Chris Williams is Back in Black... and Red?

After two years of trying to find a job in the NFL, 2011 Most Outstanding Rookie and 2012 Most Outstanding Special Teams Player Chris Williams has returned to the CFL... with the Ottawa RedBlacks.

The RedBlacks announced this morning that they have inked the former all-star to a contract that will see him join a receiving corps that has the potential to be the league's deadliest.

Williams' signing is the latest in a long line of big free-agent splashes Ottawa made this offseason. They signed offensive lineman SirVincent Rogers, receivers Ernest Jackson, Greg Ellingson and Brad Sinopoli, while also trading for receiver Maurice Price. Ottawa went into the offseason looking to upgrade a league-worst offense and they have done just that. The addition of Williams now puts them in a very enviable position.

But with big signings comes big expectations, and the addition of former New Mexico State Aggie now puts even more pressure on a team that went just 2-16 during their inaugural season. For all of these moves to have been worth it, the RedBlacks MUST make the playoffs in 2015. Anything less, and heads will roll. There will be no excuses acceptable enough for ownership if Ottawa fails to be playing a game following the conclusion of the regular season.

Also, while Ottawa has done a tremendous job of upgrading their talent pool, they have spent a lot of money on very little production. Aside from Williams and Rogers, the rest of their acquisitions are long on potential, but short on actual results. Ellingson was on his way to a rookie of the year award in 2013 until injuries slowed him down. He also dealt with injuries in 2014, and it was his inability to stay on the field that ultimately led to his departure from Hamilton. Jackson had a great end to the 2014 season, but does one month of production mean he is ready to be the next Geroy Simon, or is he the next Chris Brazzell? Sinopoli accomplished very little during his time in Calgary, so who is to say he is ready to take a giant leap forward? Price looked poised to become Calgary's go-to guy, but injuries saw him lose his spot and he became expendable. The RedBlacks could possess the best receiving unit in the entire, but it is April and it all looks like upside at this time of year.

Another thing that cannot be overlooked is Williams' absence from the game. While he saw some playing time in the NFL, he hasn't really played all that much since the final game of the Tiger-Cats' 2012 season. It will be 966 days between CFL contests, and few players return from such an absence and regain their former form. None spring to mind off the top of my head, so while Williams could still produce over 1,000 yards receiving and double digit touchdowns, he would be bucking a trend.

That is not to say that this was a bad signing. Far from it. If Williams gets back to his 2012 form, the league needs to watch out. This guy can be a game breaker, and that type of talent doesn't come around very often. Williams could be the final piece to get the RedBlacks into the playoffs in Year 2.

As for the Tiger-Cat aspect, I bore no ill will towards Williams during his acrimonious split a few years ago and I bear no ill will now that he is in Ottawa. It is not like the team doesn't have an excellent returner/receiver already on the roster, and couple that with a pair of Grey Cup appearances, and I think the Ti-Cats are doing just fine.

Don't get me wrong, I would loved to have seen Williams back, but this isn't fantasy football, and employing both Brandon Banks and Chris Williams was never going to happen. And frankly, if Williams wasn't coming back here and was going to sign with an East Division team, I am happy it is Ottawa. Could you imagine how bad it would be if he *gulp* signed with the Argos?

Williams comes back to the CFL at a time when the game will be opening up for receivers and returners, so this might be the right time for him to make his return north of the board. He was an all-star receiver as well as an award-winning returner, so nabbing him to become the focal point of the offense was a good move by Ottawa.

Gifted, exciting players playing in the CFL makes the league better, and there are few more gifted or exciting than Chris Williams.

The Biggest Overlooked Free Agent of Them All

So before Christmas, we took a look at all nine teams as they headed into the offseason, focusing mainly on free agency. Then we wrote about 10 potential free agents that are flying under the radar. Even after all that, we still failed to mention one potential free agent that might be the biggest of them all. A two-time CFL award winner and one of the most dynamic players to ever step foot on a Canadian football field.

Yep, I am talking about Mr. He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named himself:

The name Chris Williams brings about Wullerton-style spitting amongst Tiger-Cat faithful, but there is no denying that Williams was a one-of-a-kind playmaker during his two extraordinary seasons in black and gold.

While Williams spent most of the last year and a half on two NFL rosters – first with the New Orleans Saints and then with the Chicago Bears – he is currently unsigned by any NFL team after being waived by the Bears earlier this month.

Per the settlement reached between the team and Williams, the 2011 Most Outstanding Rookie was allowed to test NFL waters, but the Tiger-Cats retained his CFL rights through the 2014 season. That means, as of February 10, 2015, Williams will be a CFL free agent. Should his NFL dream be over – and it very well may be – he will be available to all nine CFL teams when free agency opens.

We all know what Williams can do, both on offense and on special teams. We also know that Williams will command top dollar should he return to the CFL, and given his acrimonious departure for the Tiger-Cats, I doubt very highly that the 2012 Most Outstanding Special Teams Player will return to Hamilton. That leaves the door open to the other eight clubs to pick up an established player that will immediately upgrade their receiving corps and special teams unit. So if not Hamilton, where might Williams land?

My money would be on Ottawa.

The RedBlacks will be looking to make a significant improvement on their two-win debut season, and have more money to spend thanks to Henry Burris restructuring his contract to free up cap space in 2015, so one would have to think they’d make a serious run at Williams if he decided he wanted to play in the CFL once again.

