Als Sign Parker, Bruce and Porter

Not having a head coach hasn't stopped the Monteal Alouettes from making moves, announcing the signings of defensive back Byron Parker, receiver Arland Bruce and quarterback Quinton Porter earlier today.

Seeing Parker sign with the Als is disappointing. I was really hoping he would end up in Hamilton and I thought there was a really good chance he'd sign with the Ti-Cats. He's close with defensive coordinator Orlondo Steinauer and spent the majority of his career with the Argos, so he was familiar with the area, but the Als took no time scooping him up. Now instead of playing with Parker, the Cats will have to play against him. Not at all what I was hoping for when Parker was released by BC.

When it comes to Quinton Porter, let's get one thing out of the way right now: he's not the next Anthony Calvillo. Him leaving Hamilton to sign with Montreal is about the only thing that the two have in common. I don't say this as a slight to Porter, who I like and always wanted to see become "the guy" in Hamilton, but he's not going to end up becoming the next great CFL quarterback. He might become a good QB, but he spent five years in Hamilton, was given three legitimate chances to take the starter's job – 2009 when he was named the starter prior to the season, 2010 in a training camp battle with Kevin Glenn, and 2011 when the team employed a make-shift two-quarterback system – and he failed take the a stranglehold on the job each time. A change of scenery might be what he needs, but I'm not holding my breath worrying if the team just got rid of another Hall of Fame player.

What we really should be discussing is what the Porter signing means for Adrian McPherson. In short, McPherson's stay in Montreal looks to be over. I don't see the Als bringing McPherson back now that they have signed Porter to likely be Calvillo's backup (I doubt Porter signed with Montreal to be a third stringer). That means McPherson will be elsewhere, and both Winnipeg and Edmonton obvious suitors because they are both in need of a starting quarterback. But could Hamilton be in the mix? We all know McPherson wants to be a starter, so signing in Hamilton makes little sense, but I don't know if anyone is going to hand him a starter's job. I don't see McPherson landing in Hamilton, but I won't discount it either.

Bruce joins what is shaping up to be one of the most lethal receiving corps in all of football. With S.J. Green, Jamel Richardson and Brandon London already in town, the addition of Bruce just makes the passing attack that much more potent. Teams are going to have a hard time covering all four guys.

But will all four guys be there when the season starts? As much as I like Bruce, he is 35 and might not make the team. Also, there was talk at the end of last season that Richardson might be headed elsewhere, so it is possible that fearsome foursome becomes a terrifying trio before the season starts.

It all adds up to a very good day for the Alouettes, and one that might put them back into the driver's seat in the East Division.

Sticky Extended, BC Releases Bruce and Parker

January is usually the slowest time of the year for CFL news, but yet here we are in the middle of the month and we have news galore, from Hamilton and abroad, but both of interest to Tiger-Cat fans.

We'll start with the news that Dave Stala has signed a contract extension. The man known as "Sticky" will be catching passes for the Ti-Cats through the 2014 season.

This is great news. I am a huge Dave Stala fan and I think he is one of the best second down receivers in the game. Stala was severely underused last year; he recorded Tiger-Cat lows in catches and yards, and was never integrated into the offense. He was rarely used by former head coach George Cortez and only seemed to be a part of the game plan when he had to be. I think if Cortez was retained, Stala would be elsewhere. He clearly wasn't in Cortez's plans going forward. Kent Austin feels differently and that is a good thing. Stala will never dominate a game, but he is a key part of the offense and I hope his re-signing means he'll be used more this upcoming season.

The second bit of news comes from BC, where the Lions have released receiver Arland Bruce and defensive back Byron Parker.

These moves come one day after BC quarterback Travis Lulay was given a huge two-year, $900,000 contract extension from the Lions. I have to think that part of the reason two high-priced veterans were let go is for salary cap reasons. Both Bruce and Parker can still play, and any team would be lucky to have them, so they couldn't have been released due to performance. I expect both to be sought after.

I maintain that the trade that sent Bruce to BC was a horrible one. I hated it then and I still hate it now, so I would welcome Bruce back with open arms. Having said that, I doubt the team will bring him back. The Ti-Cats have a plethora of offensive weapons and they don't need Bruce. It would be great to see him back in Hamilton, but I think the chances of him returning fall somewhere between "slim" and "none" (with it being a lot closer to "none").

