So only the Riders went over the salary cap in 2013. However the team only went over the cap (4.4 million) by 18K. That's below the barrier of 100K where a team loses draft picks and the penalty is just a 1 for 1 extra dollar hit.
I've argued before that there is an incentive for richer teams (which is pretty much the Riders and maybe the Edmonton Eskimos) to go over the salary cap by $99,999 as the monetary penalty is relatively small and no draft picks would be lost. The Riders are widely profitable compared to the other teams in the league, so the extra money is meaningless to them. 100K is potentially 20K per starting offensive lineman, which isn't chump change in the CFL.
I suppose it should be pointed out that only Saskatchewan went over and they won the Grey Cup. However what I find interesting, is that the Ticats set a record for players used in a season (88) due to injuries (and maybe trying out a lot of stiffs in game) and didn't go over themselves. I know a player going on the nine game injured list means their salary doesn't contribute for those games on the salary cap, but what happens for players that are injured for one game at a time?
Showing posts with label 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2013. Show all posts
Friday, April 25, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Kent Austin Nominated for 2013 CFL Coach of the Year
Kent Austin was nominated along with Saskatchewan's Corey Chamblin and Calgary's John Hufnagel.
The Annis Stukis trophy is interesting because it is decided after the season. Obviously from that Chamblin could win for winning the Grey Cup, however I think Austin has a good chance, taking the 2012 6 and 12 Ticats to a 10 and 8 regular season in 2013 and winning two playoff games before losing in the Grey Cup. Although losing badly in the Grey Cup might not help.
Scott Milanovich won it last year after winning the Grey Cup. Kent Austin has already won the trophy in 2007 when the Riders won the Cup.
The last Hamilton winner was Greg Marshall in 2004.
The Annis Stukis trophy is interesting because it is decided after the season. Obviously from that Chamblin could win for winning the Grey Cup, however I think Austin has a good chance, taking the 2012 6 and 12 Ticats to a 10 and 8 regular season in 2013 and winning two playoff games before losing in the Grey Cup. Although losing badly in the Grey Cup might not help.
Scott Milanovich won it last year after winning the Grey Cup. Kent Austin has already won the trophy in 2007 when the Riders won the Cup.
The last Hamilton winner was Greg Marshall in 2004.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Grey Cup 101: That Kinda Sucked
I'll have more posts going over Grey Cup 101 which turned into a debacle for the Cats. I was afraid of the scenario where the Cats got down early and they did.
Two plays stick out. The first is the one where Durant fumbled and the ball popped straight up into Korey Sheets hands and he rumbled for a ton of yards. Teams don't get much luckier than that and if the ball doesn't advance from the point of the fumble, the Riders are punting and maybe the game turns out a lot differently. Durant fumbled three times in the first half and usually that's bad for a team, but not in this game.
The second was in the second half where the Cats were sort of coming back and had the Riders at second and 19 fairly deep in their own end. Korey Sheets rumbled 20 plus yards up the sideline, the Riders made the first down and that was pretty much the end of the comeback.
The last game did suck for Ticats fans (apart from the first five minutes). The Cats were unlucky that they were facing the Riders in Regina, which is a home game for the Riders. A bit obvious, but if the game happened to be in Winnipeg or Edmonton things would have been a little different (although there still would have been a lot of Rider fans).
Still it was a good season for the Ticats. Two close playoff wins, including one in Toronto against Toronto were highlights. Going into next year, the Cats have a good coach and GM and pretty decent talent and should contend for top of the East next year (especially with Ottawa joining the East).
Two plays stick out. The first is the one where Durant fumbled and the ball popped straight up into Korey Sheets hands and he rumbled for a ton of yards. Teams don't get much luckier than that and if the ball doesn't advance from the point of the fumble, the Riders are punting and maybe the game turns out a lot differently. Durant fumbled three times in the first half and usually that's bad for a team, but not in this game.
The second was in the second half where the Cats were sort of coming back and had the Riders at second and 19 fairly deep in their own end. Korey Sheets rumbled 20 plus yards up the sideline, the Riders made the first down and that was pretty much the end of the comeback.
