:00.002-04:00

It is November 1st, which means one thing:

Movember is here!

For those not in the know, Movember is a month where men will cast aside their razors to grow a moustache (or Mo) to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer. I took part last year, and grew a very bad 'stache. There will be no moustache for me this year, but I will be doing my part by donating to a long-time friend of mine who will be growing a moustache. His name is Steve, and you can find all his details at his official Movember page. He is also reachable on Twitter at High Fives Steve. Steve has organized numerous fundraisers for the Heart and Strike Foundation, as well as cancer research, and has even started his own movement with High Fives 2 Help Lives. The guy works tirelessly all year round, and is someone I am proud to support.

What does this have to do with the Tiger-Cats and the CFL, exactly? Well, after last month's successful CFL Pink program (which helped to raise awareness for women's cancers), I am a bit sadden by the fact that the CFL does not have its own official Movember program. With the majority of the league's fan base is male – skewing more to older males who are at more of a risk to get prostate cancer – it makes sense to have a Movember program. The CFL can reach a lot of people, and they would be doing a great service by helping out a great cause, just like they did with their CFL Pink campaign.

The league and the teams can even have fun with it. The whole Movember movement is about raising awareness and funds to help fight prostate cancer, but it is also an excuse to grow a ridiculous moustache. I am sure there are plenty of CFL players who can grow some very elaborate moustaches. The teams can even have a contest to let fans decide what type of moustache the player or players should grow. It would be a great way to help out a great cause. They could promote it during the final week of the regular season and into the playoffs, culminating with a 'Stache Off at the Grey Cup.

The CFL did a great job during October to help women. It is time for them to do a great job in NoMovember to help men. C'mon, CFL, show your Mo, and help tackle prostate cancer in the same way that you helped to tackle women's cancers.

Power Poll (Week 18)

2011-11-01T10:35:00.002-04:00

One more week to go and still no one knows who is playing who in the playoffs. Everything that had to happen to make Week 19 meaningful occurred in Week 18. There are now five teams with identical 10-7 records, and this will be the first time since the CFL expanded to an 18-game schedule that not one team will win at least 12 games. You try to make sense of it all because I know I can't.

1. British Columbia Lions (Last Week: 4)

Clobbered one week, back on top the next. Such is life in this season of parity. The Lions looked good against the Eskimos. Now to secure first in the West, they have to handle business against the Als.

2. Calgary Stampeders (Last Week: 6)

Am I over valuing the Stampeders? Perhaps. But since Drew Tate took over at Quarterback, this is a different team. Very few squads have gone into Montreal and beaten the Als, and the Tate-led Stamps just did that. That scores big points from where I sit.

3. Edmonton Eskimos (Last Week: 1)

Hard to knock a team too much when they lost on the road to another first-place team. If Edmonton wins, they will get at least one home playoff game. The rest they cannot control.

4. Montreal Alouettes (Last Week: 3)

Seeing Montreal come out flat in a big game tells me that Montreal has still yet to find its groove. For the first time in a long time, the Als look vulnerable heading into the playoffs.

5. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Last Week: 2)

Losing at home to the Argos is almost inexcusable, especially when first place in the East was on the line. Bu Winnipeg received a reprieve thanks to Montreal's loss to Calgary. If Winnipeg wins in Week 19, they still get first in the East.

6. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Last Week: 5)

The Tabbies stunk in Regina, which means they will come out this week and destroy the Argos. That is the tale of the season for the Tiger-Cats.

7. Toronto Argonauts (Last Week: 7)

The gutsy win for the Argos has been overshadowed by the Johnny Sears-Steven Jyles mess. Sears's hit was nasty. and he is deserving of any punishment the league hands out. But Argos players and TSN's Chris Schultz went overboard in their reaction to the hit. Two wrongs do not make a right, gentlemen. But you have to be impressed with how the Argos are finishing out the season. Too bad for their fans they didn't play like this from July to September.

8. Saskatchewan Roughriders (Last Week: 8)

Even in victory the Riders didn't look particularly strong. They won, but they failed to score over 20 points for the sixth week in a row. This has been a season to forget in the province of Saskatchewan.

Highest Climb: Calgary (+4)
Steepest Fall: Winnipeg (-3)

Morning-After Thoughts (Week 18)

2011-10-31T10:48:00.001-04:00

Three-way tie in the West; two-way tie in the East. So much for the final week of the season not having any drama. It is going to have plenty. Nothing was decided this past week. It will all come down to last week of the season for five of the six playoff teams.

After nearly 60 years of hosting football games, CanadInns Stadium played host to its final regular-season contest. It looks like a great place to watch a game, and hopefully the atmosphere is ported over to the new stadium next season.
Maurice Mann suited up for his first game in Double Blue, and was almost invisible. Expect more of that in the future. Mann is a go-to Receiver in his own mind, and Argo fans are going to be very disappointed next season.
The year of terrible officiating continues. How could the refs miss the obvious hit in the back by Dominic Picard on Kenny Mainor that resulted in Mainor receiving a 15-yard penalty?
Continuing on the refs: can someone explain to me how the catch that Chad Owens made is any different than the one Chris Williams made in Montreal? Owens's was (correctly) called a catch; Williams's was (incorrectly) called incomplete. Looked pretty darn similar to me.
More ref stuff: what was with the Keystone Kops routine at the end of the Argo-Bomber game? Winnipeg fans were deservedly angry at what transpired. It was brutal. Someone needs to slap the taste out of Murray Clarke's mouth for being so bloody useless.
On a more positive note, congratulations to Byron Parker on setting the career record for interceptions returned for touchdowns. Just two weeks after tying the record, Parker broke it with his ninth interception touchdown of his career.
I have seen some nasty hits in my time, but the hit that Johnny Sears leveled on Steven Jyles has to be one of the nastiest I have ever seen. It'll be interesting to see what the fallout is from this. Will Sears be suspended? Will the Argo players that Winnipeg Head Coach Paul LaPolice said threatened Sears be disciplined? Should make for an interesting week when it comes to this story.
With Andy Fantuz being shut down for the season, one has to wonder if he has played his last game in Green & White. A free agent come February, Fantuz might try the NFL again, or perhaps sign with another team, but until Fantuz signs his name on a contract with the Riders, the rumours will continue to swirl.
It's not every day that you a 108-yard punt, but that's exactly what Chris Milo did on Saturday in Regina, That ties the CFL record for longest punt. The previous record holder was former Argo Punter Zenon Andrusyshyn.
The Riders may have found the heir apparent to Wes Cates in Brandon West. He ran hard against the Ti-Cats.
This was my first chance to hear Rod Smith do play-by-play, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I know he did a game earlier this year, but for some reason I didn't get to watch it.
Holy crap! A Jamal Robertson sighting! And he played pretty darn well too.
And a Paris Jackson sighting too! Was it throwback day in BC or something?
Travis Lulay will be the West nominee for Most Outstanding Player. I have made this point before, but Lulay has 28 touchdowns to only 10 interceptions and has thrown for 4,500 yards. The only Quarterback who has more yards and touchdown passes, and less interceptions is Anthony Calvillo. Expectations for Lulay were high entering the season, but he has exceeded them in every way.
The Lions made sure that Jerome Messam did not reach 1,000 yards against them. I suspect that because of Messam's ties to BC, the Lions made it a point to deny him. Messam will still get to 1,000 yards, but BC sure didn't want him to do it against them.
Can someone come up with a better nickname for Brandon Whitaker than "Two Way," please? It's terrible, and in slightly misleading. Being a two-way player means you play Offense and Defense, not that you can catch and run. Someone find Whitaker a new nickname, please.
Speaking of terrible nicknames, did I actually hear Matt Dunigan say that Sean Whyte's nickname is "Legatron"? That has to be a joke, right?
Jamel Richardson continues to stat his case for MOP. The man they call Optimus Prime – a nickname I am fine with, by the way – is the first player in CFL history to have at least 100 receiving yards in 12 games in one season. Richardson has had my vote for MOP since mid-season, and unless something amazing happens next week, he'll keep my vote.
Nice to hear that Matt Dunigan is on board with every scoring play being automatically reviewed. Hopefully, Dunigan can use his soapbox to get that changed made.
I was on a pretty hot streak recently, but that all ended with a pitiful 0-4 showing this past week. That said, I don't that any pundit did better than 2-2 in Week 18. The BC win is one most people got right. But I doubt highly that there were many, if any, that nailed Toronto (over heavily favoured Winnipeg), Saskatchewan (over moderately favoured Hamilton) and Calgary (over heavily favoured Montreal). Anyway, after that showing, my overall record is down to 39-29. Not bad, but 50 correct picks is now officially out the window. Maybe next year.

Saskatchewan 19, Hamilton 3

2011-10-29T18:37:00.003-04:00

When the most exciting thing that happened in the game was a 108-yard punt, you know not much of consequence happened. It was a game that mattered little to the Tabbies, and it showed. Nothing went right. The worst part is, despite playing like garbage, Hamilton could have won the game. That's probably the most upsetting thing.

Positives

The more I see of Carlos Thomas at Safety, the more I like it. His coverage skills were never that great, but the guy can hit.