Parker, on the other hand, seems like a no brainer. The Ti-Cats need DBs and Parker plays DB. Add in that he is buddies with new Tiger-Cat defensive coordinator Orlondo Steinauer and this is a marriage that makes a lot of sense. Parker would instantly upgrade one of Hamilton's weakest areas if he was signed. Picking up Parker makes too much sense not to happen.

Thank You, Arland Bruce

Meeting Arland Bruce for the first time

July 29, 2009. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I walk in the door of my parents' Hamilton home to see my dad in the kitchen with a smile on his face. He waits until I take my headphones off before he says to me, "You'll never guess who the Cats just got."

I smiled back. Of course I knew who the Cats just got. The rumours were everywhere, but now it was official:

Arland Bruce was a Hamilton Tiger-Cat.

For the next two years, we watched as Bruce razzled and dazzled. Bruce made catch after catch, some of the spectacular variety. There was the touchdown from Adam Tafralis against Calgary in 2009; there was the single-game record 16 catches against Saskatchewan in 2010; there were the touchdowns scored against his former club, the Toronto Argonauts. The list goes on. All in all, it was a wonderful two years.

All that ended on Tuesday afternoon when, after 169 catches, 2,450 yards and 17 touchdowns in the Black & Gold, Arland Bruce was traded to the BC Lions.

Whatever Bruce goes on to do with the Lions will not take away what he did for the Cats, and what he did goes beyond the stats I just posted. Bruce coming to Hamilton signified to myself, and I believe many Hamilton fans, that the Tiger-Cats were ready to win, that this wasn't the same team that couldn't buy itself a win. The Tiger-Cats were about to become about winning.

While ultimately the team failed to win the Grey Cup in Bruce's two years in Hamilton, they did make the playoffs and host two playoff games in that time. The Tiger-Cats had not hosted a playoff game since 2001 prior to Bruce's arrival. This was a step in the right direction, and Bruce was a big part of it.

The early part of the 2011 season was difficult for Bruce. He didn't look like the same player. Some said age was the cause; others said injuries. In the end, the Tiger-Cats found a way to win without him in the lineup.

So now Bruce is off to help BC right their ship in the same way he came to Hamilton to help them right theirs.

But as one final goodbye to a player that I was proud to call a Tiger-Cat, I would just like to say thank you. Thank you, Arland Bruce. Your time here helped turn around a moribund franchise, and you were a main part of that. Good luck in British Columbia.

I'd like everyone to join in one last time and say:

BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!!!!

More Thoughts on the Arland Bruce Trade

I know I stated some opinions in my original post on the Arland Bruce trade that went down this afternoon, but after reading the comments made by Head Coach Marcel Bellefeuille, this trade makes even less sense than it did a few hours ago.

First, we have this:

"I still think (Bruce) has some good football left in him and he's going to be a productive player in BC."

If Bellefeuille truly believes this statement, then why in the hell did the team trade him? You simply do not trade players that you think can still be productive, especially when all you get back is a couple of draft picks.

Bellefeuille then went on to say the following:

"We weren't shopping him. Other teams had inquired and we had turned other teams down prior to this."

What did other teams offer, a kick in the teeth? The best offer on the table was a third-round pick in 2012 and a conditional pick in 2013? That's the best you can get for a future Hall of Famer who, in Bellefeuille's own words, "still has some good football left in him"? And you take it? Why not say, "No thank you," and hang on to him? Were the Tabbies that eager to part with Bruce?

One could draw the conclusion that the team simply wanted Bruce off the team, but if that was the case, why did Bellefeuille say this:

"He was a consummate pro here – I've never had an issue with Arland since he's been here, not one."

I guess we can put to rest any idea that Bruce was a malcontent.

So why trade him for next to nothing if there was no urgent need to do so? I could understand if BC's offer was off the charts, but two draft picks is hardly what I would call a game-changing offer. In fact, it's less than what Hamilton gave up to get Bruce back in 2009.

Ah, yes, the halcyon days of 2009 when the Toronto Argonauts made arguably the worst trade in franchise history, dealing Arland Bruce to Hamilton. Remember the ridicule that they endured after making that deal? Well, this trade has the potential to be as bad for Hamilton as trading Bruce to Hamilton in 2009 was for Toronto.

My gut tells me that the Ti-Cats are going to regret making this trade. The team is now relying on players loaded with potential, but short on experience and results, to lead the receiving corps. What happens when these young guys hit the proverbial rookie wall? What happens if Maurice Mann never fully recovers from his foot injury? There are way too many questions in the receiving corps right now for this deal to have gone down.