The last game did suck for Ticats fans (apart from the first five minutes). The Cats were unlucky that they were facing the Riders in Regina, which is a home game for the Riders. A bit obvious, but if the game happened to be in Winnipeg or Edmonton things would have been a little different (although there still would have been a lot of Rider fans).
Still it was a good season for the Ticats. Two close playoff wins, including one in Toronto against Toronto were highlights. Going into next year, the Cats have a good coach and GM and pretty decent talent and should contend for top of the East next year (especially with Ottawa joining the East).
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Grey Cup 101 Preview
Well it's game day and the Cats have made it to the Grey Cup, for the first time since 1999. Although statistically the team has a one in four chance of making it, so it should seem that remarkable.
Looking at the lineup, the Cats are pretty healthy. The offensive line is the one that gets used when the Cats are healthy, with imports Simmons and Figuero as the tackles, and Dyakowski (future Jeopardy contestant, Hage and Wojt in between. That should be better for both run and pass blocking, although the Cats haven't run with a running back much the past couple of games.
For the receiving corps, the Cats are again going with import Luke Tasker plays again at wide receiver after making one catch last week against the Argos. He was injured previously and goes instead of Onrea Jones, who is at least a decent blocker and isn't even on the roster.
Ellingson is the other import receiver. Bakari Grant is a slot along with non-imports Giguere and Fantuz. Gable is the running back with non-import Delahunt as the fullback when the Cats aren't using five receivers.
Burris is obviously the starter with LeFevour as the backup quarterback.
This is the starting offense the Cats generally wanted. The last few weeks the non-quarterback running game has been non-existent. Not being indoors maybe Gable sees more runs rather than just catches? Also indoors last week Burris handled almost all the snaps. In colder weather do the Cats use LeFevour for running plays like against Montreal in Guelph?
On defence, the defensive line is the regular one with Boudreaux and Norwood as the ends, with non-import Bulcke and Davis in the middle. Whether they can stop running back Kory Sheets probably deterBremines who wins the game.
The starting linebackers are Lawrence, Johnson and Murray.
The secondary has Breaux and Davis as the starting cornerbacks with McCollough and Hobbs as the defensive halfbacks. Webb is listed as a backup. Non-import Stephen is the safety.
Congi kicks and Bartel punts, with Banks as the returner.
The game really depends on the Cats not falling behind early. If they do, the Riders will pound Sheets over and over again. The Cats also have to watch for Durant running.
Looking at the lineup, the Cats are pretty healthy. The offensive line is the one that gets used when the Cats are healthy, with imports Simmons and Figuero as the tackles, and Dyakowski (future Jeopardy contestant, Hage and Wojt in between. That should be better for both run and pass blocking, although the Cats haven't run with a running back much the past couple of games.
For the receiving corps, the Cats are again going with import Luke Tasker plays again at wide receiver after making one catch last week against the Argos. He was injured previously and goes instead of Onrea Jones, who is at least a decent blocker and isn't even on the roster.
Ellingson is the other import receiver. Bakari Grant is a slot along with non-imports Giguere and Fantuz. Gable is the running back with non-import Delahunt as the fullback when the Cats aren't using five receivers.
Burris is obviously the starter with LeFevour as the backup quarterback.
This is the starting offense the Cats generally wanted. The last few weeks the non-quarterback running game has been non-existent. Not being indoors maybe Gable sees more runs rather than just catches? Also indoors last week Burris handled almost all the snaps. In colder weather do the Cats use LeFevour for running plays like against Montreal in Guelph?
On defence, the defensive line is the regular one with Boudreaux and Norwood as the ends, with non-import Bulcke and Davis in the middle. Whether they can stop running back Kory Sheets probably deterBremines who wins the game.
The starting linebackers are Lawrence, Johnson and Murray.
The secondary has Breaux and Davis as the starting cornerbacks with McCollough and Hobbs as the defensive halfbacks. Webb is listed as a backup. Non-import Stephen is the safety.
Congi kicks and Bartel punts, with Banks as the returner.