Hard to fault the Defense in this one. In the CFL, if you only give up 19 points, that should be enough to win. Justin Hickman and Stevie Baggs had decent games. The Secondary lost a few of the battles, but didn't give up much. The Defense can be satisifed with their performance.

Negatives

The two red zone interceptions by Kevin Glenn really sting. The first came after what looked like a sure touchdown, and the second was just a bad read. Turn those two interceptions into touchdowns, and it is a different game.

Quinton Porter did nothing to move the team in the first half, and did nothing to separate himself from Glenn. Porter's accuracy was terrible the entire time he was in he game. Despite how poorly Glenn played with his four interceptions, he is still the better Quarterback.

It was nice to see the team use Avon Cobourne in the last six minutes of the game, but where was that in the first 54 minutes? Cobourne is a guy that needs 15-18 touches per game to be effective. The team abandoned the running game way too early, and with a horse like Cobourne in the backfield, they need to keep plowing away.

Whoever was responsible for calling that fake punt needs to give their head a shake. That was almost as bad as the one BC tried to pull off last week. It was just a stupid call.

Final Thoughts

The talk leading up to this game was how Hamilton would use it as a playoff primer. If this is how they are going to play in Montreal or Winnipeg in two weeks, that will be the final game of the season for the Cats. There was no emotion from the team. It truly seemed like they didn't care.

Now 9-9 looks like the record the Cats will finish with for the third straight season. As much as that is a vast improvement over the records from 2005-2008, it's no longer good enough. It's looking more and more like something has to change to get this team over the hump. Of course, with the way this season has gone, the Cats could stroll into the East Division Semi-Final and blowout their opponent.

But before the playoffs, the Tabbies travel one more time to the friendly confines of the ~~Rogers Centre~~ SkyDome for one last game against the hated Argonauts. I'm sure we'll see a different team than the one we saw today. That's just how this team, and this season, has gone. Bad one week, great the next.

This week they were bad; very, very, very bad. But they still could have won the game. That's the most disappointing part. So a great game is coming. Would it be too much to ask that said game be played on November 13th?

Preview: Tiger-Cats at Roughriders

2011-10-28T13:39:00.002-04:00

8-8

4-12

Hamilton took care of business last week against an injury-depleted BC Lion teams. The same could happen this week against an even more injury-depleted Saskatchewan Roughrider team.

The Riders will enter this game without the services of Quarterback Darian Durant, Receiver Andy Fantuz and Linebacker Barrin Simpson, all of whom have been shut down for the year. Saskatchewan was going to have a tough time against the Cats to begin with, but losing three key players (to be fair, Fantuz hasn't been much of a factor since his return from the NFL) will make it even tougher for the Riders.

Hamilton enters this game coming off a very impressive showing against BC. The Cats hammered the Lions to the tune of 42-10. The score masked a somewhat poor offensive showing, but the Defense and Special Teams came to play.

The biggest positive to take from last week's game, was the improved play of the Secondary. The group of Carlos Thomas, Woodny Turenne, Marcel Young, Bo Smith and Dee Webb put the clamps on two Hall of Fame Receivers, giving the team hope that the Secondary is no longer a concern. Their play also allowed the Front Seven to get pressure and make plays. If that performance can be repeated, the Cats will have success.

Neither of these teams have anything to play for. Saskatchewan is already eliminated from playoff contention, and Hamilton's seeding is already set. Rider players will be playing for jobs in 2012, and Ti-Cat players will be looking to sharpen their games for a post-season run.

This game has the peculiar start time of 3:00PM EST on Saturday. If you want to catch the game, tune into TSN or AM900 CHML. And don't forget to follow Dief on Cats on Twitter as he provides his unique take on the action.

Smitty's Selections: Week 18

2011-10-27T14:57:00.003-04:00

There are two weeks left in the regular season, but nearly everything can be decided this weekend. The playoff seeding in both divisions could be all wrapped up in a tidy bow by the final whistle on Sunday, with one exception. Winnipeg can clinch the East's top spot with a win and a Montreal loss. Edmonton can claim the West title by beating BC. Calgary can be stuck in third if they lose to Montreal and BC beats Edmonton. Should make for an interesting week and an end to the season.

Toronto at Winnipeg

On the surface, it would be ridiculous to take Toronto, but Saskatchewan is as bad, if not worse than the Argos and they beat Winnipeg twice, so the Argos have a chance, right? Not really. Winnipeg by at least two touchdowns.

Winner: Winnipeg, 34-20

Hamilton at Saskatchewan

Neither team has anything to play for, with Hamilton being stuck in third in the East and Saskatchewan having already been eliminated from playoff contention. The Riders – having shelved Darian Durant, Andy Fantuz and Barrin Simpson – are clearly looking to next year. Hamilton wants to build on their big win last week against BC. The Riders will put up a fight for about three quarters, but Hamilton will take control and win going away.

Winner: Hamilton, 31-18

Edmonton at British Columbia

The no-brainer Game of the Week. BC is coming of a humiliating loss at the hands of the Tiger-Cats, and will want to find that winning formula that helped them claim victory in the previous eight games. Edmonton comes in after barely escaping Toronto with a win. Neither team can feel comfortable heading into this first-place showdown. The Eskies helped open BC place back in September, so they know what to expect from that crowd. Injuries are starting to pile up for the Lions, and that will be their downfall. The Eskimos escape with a narrow victory.

Winner: Edmonton, 27-24

Calgary at Montreal

Drew Tate's first road start couldn't be much harder. Winning in Montreal has not been easy for anyone since Marc Trestman took over the Als in 2008. Anthony Calvillo is coming off one of his worst days as a professional, and there is no way he throws up two stinkers in a row. With the home crowd solidly behind them, the Als take it.

Winner: Montreal, 38-25

Recap
Winnipeg, Hamilton, Edmonton, Montreal

Season Record: 39-25

Cats Add Daniel Porter

2011-10-26T13:10:00.000-04:00

Quinton is no longer the lone Porter on the Tiger-Cats, as Hamilton have signed former Edmonton Eskimo Running Back Daniel Porter.

The Tabbies have been looking for a backup Running Back ever since Terry Grant was injured against Montreal two weeks ago, and it now looks like they've found their man.

Porter played well during his time in Edmonton, but lost his spot to Jerome Messam earlier this season. The former Louisiana Tech star ended last season on a strong note, with four straight 100-plus-yard games. That lead to high expectations for him in 2011, but the sudden emergence of Messam early in the season made Porter expendable.

He is a very capable player, and is a nice insurance policy and backfield mate for Avon Cobourne.

Medlock Named Special Teams Player of the Week

2011-10-25T20:57:00.000-04:00

After going seven for seven on Saturday, Justin Medlock has deservedly been named the Special Teams Player of the Week. This is the second time that Medlock has won the award, the other coming in Week 3.

Now the attention turns to Medlock's year-end candidacy. There have been three outstanding Special Teams players this year: Medlock, Sean Whyte (Montreal) and Paul McCallum (BC).

They all stand up very well with one another. They are one, two and three in most categories, like percentage and points.

Where Medlock stands out is in distance. His average kick is from 37.7 yards, which is six yards higher than McCallum, and nearly eight yards higher than Whyte. Medlock also has the longest kick of the year (57 yards) and has made more 50-yard-plus kicks than the other two combined.

It will be a tight race, but it is not out of the realm of possibility to see Justin Medlock take home the Special Teams Player of the Year award. We'll have to wait and see.

Power Poll (Week 17)

2011-10-25T09:51:00.001-04:00

Two weeks left to go and still so much left to be decided. Only one team (Hamilton) knows where they will finish. The other five teams could all finish in multiple positions. That means teams will have something to play for... at least for one more week.

1. Edmonton Eskimos (Last Week 3)

Beating the Argos doesn't mean much, but the win gave the Eskimos sole possession of first place in the West, and they can secure the first-round bye with a win over BC in Week 18. If the Eskies play like they did for most of Friday's game against the Argonauts, first place will be theirs.

2. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Last Week: 4)

Big, big win for the Bombers. Now all Winnipeg has to do is keep pace with the Als and they will be hosting either Montreal of Hamilton in the East Division Final. With their final two games against the Argos and Stamps, it is likely that Winnipeg will be getting the bye.

3. Montreal Alouettes (Last Week: 2)

Anthony Calvillo played perhaps the worst game of his professional career. Under 200 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions is not the stat line you expect to see next to his name. Montreal could have clinched the East Division with win, and now they have to hope Winnipeg stumbles if they want the East Division Final to be played at Olympic Stadium.

4. British Columbia Lions (Last Week: 1)

Their winning streak came to a screeching halt, they lost some more players to injury, and their all-world Kicker threw one of the worst passes in football history. It could not have gone any worse for the Lions than it did in Hamilton. But that all goes away if they beat Edmonton this week.

5. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Last Week: 5)

With the Cats being the lone playoff team that knows where they will finish, they have the unenviable task of deciding whether to rest players to get them fresh for the playoffs or play them to keep sharp. We'll see what they do, but with two winnable games to finish the season, a nice three-game winning streak could give the Cats the momentum they need to go on the road and upset a team or two.