And speaking of Burris, it was he who was guiding the potent Tiger-Cats offense in 2012 that featured Williams as a No. 1 receiver. Burris had inarguably his best statistical season in 2012, throwing for more yards, touchdowns and completions than he had in any season previous or any season since, and Williams was a big reason why. The diminutive speedster caught 83 passes for 1,298 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2012 and was a bona fide MOP candidate with Burris throwing him the football. A reunion could do wonders for both players, but especially Burris, who, for comparison’s sake, threw 11 touchdowns in total in 2014 and looked every bit his age. Adding Williams might allow Burris to slow down the sands of time for at least one season and would add a spark to a RedBlacks offense that desperately needs one.

All of this is predicated on Williams looking to return to the CFL, which is by no means a lock. But if he does decide to return north of the border that he will have no shortage of suitors.

And if I were a betting man, I would bet on him calling Ottawa home.

Williams Wants Out

So the to-do with Chris Williams a month ago was not much ado about nothing. It now looks like Chris Williams wants out of his contract and is actively trying to get the final year voided.

The crux of Williams' argument is that when he signed his contract back in 2011, the Ti-Cats did not offer him a minimum-length contract (one year plus an option) which the CBA states is a must, even if the team also offers a longer deal. Williams was inked to a three-year deal.

Reaction online to what Williams is doing has been swift and harsh, with many siding with the team and saying Williams is being greedy, not honourable and is damaging his reputation. I understand that sentiment, but I don't entirely agree with it.

Football players have very short careers, so getting as much as you can as quickly as you can is almost a must. Williams has been playing for peanuts the last two years, two years in which he won league awards, and is looking for a chance to make more money. Whether that be with the Ti-Cats or in the NFL is immaterial. He wants more money and he has earned more money. Fans are quick to jump on a player's back when they believe he is being overcompensated, but when a guy has performed beyond his contract and wants a substantial raise, he is accused of being greedy.

The idea that he is doing something wrong by not honouring his deal is somewhat laughable. Football contracts are not guaranteed and therefore are pretty much not worth the paper they are printed on. The team can cut a player in a heartbeat, and when they do, no one thinks twice. When a player wants to break his deal, he gets labelled as a malcontent. Williams is getting bashed for not being loyal, but no one rips the team when they aren't loyal and cut a guy for someone cheaper or younger.

Williams has a bit of leverage after two award-winning seasons and he is using it. I don't see anything wrong with that. Like everyone else, I want to see Williams back, but I won't hold it against him if he chooses not to return or is successful in getting his deal voided. Williams will not be attending the team's voluntary mini-camp later this month and it is entirely possible that we have seen the last of him in a Ti-Cats jersey.

Is Chris Williams Done as a Tiger-Cat?

It was a normal Monday night and then Drew Edwards dropped a bombshell: Chris Williams' days as a Tiger-Cat might be numbered.

Williams has deleted the tweet that was the crux of Edwards' post, but Drew was kind enough to retweet it, so we still have it:

RT @cwillkl80: @colstonrockboi3 ... they was about to bring u on but they fired the gm & now im beefin w/ my squad im not going back #Ticats
— Drew Edwards (@scratchingpost) March 12, 2013

That definitely doesn't sound positive.

It is very concerning that Williams appears so angry, but I have no idea what his problem is – O'Billovich's firing? Cortez's? – but it seems to have angered him enough that he is willing to publicly state that he won't be coming back (even if he's since purged his timeline of the tweet).

If Williams does not return, that will be a huge blow to the Ti-Cats. He has been an award winner in both his seasons in the team (top rookie in 2011, top special teamer in 2012) and his presence on both offense and special teams would be almost impossible to replace.

But if he is serious about not coming back to the Ti-Cats, then the team will have to trade him. And if they do, they will have to throw Williams under the bus and state that the reason he was dealt is because he didn't want to play in Hamilton any longer. Otherwise, the team will look foolish for trading an in-his-prime player.

My hope is that cooler heads will prevail, but a divorce could be coming. This is something that Ti-Cat fans, and fans of the other seven teams, will be keeping an eye on.

Williams Named League All-Star

Chris Williams capped his amazing 2012 season by being named a CFL all star.

Williams was named to the league's all-star kick returner following a year that saw him break the league's single-season record for return touchdowns. While being a unanimous selection was impossible – fan votes accounted for part of the selection equation and some would have voted for BC's Tim Brown (remember, one person voted for Brown over Williams for special teams player of the year award last week) – Williams was probably the closest to a guaranteed pick of any player named.

While it is great that Williams was recognized for his spectacular special teams play, I don't understand why he wasn't also named an all-star at receiver. Williams has a case to be named at receiver as much as any of the players picked instead of him and maybe even more so in the case of two of them. Nik Lewis and Chad Owens were locks to make the team; Owens led the league in receiver yards and Lewis was the only player to hit triple digits in catches. But a case could be made to put Williams ahead of both Weston Dressler and Fred Stamps.

Dressler led the league in touchdown catches with 13, but finished just two ahead of Williams, who had 11. Dressler had more catches (94 to 83) than Williams, but Williams had more yards (1,298 to 1,206). Stamps finished with more yards than Williams (1,310 to 1,298), but Williams notched more catches (83 to 70) and more touchdowns (11 to 9). So Williams wasn't snubbed in the classic sense of the word, but it is surprising that he wasn't named at receiver. Perhaps it is just a case of five very strong receiver candidates (six if you count Winnipeg's Chris Matthews) and Williams being a lock for the kick returner spot. My guess is that the voters just didn't want to give Williams two all-star spots when there were equally deserving players at the receiver position.