The game really depends on the Cats not falling behind early. If they do, the Riders will pound Sheets over and over again. The Cats also have to watch for Durant running.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Ticats Win! Going to the Grey Cup 101
I made the journey to Dead Ted's Dome (aka the Rogers Centre)* to watch the Ticats play the Argos today in the East Final. I got on the GO train at Clarkson (11:06 am train) and it was packed, mostly with Ticat fans and maybe a few people going to the Santa Claus parade. And the odd Argo fan. I walked up to Milestones, where there were a fair number of Ticat fans and then walked back to Rogers as a mini-parade formed of Ticats fans.
At the game, there were a lot of Argo fans, but certainly a lot of Ticat fans, especially on the Ticat side of the lower bowl. I sat in the 500 level, pretty much dead set with the C. Those seats weren't expensive at $43.75 including taxes and the Ticketmaster gouge, and have a really good view of the field.
The first half was pretty concerning, as Ricky Ray slice and diced the Cat defense, Argo receivers made a lot of yards after the catch and the Ticat receivers made pretty much no yards after the catch. The Cats did manage to score a late TD, bringing it within a TD and I felt somewhat better.
The second half was an awesome display of ball control and not letting Ray get much of a chance. The Argos had a bunch of two and outs, while the Cats had a number of long drives, culminating in the last five minutes where the Cats sealed the deal. I had to leave a bit earlier to catch the GO train back to Clarkson and then drive to Buffalo to fly to Boston, but I listened to the CHML app on my phone and it was indeed sweet.
Props to Fantuz who had 11 receptions and a plethora of first downs and Henry Burris for having an awesome second half. I'll go over the stats more tomorrow, but I'm just going to bask in the glory of going back to the Grey Cup for the first time since 1999.
* Ironically I had difficulty getting signal on my Rogers phone inside the Rogers Centre. How about that.
At the game, there were a lot of Argo fans, but certainly a lot of Ticat fans, especially on the Ticat side of the lower bowl. I sat in the 500 level, pretty much dead set with the C. Those seats weren't expensive at $43.75 including taxes and the Ticketmaster gouge, and have a really good view of the field.
The first half was pretty concerning, as Ricky Ray slice and diced the Cat defense, Argo receivers made a lot of yards after the catch and the Ticat receivers made pretty much no yards after the catch. The Cats did manage to score a late TD, bringing it within a TD and I felt somewhat better.
The second half was an awesome display of ball control and not letting Ray get much of a chance. The Argos had a bunch of two and outs, while the Cats had a number of long drives, culminating in the last five minutes where the Cats sealed the deal. I had to leave a bit earlier to catch the GO train back to Clarkson and then drive to Buffalo to fly to Boston, but I listened to the CHML app on my phone and it was indeed sweet.
Props to Fantuz who had 11 receptions and a plethora of first downs and Henry Burris for having an awesome second half. I'll go over the stats more tomorrow, but I'm just going to bask in the glory of going back to the Grey Cup for the first time since 1999.
* Ironically I had difficulty getting signal on my Rogers phone inside the Rogers Centre. How about that.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Will Rob Ford Go to the East Final on Sunday?
Cunnilingus maven Rob Ford has been asked by the organizers of the Toronto Santa Claus parade to not come this Sunday. The Argos Ticats playoff game is also this Sunday and yesterday Rob Ford sported his Argonauts shirt (number 12) while making some ill-advised comments, so the possibility is there that he could attend. The Argos have tried to distance themselves from Ford, however if did attend (and made it known he was attending) that could lead to some additional publicity and perhaps attendance for the game. On last night's Daily Show, the CFL tag on the front of Ford's shirt was prominently visible.
Hamilton mayor Bob "Britannia" Bratina has refused a traditional friendly bet with Ford. As a Hamiltonian and Ticat fan, I think this is ill-advised as our mayor should have more confidence in his team.
