Two New Coaches and TD Atlantic II

A couple pieces of news today as the Ti-Cats have rounded out their coaching staff, and it looks like they're headed to the East coast for a matchup with the Stamps.

First, the Tiger-Cats have hired two coaches: Rick Worman and Doug Malone. Worman will replace Mike Gibson as the team's Running Backs Coach (Gibson was also the Offensive Coordinator, a role that now belongs to Khari Jones) and Malone will replace Steve Buratto as Offensive Line Coach.

Worman brings a wealth of CFL knowledge, having served in multiple capacities with multiple teams, most notably as an Offensive Coordinator, most recently with the Edmonton Eskimos. Malone has over 30 years of experience, but none in the CFL.

The key for both of these gentlemen is to get the running game going, which was a weak spot, offensively, for the Cats in 2010. DeAndra' Cobb did not have the best of seasons (yes, he finished with decent stats, but anyone who actually watched the games knows he did not have a good year), and the O-Line seemed as if it was unaware of how to run block. If the running game can be fixed in 2011, the Cats' Offense will be downright lethal.

Secondly, it looks like the Tabbies will be "hosting" the Calgary Stampeders in Moncton in September.

The source article cites that "the [Tiger-Cats'] general manager let it slip during a radio interview earlier this year" that Hamilton would be the home team. I do not recall ever hearing this interview or hearing about this interview. If anyone of my loyal (or not-so-loyal) readers could please point me in the direction of this interview (or at least confirm it exists) I would be grateful.

Also, as was pointed out by one of my Twitter followers, the fact that the Cats will lose all nine home games in 2012 (with one or two possibly being played in Moncton), means that it is somewhat unfair to the fan base to lose one in 2011 as well. I do not have a problem with Hamilton playing in Moncton in 2011, but it should have been a home game for the Stamps, not the Cats. Since we are going to be deprived of an entire season's worth of games in 2012, we should at least have been given a full slate of games in 2011.

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.

McIntyre Motors to the Jets

This would have been a better headline had he signed with the Lions (think about it), but that did not happen. What did happen is fan favourite Garrett McIntyre signed with the New York Jets.

McIntyre became a hugely popular player in 2010 based on his stellar play and never-ending hustle, which earned him the nickname "Motor."

McIntyre played two seasons with the Tiger-Cats and posted 51 tackles and nine sacks. He had 32 of those tackles and eight of those sacks in 2010.

I wish McIntyre the best of luck in the NFL with the Jets, but I would be lying if I said I did not want to see him back in Black & Gold soon.

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.

Knowlton Extended

After a season that saw him take home the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player award, Markeith Knowlton has been rewarded with a contract extension that will keep him in Black & Gold through the 2013 season.

Knowlton was extended last season as well, so this new deal essentially adds another year to that extension.

With all the stadium talk (which I still have a moratorium on until an actual resolution is reached), it's nice to talk about football for once.

Extending Knowlton is a great move by the Tiger-Cats, who have been eerily quiet so far this off-season. This is the first player move the team has made since the season ended, while almost every other team has gone about re-signing some of their potential free agents. Perhaps this is the first move of many to come in the next few weeks. I wouldn't be upset if I had to write about an extension for another young, stud Linebacker.

Great to see Knowlton staying for the foreseeable future. He was one of our best players in 2010, and I expect him to continue that excellence in 2011.