The odd thing about the all-star selections is that Hamilton, which had the league's best offense, ends the season without a league all-star on that side of the ball. I don't care that they finished 6-12, the offense was the best in the league and to see it not rewarded with at least one league all-star spot is curious. Either voters held the team's last-place record against it or the unit was better than the sum of its parts, but to see the CFL's highest scoring offense get shut out on that side of the all-star ball is strange and likely something that has never happened before. Of course, not making the playoffs with the league's best offense doesn't happen either, but it did this year.

Williams Named Top Special Teamer

In what should come as a surprise to no one, Chris Williams was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Special Teams Player for 2012.

Williams was outstanding in every way in 2012 and he was especially so on special teams, where he set a league record for return touchdowns in a season with six. He is the first Tiger-Cat to be named the league's top special teamer.

Williams was thrice named the CFL's special teams player of the week and twice named the special teams player of the month. Picking Williams was a slam dunk... except for one person.

Williams received 56 of a possible 57 votes, which means just one person voted for BC's Tim Brown. I am curious who the joker was that voted for Brown. No offense meant to him, but seriously? Williams was the best special teams player by a wide margin (and I'd argue that the second best played on the same team, Tiger-Cat kicker Luca Congi). This strikes me as the same silliness as when a baseball player isn't named on 100 per cent of Hall of Fame ballots even if they are undeniably a Hall of Famer. Whoever didn't vote for Williams knew that Williams would win, so instead cast a pity vote for Brown. If there was ever a player who deserved to be an unanimous selection, it was Williams this year.

The league handed out their other awards as well. JC Sherritt was named the league's top defensive player, Jon Cornish was named the top Canadian, Chris Matthews took home the top rookie prize, Jovon Olafioye was named the best offensive lineman, Brian Bratton won the Tom Pate Award and the most overrated player in the CFL (whose name will no longer be mentioned here) was undeservedly named the Most Outstanding Player.

While Williams was great on special teams, I'd argue that he should have also been named MOP (instead of you know who). The argument against Williams has been that he played on a 6-12 team that didn't make the playoffs, but I don't think that criticism has a lot of merit in an MOP race. An MVP race, absolutely, but not an MOP one. Williams was more outstanding in every measurable way to the guy who won (and to Cornish) that it is stunning he wasn't the winner of the award. The guy that won the award put up a paltry six touchdowns to Williams' 17, had just 11 more catches and 30 more receiving yards than Williams, and only got as much publicity as he did because he broke what is one of the most meaningless records I can think of (after QB wins): a total yards record.

That player had over 3,800 total yards, but a whopping 1,588 came on kick returns. Getting a lot of return yards is not impressive. All that record proved was that the Argos gave up a lot of points and that allowed that player to put up those numbers by returning so many kickoffs. He had more kickoff returns than any other player, so even if he had a mediocre year returning the football (which he did, since he had no return touchdowns) he had more opportunity to put up yards. Yet somehow he is the MOP and Williams is not.

There is no question in my mind that Williams was the most outstanding player this year and I honestly don't believe that No. 2 was even close.

Option Years and Glenn Gets His Chance

A couple of interesting tidbits came out this week that I believe deserve some comment. The first is the possibility of the league reviving the option year, and Drew Tate's injury thrusting Kevin Glenn back into the starter's role in Calgary.

We'll start with the possible return of the player option. There are apparently some who would like to see the player option, which allows players to try to find work in the NFL while in the final year of their CFL contract, return. The player option was eliminated in the last CBA, signed in 2010.

There are some that believe the lack of a player option has stopped talented American players from heading to the CFL because they don't want to commit for a minimum of two years. Wally Buono is one of those individuals, believing that players will choose the financially troubled UFL over the CFL. I don't believe that to be true. For starters, what great players has the CFL missed out on that went to the UFL and then signed in the NFL? I can't think of any, but I admittedly don't follow the UFL at all. Secondly, if a player has to choose between two years in the CFL or giving up entirely on playing professional football, I think they'd opt to sign in two years in the CFL. I don't believe the loss of the player option has hurt the ability of any of the eight franchises to sign talent.

From a Tiger-Cat perspective, the lack of a player option is probably the only reasons Chris Williams will be a Tiger-Cat next season. Having said that, next year will be Williams' third in the CFL, not his second. So he had no qualms about signing a longer deal than required before potentially trying his hand one more time in the NFL. Williams is without question the best player to come to the CFL since the elimination of the player option and instead of losing him after last year or this year, we get to see him do his thing for at least one more season. If other American players really are worried about what signing longer term with a CFL team, they just have to look at what Chris Williams has done in his first two seasons, and is likely to do in his third season, and see that being in Canada for more than one year isn't a detriment to future NFL prospects.

Next up is the news that Drew Tate suffered a fractured forearm in the third quarter of the West Division Semi-Final and will miss the rest of the season. It has been a tough season for Tate, who was expected to be the starter in Calgary, but was hurt in the second week of the season. Kevin Glenn will take over just like he did during the season. The Stamps went 10-5 with Glenn as the starter.