Hamilton mayor Bob "Britannia" Bratina has refused a traditional friendly bet with Ford. As a Hamiltonian and Ticat fan, I think this is ill-advised as our mayor should have more confidence in his team.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Toronto Argonauts Just Opened Up the 500 Level for the 2013 CFL Eastern Final
Just saw a tweet from @CFL that the Argos have opened up the 500 level (basically the upper level of the Roger's Centre) for the Eastern Final. I highly suggest getting tickets there rather than the lower bowl.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Ticats Win East Semi-Final in Overtime Against the Alouettes, Quick Analysis
Another game against the Alouettes that had a satisfying ending, this one 16 to 13 in overtime.
I was at the game and the wind was incredibly strong and was by far the main factor in the game. Punting into the win was close to useless and the fact the Cats were against it in the fourth quarter had a sense of doom associated with it.
The Montreal defence was mostly awesome and the Montreal offense was mostly smelly including quarterback Troy Smith who again had a completion percentage below 50% (albeit in punishing conditions).
The Cats offense was mostly bad, but turned it on at the end into the wind, with the Gable TD and then in the Cats first overtime possession. The Cats continued with their use of LeFevour, including for the final two plays of the game when he went up the gut. Using multiple quarterbacks in the game blows commentators minds, but who's in the East final?
Looking ahead to Toronto, the Argo defence isn't nearly as aggressive against the pass, the game is indoors and Ricky Ray is way, way better than Troy Smith. Chad Kackert is supposedly injured, but I'm not sure he's that much better than his backup.
I'll go over the stats tomorrow. Tonight I'm just going to enjoy the victory. I'm not even sure when the last Ticat home victory was.
I was at the game and the wind was incredibly strong and was by far the main factor in the game. Punting into the win was close to useless and the fact the Cats were against it in the fourth quarter had a sense of doom associated with it.
The Montreal defence was mostly awesome and the Montreal offense was mostly smelly including quarterback Troy Smith who again had a completion percentage below 50% (albeit in punishing conditions).
The Cats offense was mostly bad, but turned it on at the end into the wind, with the Gable TD and then in the Cats first overtime possession. The Cats continued with their use of LeFevour, including for the final two plays of the game when he went up the gut. Using multiple quarterbacks in the game blows commentators minds, but who's in the East final?
Looking ahead to Toronto, the Argo defence isn't nearly as aggressive against the pass, the game is indoors and Ricky Ray is way, way better than Troy Smith. Chad Kackert is supposedly injured, but I'm not sure he's that much better than his backup.
I'll go over the stats tomorrow. Tonight I'm just going to enjoy the victory. I'm not even sure when the last Ticat home victory was.
Montreal at Hamilton East Semi-Final
The morning of the big game, first home playoff game since 2003. Weather forecast is 6 C and rainy in Guelph. Last I heard yesterday there were not many tickets left, so a sellout seems likely. How many Alouettes fans is also a question.
After some injuries of late, the Cats are apparently returning to a lineup they had at mid-season.
Importantly for the offensive line, the Cats have returned to two imports as the tackles, Simmons and Figueroa, with Wojt moving from tackle back to guard along with Dyakowski at guard and Hage at centre. That means the Cats will need an additional Canadian starter on offence.
Ellingson is penciled in as one of the starting receivers along with Onrea Jones who had an excellent game last week when many of the other receivers were rested. Ellingson has missed the previous seven games, so what he'll be like will be interesting. From Ticats.ca, Ellingson apparently had a leg injury.
Grant, along with the non-imports Fantuz and Giguere are the slotbacks. Tasker who along with Ellingson has been injured is listed as a backup slotback, but barring one of the others above on the depth chart not playing, Tasker probably sits.
Gable is the running back and Delahunt the fullback, with Burris, LeFevour and Masoli as the backups. Congi kicks and Bartel punts. Banks is listed as the kickoff and punt returner.
On the defensive line, there's the preferred lineup with Bourdreaux and Norwood as the defensive ends and Davis and non-import Bulcke in the middle.
After taking last week off, Lawrence, Johnson and Murray are the starting linebackers. Corners are Breaux (back from injury) and Davis, McCollough and Hobbs as the defensive halfbacks and non-import Stephen as the safety.
