CFL Versus NFL Kicking Stats and Paul McCallum

Comparing CFL and NFL kicking stats, especially completion percentage isn't an apples to apples comparison. The shortest distance an NFL kick can apparently be is around seventeen yards and one inch (the ball is at one inch from the goal line, the goal posts are ten yards behind the goal line and the ball is usually snapped back seven yards). Conversely for the CFL, the ball has to start at the one and be hiked back seven yards so an eight yard field goal is possible. Thus CFL kickers have a bunch of easy kicks possible that NFL kickers never have a chance at, boosting their completion percentage.

Of course one can always look at percentage over thirty or forty yards to get a more apt comparison. In the NFL this year the highest field goal completion percentage was Atlanta with 93.1, while Buffalo and Pittsburgh were tied for last with 74.2, which makes BC's Paul McCallum look pretty impressive, with a 94.3% with a longest of 53 yards.

Argos Sign Trafalis

Matt Dunnigan must be pleased, as the Argos have apparently signed former Ticat backup quarterback Adam Trafalis.

Ticats Sign Andy Fantuz

Wow. Was hoping but wasn't sure it would happen. Still concerned about the Ticat defence though, although maybe the Cat offense will more than compensate. Cats should go up in the pre-season power rankings.

Ticats Free Agent Watch, Part 1, Nothing Yet

Free agency has started and the Cats haven't signed anybody. Well they resigned import linebacker Ike Brown who I somehow have never noticed. Either Fantuz or a non-import guard (are there import guards?) is what I see today.

Justin Hickman Signs With Colts, Hamilton Defensive Line Crappier

Ticat defensive end Justin Hickman has apparently signed with the Indianapolis Colts. Hickman led the league with 13 sacks last year (OK tied for the league lead) and was a key part of a rather mediocre Ticat defence. Fallout from this is likely Stevie Baggs not going anywhere and the Cats making a mad scramble in training camp to find an import that can play end and not embarrass themselves. Don't kid yourself, the Hamilton defence just got a lot worse today.

Will Beer Prices Hit $9 at Ivor Wynne This Year?

I was going back over some old posts and I noticed that for 2010 apparently beer prices were $8.50 for a tall boy. Or at least that's what the post said. Last year tall boy prices were $8.75, which is a good number for getting a possible $1.25 tip is a fan is feeling generous.

Given that inflation is probably running somewhere in between 2% and 4%, there's a good chance tall boy prices could be $9 in 2012. Tabernac! Which probably isn't great for the beer servers' tips, although the move to $9.25 will probably really suck.

How much money to the Cats make off of beer sales anyways? I've wondered about that question before and I've concluded it is a decent amount. I'll assume the Cats pay $3 per tall boy for the beer, taxes and serving. Last year's average attendance was 23676 fans per game. Assuming each fan buys one tall boy (most kids excepted and those fans we all know and love making up their share) and that the pre-season game has the same attendance as the average (actually this year with free tickets for season ticker holders it was way higher, no doubt as part of a strategy of higher beer and merchandise sales), and $5.75 profit per beer, that works out to profit of $1.42 million. I'm guessing that Carling probably pays sponsorship that works out to roughly the raw cost of the beer for the right to sell the beer and advertising so the Cats make even more money off it. Of course this could be way off, but I'm doubting the Cats are going to release this info.

I should get around to doing a blog post comparing beer prices around the league. That would be interesting, although probably a little depressing too.

Cobourne, Rottier and Mullinder Released

Well after yesterdays post about signing Martell Mallett, the Cats released running back Avon Cobourne. Not a surprise. Age and cash. Hopefully Mallett can do something, Terry Grant comes back from injury or the Cats find a running back in training camp. As Tigercatatonia always says import running backs are pretty fungible.

Guard Simeon Rottier was released since he wants to go back to Edmonton. Too bad the Cats draft him, becomes decent, then goes home to Mommy. He's only a guard though, so hopefully the Cats can take the money they would have paid Rottier and pick up a satisfactory guard in free agent market.

Defensive tackle Luc Mullinder was pretty much a rent a body at the end of the year. A lot of how the defensive line will shake out depends on where end Justin Hickman goes. Plus who emerges at training camp.

The Cats now have some cash to spend during the free agency period. Generally I feel that you pay over the odds for free agents in the CFL, but you can always release them if necessary. No sentimentality in football.

Martell Mallett

Not sure what to say about the Martell Mallett signing. Obviously the odds of Avon Cobourne playing for the Cats this year is significantly less. I haven't heard what Martell's salary is, but I'm assuming it is less than Cobourne's. Maybe a camp battle, maybe Avon gets released before training camp.

I'm a little concerned that Mallett hasn't really played since 2009. My thesis is this was driven by the Ticats marketing department so they can sell little hammers playing off of the Mallett name. The Cats haven't had a running back merchandise product since the departure of De'Andra Cobb and the Cobb head.