6. Calgary Stampeders (Last Week: 6)

Drew Tate looked equal bits good and bad in his first start, which wasn't surprising. He'll get better as time goes on, and it will be interesting to see how he performs in his first road start against the Alouettes.

7. Toronto Argonauts (Last Week: 7)

Say what you want about the Argos, but they still have some fight left in them. They are going out there and giving it an honest effort. That should at least be encouraging to their fans.

8. Saskatchewan Roughriders (Last Week: 8)

Can someone tell me why Darian Durant is even dressed? He has a broken bone in his foot, and with the season over for the Riders, it is time to give some backups some playing time. Get Durant in civvies and begin the planning for 2012.

Morning-After Thoughts (Week 17)

2011-10-23T09:44:00.000-04:00

Uncertainty still reigns in the CFL. We know that Hamilton will be on the road for the playoffs, but that's the only thing we do know. Edmonton, BC and Calgary all still have a shot at first in the West, and Montreal and Winnipeg still have to decide who wants to be the East Division champions. A lot could be decided by the end of next week, but like everything in the CFL this year, we'll have to wait and see.

Sad news this week as the CFL mourns the loss of Tommy Grant. Grant spent the majority of his career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, appearing in nine Grey Cups. I never had the opportunity to watch Grant play, but from all the stories, he was truly one of the greats. He will be missed.
The CFL (and TSN) unveiled a new marketing slogan this week: "No Lead is Safe." I think it's lame. Very, very lame.
It was the CFL Pink weekend (as I'm sure you all noticed) where the CFL did their part to help "tackle women's cancers." From all the pink that was worn and sold, it looks like it will be a big success. (But next year, please do away with the pink flags.)
And now that the CFL has shown they will do their part to help, it's time they got out there and supported the Movember movement. With the majority of CFL fans being males, it only makes sense for the league to do something to help promote a very worthwhile cause.
Chad Owens had a fumble problem on Friday. Twice he fumbled the football when no one was around him; he simply just dropped the ball. You can't let that happen once, let alone twice.
That's the Fred Stamps we all know.
Excellent onside kick by the Argos. Loved the execution.
With all the talk of Henry Burris heading to Toronto in the off-season, I will state one last time: Quarterback is not the problem in Toronto! It wasn't the problem with Cleo Lemon and it's not the problem with Steven Jyles. Yes, the play from the QB could be better, but the Argos are not losing (or at least were not losing when Lemon was piloting the Offense) because of the man under Centre.
It is complete inexplicable, and downright moronic even, to have Darian Durant playing in a meaningless game with a broken bone in his foot. The Riders are out, and this time could be better used by evaluating younger players to see if they have a future in Saskatchewan. Get Durant off the field!
Drew Tate's first start had its ups and downs, but he showed exactly why so many – including myself – think he is going to be a star in the CFL.
I've seen some bad Offenses in my day – anyone remember the Joe Paopao era in Hamilton? – but Saskatchewan going over 18 quarters without an offensive touchdown ranks up there with the worst of all time.
Was that Joffrey Reynolds I saw on Friday night?
Welcome back to the CFl, Jamie Boreham
Can someone, anyone, explain to me why the Bombers ran that play with three seconds left in the first half?
What was Winnipeg thinking with those rugby-style punts?
That had to be one of he five worst games of Anthony Calvillo's career. He was off his game from the very beginning.
It started strong, with a catch on the first play from scrimmage, but Arland Bruce's return to Hamilton was nothing more than a footnote after the game. Bruce, like the entire BC Offense, was a complete non-factor.
It seemed as if Saturday was "Stupid Play Day" as BC tried one of the worst fake punts in the history of professional football. It makes no sense to call that play, and it looks especially bad because it was intercepted by Ray Mariuz, who took it to the house for his first career touchdown.
With two games left, and 226 yards separating them, one has to wonder if Geroy Simon will break Milt Stegall's receiving yards record this year or next.
Winnipeg's comeback (or Montreal's choke job, depending on your perspective) was the only blemish on the record this week. Another 3-1 puts my overall total at a very respectable 39-25. Getting to 50 wins is likely out of the question (I'd have to 11-2 over the final two weeks and playoffs), but I have improved in my amateur prognostication from last season.

Hamilton 42, BC 10

2011-10-22T23:39:00.000-04:00

With nothing left to play for – Winnipeg beat Montreal to secure a home playoff game – the Ti-Cats came out and ended BC's eight-game winning streak with a good, old-fashioned butt kicking. It was a nice farewell for the fans, as that was the last home game for the Tiger-Cats in 2011. This was a full team effort, and showed what this Tiger-Cat team can do when they are clicking.

Positives

The entire Defense played out of their mind. Pick a player and he played great. Rey Williams was all over the field; Ray Mariuz, who was filling in for the injured Jamall Johnson, played as well as I have ever seen him play; the entire Secondary, but especially Bo Smith and Woodny Turenne, had blanket coverage on the Lions' Receivers. It was a dominating defensive performance.

It truly looks like the game has slowed down for Quinton Porter. He still makes a few mistakes, but for the most part, he looks to have learned from his two years on the bench. The mental side of the game was always the issue – Porter has all the physical tools to dominate, and that was never the concern – but it looks like Porter may have taken that step. It's a very positive development that can only help the team.

Lavishing praise on Justin Medlock is almost a given, but his virtuoso seven-field-goal performance was the stuff of legend. Medlock accounted for 24 of Hamilton's 42 points, and just when it seems like he's done it all, he does something else spectacular. I don't think I'm alone when I say I am really glad that Medlock is on the team.

Negatives

Not much to complain about when the margin of victory is 32 points, but one thing stuck out like a sore thumb: Avon Cobourne. Cobourne had one of his worst games as a Tiger-Cat, dropping three very catchable passes and fumbling one play after Auggie Barrenechea made his first career catch to set the Cats up in BC territory. Knowing the type of player that Cobourne is, he'll be harder on himself than anyone. There will be no repeat performance coming from Cobourne any time soon, but he still deserves to be called out for the game he played.

Final Thoughts

No more Ivor Wynne in 2011, but now the Cats can spend their next two games getting polished for the playoffs. Perhaps the back-to-back road games will be a positive heading into the playoffs because they'll have to win consecutive games on the road if they want to get to the Grey Cup.

This was one of those statement-type wins. BC came into the game having not lost since August 13th and Hamilton took them to the proverbial woodshed and beat them senseless. It's the type of win that can catapult a team to great things. It's a win that can build confidence as the playoffs near.

Next up, a trip to Regina to play the struggling Roughriders. It'll be interesting to see which Tiger-Cat team shows up. If it's the one that played tonight, the game will never be in doubt.

Preview: Lions at Tiger-Cats

2011-10-21T14:02:00.001-04:00

9-6

7-8

Arland Bruce's return to Hamilton.

The Tiger-Cats using two Quarterbacks.

Two playoff teams looking to find their spot.

All of those things could be the main storyline heading into the game between the Lions and Ti-Cats. But one thing seems to dwarf them all:

Injuries.

Both teams come in missing some major contributors. Hamilton will be without the services of Linebacker Jamall Johnson, Receiver Chris Williams and Running Back Terry Grant. The Lions will be missing Defensive Lineman Khalif Mitchell, Kick Returner Tim Brown and, probably most importantly, Linebacker Solomon Elimimian (who missed last week's game as well).

With both teams coming in without key players, it should be interesting to see who steps up in their absence.

The Ti-Cats need to win this game if they have any hope of hosting the East Division Semi-Final. A loss and they are on the road for the duration of their playoff run. The Lions are in the thick of things for first in the West, so this is meaningful for them as well.

It'll be interesting to see how Head Coach Marcel Bellefeuille works his two Quarterbacks this week. While the end result wasn't there last week, the decision to play both Kevin Glenn and Quinton Porter wasn't the unmitigated disaster some – like myself – thought it would be. Both players had their ups and downs, so seeing how both players are used this week will be worth watching.

Like when any former player returns, the reception Arland Bruce receives will be worth keeping an ear on. I would suspect that Bruce will be met with both cheers and boos, but I think (and hope) that it is more the former and less of the latter.

This is also the Tiger-Cats final home game of the 2011 regular season. No doubt they want to go out with a win.

If you won't be heading down to Ivor Wynne Stadium, you can catch the game on television on TSN or on the radio on AM900 CHML. Also, do not forget to hit up Dief on Cats on Twitter as he tweets about the game from his seat at Ivor Wynne. The fun begins at 7PM EST, and in the immortal words of the late Billy Red Lyons, "Don'tcha dare miss it."

Smitty's Selections: Week 17

2011-10-20T21:39:00.000-04:00

The last three weeks have been very kind to yours truly. I have managed to go a very impressive 10-2 over that span, and my 50-win season is still alive. I need 13 wins in the next 17 games (that does count the playoffs). Hard, but not impossible. A couple of 4-0 weeks would really help. Here's hoping this s one of them.

Edmonton at Toronto

The Argos not so shockingly beat the Stamps last week. Unfortunately for Toronto, Edmonton isn't Calgary. The Eskimos still have a very good shot at claiming first in the West. The Eskimos will use what happened to Calgary last week and avoid a similar fate.