Everyone knows I am a big Kevin Glenn fan and I think he got a bit of a raw deal when Tate was named the starter for last week's game against Saskatchewan. I get Calgary's, or more accurately Jon Hufnagel's, want to start Tate; Tate is the future in Calgary and Glenn is not. But Glenn led the Stamps all season and deserved to be the guy to succeed or fail with this team this year. Next year, give the reins back to Tate no questions asked. But Glenn gets his chance now that Tate is hurt again and the hope on my end is that he leads the Stamps all the way to a Grey Cup championship.

Cats Take Seven All-Star Positions

Off-season accolades continue to roll in for the out-of-the-playoff Tiger-Cats with six players taking up seven spots on the East Division all-star team. Avon Cobourne, Peter Dyakowski, Chris Williams (at both receiver and kick returner), Rey Williams, Luca Congi and Josh Bartel were selected for the team on Thursday.

The most unlikeliest of all stars has to be Cobourne. He didn't sign with the team until a week into training camp and was a healthy scratch for pretty much the entire first half of the season. But once he got onto the field, he was like a man possessed. His numbers were excellent, especially his 5.9 yards per carry, and you just saw it when he had the ball that he wasn't going to be stopped. I have been a fan of Cobourne's for a very long time and 2012 was just more proof that the guy is one of the best backs in the CFL. Now, let's just hope he comes back for a second encore performance in 2013.

I was a little surprised to see that Peter Dyakowski was named, but part of being selected as an offensive lineman is reputation. Not that Dyakowski had a bad season, far from it, but he missed the final month of the season with an injury and wasn't a world beater when he did play. Perhaps being named Canada's Smartest Person helped his cause because his was a name that people knew. Still, Dyakowski deserved an all-star nod the past couple of years, so it is nice to see him get one.

Chris Williams, at both receiver and kick returner, might have been the easiest selection for anyone to make. He had no challengers for kick returner and he was one of the best and most dangerous receivers in the entire league this year. Picking Williams was the no-brainer of all no-brainers.

There are a lot of people that aren't fans of Rey Williams. They point out that he is out of position a lot of the time and that his tackle numbers are skewed. Those are fair and valid criticisms, yet he still managed to be named an East Division all-star for the second year in a row. It was surprising that anyone from Hamilton's defense would be selected (though I think one person should have been and wasn't, but more on that later) but it doesn't surprise me that Williams was. His numbers were good, he led the East in tackles, and that goes a long way with voters.

Another more than deserving selection was Luca Congi. There was a lot of understandable concern over signing Congi this year. He was coming off an injury that saw him miss the entire 2011 season – though he was healthy enough to kick later in the season – and he was never a guy with a booming leg. He was also replacing fan favourite Justin Medlock, so Congi had very big shoes to fill. All he did was go out and have one of the best seasons a Tiger-Cat kicker ever had. Congi was perhaps the team's mos consistent player in 2012.

Punters often go unnoticed, and it is hard to figure out just who the best is at the position. Clearly Josh Bartel did enough in his rookie season to earn the recognition as the East Division's top punter. I'm not going to go on about him too much, but if this is just the beginning for Bartel, the future could be bright for him and the Tiger-Cats.

Of course, when all-star selections are announced there are always snubs and this year is no different. One curious snub is Henry Burris. I have been critical of Burris this season, but I recognize that he put up some outstanding numbers and normally that is enough to get a spot on the team. I was somewhat surprised to see that Anthony Calvillo was selected instead of Burris. Calvillo had a decent season, but I still thought Burris would (and maybe even should) have been named an all-star.

I was also surprised to see Dee Webb not make the team. I know it would be hard to select too many players from the worst defense in the league, but Webb put together a solid season despite the team's terrible defense and some of the players selected instead of him, such as Jovon Johnson and Jonathan Hefney, hardly had all-star seasons. A lot of the time, guys get all-star nods because of their reputation (think offensive lineman) and sometimes guys don't get them because of their lack of a reputation. I think the latter is the reason Webb was left off the team. (And before Winnipeg fans get their knickers in a twist, I don't mean any disrespect to Johnson or Hefney, but neither player had what you would call an all-star worthy season in Winnipeg.)

This is just the first all-star step. There are also the league all-star selections. Chris Williams will likely garner two spots once again. He will definitely be the kick returner, but he has a darn good shot of being named at receiver as well. Cobourne, Rey Williams and Dyakowski have little-to-no shot at the league selection. Congi and Bartel are in tough, but I give both a better than 50-50 shot of being named league all stars. I wouldn't be surprised if both were named, one were named or neither were named. The league will announce the CFL all-star selections in December and there will at least be one Tiger-Cat on that list.

Williams To Add to Trophy Case

In what should amount as a surprise to no one, Chris Williams has been named the East Division nominee for the Most Outstanding Special Teams Player award.

Williams was by far the best special teams player in the league this year and second best wasn't even close (and was probably his teammate Luca Congi). There is no chance that Williams loses the award to BC's Tim Brown, the West Division nominee. That is no slight to Brown, who had an excellent season in his own right, but no one who played special teams in 2012 was as outstanding as Williams.

The other award nominees were also announced and most of them should come as no surprised.

