The Picks
1) Calgary - Junior Turner, DL, Bishop's
2) Hamilton - Moe Petrus, OL, UConn
3) BC - Hugh O'Neill, K/P, Alberta
4) Saskatchewan - Craig Butler, DB, Western
5) Hamilton - Maurice Forbes, DL, Concordia
6) Edmonton - Hugh Lopez, DB, Toronto
7) Saskatchewan - Matt O'Donnell, OL, Queen's
8) Montreal - Anthony Barrette, OL, Concordia
My Thoughts
The Stamps start off round two by taking the first Defensive Lineman of the 2011 Draft in Bishop's Junior Turner. Turner is the cousin of Steven Turner, whom the Argos selected in last year's draft (but who missed the season with an injury). D-Line depth is always valued very highly, so it was surprising to see it take so long to see the first D-Lineman go off the board.
The Cats make a "futures pick," grabbing Moe Petrus with their first pick of the 2011 CFL Draft. Very risky pick because he has NFL ability and one year of NCAA eligibility left. Could be huge if he plays; could be a waste if he doesn't. The Cats take big gamble.
The Lions take Kicker Hugh O'Neill. That's a lot of Kickers with Paul McCallum and Sean Whyte, and rumour has it that the Leos have dealt Whyte to Montreal.
The Riders make their first pick of the 2011 CFL Draft and select Craig Butler. Don't know much about him, but Duane Forde says he could be an impact player. That's good enough for me.
The Tabbies select again in the second round and take Maurice Forbes. Since the Cats lost Jermaine Reid, they needed Canadian depth on the D-Line. Eddie Steele was picked last year, so the Cats are doing their best to replenish their Canadian talent along the D-Line.
The Stamps traded their pick to the Eskimos for Defensive Lineman Brian Bulcke. Eric Tillman doing what he always does: load up on Canadian talent, and Edmonton needed their cupboard restocked and grabbed University of Toronto's Hugh Lopez. I go to UofT, so this was cool to see. The Blues have been pretty bad for most of my time there, but it looks like the program is about to turn the corner. Awesome to see!
Saskatchewan uses its second second-round pick on Matt O'Donnell from Queen's. Dude is huge at 6'7" and over 300 lbs. Could be a monster for the Riders.
The Als make the final pick in the second round and use it on Anthony Barrette. He apparently worked with Marwan Hage in preparation for the draft. The Als don't need impact players, but they add more depth to their O-Line.
Sunday, 8 May 2011
2011 CFL Draft (Round One)
The Picks
1) Winnipeg - Henoc Muamba, LB, St. Francis Xavier
2) Edmonton - Scott Mitchell, OL, Rice
3) Calgary - Anthony Parker, WR, Calgary
4) Winnipeg - Jade Etienne, WR, Saskatchewan
5) Edmonton - Nathan Coehoorn, WR, Calgary
6) BC - Marco Iannuzzi, WR, Harvard
7) Toronto - Tyler Holmes, OL, Tulsa
8) Montreal -Brody McKnight, K/P, Montana
My Thoughts
We've known for a few days that Henoc Muamba was likely the top pick for the Blue Bombers. Muamba can be a ratio buster (a non-import starting at an import-heavy position) and could be a difference maker for the Bombers.
The Eskies went with Scott Mitchell, eschewing conventional wisdom that they need a Receiver. O-Line depth is always high on teams' radars at draft time. Mitchell will be used to keep Ricky Ray upright and healthy, something the Eskimos failed at last season.
The Stamps moved up to draft Anthony Parker. Great move, and I agree with Duane Forde and think Parker could end up being the best player from this draft when all is said and done. Smart move by the Stamps to go get him. I was hoping he'd land in Hamilton, but I didn't expect it to happen.
The Bombers pass on Nathan Coehoorn and Marco Iannuzzi and select a different Receiver: Jade Etienne from Saskatchewan. Stunning. NFL fans will understand when I say that this situation feels very similar to what occurred during the 2009 NFL Draft when the Oakland Raiders took Darius Heyward-Bey over Michael Crabtree.
The Cats' first pick came at number five and... they traded it to the Eskimos for the 10th and 13th picks (both in round two). The Eskimos took the number five selection and grabbed Nathan Coehoorn from Calgary. The Esks let Kamau Peterson go, and Coehoorn could fill his role. The Esks also grabbed Chris Bauman in free agency, so they are stockpiling Canadians at the Receiver position.
The Lions made it four Receivers in a row by taking Marco Iannuzzi from Harvard. Rumour had it that the Lions had Iannuzzi at or near the top of their draft list, so in trading down and getting picks, BC has to be ecstatic. However, Wally Buono and the BC front office should send a basket of baked goods to Winnipeg thanking them for taking Etienne instead of Coehoorn or Iannuzzi.
Saskatchewan dealt their pick to Toronto, and the Argos selected Tyler Holmes. The Argos add O-Line depth, which is always good, but he has one year left of NCAA eligibility, and the fear of Danny Watkins (who was picked by BC last year and went in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft) clearly didn't scare off the Argonauts.