Winner: Edmonton, 31-19

Saskatchewan at Calgary

What is the best medicine for a struggling team? Facing moribund Roughriders. Saskatchewan is terrible and has nothing to play for; Calgary still has hopes, small hopes they may be, on getting a home playoff game. Drew Tate will start for the Stamps, and if he is half as good as he was in relief of a struggling Henry Burris last week, the Stamps will take this one easily.

Winner: Calgary, 34-12

Montreal at Winnipeg

This one is simple: Winnipeg has to win if they hope to claim a first-round bye. A Montreal victory would give the Als the division crown for the fourth straight year; a Winnipeg win ties them with Montreal and gives them the head-to-head tiebreaker. This will be a good game, but Montreal will find a way to pull it out.

Winner: Montreal, 29-26

British Columbia at Hamilton

Recent history suggests that BC should win this game. No, not because of the eight game winning streak, but because of the last six games played between these teams, the road team has won all but one (Hamilton beat BC at Ivor Wynne in 2009). With BC probably being the best team in the league right now, and with Hamilton struggling, the smart bet is the Lions. I'm taking the Ti-Cats.

Winner: Hamilton, 31-27

Recap
Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Hamilton

Season Record: 36-24

Calling For Change

2011-10-19T20:15:00.000-04:00

With just under six minutes left to play in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes, the Ti-Cats were scrimmaging first and 10 from the Als' 29-yard line. Kevin Glenn threw a pass to the end zone towards Chris Williams. The catch was made simultaneously by Williams and Montreal Defensive Back Seth Williams. When both players came down to the ground, the ball was knocked loose and the ruling on the field was incomplete.

The ruling on the field was wrong.

In watching a replay of the play (the play itself starts at 16:08, and replays are shown at 16:32, 16:45 and 17:32), it is clear to see that Chris Williams catches the pass, takes four steps, falls to the ground out of bounds before Seth Williams knocks the ball out of the hands of Chris Williams.

When TSN showed a replay of questionable play, both Gord Miller and Matt Dunigan said that the call on the field should have been a touchdown.

Under normal circumstances, Hamilton would have challenged the call and had it reversed; however, Hamilton had used their challenge earlier in the game, so they did could not challenge the play.

Prior to the start of their 2011 season, the National Football League instituted a new rule that sees every scoring play reviewed automatically by the replay booth to ensure that the correct call was made. It is a great rule, one that prevents coaches for using challenges to review scoring plays while also making sure that the correct call is made. Scoring plays are the most crucial calls in the game, and an incorrect one could be the difference between winning and losing. (For the record, Hamilton lost to Montreal 27-25.)

The CFL however, has no such rule in place, but they should.

In fact, the CFL should take it one step further and make all potential scoring plays automatically reviewable. This way, a mistake such as the one made on the play above does not stand. Or, the ruling on the field does stand and everyone from player to coach to media member to fan can get a clear interpretation on what is and isn't a catch.

I put this same idea out there earlier in the week, both here and on various CFL-related fora, and the response is mixed. Not-so-surprisingly, it seems that the vast majority of Tiger-Cat fans are behind such a rule change, while fans of other teams – mostly Montreal Alouette fans – are the ones most strenuously objecting to it.

What seems to be the main point of contention is that adding these replays would make the games last longer.

That's a nonsense claim.

First off, the games have not lasted much longer in the NFL this season with their rule change. Secondly, any additional time added-on to games because of this rule would benefit, not detract, for the overall enjoyment of the game. It's more important to get the call right than to get the call quickly.

The human element will always be a part of football, but the ability to make sure the correct call gets made is available. It seems illogical to stand in the way of progress.

I hope the CFL seriously considers making this small, but crucial change prior to the start of the 2012 season.

Most Outstanding Rookie

2011-10-19T13:57:00.000-04:00

The CFL released the list of eligible players for the Most Outstanding Rookie award earlier today. The award itself will be handed out at the Gibson's Finest CFL Player Awards on November 24th in Vancouver as part of the Grey Cup festivities.

Hamilton's Chris Williams is the odds-on favourite to win the award, but Clarence Denmark, Kenny Mainor, Craig Butler and JC Sherritt all have a legitimate shot as well.

Last year's winner was Solomon Elimimian, who was a very deserving choice. The year before, it was Martell Mallet, who was also deserving. But in those two years, two equally, if not more so, deserving players were ineligible for the award because of a rule that prevented them from being considered. Both Cory Boyd (in 2010) and DeAndra' Cobb (in 2009) were not up for the award in their first CFL season because they had spent time in the NFL.

Neither Boyd nor Cobb never so much as touched the football in their brief NFL careers, but one of the rules of eligibility is that a player must not have "dressed for a member Club in the National Football League" in a regular- or post-season game. Both players did, and were therefore disqualified from being nominated.

I can understand why the rule is the way it is. If a long-time NFL player came to the CFL, it would be hard to deem him a rookie because of his extensive pro career. It is also not an unprecedented move. Wayne Gretzky was ineligible for the Calder Trophy in the NHL in 1979-80 because he played in the WHA. Instead, the award went to Ray Bourque.

Rules are rules, but sometimes they are silly rules. Just because a player suited up for an NFL team in the final week of the season – as Boyd did with the Denver Broncos in 2008 – does not mean he should not be able to be named the top rookie in the CFL. As great as Elimimian was in 2010, Boyd was greater. His time in the NFL didn't make him greater and had no impact on his ability to produce in the vastly different Canadian game.

The best way I can think of is keep the rule as is, but allow for exceptions. Let a player, prior to the season, petition the league to allow himself to be eligible for the Most Outstanding Rookie award. Not all cases are the same, and the league can go on a case-by-case basis to allow players who are ineligible based on the rules in place, like Boyd and Cobb, to be deemed eligible.

That one change would allow for the truly great players to be given their proper due.

Power Poll (Week 16)

2011-10-18T10:42:00.000-04:00

With three weeks left to go, the six playoff teams have been decided. All that is left to figure out is who plays who when. While every scenario is still possible, some are more likely than others. If I had to put on my prognosticator hat, I'm going to say the East will end up being Montreal in first, Winnipeg in second and Hamilton in third. In the West, it'll be Edmonton in first, BC in second and Calgary in third.

1. British Columbia Lions (Last Week: 1)

What can be said about the Lions that hasn't already been said a hundred times? They've won eight in a row and look unstoppable. They have a front-runner MOP candidate in Travis Lulay, the soon-to-be all-time receiving yards holder in Geroy Simon and the winningest coach in CFL history in Wally Buono. That's a championship recipe.

2. Montreal Alouettes (Last Week: 2)

Montreal has shown signs of weakness. In the past, the Als never would have let a team – in this case, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats – claw back into a game and nearly force overtime. With the team dismissing prized free-agent acquisition Dwight Anderson, there is a bit of turmoil in Montreal. That said, they have the league's best record and are win this week away from clinching another division title.

3. Edmonton Eskimos (Last Week: 4)

The Eskimos hold their playoff seeding in their own hands. They have two easy wins against the league's two bottom feeders and one last date, in Vancouver, with the Lions. Win all three, and the Eskimos are getting home cookin' in the playoffs.

4. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Last Week: 3)

Winnipeg has stumbled, big time, since their hot 7-1 start. They are 2-5 since, and a loss to Montreal this week would hand the division title, once again, to the Alouettes. One of Winnipeg's two wins has come against the Als (in Montreal, no less), so despite their recent struggles, the Bombers are far from out of it.

5. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Last Week: 6)

Losing to the Als by two points is nothing to be ashamed about, but mistakes cost the Ti-Cats last Sunday. With the hottest team in the CFL coming to Hamilton this week, those mistakes will have to be minimized if the Cats hope to pull out a victory.

6. Calgary Stampeders (Last Week: 5)

The Drew Tate era looks set to begin this week, as Tate has been kinda, sorta, maybe, named the Stamps starting Quarterback. Henry Burris has been terrible for over a month, so it is now Tate's time to shine.

7. Toronto Argonauts (Last Week: 7)

Simply put, the Argos look to be putting in an effort. Heck, they actually won this past week. And at least they found the end zone. Those statements cannot be made when talking about Saskatchewan.

8. Saskatchewan Roughriders (Last Week: 8)

Remember when everything was Greg Marshall's fault? The Riders play with no heart, no effort, and it shows in the fact that they haven't scored a touchdown in over four games! But, yeah, this mess was all because of Marshall.

Highest Climb: Edmonton, Hamilton (+1)
Steepest Fall: Calgary, Winnipeg (-1)

Morning-After Thoughts (Week 16)

2011-10-17T10:39:00.002-04:00

The six playoff teams are set, and they are a surprise to no one. The seeding is still left to decided, but we know one of Montreal, Winnipeg, Hamilton, British Columbia, Edmonton or Calgary will be hoisting the Grey Cup in Vancouver in November. With so much parity in the CFL this season, I wouldn't be surprised if any of the six teams won the whole thing.