In the Most Outstanding Player category it will be Toronto's Chad Owens going up against Calgary's Jon Cornish. To be honest, there really wasn't a slam-dunk candidate this year like in past years. It was obvious that Lulay was going to win it last year, Calvillo the year before and Burris the year before that. This year was a more wide open field and that is probably why two non-QBs were named. I say Cornish wins the award (or at least he should). I have made my feelings known on Chad Owens (he's highly overrated and his record is essentially meaningless), but aside from that I do think Cornish had an excellent season and deserves to be named MOP.

Top defensive player is between Edmonton's JC Sherritt and Montreal's Shea Emry. Sherritt should and will win this award. He broke Calvin Tiggle's record for tackles in a season and he didn't get caught punching another dude in the balls during a game. This won is going, rightfully, to Sherritt.

Cornish is also up for top Canadian against Emry. If Cornish is the best player overall, he is also the best player from Canada. This one is a no-brainer.

Top rookie is between Winnipeg's Chris Matthews and BC's Jabar Westerman. Westerman had a nice rookie campaign with the Lions, but Matthews should win this one in a walk. He finished the season with 81 catches, 1,192 yards and seven touchdowns. Matthews was near unstoppable at the start of the season, but he slowed down a bit later in the year. But it still won't matter come announcement time. Matthews will be the man accepting the award.

Finally, top offensive lineman is the same as last year. Montreal's Josh Bourke was the East Division nominee and BC's Jovon Olafioye was Bourke's West Division counterpart. Bourke won the award last year and I think the reverse will happen this year. I thought Olafioye should have won it last year, but you can't really say picking Bourke was wrong. I feel the same way this year; I think Olafioye is the best lineman in the league and should win the award.

We'll find out who wins the awards when they are handed out in Toronto on November 22nd.

Five Ti-Cats Named in TSN Player Poll

One of the few bright spots in an otherwise miserable season continues to get praise heaped onto him. Chris Williams was named the fastest player and the biggest threat to score in TSN's third annual CFL player poll, released earlier today.

Williams finished with 57 per cent of the vote for fastest player and 68 per cent of the vote for biggest threat to score. Williams' blazing speed help him set a CFL single-season record for return touchdowns and he scored 17 total touchdowns in 2012, which set a single-season Tiger-Cat record.

Chevon Walker, Avon Cobourne, Henry Burris and Dave Stala also made the list. Walker finished second to Williams in the fastest player category and second to Nik Lewis in the toughest to bring down category. Cobourne finished behind Dwight Anderson for biggest trash talker, Burris finished fourth for most accurate passer and Stala finished third in the best hands category.

While this does little to take away the sting of last night's season-ending loss to the Argos, it is a little bit of good news on what is an otherwise painful Friday for Tiger-Cat fans.

Thoughts on the Tiger-Cat Award Nominees

The CFL announced the team nominees for the Player Awards that will be handed out during Grey Cup week in Toronto. Hamilton has five players nominated in the six categories and there are really few surprises among those selected.

Chris Williams is the nominee for top player and top special teams player. Williams as the top special teams player is a no-brainer. He is almost guaranteed to take home the division nomination and league award. Williams was a unanimous selection.

But he wasn't for MOP and that is probably because some voted for Henry Burris. Burris is deserving of some recognition for his stellar statistical season, but Williams has been the superior player all season. Williams has been the definition of outstanding this season and is deserving of being the team's MOP nominee. He has an outside shot to take the division nomination and league award, but is up against some stiff competition in that category.

Rey Williams was named the team nominee for top defensive player. This one is sure to invite plenty of debate and derision. Williams has excellent numbers, but has been singled out as being a weak link in the defense, especially being the man that mans the middle of the field. There has been constant criticism that his numbers are inflated and that he is usually out of position and therefore in chase mode. Some of those criticisms are warranted, but on a defense that has been the object of ridicule since Day 1, who else could have been selected? Dee Webb may have been one possibility, but with no real outstanding player on the defensive side of the ball, the selection of Williams was pretty much a fait accompli by about mid-season.

Luca Congi was selected as Hamilton's Most Oustanding Canadian nominee. Congi would have been a double nominee if not for Williams' outstanding season, but he will have to settle for being the team's top Canadian. Congi had the unenviable task of replacing fan favourite Justin Medlock and he has exceeded expectations. He has missed just five field goals all season and may just be Hamilton's most consistent and reliable player this year. I don't think Congi will get the division nomination, but being named the team's best non-import is no small feat.

Tim O'Neill earned the nomination as Hamilton's top offensive lineman. O'Neill has played all over the Tiger-Cat line, starting the season at guard and then moving to centre when Marwan Hage was lost for the second straight year to injury. O'Neill was signed because of his versatility and that has come in handy this season. O'Neill is a long shot to take the division nomination, so I think he, like Congi, will have to be happy with being the top o-lineman on his team.

Josh Bartel secured the team's nomination for Most Outstanding Rookie. Bartel never played football prior to this season and he has done an excellent job punting the football. He hasn't been out of this world, but for a first timer, he has done an excellent job. There is almost no chance that Bartel will go any further in the nomination process. But a good first season will hopefully lead to a better second season for the Punter from Down Under.

So from my vantage point, it looks like the Ti-Cats have a chance to have one representative at the Player Awards in Toronto on November 22nd. Chris Williams will be there for sure, but he could be there for two awards; the other four players are facing long odds to nab division nominations. We'll find out who will be going to Toronto for the award ceremony when the finalists are announced next Wednesday.

