Time for a New Voice

The CFL Draft is just around the corner, and normally that means a plethora of half-educated posts from me about who the Ti-Cats should take. But as you've probably noticed, I've been absent from these parts for almost a month. The reason is that I have been trying to make a decision on the future of this blog and I have come to the decision that after three years of immersing myself in all things Tiger-Cats, now is the right time to step aside.

This wasn't an easy decision, nor was it a quick one. I started wondering to myself as early as last September if 2012 should be my final season doing this. The passion that I once had just isn't there. I don't know if the season in Guelph, the underachieving squad or just a desire for change is the reason I am making the difficult decision to stop.

I began doing this back in February of 2010 and it has exploded into something much bigger than I ever imagine it would, or could, be. This was supposed to be something just for family and friends, and as detailed during my Moncton excursion, it was only something that was supposed to last until the 2011 season and was started as a way to keep my family informed on what I was doing when I was going to take the season-long journey with the team. But it grew into something much more than that. Members of the Tiger-Cats, both staff and players read this, members of the media (as in, like, real writers) read this, as well as the countless nameless and faceless people who have stopped by over the years to get my take on all things CFL and Tiger-Cats.

There was a dearth of fan coverage when I started, especially among Tiger-Cat fans, and I tried my best to fill a niche that I thought needed to be filled. I may come off as combative, maybe even a bit of a jerk, but I never wrote anything I wouldn't stand behind. Whether you vehemently disagreed with me or supported my position unequivocally, I appreciate you stopping by and giving my opinion some consideration.

Because of this blog, I had the chance to sit in the press box at Ivor Wynne Stadium (a cool moment that I will cherish forever), get my opinion published in the Hamilton Spectator on more than one occasion and take part in other CFL writing endevours. I was able to use this space to promote my friend Steve as a Scotiabank Game Changer and did my best to press the league to get on the Movember train (and if anyone was at Mark Cohon's Fan State of the League address during Grey Cup weekend in Toronto last November, you know the CFL is trying to come up with ways to make that happen). I have been able to do things I never thought I'd do and help people in ways I never thought I could. And I loved all of it.

One of the best aspects of this has been interacting with the readers. Whether in the comment section or on Twitter, there are so many great CFL fans out there that it would take too long to list them all. Agree or disagree, interacting with undoubtedly the best and most educated sports fans on the planet has been a blast. I thank you all for elevating the discourse on all things CFL.

But like all great things, there is an end, and today is mine. And now is the time to hand the reigns to someone else. A new voice needs to be heard and I hope some fills the void I will create just as I filled the void before me. There are a vast number of Tiger-Cat fans out there and I'm sure one of them will take the opportunity to create something great.

So I will end this simply by saying thank you. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and gave my stuff a chance. Thank you for challenging me when you disagreed and complimenting me when you agreed. Thank you for taking time out of your day to care enough about my opinion.

Thank you.