Bauman off to Edmonton

Almost everyone thought he was heading somewhere west, and when all was said and done, Chris Bauman signed with the Edmonton Eskimo.

No surprise there. Eric Tillman loves to stock up on Canadian talent, and Bauman's birth certificate fits that criterion.

What is astounding is the rumoured contract he signed: three years, $375,000. That's $125,000 per year. That's the type of money being given to guys who catch, on average, 28.5 passes per year? Seriously?

I see now why the Cats let him walk.

No way is Bauman worth that kind of money. He is clearly being paid on potential, because he has not produced at the level that would justify a six-figure income. The Cats made a wise choice in letting him leave.

Good-bye Gauthier, Bye-Bye Bauman

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have parted ways with two veteran players: Receiver Chris Bauman and Offensive Lineman Alex Gauthier. Both were scheduled to become free agents on February 16th.

I honestly do not understand the point of releasing two would-be free agents a mere two weeks before they were probably on their way out the door anyway. Seems like an odd move.

There was some clamouring among the fan base for the team to move Heaven and Earth to re-sign Bauman. He had one helluva month to end the season in 2010, and it looks like he may have turned a corner. Of course, it's entirely possible that he just caught lightning in a bottle and will go back to being the unreliable player he was during most of his tenure in Hamilton.

Gauthier might just be the age factor, or as Drew Edwards states, the Cats may go with two Americans on the Offensive Line instead of the one they went with in 2010.

I'm not too upset about either player leaving town. Matt Carter seems like he could fill in fine for Bauman, and if the Cats are going with two Import O-Linemen, Belton Johnson looked very good when Jason Jimenez was injured last season.

To be perfectly honest, I think the loss of both will be unnoticeable.

Three Out of Four Ain't Bad

Damn you, Chad Owens. Leave it to an Argo to screw everything up.

Three Tiger-Cats snagged Player of the Week awards for Week 17.

Kevin Glenn was named the Offensive Player of the Week, becoming the only player this year to win that award three times. Glenn was masterful in the Tiger-Cats' destruction of the Montreal Alouettes. Glenn finished the night, which ended early for him, 21 for 32 with 371 yards passing and two touchdowns. The second TD pass tied Glenn with Danny McManus for the most single-season TD passes by a Hamilton Tiger-Cat.

Stevie Baggs once again lived up to his "Shakespeare" moniker and grabbed his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Week award. Baggs has been unstoppable since arriving in Steeltown. In Week 17 he had another fumble recovery for a touchdown – taking this one back 80 yards – and followed it up on the next series by intercepting Anthony Calvillo. All Stevie does is make big plays.

Chris Bauman – the much maligned Chris Bauman – snagged the Canadian Player of the Week award. Bauman played magnificently when called upon to replace the irreplaceable Arland Bruce. Bauman finished the night with 116 yards on five catches, two of which went for touchdowns. Perhaps this is finally the start of something big for Chris Bauman.

Fitting way to cap off a great week for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.