When the curtain closes on the 2011 CFL season, this team better be hoisting the Grey Cup. If not, this trade will be scrutinized even more. Bruce is a guy you lean on during tough times; he's a guy you know you can rely on. Dealing him during the season was not a good decision.

Arland Bruce Traded

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have dealt Arland Bruce to the BC Lions for a third-round draft pick and a conditional draft pick.

I said just last night that I didn't think the Cats would trade Bruce, because I felt that the team would allow him to work through his problems.

I'm not going to sugarcoat this: I think this was a bad move. I have not agreed with everything that Bob O'Billovich has done as General Manager, but I have never disagreed with him more than I do today. A third-round pick for a player who was third in the league in receiving yards last season? And the Cats didn't even get a roster player from BC.

Bruce was given a contract extension just this past off-season, and today he finds himself on a plane out of town. I don't get it, and I don't agree with it.

The only way that this makes sense is from a financial point of view. Bruce was one of the highest-paid players on the Cats, and trading him means that Hamilton frees up cap space to make a move later on.

Even from that perspective, I don't like the trade. I would have preferred it much more if the Tabbies had dealt Marquay McDaniel or Maurice Mann. Neither of those players has shown one-tenth what Bruce has shown.

This was a bad trade. A really, really bad trade.

Trade Rumours Swirling

It looks as if the plethora of Receivers in Hamilton's stable could be getting smaller. Rumours abound that the BC Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats are in trade talks regarding one of Hamilton's Receivers.

With the emergence of Chris Williams, the Tiger-Cats have an abundance of Receivers, so the Lions inquiring about Hamilton's Receivers is not the least bit surprising.

Equally unsurprising are the names being rumoured: Maurice Mann and Marquay McDaniel.

(I know that Arland Bruce's name is also out there, but I don't see Hamilton trading him until they know whether his early-season struggles are age- or injury-related.)

I would think that Mann would fetch more in a trade, based on his reputation and contract – Mann is signed until 2012, whereas McDaniel is a free agent after this season.

For other teams, McDaniel might be more attractive because he is younger – 27 to Mann's 29 – and would likely cost less to acquire.

If it were up to me, I would trade McDaniel. He is clearly not in Hamilton's plans going forward, and it might be best to cut ties with him now and allow him to continue his career elsewhere. It was also rumoured back in February that the Lions and Ti-Cats had discussions about moving McDaniel west. So there has been interest from the Lions in McDaniel as far back as the winter.

I can see the merit in trading Mann, as he likely has a larger contract than McDaniel. Also, Mann has been replaced in the starting lineup more than admirably by Chris Williams, which does make Mann expendable.

Should either player be moved, it likely means that the other – as well as Arland Bruce – is unlikely to be dealt at any point this season.

What the Ti-Cats are looking to receive as compensation is unknown. Could it simply be draft picks, or do they have their eye on a particular player in BC?

It'll be interesting to see what, if anything, happens over the next couple of days.

Catch a Rising Star

There are plenty of fascinating storylines in the early portion of the CFL's 2011 season: Edmonton and Winnipeg's rise back to prominence, Anthony Calvillo's continued campaign for the position of greatest QB in CFL history, Saskatchewan and BC's ineptitude. But for fans of football in the southern most city in the CFL, the story of the year, so far, has been the rise of Chris Williams

Williams has been dynamic, explosive and has contributed mightily in Hamilton's two wins so far this season. Yet the story of Chris Williams is not your standard tale.

Back in Feburary of 2010, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Saskatchewan Roughriders executed a trade that saw Receiver Prechae Rodriguez head to Saskatchewan for Receiver Adam Nicolson, a 2011 third-round draft pick and the rights to a player on Saskatchewan's negotiations list. At the time, I said that Chris Williams could be the key to the deal, thinking, at the time, that he could be the player to help Hamilton in the return game (remember, this was prior to Marcus Thigpen's arrival later that year). Never in my wildest imagination did I expect to see this from Williams, especially this soon. But despite my thinking, factors other than Williams's skills played a role in his delayed ascension.

Following the 2010 season, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats made a concerted effort to find a larger Receiver, one that could exploit the smaller Defensive Backs that a lot of teams – namely Montreal – employ. Two players shone brighter than the rest: Aaron Kelly and Bakari Grant. Kelly, who stands at 6'5", was given the first crack coming out of the preseason, but suffered an injury in the first game of the season against Winnipeg.