The defending two-time Grey Cup champions finish off the first round by taking a Kicker in Montana's Brody McKnight. Many, like Duane Forde, thought Hugh O'Neill was the top Kicker in the draft, so the Als passing on him seems odd. The Als needed a Kicker-Punter, but McKnight has a year of eligibility left in the NCAA, so he won't help this year. Seems like a weird pick, at least to me.
1) Winnipeg - Henoc Muamba, LB, St. Francis Xavier
2) Edmonton - Scott Mitchell, OL, Rice
3) Calgary - Anthony Parker, WR, Calgary
4) Winnipeg - Jade Etienne, WR, Saskatchewan
5) Edmonton - Nathan Coehoorn, WR, Calgary
6) BC - Marco Iannuzzi, WR, Harvard
7) Toronto - Tyler Holmes, OL, Tulsa
8) Montreal -Brody McKnight, K/P, Montana
My Thoughts
We've known for a few days that Henoc Muamba was likely the top pick for the Blue Bombers. Muamba can be a ratio buster (a non-import starting at an import-heavy position) and could be a difference maker for the Bombers.
The Eskies went with Scott Mitchell, eschewing conventional wisdom that they need a Receiver. O-Line depth is always high on teams' radars at draft time. Mitchell will be used to keep Ricky Ray upright and healthy, something the Eskimos failed at last season.
The Stamps moved up to draft Anthony Parker. Great move, and I agree with Duane Forde and think Parker could end up being the best player from this draft when all is said and done. Smart move by the Stamps to go get him. I was hoping he'd land in Hamilton, but I didn't expect it to happen.
The Bombers pass on Nathan Coehoorn and Marco Iannuzzi and select a different Receiver: Jade Etienne from Saskatchewan. Stunning. NFL fans will understand when I say that this situation feels very similar to what occurred during the 2009 NFL Draft when the Oakland Raiders took Darius Heyward-Bey over Michael Crabtree.
The Cats' first pick came at number five and... they traded it to the Eskimos for the 10th and 13th picks (both in round two). The Eskimos took the number five selection and grabbed Nathan Coehoorn from Calgary. The Esks let Kamau Peterson go, and Coehoorn could fill his role. The Esks also grabbed Chris Bauman in free agency, so they are stockpiling Canadians at the Receiver position.
The Lions made it four Receivers in a row by taking Marco Iannuzzi from Harvard. Rumour had it that the Lions had Iannuzzi at or near the top of their draft list, so in trading down and getting picks, BC has to be ecstatic. However, Wally Buono and the BC front office should send a basket of baked goods to Winnipeg thanking them for taking Etienne instead of Coehoorn or Iannuzzi.
Saskatchewan dealt their pick to Toronto, and the Argos selected Tyler Holmes. The Argos add O-Line depth, which is always good, but he has one year left of NCAA eligibility, and the fear of Danny Watkins (who was picked by BC last year and went in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft) clearly didn't scare off the Argonauts.
The defending two-time Grey Cup champions finish off the first round by taking a Kicker in Montana's Brody McKnight. Many, like Duane Forde, thought Hugh O'Neill was the top Kicker in the draft, so the Als passing on him seems odd. The Als needed a Kicker-Punter, but McKnight has a year of eligibility left in the NCAA, so he won't help this year. Seems like a weird pick, at least to me.
Draft Day
As a sports fan one of my favourite events is the draft. I just love drafts. I don't know why, but I do, and the CFL Draft is no exception.
I love the increased coverage that the draft gets from TSN. Today we will see the first two rounds on TSN and TSN HD, with the third to sixth rounds being streamed live on the TSN website (TSN.ca). Last year only the first two rounds were broadcast, and there was no streaming of the last four rounds. Hopefully we get to the point where all six rounds are on TSN and TSN HD.
In case anyone is interested, the Tiger-Cats will be holding a live draft chat on their website (Ticats.ca). Following the draft, Tiger-Cat Assistant General Manager Joe Womack will answer some questions. This could be fun for draftniks of all stripes.
I will once again be providing round-by-round updates like I did last year. I will do my best to have the updates posted soon after the round ends. I will provide my opinions as usual, obviously focusing most heavily on the Tiger-Cats.
So sit back, grab a beverage and some snacks, and do like me and enjoy the 2011 CFL Draft. The fun begins at 12:30PM EST on TSN and TSN HD.
I love the increased coverage that the draft gets from TSN. Today we will see the first two rounds on TSN and TSN HD, with the third to sixth rounds being streamed live on the TSN website (TSN.ca). Last year only the first two rounds were broadcast, and there was no streaming of the last four rounds. Hopefully we get to the point where all six rounds are on TSN and TSN HD.
In case anyone is interested, the Tiger-Cats will be holding a live draft chat on their website (Ticats.ca). Following the draft, Tiger-Cat Assistant General Manager Joe Womack will answer some questions. This could be fun for draftniks of all stripes.