Damon Allen, Milt Stegall, Tyrone Jones, Jack Abendschan, Eric Lapointe, Peter Connellen and Hamilton's David Braley are your 2012 inductees into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Congratulations to all seven men.
The Wendy's Kick for a Million contest is one of my favourites. I can't tell you why I like it so much, but I do.
I won't say it's the greatest year for Canadian talent in the CFL, but there does seem to be a plethora of great Canadian players, especially on Offense. Great Canadian talent is one of the keys to success in the CFL, and the teams that have been the most successful this year seem to have the most talent that hails from north of the border.
The loss by Calgary probably means they are on the road for the duration of their playoff run.
Is it time we close the book on the Henry Burris era in Calgary? After the way Drew Tate played on Friday night, it looks like it might be.
I think Cory Boyd proved his point tonight. Give him the ball and good things happen for the Argos. He is, without a doubt, their best player, and if they want to win (even though it doesn't matter now), they need to ride him.
Congratulations to Byron Parker on tying the CFL record for interceptions returned for touchdowns. He now has eight, and with his career far from over, he will probably have the record all to himself before he hangs up his cleats.
The injury suffered by J'Michael Deane was one of the more gruesome I have seen in all my years of watching football. I wish him a speedy and full recovery.
Edmonton has allowed 11 points in their last two games. I don't care if they are playing a team full of armless Ewoks, that's impressive.
With the way that Chris Garrett has played, I wonder if the running problems had more to do with Fred Reid than anything else.
I've asked it before and I'm going to ask it again: what the heck is up with Terrence Edwards? Why is he seeing so little action?
Can someone explain to me how Damon Duval still has a job? He's about as reliable as Sandro DeAngelis on a "windy" day at Ivor Wynne.
With all the praise that Jamel Richardson is getting, S.J. Green has kind of become a forgotten man in Montreal. It seems like forever since his name was mentioned prominently following an Alouettes game. Maybe it's because of what Richardson is doing, but I expected Green to be a bigger part of the Als Offense this season.
It was a bad week for injuries. Just when I thought the aforementioned J'Michael Deane injury was the worst I had seen, Terry Grant gets pretty much the same injury. I wish Grant a full and speedy recovery.
After the missed call on the Chris Williams non-TD catch – it should have been a TD – I hope the CFL will consider a change to the review/challenge system. The NFL recently made a change that made all scoring plays automatically reviewable. I think the CFL should take it one step further and make all potential scoring plays automatically reviewed by the booth. That would ensure that the Williams non-TD catch gets called properly in the future.
Now that Saskatchewan's season is over, it's time to sit Darian Durant. The Riders have nothing left to play for, so there is no reason to put Durant out there and risk further injury.
I think, barring something unforeseen, Travis Lulay will be the West nominee for Most Outstanding Player. He'll probably lose it to one of the Montreal three (Anthony Calvillo, Jamel Richardson or Brandon Whitaker), but Lulay getting the West nomination will be an achievement in and of itself.
The Riders may have scored double digits for the first time in three weeks, but they still did not manage to score a touchdown. Saskatchewan has now gone over four games without finding the end zone. That is an almost unfathomable streak of offensive ineptitude.
Changes need to come in Saskatchewan. There will likely be a new Head Coach in 2012, but the Riders also need a talent infusion. I think, like the Argos, the Riders should play their Practice Roster players and see what they have. They have nothing to lose.
Only one incorrect pick again this week, and it came courtesy of the Stamps when they decided to gift a victory to the Argos. That makes me 10-2 over the last three weeks, and gives me an overall mark of 37-24.

Montreal 27, Hamilton 25

2011-10-16T22:30:00.001-04:00

Five plays. It was five plays that decided a surprisingly competitive game between the Cats and Als. Everyone, myself included, expected Hamilton to get walloped. It looked like that would be the case when the Cats could pick up yards, but had a hard time scoring touchdowns. Then the Tabbies staged a spirited comeback that fell just short. At the end of the day it was five plays – three by the Cats and two by the officials – that decided the outcome of this game.

Positives

The much maligned Secondary didn't play too bad. Yes, Anthony Calvillo threw for over 350 yards, but that had more to do with the Cats getting very little pressure. Dee Webb played well in his first game with Hamilton, especially considering he was guarding Jamel Richardson (aka the best Receiver in football) all game. Some nice plays were made by the other DBs, and the play of Woodny Turenne was admirable considering it was his first game.

The two-Quarterback system was not great but it didn't hurt either. Quinton Porter couldn't get the team in the end zone, during the bulk of his playing time (he threw a touchdown to Dave Stala late in the fourth quarter after Kevin Glenn was injured), but he did move the ball and he made some very good reads. Kevin Glenn was his usual self, and even made a nice run for a touchdown. All in all, I'd say it worked. Not as well as the team had hoped, but it was the disaster it could have been.

The Defense as a whole, aside from getting no pass rush, played well enough for the team to win. I especially liked the play of Rey Williams and Markeith Knowlton. Kowlton played perhaps his best game all season, and Williams played with a nasty streak that was evident from the opening play. Good job by both men, and good job by the whole unit.

Negatives

Here is where I am going to highlight the five plays that decided the outcome of the game.

The first, and most egregious was the the incomplete call on what should have been a Chris Williams touchdown. I don't care what anyone says, that's a touchdown! Williams caught the ball in tandem with the defender (tie goes to the Receiver), went to the ground, maintained possession until the Montreal defender knocked it loose long after both players were on the ground. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a touchdown. How the refs could call anything else is beyond me. It was a brutal call! Just brutal!

The other questionable call by the refs was on the two-point conversion. From the replays it looked like Chip Cox did interfere with Aaron Kelly. This one isn't as bad as the Williams no-TD call. This was a borderline call, but it is one I've seen called many times this year, and it seems odd that on such a crucial play that the flag didn't come out.

Just because the refs made some errors doesn't mean they cost the Cats the game. There were three plays where the Tabbies cost themselves 13 points.

The biggest of those plays was a Chris Williams offside call that negated a Bakari Grant touchdown. Williams seemed to have a problem staying onside for most of the afternoon. But this one offside penalty really hurt.

The final plays were two missed field goals by Justin Medlock. One was from beyond 50 yards, and despite Medlock regularly banging those in, those are never easy. The other was a 40-something-yard attempt that Medlock needs to hit. There was some problems with snapping and holding, but had Medlock made even one of those two field goals, all the other mistakes don't matter.

Final Thoughts

Despite the loss, it was very heartening to see the team battle through adversity in a hostile environment and nearly come away with a win.

The Cats now sit at 7-8 and it looks all but certain that they will play their playoff game(s) on the road. But they have now played well enough to win in both Winnipeg and Montreal, and only a few key mistakes were the difference between a win and a loss in either city. It should be noted that any playoff game against the Alouettes will be played at Olympic Stadium (as opposed to Montreal's regular-season home of Percival Molson Stadium), so the crowd will be larger and louder.

Up next for the Cats is the red-hot BC Lions. The Lions have won eight straight and will not be an easy team to beat. That said, if the Ti-Cats can play like they did against Montreal, and just cut out the mistakes that they can control, there is no reason to think that they can't get a win.

This was a tough loss, but it was not a bad loss. It is hard to accept losses when the team doesn't give much of an effort. The team gave plenty of effort, and it was five key mistakes that made the difference. Avoid those mistakes – well, avoid the ones that the team can actually control – and a tough loss like this becomes an inspiring win.

Preview: Tiger-Cats at Alouettes

2011-10-15T11:17:00.002-04:00

7-7

9-5

Underdog seems to the role that suits the Tiger-Cats the best. Whenever expectations reach their highest, the Tabbies stumble. When they are expected to falter, they come through with a Herculean effort.

If Hamilton was ever an underdog going into a game, it'd be in tomorrow's game against Montreal.

The Als are starting to roll at just the right time. Normally they are gearing down right about now, having already clinched the division. But this year, they are fighting tooth and nail with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for that coveted first-round bye.

The distractions that the Als dealt with on Thanksgiving – that being Anthony Calvillo's chase for the all-time passing record – are behind them. Now the Als can focus on their ultimate goal, which is winning the Grey Cup.

For Hamilton, the problems that have plagued them all season long are still present. The Secondary will once again undergo an overhaul, which doesn't help when facing the best Receiver in football, Jamel Richardson. The Cats will have their hands full on Defense.

On Offense, the talk all week has been about the "significant playing time" that Quinton Porter is going to see at Quarterback. The only way he gets on the field is if Kevin Glenn struggles like he did last week. Replacing Maurice Mann – who was shipped to Toronto earlier this week – will also be important. It will be interesting to see which Receiver steps up with Mann gone.

The Cats need to win this game to have any hope of finishing higher than third in the East. A loss by more than one point will mean that Montreal will have the tiebreaker, and coupled with a Blue Bomber victory, would mean the Tiger-Cats are on the road for as long as their playoff journey lasts.

A win, however, would give them the season series over the Alouettes and put them one game back of them. With a somewhat favourable schedule coming up for the Cats, a victory over Montreal makes second in the East entirely possible.

The game, as always, can be seen on TSN or heard on AM900 CHML. And for all the Tweeters out there, don't forget to following Dief on Cats as he "commen-tweets" during the game.

Smitty's Selections: Week 16

2011-10-14T10:18:00.001-04:00

Over the last two weeks I have gone an impressive 7-1. I have bumped my season record to 10 games over .500, and if I wasn't so blindly loyal to the Tiger-Cats, that number might even be higher. As we head down the final stretch, I still hold out faint hope of reaching my goal of 50 wins.