It was in Week 2 that Williams was given the opportunity to showcase his talents... and he blew it. Williams did not have a good game. He dropped a gimme pass that bounced off his shoulder pads and had a very costly fumble that Edmonton recovered. That type of performance in a player's first game usually means they won't get a second game. As they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and Williams's first impression was atrocious. Fate, however, was on Williams's side.

Just before Hamilton's Week 3 matchup with the Saskatchewan Roughriders it was announced that Maurice Mann would be inactive due to an injury suffered earlier in the week that required stitches. The player filling in for Mann? None other than Chris Williams. Williams was given a second lease on life, and he delivered. While Williams did not have many yards, only 37, he did catch two touchdowns and helped Hamilton acquire their first win of the season.

Even with his two-TD performance, it was possible that Williams would have been the odd man out if Maurice Mann was able to recover from his injury to play in Week 4 against the BC Lions. That thought process should now be shelved indefinitely. Against the Lions, Williams had a game for the ages. He took the first pass of the game 71 yards to set up Hamilton's first touchdown of the game; his next catch was off a tipped ball, where Williams kept his concentration and scampered 32 yards to set up Hamilton's second touchdown of the game; Hamilton's third touchdown came from Williams himself. When all was said and done, Williams finished with eight catches for 189 yards and a touchdown. Any doubt that still lingered from the Edmonton game was eradicated completely with that performance.

Williams's stellar play has put the Tiger-Cats in a position where they have a plethora of talented Receivers, but only so many spots for them to play. Disregarding the Canadians, the Cats have, in addition to Williams, the aforementioned Aaron Kelly, Bakari Grant and Maurice Mann, as well as All-Star Arland Bruce III and Marquay McDaniel. You can also add Marcus Thigpen to that rotation as well, because he, for some reason, gets listed on the depth chart as a Receiver (and on the team roster as a hybrid Receiver/Running Back). That's seven players that could start for a lot of teams. Bruce, Mann and Thigpen are givens as long as they are healthy. Williams needs to remain in the lineup because you simply cannot bench a player after he records nearly 200 yards receiving in a game; however, the Cats are still determined to start one of the taller Receivers, so one would think that Grant or Kelly would get a spot. The problem is that that is simply too many Receivers. The Tiger-Cats have too much talent at Receiver, which is a problem many teams wish they had. At some point all these players will be healthy, and there are simply not enough spots to go around. The question remains: who to sit? The answer is not so simple. Williams, however, needs to be in the equation regardless of who the team decides to go with.

One area where Williams has a leg up on his competition is his versatility, especially on Special Teams. Williams is an excellent kick returner, as evidenced by his return in the preseason against the Montreal Alouettes. In the CFL, where the return game is of the utmost importance, being able to break one cannot be overlooked.

So what does the future hold for this potential star in the making? When I see Williams play, I am reminded of another undersized Receiver: Weston Dressler. Dressler has been a stud for the Roughriders since his rookie season in 2008 – when he won the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie award – and has been an important cog in Saskatchewan's offensive machinery. I see a ton of similarities between the two, with the exception of speed. Dressler is no slowpoke, but Williams has speed that you simply cannot teach. Williams is quicker than a hiccup, and that can be deadly in the wide-open Canadian game.

In a short amount of time, Chris Williams has shown that he belongs in the CFL. Where he goes from here is anyone's guess, but it looks to me like we are all watching the first chapter in The Chris Williams Superstar Story being written.

Bruce Out

Ti-Cat Receiver Arland Bruce III will not be playing in tomorrow's game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders due to a knee injury.

Some professional rumourmongers are saying it is more than just an injury.

There are even some amateur rumourmongers who are saying that Bruce is about to be traded.

I buy the doghouse rumour more than I do the he's-getting-traded one. Bruce was outspoken last week about the play of the team. He didn't say anything that wasn't true, but he also has been playing long enough to know that his words would be taken in, twisted and spit back out.

In what is 100% opinion, I think Bruce will sit out this week and be back in the lineup for next week's game against BC. My belief lies in the fact that Marcel Bellefeuille has spoken highly of Bruce all week, and Bellefeuille is not the type of guy to do one thing after saying another.

Also, Bruce participated in the Ti-Cats' walkthrough, and if he wasn't going to be a part of the team anymore, that never would have happened; he would have been as far away from the team as possible. For anyone comparing this to what happened in Toronto two years ago is jumping to such a ridiculous conclusion that they will probably hurt their knees when they land.