I will once again be providing round-by-round updates like I did last year. I will do my best to have the updates posted soon after the round ends. I will provide my opinions as usual, obviously focusing most heavily on the Tiger-Cats.
So sit back, grab a beverage and some snacks, and do like me and enjoy the 2011 CFL Draft. The fun begins at 12:30PM EST on TSN and TSN HD.
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Portrait of a City
As much as I am a Tiger-Cat fan, I am also a Hamiltonian. Most of the time I am proud of that fact. Being from Hamilton made me who I am, and if not for being raised in Hamilton, I would not be a Tiger-Cat fan. I owe a lot to Hamilton.
I know I am probably way late on this, but a video surfaced online about a month ago titled "Portrait of a City" about the great city of Hamilton in the 1940s. I had the video sent to me by two different people, and I finally got around to watching it today. One word sums up my feelings on the video: fantastic! The history dork in me loves it, and there is even a little something for the Tiger-Cat fan in me.
There is a scene where athletes are at Civic Stadium, now known as our beloved Ivor Wynne Stadium, taking part in some Track & Field events. (The scene starts at the 12:42 mark.) It is pretty weird to see what the place looked like in the 1940s.
There is also a brief clip of the Tiger-Cats playing at Civic Stadium. (It begins at the 13:13 mark.) It's not a very long clip, and I can't tell who they are playing (Ottawa, perhaps? Calgary?), but it was cool nonetheless.
This is a video that every Hamiltonian should see, so please feel free to pass this video along. It was posted online by Brian Potstra who says that a friend of friend saved this from being tossed out at City Hall. Can you imagine? Losing this would have been horrible! Now we can all enjoy it thanks to that person who kept it from being thrown in the garbage.
Here is the video. It runs a little over 20 minutes. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.
I know I am probably way late on this, but a video surfaced online about a month ago titled "Portrait of a City" about the great city of Hamilton in the 1940s. I had the video sent to me by two different people, and I finally got around to watching it today. One word sums up my feelings on the video: fantastic! The history dork in me loves it, and there is even a little something for the Tiger-Cat fan in me.
There is a scene where athletes are at Civic Stadium, now known as our beloved Ivor Wynne Stadium, taking part in some Track & Field events. (The scene starts at the 12:42 mark.) It is pretty weird to see what the place looked like in the 1940s.
There is also a brief clip of the Tiger-Cats playing at Civic Stadium. (It begins at the 13:13 mark.) It's not a very long clip, and I can't tell who they are playing (Ottawa, perhaps? Calgary?), but it was cool nonetheless.
This is a video that every Hamiltonian should see, so please feel free to pass this video along. It was posted online by Brian Potstra who says that a friend of friend saved this from being tossed out at City Hall. Can you imagine? Losing this would have been horrible! Now we can all enjoy it thanks to that person who kept it from being thrown in the garbage.
Here is the video. It runs a little over 20 minutes. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.
Friday, 6 May 2011
Draft Time
The 2011 CFL Draft is this coming Sunday. Rounds one and two will air live on TSN starting at 12:30PM, with TSN.ca streaming the final four rounds.
The Tiger-Cats have the 5th, 20th, 21st, 33rd, 36th and 44th selections.
So what should the Cats look to do with those picks? As always, depth on the Offensive and Defensive Lines and finding a young Receiver should be priorities.
While my evaluations are hardly scientific, I do like University of Calgary Receiver Anthony Parker and would be quite happy to see him land in Hamilton. Unlike the last high-round Receiver pick the Tiger-Cats made, Parker will not have the same expectations heaped on him. Hamilton is not in the same position they were in 2007, and Parker could be brought along slowly and developed in the way that Chris Bauman wasn't allowed to.
Another interesting draft tidbit is this list of the last 10 number-one overall picks. Of those 10 picks, the Tiger-Cats had four, including three in a row from 2007 to 2009. To say that the previous decade was unkind to the Tabbies would be an understatement.
I hope everyone enjoys the draft this weekend, and like last year, I will have my thoughts on the first two rounds and on the Tiger-Cats' draft as a whole.
The Tiger-Cats have the 5th, 20th, 21st, 33rd, 36th and 44th selections.
So what should the Cats look to do with those picks? As always, depth on the Offensive and Defensive Lines and finding a young Receiver should be priorities.
While my evaluations are hardly scientific, I do like University of Calgary Receiver Anthony Parker and would be quite happy to see him land in Hamilton. Unlike the last high-round Receiver pick the Tiger-Cats made, Parker will not have the same expectations heaped on him. Hamilton is not in the same position they were in 2007, and Parker could be brought along slowly and developed in the way that Chris Bauman wasn't allowed to.
Another interesting draft tidbit is this list of the last 10 number-one overall picks. Of those 10 picks, the Tiger-Cats had four, including three in a row from 2007 to 2009. To say that the previous decade was unkind to the Tabbies would be an understatement.
I hope everyone enjoys the draft this weekend, and like last year, I will have my thoughts on the first two rounds and on the Tiger-Cats' draft as a whole.
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