Calgary at Toronto

This one smells like an upset, has all the makings of an upset, but won't be an upset. I just have no faith in Toronto. Calgary is in a dog fight in the West and Toronto has nothing to play for. The Stamps need to win this game, and they will. Calgary by double digits.

Winner: Calgary, 28-17

Winnipeg at Edmonton

This one will probably be the best game of the week. This should be a tight contest between two teams fighting for home-field advantage and a first-round bye in their respective divisions. If it was in Winnipeg, I'd take the Bombers. With it being in Edmonton, I have to go with the Eskimos.

Winner: Edmonton, 27-24

Hamilton at Montreal

I have looked at this game from every conceivable angle, and as much as it pains me to say it, I don't see a way that the Tiger-Cats can win this game. So for the first time ever I am picking against the Cats. Montreal wins this one rather convincingly.

Winner: Montreal, 36-21

British Columbia at Saskatchewan

BC is the best team in the league right now; Saskatchewan has scored nine points in their last three games. While BC will lose eventually, it won't be this week. Lions by a bunch.

Winner: British Columbia, 32-13

Recap
Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, British Columbia

Season Record: 33-23

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

2011-10-12T23:33:00.001-04:00

It's been a long time since I've gone on a good, old-fashioned rant. The last time was back when Arland Bruce was traded. I was angry then, and I made that point well known twice.

Since then, not much has happened that got my ire up. Yes, there has been the inconsistent play of the team, but that's normal pro sports stuff. That comes with the territory. I can accept and handle that.

Maurice Mann opening his fat mouth, however, is another story.

As everyone knows, Maurice Mann was traded yesterday to the Toronto Argonauts for Defensive Back Dee Webb. Today, he spoke to the media for the first time following the trade and came off sounding like a whiny jerk.

He said he didn't find out about the trade from either Marcel Bellefeuille or Bob O'Billovich, but from Receivers Coach Tim Kearse. Later, it was revealed that the team tried to contact Mann and that he didn't return their repeated calls.

He said he also has not spoken to Bellefeuille and doesn't plan on speaking to him in the future.

He stated that Hamilton is not a friendly place for veteran receivers.

In a tweet, which I cannot link to because Mann protects his tweets (meaning you need a Twitter account to see what he said) he responded to someone by saying that "it is that bad here" (referring to Hamilton) and then using the hashtag "micromanagville." In essence, he was saying that he was happy to leave.

Mann talks a lot, and his talking has always the biggest part of his game. For a player who yaps off as much as he does, you'd think he'd average more than 52-yards per game or have more than six 100-yard games over the course of his five year career. He played 25 games in Hamilton and scored seven touchdowns. Contrast that to Dave Stala, who has seven touchdowns just this year. Mann thinks he's an upper-echelon receiver, but his stats show that he's mediocre at best. He had one decent year in Edmonton, but Mann has never had a 1,000-yard season or scored double-digit touchdowns in a season. With the way he views himself, you'd think he was an All Star, but that's something else he's never achieved. Mann is a legend in his own mind.

That fact that he made a point to say that he doesn't plan to talk to Bellefeuille makes him sound petty and childish. But it has been known for a long time that Mann had a problem with Bellefeuille. This stretches back to last season when Mann called Bellefeuille a whack ass coach. Mann could have showed some class and said nothing. When Arland Bruce was traded, you didn't hear him bad mouth anyone. Mann could learn a lesson or two from Bruce.

Mann goes by the handle "86_do_trix" on Twitter. To steal a line from a famous movie, it looks like the greatest trick he ever pulled was convincing the football world that he's an elite receiver. The Argos, and their fans, are about to find out that Mann's game doesn't equal his self-manufacture hype.

Power Poll (Week 15)

2011-10-12T15:27:00.000-04:00

As we head down the final stretch, five playoff spots have already been clinched. The only thing left is to find out if Hamilton will lose enough and Saskatchewan will win enough to see the Riders knock the Cats out. It's unlikely, so now teams are just jockeying for position. But in this year of parity (a word I think I am getting sick of hearing/reading/writing), anything is possible. No one is out until they are out.

1. British Columbia Lions (Last Week: 1)

Another week, another win. This one much closer than before. If the Lions keep this up, they will be the first team since the 1994 BC Lions to win the Grey Cup at home. I wouldn't bet against them.

2. Montreal Alouettes (Last Week: 2)

All the focus was on Anthony Calvillo, but he Als are back in the playoffs for a sixteenth year in a row. The winner of the Bombers-Als matchup in two weeks will decide who stays home for the playoffs.

3. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Last Week: 3)

The Bombers have Hamilton's number this season. I bet they hope they see them in the playoffs at some point. If Buck Pierce plays like he did against the Ti-Cats, the longest championship drought in the CFL might come to an end.

4. Edmonton Eskimos (Last Week: 6)

You can't really take much from Edmonton's win. Saskatchewan is terrible and in complete disarray. But the Eskimos are playoff-bound, and with a good shot at first in the West. That's a great turnaround in just one season.

5. Calgary Stampeders (Last Week: 5)

There is no shame in losing to BC in BC. Now, if they lose to the Argos in Toronto, that's a different story.

6. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Last Week: 4)

The up-and-down season continues. Every time the Cats have a chance to prove themselves, they falter. They will make the playoffs, but more efforts like in Week 15 and their post-season won't last long.

7. Toronto Argonauts (Last Week: 7)

The Argos took a lead into the locker room at halftime against Montreal. Say what you want about Toronto, but they at least look to be putting forth an effort.

8. Saskatchewan Roughriders (Last Week: 8)

The Roughriders don't even try anymore. How else can you explain no touchdowns and nine total points in their last three games. NINE POINTS! IN THREE GAMES! That's how bad things have gotten for Saskatchewan.

Highest Climb: Edmonton (+2)
Steepest Fall: Hamilton (-2)

No Mo' Mann

2011-10-11T22:14:00.002-04:00

In a bit of a shocking move, the Tiger-Cats traded Maurice Mann to the Toronto Argonauts in exchange for Defensive back Dee Webb.

Acquiring Webb will hopefully help a battered and maligned Secondary. Webb is a decent player who is familiar with Defensive Coordinator Corey Chamblin from their days with the Calgary Stampeders. (Both were there in 2009.)

But the bigger news, in my opinion, is the trading of Mann. Mann came to Hamilton with the hopes of forming a potent one-two combination with Arland Bruce. That never happened, and now both players are gone.

In his first season, Mann caught 56 passes for 787 yards and five touchdowns. Decent production, but hardly Earth shattering. This season, while he dealt with injuries, Mann hauled in 35 passes for 346 yards and two touchdowns. He lost six games to injury, and never seemed to get back on track.

I was never a big fan of Mann's. I never felt like his production never matched his hype, and while I was never a fan of the trade in the first place, I held out hope that he could turn into something. It never happen.

His play on the field tended to be overshadowed by his off-field antics, most notably. when he took to Twitter last season to complain about his role on the team, calling out Marcel Bellefeuille in the process.

I can put up with someone who talks a lot – my affinity for Avon Cobourne proves that – if the talk is backed up on the field. Cobourne backs up his play with solid performances week in and week out; Mann runs extremely hot and cold.

That was my biggest problem with Mann, is that he was very inconsistent. He would do things that would make you say "WOW!" and then do things that would make you say "WHAT!?!?"

Now we'll see if he is the cure for what ails Toronto's woeful Offense. He now has his chance to be the featured guy, and we will all see what he makes of that opportunity.

As for his time in Hamilton, I think two words will define it: potential and disappointment.

Morning-After Thoughts (Week 15)

2011-10-11T09:37:00.000-04:00

With Thanksgiving weekend having come and gone, the 2011 CFL season is officially in its final stages. Canada Day weekend is the beginning, Labour Day weekend is the midpoint, and Thanksgiving weekend is when it all starts coming to an end. We still have over a month left of great football, but the season is near its completion. Seems like just yesterday the whole thing started. Funny how fast time can go by.