For the Als, both offensive tackles, Bourke and Perrett are non-imports, but weirdly one of the guards Ola is an import, with Bomben the other and Brodeur the centre.
Carter, Bruce and non-import Graves are listed as the wide receivers, with Bowling and Green the slots. Lavoie is the fullback and Sutton the running back. Smith, Neiswander and Marsh are the quarterbacks. Goat of the last Ticat Alouette game, Whyte is the kicker and punter.
On the all import defensive line, Lavarias and Bowman are the ends and Cash and Hopkins are in the middle.
Cox, non-import Emry, and Herbert are the starting linebackers. However whether Herbert will actually play is unknown and apparently a game time decision. Gainey and former Ticat Tisdale are the cornerbacks, Parker and Brown are the halfbacks, although Parker likely won't play according to Alouette supreme overlord Jim Popp on Friday. Non-import Edem is the safety.
After some injuries of late, the Cats are apparently returning to a lineup they had at mid-season.
Importantly for the offensive line, the Cats have returned to two imports as the tackles, Simmons and Figueroa, with Wojt moving from tackle back to guard along with Dyakowski at guard and Hage at centre. That means the Cats will need an additional Canadian starter on offence.
Ellingson is penciled in as one of the starting receivers along with Onrea Jones who had an excellent game last week when many of the other receivers were rested. Ellingson has missed the previous seven games, so what he'll be like will be interesting. From Ticats.ca, Ellingson apparently had a leg injury.
Grant, along with the non-imports Fantuz and Giguere are the slotbacks. Tasker who along with Ellingson has been injured is listed as a backup slotback, but barring one of the others above on the depth chart not playing, Tasker probably sits.
Gable is the running back and Delahunt the fullback, with Burris, LeFevour and Masoli as the backups. Congi kicks and Bartel punts. Banks is listed as the kickoff and punt returner.
On the defensive line, there's the preferred lineup with Bourdreaux and Norwood as the defensive ends and Davis and non-import Bulcke in the middle.
After taking last week off, Lawrence, Johnson and Murray are the starting linebackers. Corners are Breaux (back from injury) and Davis, McCollough and Hobbs as the defensive halfbacks and non-import Stephen as the safety.
For the Als, both offensive tackles, Bourke and Perrett are non-imports, but weirdly one of the guards Ola is an import, with Bomben the other and Brodeur the centre.
Carter, Bruce and non-import Graves are listed as the wide receivers, with Bowling and Green the slots. Lavoie is the fullback and Sutton the running back. Smith, Neiswander and Marsh are the quarterbacks. Goat of the last Ticat Alouette game, Whyte is the kicker and punter.
On the all import defensive line, Lavarias and Bowman are the ends and Cash and Hopkins are in the middle.
Cox, non-import Emry, and Herbert are the starting linebackers. However whether Herbert will actually play is unknown and apparently a game time decision. Gainey and former Ticat Tisdale are the cornerbacks, Parker and Brown are the halfbacks, although Parker likely won't play according to Alouette supreme overlord Jim Popp on Friday. Non-import Edem is the safety.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Weather Forecast for 2013 CFL Eastern Semi-Final in Guelph
In Guelph tomorrow, the high is 7 and the low is 0 and the precipitation forecast is rain. So cold rain, but not really cold rain (or freezing rain). Some pundits have predicted cold weather would benefit Montreal because I suppose of Hamilton's poor running game versus their strong passing game. However Henry Burris having played in Calgary for years has significantly more cold weather experience than Troy Smith (who played at Ohio State University and not much at all in the NFL). Smith's completion percentage so far in the CFL has not been anything to write home about and I can't imagine cold rain will improve on it.
In terms of the running game, if the Cats decide to run, they may go with Jerimiah Masoli at quarterback and run the wildcat again which worked against Montreal in the last game.
In terms of the running game, if the Cats decide to run, they may go with Jerimiah Masoli at quarterback and run the wildcat again which worked against Montreal in the last game.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Ticats Say Greg Ellingson Probable Against Montreal
Just saw on the Ticats twitter feed that Greg Ellingson is probable for Sunday's playoff game. Of course that's not 100% as Ellingson seemed to be coming back for other games.