The Good and the Bad

There is a lot of negativity right now in Tiger-Cat Land and that is understandable. I was very angry after the Labour Day Classic; I even went so far as to openly wonder if the team will win another game again this season. But having had a chance to think about things all is not lost and this season is not over. Despite the four straight losses and the mounting concerns that the final season at Ivor Wynne Stadium will end with a whimper and not a bang, I thought it was time to look at both the good (yes, there is some good) as well as the bad surrounding the Ti-Cats.

The Good: They've lost their last two by five total points
This cannot be overlooked. Despite all the angst, the Ti-Cats lost their last two games on field goals in the final minute. That tells me that the team isn't as far off and have a chance to turn things around this season.

The Bad: They've lost four in a row
The flip side of that is the old saying that "you are what your record is." The Ti-Cats are 3-6, they have lost four in a row and two of those losses have come at home. Professional sports is a results-oriented business (we have been told this countless times over the years) and the Cats are not getting the results they need. They may not be far off, but moral victories have to start giving way to actual victories very soon (as in Saturday).

The Good: Chris Williams
Getting to watch Chris Williams in person has been a treat for everyone. We are truly watching one of the greatest seasons a player has ever had unfold before out eyes. Whether the team doesn't win another game and finishes 3-15, wins out and finishes 12-6 or does something in between, we all got to watch the Chris Williams show live and in person and that is something to be happy about.

The Bad: Every other receiver not named Chris Williams
Conversely, pretty much every other receiver has been a disappointment. Andy Fantuz has been underwhelming for most of the season and is on pace for less than 1,000 receiving yards. That is not the player the Cats thought they were getting back in February. Sam Giguère, who came to the team with a lot of hype in May, has been invisible. A lot was expected of Giguère and will not live up to those lofty preseason expectations. Dave Stala has been decent, but rarely used; same for Onrea Jones and Aaron Kelly. Bakari Grant is the lone receiver that gets an 'INC' on his report card because he hasn't played since July 21st against the Als.

The Good: The defense during the first three quarters
The Tiger-Cat defense has been a source of much frustration and fan anger, but if you look at their points allowed in the first three quarters of their losing streak (I prefer to judge defenses based on points, not yards, because you win by scoring not by gaining yards) and the defense has actually been pretty good. They allowed 17 to Calgary, 17 to Winnipeg, 18 to Montreal and 11 to Toronto. Those are great numbers. The fourth quarter has been a problem, but the first three quarters of the last four games have shown that the Tiger-Cat defense is capable of playing well.

The Bad: The offense during the last four games
What was supposed to be the better unit has been pedestrian during the four-game losing streak. The team has scored 30 points or more just once, in comparison to four times in their first five games. The biggest problems have come in the fourth quarter, where they have score just 26 points in those four losses. The third quarter used to be the problem quarter for the Cats, but now the fourth seems to be their nemesis.

The Good: Revenge came come quickly
They lost on Labour Day, but have a chance to exact some revenge rather quickly with the rematch scheduled for Saturday. At 4-6, and one game behind Toronto, the Ti-Cats would be back in the thick of things. They would still be in the third spot, but they would recapture the tiebreaker over the Argos (at least until the two teams meet once more in the final week of the season) and would trail them by just two points for second place.

The Bad: The season could be over on Saturday afternoon
A loss to Toronto on Saturday would all but end the Ti-Cats' season. They would sit at 3-7 and would have to go 5-3 over the final eight games just to match last season's 8-10 record (a record that got Marcel Bellefeuille fired) and 6-2 to get to 9-9. They would, at a minimum, be six points back of both Toronto and Montreal (possibly eight back of the Als) and their chances of hosting a playoff game would be over. They might still sneak into the playoffs, but the Grey Cup title that many expected would be a pipe dream.

The Good: Winnipeg's terrible
The only saving grace for the Ti-Cas in their quest to make the playoffs is that they don't have anyone nipping at their heels. The one team below them in the standings is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and they are so bad they just lost 52-0 to Saskatchewan. Winnipeg might be 2-7 and even own a victory over Hamilton, but the Bombers are no threat to creep up and challenge the Ti-Cats for a playoff spot. In the East, the Cats are pretty secure even at 3-6.

The Bad: The potential for a crossover
Hamilton's playoff hopes will not be derailed by Winnipeg, but by the fourth-place team in the West. As it stands right now, the Roughriders, not the Ti-Cats, would be the third playoff team in the East. There is a very real threat that the last-place team in the West will have a better record than the Tabbies. The Ti-Cats need to get things going in the right direction to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Things are pretty tense around these parts, but not everything is as hopeless for the Ti-Cats as their 3-6 record makes it appear. Things are bad right now, but I heard in a movie once that it is always darkest before the dawn. Hopefully, dawn arrives on Saturday.

Williams Wins Again, a Trade and All-Time Coaches

A lot of news from the last couple of days that I need to catch up on, so here it goes.

Chris Williams has once again been named the Special Teams Player of the Week. What more can be said about Williams at this point that hasn't already been said countless times? I've already said he's going to be named the Most Outstanding Special Teams Player at the year-end awards ceremony and I also think he is a legitimate shot to win the top award, Most Outstanding Player, as well. If he keeps winning these awards, and this is the third straight week in which he has, I don't know what I am going to say about him. I am seriously running out of ways to say "he is awesome."

