Hinds Continues to Help Out

Occasionally I use this minor platform of mine to get the word out about people who do good things. Most notably, I used this space to help my long-time friend Steve become a Scotiabank Game Changer. But a few months ago I also wrote about Ti-Cat defensive back Ryan Hinds and the good work he is doing to help out children in Guyana.

Well, Hinds is back with a new initiative to help raise funds for Guyana Help the Kids. This Sunday, from 10:00AM to 4:00PM at the Robar Centre on Nebo Road, Hinds brings Touch-a-Tractor to Hamilton's East Mountain. For just $10, kids of all ages – yes, even big kids like a certain 30-year-old blogger – can get up close and personal with a number of pieces of heavy machinery. It sure sounds like a fun event and a great way to raise some money for a good cause.

If you want more information on the event, you can find it on the Facebook page. To keep up with everything Hinds is doing with Guyana Help the Kids, I suggest you head over to his blog.

Training Camp Preview: Secondary

With training camp about to start (rookies report on May 30th, veterans on June 3rd) it's time to look at each position group as we head into the 2012 season. Today, it's the secondary.

I promised that I would do two today, so after the earlier post about the linebackers, it's time to turn our attention to the final defensive group.

Probably no group of players was more scrutinized last year that the Tiger-Cat secondary. No matter what mix of players the team put out there, it seemed like they just couldn't bring it all together. The unit got better as the season went on, but they never fully gelled. But coming back this year are a group of players that could form the nucleus of a good secondary.

The only sure thing in the secondary is uncertainty. Ryan Hinds is the only player likely to be guaranteed a starter's role, with everything else being up in the air. Milt Collins is the presumed starter at safety, but I remember Carlos Thomas excelling in that role late in the season. I mean, the guy hits like a truck – just as Geroy Simon – which is a great skill to have when playing safety.

Dee Webb, who was brought over in the trade that sent Maurice Mann to the Argos, is a guy to keep an eye on. He was given a contract extension in the off-season, so the team sees something in him. Getting to be with the team in training camp will give Webb a chance to start off on the right foot. He could end up being the player that makes the biggest impact in the secondary in 2012.

Two other youngsters to keep tabs on are Woodney Turenne and Marcell Young. Both looked good in spots last season, and another year of growth could see them produce some big things.

Another player returning to the fold is the often-vilified Bo Smith. I will admit that I did not like Smith when I first saw him play, but upon his return to from the New York Jets, he looked a lot better. Last year, despite leading the team with three interceptions, he seemed to regress back to the old Bo Smith. He was trying to return from an achilles injury suffered late in the 2010 season, so perhaps he can go back to the guy we saw in 2010 now that he has had over a year to recover.

The secondary was easily the target of the most vitriol last season. But the unit improved near the end of the season and with a full off-season and training camp for the players, the secondary could be the one area that we see vast improvement come from little movement.

Ryan Hinds' Worthy Cause

The CFL players do untold amounts of charitable work, whether it be running football camps, doing stuff in the communities they play in or helping out in their hometowns. CFL players are as generous with their spare time as any athlete on the planet, and the league does an excellent job of recognizing the players' contributions off the field, and awards one such player at year's end with the Tom Pate Memorial Award at the annual CFL Awards banquet.

Ryan Hinds is just the latest to use his burgeoning stardom to give something back. Hinds has partnered up with the non-profit organization Guyana Help the Kids and has started his own blog to help spread the word. Guyanna Help the Kids does its charitable work in the field of health care, and Hinds will volunteer his time by going back to his home country with doctors from McMaster in March.

Stories like this don't make the headlines, and even when they are published they sometimes get overlooked. I hope Hinds finds as much success in this arena as he has on the football field.

Hinds Signs Extension

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.