2013 CFL Television Ratings Up 4.3 %
Chris Zelkowich's Yahoo blog has a rundown on the television increases for this CFL this year. Argos games were up 26% while the Ticats were up 14%. The Argos had a better regular season record than last year and are probably coming off a bump from winning the Grey Cup last year (no one knew the Argos would win it during the regular season last year).
The Cats regular season record went from 6 and 10 to 10 and 8 this year which is probably the main reason for the increase. The Cats were out of if relatively early this year. The Cats increase is more impressive as there was no Labour Day game to juice the rankings.
For the Argos and Cats to go up, likely the Eskimos and Bombers went down as they were out of it relatively early this year.
I wouldn't mind seeing a ranking or better yet the actual numbers for the different teams.
The Cats regular season record went from 6 and 10 to 10 and 8 this year which is probably the main reason for the increase. The Cats were out of if relatively early this year. The Cats increase is more impressive as there was no Labour Day game to juice the rankings.
For the Argos and Cats to go up, likely the Eskimos and Bombers went down as they were out of it relatively early this year.
I wouldn't mind seeing a ranking or better yet the actual numbers for the different teams.
Monday, November 4, 2013
2013 CFL Power Rankings Week 19
1. Calgary Stampeders
Still the best team, although the fallout from injuries from their game against the Lions remains to be seen. At least they have an off week. They still have Glenn and Cornish and Hughes which is a pretty good core.
2. Toronto Argonauts
Sure they lost against Montreal, but that was without Ricky Ray and his ridiculous completion percentage along with other assorted starters. Plus they have a solid ballhawking defence. They did lose three out of four to close out the season, which is a bit worrisome, but because of their earlier stellar play the last four games weren't that important.
3. Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Riders did lose to Edmonton in the final regular season game of the year, but they kept it close with backup quarterback Willy. The Riders were great in the first half of the year, but pretty mediocre in the second half and go into the playoffs with a two game losing streak. When Sheets is healthy, the Riders are still a good team, but not a great team.
4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Cats won four of their five last games and blew out the hapless Bombers on the road despite resting their starting linebackers, C.J. Gable, slot Andy Fantuz and others. At least Hamilton looks like they have good depth. Burris looked better in this game than against the ferocious pass rush of Montreal the previous two weeks. Hamilton is relatively healthy (apart from import receivers Ellingson and Tasker) compared to a lot of other teams which is a plus.
5. BC Lions
Travis Lulay came back which is the main thing for the Lions. They beat the Stamps at home easily. Also importantly Andrew Harris had over 100 yards rushing and got back on track, while Stefan Logan added another 62 on the ground for an effective ground attack. BC is a bit of a wild card going into the playoffs and could easily upset the Riders.
6. Montreal Alouettes
The Als beat Toronto in a meaningless game. That's something. Quarterback Troy Smith looked decent and has emerged as an OK replacement for Anthony Calvillo. Montreal still has a great defence, which separates them from the two bottom teams. Their offense is still their Achilles heel even with Smith.
7. Edmonton Eskimos
Kavis Reed is now gone. I'm not sure if that makes the team automatically better or not. The Esks did manage to go out on a high note, beating the Roughriders in a meaningless game where the Riders resting a lot of players. That's more than the last placed team. Will the Esks be better next year? Sometimes bad teams play better at the end of the season as they regress towards the mean. The Eskimos didn't do that. There's a couple of good parts (Fred Stamps), but the Eskimos just didn't have the horses. Expect to see a jettisoning of many players over the off-season. Improving the offensive line might be a good starting point to try and keep Mike Reilly alive.
8. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Hamilton didn't absolutely need to win their game with the Bombers on the weekend, but were somewhat motivated to have a winning regular season record. The Bombers were playing for pride and for next year's jobs. They basically shit the bed. Max Hall couldn't move the ball at all and had a veritable festival of two and outs and were torched by also ran receiver Onrea Jones. Does Tim Burke get fired? I think there's a case to be made. Will the Bombers be better next year? Regression to the mean would say so. The Bombers are pretty screwed moving to the West next year anyways. Another rebuilding year.