The Cats made a deal yesterday with Calgary for defensive linemen Torrey Davis. Davis is a mountain of a man and could be just what the team needs in the middle of their defensive line. Davis and Robert Rose could form a pretty formidable defensive tackle combination for the Tabbies. Davis won't play this week against Toronto, so we will have to wait until the following Saturday against Edmonton to see what he can do.

Finally, the Ti-Cats unveiled the head coach nominees for the all-time team. Five coaches are up for one spot: Al Bruno, Ron Lancaster, Ralph Sazio, Jim Trimble and Carl Voyles. I remember both Bruno and Lancaster, and I remember them fondly, but the pick here has to be Sazio. He won three Grey Cups in four appearances and won 10 playoff games in his five years as Hamilton's head coach. No other Tiger-Cat coach can match that, and while I am sure there are still some people angry over his defection to the Argos, he is pretty much universally considered the greatest coach in Tiger-Cat history.

Chris Williams vs. Chad Owens

When watching the Edmonton-Toronto game, I took to Twitter to vent my frustration at commentators drooling over Chad Owens and his combined yardage. They made a big deal out of his back-to-back 3,000-yard seasons, the first player to ever accomplish that feat, and I posted my belief that the record was essentially meaningless because more than half of his yards last year (1,750 to be exact) came on kickoff returns. The only way a team can accumulate that many kickoff yards is if the other team is kicking off a lot, and if the other team is kicking off a lot that means that the Argos gave up a lot of scores. I'm not saying that what Owens did wasn't noteworthy, but it is not as impressive as some make it out to be.

Well, my opinion brought about a response that the Ti-Cats would love to have Chad Owens on their team. This is pretty laughable considering the Tabbies have Chris Williams and are doing just fine in the return category. This led me to wonder how each player stacks up to the other. With the Labour Day Classic happening in just a couple of days, what better time than now to stack up these two receiver/returners.

When it comes to offense, it is undeniable that Williams is the better player and more dangerous weapon. Owens has improved at receiver over his first two seasons in the league, but he is not as good a receiver as Williams. Williams already has a 1,000-yard season under his belt and he will get another one this season. Owens is on pace for his first 1,000-yard season this year, but his receiving numbers were pedestrian in his first two seasons. Williams is also more of a scoring threat at receiver, where he has already picked up 11 receiving touchdowns in just 23 games. Owens has scored just six touchdowns in 42 games and went 20 games between touchdown catches. Williams is the far superior player offensively.

But let's be honest, special teams is where these two will probably always be judged. Despite my belief that his 3,000 yard seasons aren't all that impressive, I do think Owens is a very good returner. He can make tacklers miss and has excellent speed. But let's not act like he can hold a candle to Williams in those areas. Williams is obviously faster than Owens (and might be the fastest player in the league) and his shiftiness is the stuff you write home about. Owens gets the majority of his return yardage on kickoffs (3,689 of his 6,532 yards) which is an area of special teams that Williams doesn't play. So you can't just compare raw yardage and say that one is better than the other. While Owens is undoubtedly a great returner, he is not as explosive or as dangerous as Chris Williams.

In the awards category, Owens has a slight lead. Both players have won two Player of the Month awards for their work on special teams, but Owens has won six Player of the Week awards to Williams' three and Owens was also the 2010 Most Outstanding Special Teams Player award winner. But Owens has done that over three seasons, while Williams has won his awards in just eight games. Williams didn't play a lot of special teams last year and was only used as the team's primary punt returner this year. Prior to that, Marcus Thigpen handled all the special teams return duties with Williams seeing some spot duty (he had 24 returns on both punts and kickoffs all last year compared to 137 for Owens).

So there you have it, a very unscientific examination of who is better between Chad Owens and Chris Williams. While I am sure a lot of teams would like to have Owens as their returner, one of those teams is most definitely not the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. With Chris Williams in the running for the Most Outstanding Player award, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are doing just fine in the return game and do not need, nor want, Chad Owens.

Chris Williams Does It Again

If this keeps up, Tiger-Cat fans are going to start taking it for granted. A day after being named the Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 9, Chris Williams adds another trophy to the mantle by being named the Special Teams Player of the Month for August.

Williams now has two Player of the Month awards and three Player of the Week awards, all for his record-breaking work on special teams. I think the rest of the league should just concede the year-end special teams award to Williams and move on. No one is going to surpass Williams at this point and I think it is safe to say that he will be the winner of the Most Outstanding Special Teams Player award.

August was a tough month for Tiger-Cat fans, watching the team go winless in the month for the first time since 2003, so hopefully this win by Williams will be the first of many as the team gets set to start the second half of the season.

Kick Returners Galore

It was a good week to be a kick returner or former kick returner for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Kick returners have dominated Tiger-Cat news the last couple of days.

For starters, Chris Williams has once again be named the Special Teams Player of the Week. This is the third time this season that Williams has been named the top special teams player. He won his first award following his two-return-touchdown performance against the Argos in Week 3 and again for his exploits against the Blue Bombers in Week 8. Williams was also named the top special teamer for the month of July and I expect him to be named that again for the month of August. I think whoever engraves the year-end awards might want to start working on the Most Outstanding Special Teams Player trophy because barring something drastic, I don't see how Williams doesn't take the award home.