Where else to start but with giving a huge congratulations to Anthony Calvillo on becoming pro football's all-time leading passer. He surpassed Damon Allen's mark with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Jamel Richardson on the final play of the third quarter.
The video presentation of the top-five passers in pro football history was phenomenal. It was very classy of Dan Marino, Warren Moon and Damn Allen to congratulate Anthony Calvillo. I was especially surprised to see Marino, who has no ties to the CFL. Nice job to whoever put that video together.
With Calvillo now owning the most significant records for Quarterbacks in the CFL, the inevitable question of where he ranks will come up. Glen Suitor called Calvillo "the best pure passer" in league history, but I really don't know what that means. I still think Calvillo ranks behind Doug Flutie, and probably Warren Moon, but being third is nothing to sneeze at.
Congratulations on Paul McCallum on setting the record for most consecutive field goals. But, boy, was his first miss a bad one. Larry Taylor took McCallum's missed field goal 122 yards for a touchdown. Buuuuuuuuut, McCallum redeemed himself by nailing a 53-yard field goal with no time left to win the game. From hero to goat to hero. Only in the CFL.
Can someone explain to me why it's called "forward pass interference"? Is there such a thing as backward pass interference?
A year after finishing 4-14, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were the first team to secure a playoff spot. That's a mighty impressive turnaround.
Kevin Glenn knows he doesn't play for Winnipeg anymore, right? In three games against Winnipeg this season, Glenn has thrown an interception for a touchdown in each game.
While the trash talk this week seemed to be all in good fun, perhaps the loquacious Stevie Baggs should say less next time around. At least when asked about it post-game, Baggs admitted he stuck his foot in his mouth. That shows he's got a little more class than Ejiro "Mr. One Tackle" Kuale, who was still running his mouth a week later.
Would someone mind telling me what the hell happened to Terrence Edwards? He seems to be a forgotten man in Winnipeg's Offense.
Two trick play attempts on Special Teams by Winnipeg, two illegal procedure calls. A fake field goal by Calgary negated by by an illegal formation call. Like Duane Forde said, teams only get one chance at that play. Both teams wasted that chance.
I hope Bob O'Billovich grimaces every time Arland Bruce catches a pass for the Lions. (Yes, I'm still bitter about that trade.)
If Travis Lulay doesn't win the MOP award this year, he will be the early favourite next year. The light has gone on for the former Montana State Bobcat, and he is ready to become the next star of the league.
Nik Lewis is upset with the amount of passes coming his way. He even went as far as stating that he needed to keep his mouth shut because if he talked, he'd get cut. For someone who says they wanted to end their career in Calgary, he sure seems to be angling for ticket out of town.
The last offensive play that BC ran had to be one of the worst plays I've ever seen. They had 14 seconds left on the clock, they use 12 of those seconds to lose two yards. What kind of call is that? Yes, they won the game, but that call still sucked.
Chad Owens is one of the best returners in the CFL, if not the best returner, and I think the Argos would be wise to have him concentrate on that. He has dropped an inordinate amount of passes this season, and perhaps he could be better utilized by simply being a punt and kick returner.
In all the hoopla over Anthony Calvillo, the fact that the Alouettes have clinched a playoff spot for the sixteenth consecutive season seems to be getting overlooked. The Als have not missed the playoffs since returning to the league in 1996.
Much the same as Nik Lewis in Calgary, Cory Boyd seems to be rather upset with how he is being used in Toronto. I doubt he wants out, but he does not seem very happy with his role in the Argos' Offense.
If Darian Durant was healthy enough to play "if need be," why was he not on the field to start the game? I can't think of a game that defined "if need be" more than one that all bout decided Saskatchewan's playoff fate.
Wes Cates has been a complete after thought in Saskatchewan's Offense this season, and I am at a lose as to why. He's still a very good player, so why he has been neglected is something I do not understand.
While it wasn't 4-0, it was the next best thing, as I went 3-1 in my weekly picks. My only incorrect selection was Hamilton. My overall record is now at a very respectable 33-23. Not too shabby.

Giguère Speaks and He May Want Out

2011-10-11T01:02:00.000-04:00

Sam Giguère has become a mythical figure amongst many Tiger-Cat fans. He is seen as one of those once-in-a-generation Canadian talents, a player that could transcend simply being a Canadian Receiver and become something much more special. Tiger-Cat fans have waited, some with baited breath, for Giguère to come north. But based on his own words, it looks like if Giguère does come back to Canada, he has his eyes on another team.

Not so surprisingly, the Sherebrooke, Quebec native seems to want to play for the Montreal Alouettes.

The Tiger-Cats still hold Giguère's rights, and have since drafting him in the first round back in 2008, but it looks like if he does decide to give up his NFL dream – and there is no indication he is ready to do that – he might try to angle for a trade out of Hamilton.

I realize that this is all just speculation, and perhaps I am jumping to conclusions based on one innocent tweet, but it sure looks to me like Giguère wants to play in Montreal. It makes me wonder if the reason he has yet to come to the CFL is because the Alouettes do not own his rights.

For a guy who has never played one down in the CFL, he sure has attracted a lot of attention. It'll be interesting to see how this whole situation plays out over the coming months.

A Call to Fans

2011-10-10T10:13:00.002-04:00

I, like many of you, sat in my seat on Friday night, apoplectic about what I was witnessing on the field. It was another disappointing showing from the Tiger-Cats in a big game. It was an all-to-familiar sight.

Fans booed, the team, but I did not. I never feel like it is right to boo the home team. I don't begrudge those that boo, but I won't join them. Like leaving a game before the final whistle, it is just something I will never do.

That doesn't mean I wasn't angry or frustrated about what was happening. Like the 23,000-plus that spent their money to attend the game, I expected better. I expected an effort. I expected a good game. I, and everyone else, did not get that. Not even close.

Following a loss, I avoid the Tiger-Cats forum, I don't listen to the Fifth Quarter after the game or the Tiger-Cats Show on Monday. It always seems like the same voices making the same complaints.

"Bench Glenn."

"Fire Bellefeulle."

"I'm done with this team."

I have made my feelings known about Tiger-Cat fans in the past, but I won't be blasting my Black & Gold brethren this time, even thought I stand by my previous statements about them. In fact, I'm going to do the opposite. I'm going to issue a call to all fans of the Tiger-Cats. My plea is this:

Don't lose faith.

I know it is hard, and watching the team seemingly sleepwalk through another middling performance can test any fans patience, so I understand people's frustrations. But while it was a bad game, this is not a bad team. This is a very talented team. Just look at the lineup:

Kevin Glenn
Avon Cobourne
Chris Williams
Dave Stala
Peter Dyakowski
Marwan Hage (when healthy)
Stevie Baggs
Justin Hickman
Rey Williams
Jamall Johnson
Markeith Knowlton
Justin Medlock
Marcus Thigpen

That is as talented a group as any in the CFL, and that doesn't include youngsters Ryan Hinds, Eddie Steele and Terry Grant, who are all starting to come into their own. Once those guys truly grasp the pro game, watch out.

I know that the Tiger-Cats have been disappointing this season with their inconsistency, but I'm not ready to give up.

And I won't give up; not until the final whistle has blown on their season. That could be anywhere from Week 19 to Grey Cup Sunday.

Call me foolish, call me an idiot, call me delusional, but I still think that this team can win the Grey Cup this year. It won't be easy, but nothing worth having is ever easy. I won't be ready to concede that the Cats won't win the Grey Cup until they are officially out of the playoffs. I have seen too many strange things to write anyone off, let alone my favourite team.

I am keeping the faith, and I implore my fellow fans to follow suit. If you need to criticize, go ahead. If you want to complain, feel free. But, please, do not give up on this team.

Hage Done For the Season

2011-10-08T20:52:00.000-04:00

It looks like the season is over for Marwan Hage.

The Tiger-Cats All-Star Centre has been sideline with a knee injury since early September, and the last game he played in was on Labour Day. It looks like that injury will keep him in street clothes for the remainder of the season.

This is a tough loss for the Cats. Hage was having his typical excellent season before the injury. Now it's Mark Dewit's job for the rest of the year. Dewit has played pretty well since taking over for Hage, but it's hard for anyone to replace an All-Star calibre player like Hage.

I wish Hage a speedy recovery.

Winnipeg 33, Hamilton 17

2011-10-07T23:22:00.002-04:00

In honour of the effort the Tiger-Cats gave tonight, I am going to give the same effort with my thoughts as the Cats gave on the field tonight.

Positives

Nothing. Disagree? Let me know what positives there were tonight.

Negatives

Everything. You name it, they sucked at it. The Offense couldn't get a first down if Winnipeg only played with seven men. The Defense – which in fairness never really got a break because the Offense sucked so much – couldn't stop a thing. Special Teams was alright, maybe, but there were still a lot of mistakes from that unit too. The team was just putrid.

Final Thoughts

The Cats are 7-7 now, and they'll be 7-8 following a loss next week in Montreal. Any hope of a home playoff game is gone. The Bombers just seem to have Hamilton's number, so if they do end up meeting in the playoffs, I don't like the Cats' odds.

Pitiful, brutal, disgusting, embarrassing, terrible, horrible, putrid and any other synonym for bad that you can think of describes tonight's performance. It was ugly from the start and never got better.

I fear next week might even be worse.

Smitty's Selections: Week 15

2011-10-07T10:08:00.000-04:00

We are in the home stretch. Only 20 games left this season, and my hopes of winning 50 games is likely not going to happen. Counting the playoffs (which I predict, so it counts), I would need to go 20-5 to reach the magical 50-win mark. Highly unlikely. But I've did go 4-0 last week, so if I can get a couple (or five) more of those, I'm back in business. Anyway, here are the Week 15 picks.

Winnipeg at Hamilton

This has all the makings of a great game. Winnipeg is desperate for a win, having lost four of their last five, while Hamilton needs a victory if they hope to have any chance of hosting the East Division Final. The Bombers are dealing with some injuries to key players, and Hamilton is a league-best 5-2 at home (counting the "home" game in Moncton). One of those losses, however, came at the hand of the Blue Bombers. I suspect the Cats will want to avenge that loss and keep pace with the rest of the East. Tabbies by a TD.

Winner: Hamilton, 31-24

Calgary at British Columbia

Another scintillating matchup as the Lions try to complete their turnaround by besting the Stampeders to take possession of first place in the West. The Stamps have been a confusing team this year, and BC is on a complete roll right now. Sooner or later the Lions will fall back slightly. It will be later. Lions by double digits.