To put it plainly, I don't think Bruce is going anywhere. I reserve the right to change that opinion; but as I sit here now, Bruce is, and will be, a Tiger-Cat for a long time.

ABIII Getting an Extension

Arland Bruce is staying in Black & Gold, as TSN is reporting that he and the team have agreed on a contract extension that will run through the 2012 season.

If the off-season were to end today – and God, don't we all wish it would? – I would now consider it to be an undisputed success. When the Cats went on their re-signing spree in February, I made it known that two more players needed to be extended. Kevin Glenn got his in March; now Bruce is about to get his.

Re-signing Bruce, in my opinion, is the final piece needed. Since arriving in Hamilton in the summer of 2009, Bruce has been a model citizen and an outstanding performer. He was the team's Most Outstanding Player in 2009 and likely would have lead the CFL in receiving yards in 2010 had he not sat out the last few weeks nursing an injury. Arland Bruce has been everything, and then some, since first donning the Black & Gold.

I know that teams don't win championships in the off-season. For years we've seen teams in every sports league "win" free agency and spend the next year in their division's basement.

That said, the fact that these great players (Avon Cobourne, Rey Williams, etc.) want to come to Hamilton and others (Bruce, Glenn, Jamall Johnson, Markeith Knowlton, etc.) want to stay in Hamilton shows the faith that the players have in this team. These guys wouldn't come here or stay here if they didn't think this team had a chance to win.

With Bruce et al. locked up for the foreseeable future, the Cats have had one of the better off-seasons in recent memory.

Time to Extend a Couple More

The Tiger-Cats have been handing out a lot of contract extensions this off-season. Markeith Knowlton, Jamall Johnson and Quinton Porter have all received extensions in the past month.

Now it is time for the team to lock up two other players, perhaps Hamilton's two most important players:

Kevin Glenn and Arland Bruce.

The Tabbies seem to be making it a priority to sign their key players, and if that is the case Glenn and Bruce (if they are willing) need to be re-upped pronto.

The resurgence of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats can be traced back to many moves over the past two-plus years, but arguably the most important moves came when the team signed Glenn and traded for Bruce.

Glenn has been nothing short of phenomenal since arriving in Hamilton. He had arguably the best season of his career in 2010, and did so by setting many single-season Tiger-Cat records, erasing Danny McManus from the record book in the process, which is no small feat. Glenn is only 31 and probably has three to five good years left in him. Inking him to an extension should now be of top priority.

Much of Glenn's greatness these past two years can be attributed to being able to hook up with Arland Bruce. Amid much fanfare, Bruce arrived in July of 2009, and while many wondered about his reported poor attitude, Bruce has been a model citizen since coming to Hamilton. He has been the gamebreaking Receiver that was advertised, and then some. If Glenn is the top priority, Bruce is a very close second.

There is no reason to believe that either of these guys wants to leave Hamilton, so if Obie is going to start extending contracts, it's time to get Glenn and Bruce inked to longer-term deals.

Bruce, Hage Named CFLPA All-Stars

Earlier today, Arland Bruce and Marwan Hage were named CFLPA All-Stars.

Both are very deserving as they had great seasons. Congratulations to both of them.

That said, any All-Star nomination that doesn't include Markeith Knowlton and Andy Fantuz doesn't carry much weight with me.

Everyone always talks about how the CFLPA nominations are more prestigious because they are voted on by the players. When two of the best at what they do aren't on the team, there is a flaw in the system. There is some weird formula where the players that players play against vote (e.g. Defensive Linemen vote for Offensive Linemen) and a player cannot vote for players on their own team, but that's no excuse as to how both of them get left off the list.

Fantuz and Knowlton were two of the best players at their position in 2010, and not being named All-Stars by their peers is ridiculous. I don't take All-Star selections very seriously, but the CFLPA selections just took a big hit in the credibility department with me.

Three Tiger-Cats Named CFL All-Stars

While the season may be over for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, there was still something to smile about today as Marwan Hage, Markeith Knowlton and Arland Bruce III were named CFL All-Stars. All three were more than deserving of being named to the league's All-Star team.

This might not be the last honour bestowed upon Hage and Knowlton as, along with Dave Stala and Marcus Thigpen, they are finalists for Most Outstanding Player awards that will be handed out Grey Cup Weekend.

While we all sit here and lament the loss last Sunday, at least this information can provide a little sunshine in what will be, at least for me, a long and somewhat dismal off-season.

Arland and Otis Not Going Anywhere

While some of us (namely me) were worried that Arland Bruce and Otis Floyd might be heading off into retirement, we can stop that talk right now.