As far as former kick returners are concerned, the Ti-Cats unveiled the list of the kick returners up for the all-time team. Four players are up for the team – Rufus Crawford, Garney Henley, Earl Winfield and Wally Zatylny – but Winfield is going to be the one how wins. The guy is the best returner this team has ever seen (well, at least until this season) and he is pretty much a shoe-in for this spot. That's not disrespect to the other three players, but let's not get too cute with this one. Winfield is the pick.

News Day in Tigertown

Another Tuesday means another round of fresh Tiger-Cat news.

We have to give congratulations once again to Chris Williams. Williams was named the Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season. As everyone is probably already well aware, Williams has tied Earl Winfield's team record for return touchdowns in one season and is one off the league record. With 11 games left to go, Williams has a great chance to not only break the records but shatter them completely.

Next, the Tiger-Cats have revealed the names of the linebackers up for the all-time team. It is a strong list of 12 players, three of which will make the squad. Two current Tiger-Cats, Jamall Johnson and Markeith Knowlton, are up for consideration and join Marwan Hage as the only current Tiger-Cats who have been named as nominees. The list is a good one, with Ben Zambiasi being the only shoe-in, in my opinion.

Finally, the Ti-Cats announced that they will hold a practice at the University of Waterloo next Tuesday. The team will practice on Warrior Field and then hold an autograph session for fans. It is very similar to what the team does at their Black and Gold Days. I am a big proponent of the team trying to find a regional foothold outside of Hamilton and giving fans in other communities a chance to meet Tiger-Cat players is a great way to accomplish that. Hopefully, we'll see more of this in the future.

More Accolades for Burris and Williams

It has been quite a month for Henry Burris and Chris Williams, and they each have a little more to celebrate about as both were named Players of the Month.

Burris has played like a man possessed since his short-lived benching in the first half against the BC Lions back in Week 2. Since then, has led the Cats to three straight wins and won Offensive Player of the Week following Week 4 and Week 5. By pretty much any measure, it would be difficult to argue against Burris being the best quarterback in the CFL after the first five weeks. He has been a real treat to watch in leading the Ti-Cats to the top spot in the East.

Williams has been equally as fantastic. Williams was named the top special teamer following his scintillating performance against the Argos back in Week 3. Williams has impressively built on his amazing first season and looks to be even better in year two. Williams is arguably the most dangerous weapon on any team right now and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. While it had no bearing on winning the award, Williams has been just as great as a receiver as he has a returner. He leads the team in catches and yards, has two 100-plus-yard games so far this season (both came against the Roughriders) and he is tied for the league lead with six total touchdowns. Guess Williams doesn't believe in the sophomore slump.

It has been a great month for the Ti-Cats, and the play of Burris and Williams are two of the main reasons why.

Williams to Use Gaffe to Help Others

We've all seen the play. In fact, many who read this were probably there live. It ranks up there with one of the biggest gaffes in professional sports history. Chris Williams fielded a missed field goal and took it 117 yards to paydirt... except he didn't. He started to celebrate a tad too early and was caught from behind by Montreal's Brian Ridgeway, getting tackled at the one-yard line. It was a mistake that will stick to Chris Williams for sometime.

But instead of running away from it, he has decided to take that mistake and turn it into a positive. Williams and the Tiger-Cats have teamed up with Fox 40 on the "Play to the Whistle" campaign. For every touchdown that Williams scores from now until the end of the season, $1,000 will be donated to Liberty for Youth and City Kidz, a local-area non-profit organization that helps at-risk youth.

When I first saw the name of the program it made me laugh, and I wondered if this was pure coincidence or if it was all orchestrated after Saturday. It seems pretty clear that the genesis of the idea came after Williams' faux pas against the Alouettes. And I say good for Williams for owning up to his error and for turning what could be a career low into something that can help children in need.

Special Teams Galore; TJ Harris Goes Green

A few Tiger-Cat related stories from a very hot Tuesday in the Hammer. Two of them are abotu special teams and one of them is about a former player finding a new home.

The big news of the day was Chris Williams being named the CFL's Special Teams Player of the Week after his brilliant performance in Saturday's win over the Argos. There was no doubt that Williams would take home the honours this week. Everyone knows what Williams did on Saturday, but in case anyone lives under a rock, the 2011 top rookie ran back a punt 89 yards for a touchdown and then followed that up by returning a missed field goal 119 yards for a score. It was a game for the ages from Williams and he was deservedly named the Special Teams Player of the Week because of it.

Sticking with special teams, the Tiger-Cats revealed the players who are up for the all-time team at kicker and punter. There are five nominees at each position, with both Paul Osbaldiston and Bernie Ruoff eligible to be voted as both the punter and the kicker. The players are, at kicker, Tommy Joe Coffey, Ian Sunter, Don Sutherin, and Ozzie and Ruoff; at punter, it is Ozzy, Ruoff, Ken Clark, Cam Fraser and Joe Zuger. My vote is going to Ozzie at kicker and Ruoff at punter. Ozzie is a shoe-in at kicker, but the race for punter will be tougher. Ozzie might win that one too, but they split the kicking duties up, so my hope is that two different players make the team.

And lastly, former Tiger-Cat Terence Jeffers-Harris has landed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. I had high hopes for Jeffers-Harris when he was brought in. I think he has the potential to be a great player and I was disappointed when he was cut at the end of training camp. Now he will have a chance to showcase that talent in Saskatchewan.