Winner: British Columbia, 34-24

Toronto at Montreal

I could go into a long diatribe as to why the Argos could win this one, and how an upset is always possible or how this could be a trap game for the Als as they look ahead to the Tiger-Cats the following week. I could say all of those things, but none of it would be true. Montreal is going to annihilate Toronto. This one will be over before the half.

Winner: Montreal, 41-17

Saskatchewan at Edmonton

Saskatchewan is barely clinging to playoff hopes, and a loss here would all but end their season (and would end it should the Lions and Ti-Cats both win as well). Edmonton is in a bit of a funk after their hot start, so they are going to want to come out and establish themselves as a threat once again. Rider Pride will be muted as "Wait Until Next Year" becomes the refrain in Saskatchewan. Eskies by a bunch.

Winner: Edmonton, 27-10

Recap
Hamilton, British Columbia, Montreal, Edmonton

Season Record: 30-22

Preview: Blue Bombers at Tiger-Cats

2011-10-06T19:34:00.000-04:00

8-5

7-6

Winnipeg versus Hamilton has become a very interesting, very intense rivalry recently. Two seasons ago, the Cats eliminated Winnipeg from the playoffs. Last season, they played each other four times in seven weeks. This season, the Bombers have taken the Cats twice, most recently in an epic 30-27 game in August.

That August victory is the one of the few the Bombers have had recently. That win was Winnipeg's seventh of the season, since then they have gone 1-4.

Hamilton, meanwhile, has continued to be its normal schizophrenic self; however, they have won their last two to climb within two points of first in the East Division.

Both teams have changed since that August meeting. Winnipeg has dealt with a rash of injuries, namely to Quarterback Buck Pierce, Running Back Fred Reid and Linebacker Joe Lobendahn. Losing three players of that magnitude would hurt any team, but Pierce looks good to go in this one, which is positive news for the Blue Bombers.

Hamilton's changes have been more positive. Moving Marcus Thigpen from Running Back to Receiver has allowed for the team to put Terry Grant on the field. Grant's first two games have been as impressive as any players I can remember. Three touchdowns in two games, one of which was an 89-yard beauty against Toronto. Grant has added another dimension to Hamilton's Offense.

This has all the makings of another great game. These two teams are very evenly matched, and this one should be just as close as their two previous encounters. This should be a good one.

If you aren't going to make it down to the game, tune in on TSN or AM900 CHML. Also, like every game, check out Dief on Cats on Twitter for their unique musings on the game as it happens.

Battle for First in the East

2011-10-05T19:21:00.000-04:00

This has been a CFL season like no other, and the race to see who will get the coveted bye week in the East Division is starting to get really tight.

Three teams are in the mix for first in the East, with Montreal and Winnipeg sporting identical 8-5 records and Hamilton lurking not far back at 7-6. All three of these teams still have a chance to claim what might be the biggest advantage in professional sports: a first-round playoff bye.

The bye will allow one team to rest up while the other two beat each other up. The bye could be especially important this season, as teams are so tightly bunched that any slight advantage could be the difference between going to the Grey Cup and watching it.

Each team has five games remaining, so let's look at each team's last five games and try to figure out how all this will pan out.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Remaining Games: vs. Winnipeg, at Montreal, vs. BC, at Saskatchewan, at Toronto

That's not an easy schedule, but not a killer one either. The Cats are at home for two, with one road game (Toronto) being a de facto home game. Looking at the opponents, the Cats could go 5-0 down the stretch, but that would mean beating the Als in Montreal, which is not easy. The absolute worst finish would be 1-4, because Hamilton will not lose to the Argos. I actually believe they will finish the season 4-1, with the lone loss being to the Alouettes in Montreal. A lot will depend on Friday's game against the Bombers; win that, and I think 4-1 is possible. BC won't be an easy win, but the home-crowd advantage should give the Cats the slight edge -- and I say that knowing full well that BC has won their past two trips to Ivor Wynne Stadium. Both the Riders and Argos will be playing for nothing the last two weeks of the season, so as long as Hamilton brings a B+ game, they should win both of those.

Best-Case Scenario: 12-6
Worst-Case Scenario: 8-10
Likeliest Scenario: 11-7

Montreal Alouettes
Remaining Games: vs. Toronto, vs. Hamilton, at Winnipeg, vs. Calgary, at BC

Montreal has the most fortuitous remaining schedule, with three home games, but their two road games are killers. The Als could finish 5-0, but they could just as easily drop to 1-4. The Als will no doubt beat the Argos this week; that is a given. Noting short of a miracle will see Toronto beat Montreal. I have already stated that I believe Montreal will beat Hamilton, but this is far from a sure thing. After that, the road gets considerably tougher. Winnipeg will avenge their earlier home loss to the Als. Winnipeg may have beaten them last week had they had a healthy Buck Pierce, but they won't lose a second game to Montreal in Winnipeg. The final two games will be even tougher ,as I suspect that both BC and Calgary will be battling with each other, and potentially Edmonton, for a first-round bye. It won't be easy for Montreal, but their path to first is probably the least challenging.

Best-Case Scenario: 13-5
Worst-Case Scenario: 9-9
Likeliest Scenario: 11-7

Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Remaining Games: at Hamilton, at Edmonton, vs. Montreal, vs. Toronto, at Calgary

Winnipeg looks to have the toughest road to first, with dates at Hamilton, Edmonton and Calgary, and one final matchup with Montreal. Winnipeg's only gimme is the Week 18 game against Toronto. The Argos already beat the Bombers once; they won't do so a second time. I have already stated that I think the Cats will take the Bombers this week and that the Bombers will take out the Als. With the way Edmonton is playing right now, Winnipeg should be able to go into Commonwealth and secure a win. It's the final week against Calgary that is tricky. Will either team have anything to play for? Will starters be rested by one or both teams? I'll guess based on both teams needing a win, and I'll take the Stamps to pull one out at home.

Best-Case Scenario: 12-6
Worst-Case Scenario: 9-9
Likeliest Scenario: 11-7

Under the Best-Case Scenario, the Als get the bye, with Hamilton traveling to Winnipeg for the East Division Semi-Final. Under the Worst-Case Scenario, Winnipeg would host the East Final, while Hamilton would travel to Montreal for the East Semi. Under the Likeliest Scenario, all three finish with identical 11-7 records, but the tiebreaker would go to Winnipeg for first (based on winning the season series over both Hamilton and Montreal), Montreal for second (based on winning the tiebreaker with Hamilton) and Hamilton in third.

I may be right, I may be wrong, but in any event, it sure looks like the final five weeks of the season are going to have a lot of intrigue.

Power Poll (Week 14)

2011-10-04T09:03:00.000-04:00

It was a rather mild week in the CFL in Week 14. The good teams (Hamilton, Calgary) beat the bad teams (Toronto, Saskatchewan), a healthy team (Montreal) beat an injury-depleted one (Winnipeg) and the home team (BC) beat the road team (Edmonton). For the CFL in 2011, that counts as stability.

1. British Columbia Lions (Last Week: 1)

It sure looks like the light has gone on for Travis Lulay. With the weapons that BC has on Offense – Geroy Simon, Arland Bruce, Akeem Foster, Shawn Gore and Andrew Harris – if Lulay keeps clicking like this, the Lions are going to keep winning.

2. Montreal Alouettes (Last Week: 2)

The near collapse in Winnipeg is not something you usually see from an Anthony Calvillo-led squad. Whether it portends to bigger problems is unknown, but the Als held on and, in the end, that is all that matters.

3. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Last Week: 3)

It's really hard to kill a team for losing with its third-string Quarterback and Running Back starting for the team. But the Bombers are 1-4 since their 7-1 start, so a loss to Hamilton, regardless of the circumstances, should make the people in Winnipeg a little nervous.

4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Last Week: 4)

It was far from a dominant performance, but the Cats did beat the Argos and have won two in a row. The Tabbies have hovered around .500 all year, but with their next two games against the Bombers and Alouettes, the Cats have a golden chance to move up in the standings.

5. Calgary Stampeders (Last Week 6)

The Stamps eviscerated the Riders, but does that really prove anything? A matchup with the BC Lions looms on the horizon, and the importance of that game for Calgary cannot be understated.

6. Edmonton Eskimos (Last Week: 5)

That 5-0 start seems like an awful long time ago. The Eskimos haven't looked good since Fred Stamps got hurt. With a date with the Riders coming up, they should be able to get some of their confidence back.

7. Toronto Argonauts (Last Week: 7)

You don't win in the CFL without an Offense, and while I am a fan of Steven Jyles, he has not been the cure-all for the Argos' woeful Offense. Toronto has no Receivers. When you're relying on Prechae Rodriguez to light a spark, all hope is lost.

8. Saskatchewan Roughriders (Last Week: 8)

The Riders have completely given up. I don't care how anyone wants to paint it, if you lose back-to-back games by a combined score of 82-8, then you've phoned it in. Changes will be coming in the off-season. This team needs an overhaul.

Highest Climb: Calgary (+1)
Steepest Fall: Edmonton (-1)