Bruce said that he believes he has "80, 90 games left in [his] system." That equates to about four or five more seasons. This is great news. Hopefully these 80 or 90 games for Bruce all occur with him in Black & Gold. Bruce hadn't made any rumbles about retirement, but he did after the loss in the East Division Semi-Final to the BC Lions in 2009.

Floyd says he plans to be back for his 12th CFL season. This puts to rest rumours that he started himself when he told AM900 CHML's Matt Holmes that Sunday's East Division Semi-Final was his last game. We've all heard veteran players say after tough losses, especially tough playoff losses, that they didn't think they'd be back. Floyd, however, seemed pretty definitive, and he made the statement unprompted. That's what made it feel so genuine.

This is great news from where I sit. Both guys had great seasons in 2010 and showed that they can still contribute at a high level. Floyd set a single-season personal best, with 83 tackles, and finished second on the team to Jamall Johnson's 101. Floyd is the heart and soul of the defense. While he is getting up there in age (and I wouldn't be surprised if 2011 is his last season), Floyd still competes at the highest of levels, and I bet that the loss on Sunday is not how he wanted his career to end.

Bruce very well might have led the CFL in receiving yards had he not missed most of the final three regular-season contests. His game has not fallen off in the least, and I would hazard a guess that the drops he had in Sunday's playoff game will provide fuel to his fire for 2011. I expect him to be extra motivated come the start of the 2011 CFL season.

I look forward to both being back in Black & Gold in 2011.

Four Tiger-Cats Named East Division All-Stars

A big congratulations to Arland Bruce, Dave Stala, Marwan Hage and Markeith Knowlton on being named 2010 East Division All-Stars.

I'm surprised that these were the only four Tiger-Cats named East Division All-Stars. I figured some others merited inclusion, but looking at who did make it, it's hard to argue with any of the selections.

I think all four have a reasonable shot at being named CFL All-Stars as well. I would be shocked if Arland Bruce and Marwan Hage weren't named league All-Stars, and Knowlton definitely should be, but because he's not flashy like some other Linebackers, I get the feeling he'll be left off the team. Stala is in tough at WR, but might squeak in. We'll find out in about a week.

ABIII, Hebert Won't Meet the Stamps

It's official. Arland Bruce III will miss tomorrow's game against the Calgary Stampeders.

Head Coach Marcel Bellefeuille said that "there are more significant games down the road" and that it would be wiser to take the cautious route with Bruce.

This leaves Kevin Glenn without the CFL's leading Receiver heading into a game in Calgary where a win will secure a home playoff game for the Tiger-Cats.

The recently signed Kyries Hebert will also miss tomorrow's game in Calgary. Not to diminish what Hebert brings to the table, but his loss is not as significant as Bruce's.

Not having Bruce will make it very difficult for the Tiger-Cats to win. Just like last week, someone is going to have to step up and try to fill the void that ABIII left. Chris Bauman did it last week, so maybe he'll do it again. Or maybe it will be someone else. We're going to find out in about 24 hours.

Taking the cautious approach with both players is smart and appropriate. These guys will be needed for the playoffs, so it is better to be without them now than in two weeks' time. As they say, better safe than sorry.

Arland Bruce Named Offensive Player of the Week

After his record-tying performance, the man known simply as Mr. Bruce has been rewarded with being named the CFL's Offensive Player of the Week for Week 5.

This should come as no surprise. Arland Bruce played one of the best games a player has ever played. Sixteen receptions. Two hundred and seventy-two yards. Two touchdowns. Simply an amazing performance. So good, in fact, that Bruce doubled or more than doubled all of his season totals.

Bruce joins the list of award winners, which includes Marcus Thigpen (Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 1), Kevin Glenn (Offensive Player of the Week for Week 3) and Dave Stala (Canadian Player of the Week for Week 3).

Congratulations, Arland. Now it's time to go get some wins!

So Long #4

Don't worry Tiger-Cats fans, Arland Bruce isn't going anywhere. However, his jersey number is changing. I have it on good authority that Mr. Bruce will be ditching his #4 jersey (which I purchased last season on a whim) for a new number in 2010. That number is..... drum roll please......

1

Un. Eins. Uno. Arland Bruce will be sporting a #1 Black & Gold jersey in 2010. This information has not yet been released to the public, but I have the scoop thanks to sources within the Tiger-Cats organization.

Guess I have to go get a new black home jersey now. I wonder who I should get?