Still the best team, although the fallout from injuries from their game against the Lions remains to be seen. At least they have an off week. They still have Glenn and Cornish and Hughes which is a pretty good core.
2. Toronto Argonauts
Sure they lost against Montreal, but that was without Ricky Ray and his ridiculous completion percentage along with other assorted starters. Plus they have a solid ballhawking defence. They did lose three out of four to close out the season, which is a bit worrisome, but because of their earlier stellar play the last four games weren't that important.
3. Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Riders did lose to Edmonton in the final regular season game of the year, but they kept it close with backup quarterback Willy. The Riders were great in the first half of the year, but pretty mediocre in the second half and go into the playoffs with a two game losing streak. When Sheets is healthy, the Riders are still a good team, but not a great team.
4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Cats won four of their five last games and blew out the hapless Bombers on the road despite resting their starting linebackers, C.J. Gable, slot Andy Fantuz and others. At least Hamilton looks like they have good depth. Burris looked better in this game than against the ferocious pass rush of Montreal the previous two weeks. Hamilton is relatively healthy (apart from import receivers Ellingson and Tasker) compared to a lot of other teams which is a plus.
5. BC Lions
Travis Lulay came back which is the main thing for the Lions. They beat the Stamps at home easily. Also importantly Andrew Harris had over 100 yards rushing and got back on track, while Stefan Logan added another 62 on the ground for an effective ground attack. BC is a bit of a wild card going into the playoffs and could easily upset the Riders.
6. Montreal Alouettes
The Als beat Toronto in a meaningless game. That's something. Quarterback Troy Smith looked decent and has emerged as an OK replacement for Anthony Calvillo. Montreal still has a great defence, which separates them from the two bottom teams. Their offense is still their Achilles heel even with Smith.
7. Edmonton Eskimos
Kavis Reed is now gone. I'm not sure if that makes the team automatically better or not. The Esks did manage to go out on a high note, beating the Roughriders in a meaningless game where the Riders resting a lot of players. That's more than the last placed team. Will the Esks be better next year? Sometimes bad teams play better at the end of the season as they regress towards the mean. The Eskimos didn't do that. There's a couple of good parts (Fred Stamps), but the Eskimos just didn't have the horses. Expect to see a jettisoning of many players over the off-season. Improving the offensive line might be a good starting point to try and keep Mike Reilly alive.
8. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Hamilton didn't absolutely need to win their game with the Bombers on the weekend, but were somewhat motivated to have a winning regular season record. The Bombers were playing for pride and for next year's jobs. They basically shit the bed. Max Hall couldn't move the ball at all and had a veritable festival of two and outs and were torched by also ran receiver Onrea Jones. Does Tim Burke get fired? I think there's a case to be made. Will the Bombers be better next year? Regression to the mean would say so. The Bombers are pretty screwed moving to the West next year anyways. Another rebuilding year.
Friday, November 1, 2013
2013 CFL Predictions Week 19
All games that don't matter!
Montreal at Toronto
Ricky Ray is being rested (pretty sensibly) which does hurt, although Collaros did quite well when Ray was injured. Toronto will probably rest anyone else who is iffy. Montreal will go with Troy Smith again and I will assume try to go with a lot of the first team offense just to try and get them more in sync with Smith before next week's playoff game. More likely some defenders may rest. Hard to pick. I have the feeling Toronto doesn't really care, however I do like Collaros better than Smith at this stage. Toronto is a much more ballhawking defence than Hamilton was the past two weeks against Smith, expect a few picks. Maybe even pick sixes.
Toronto 33 Montreal 22
Calgary at BC
Buck Pierce gets the start. But will he get the finish? Even if he is healthy (which is a bit of a stretch) DeMarco will probably finish. Haven't heard who starts for Calgary, but it will probably be Tate who will be motivated. BC is at home and the Stamps don't care too much. However the Lions offense has been mediocre all season, especially without Lulay. Talent seems to be a bit of problem and I don't expect that to change.
Stamps 44 Lions 38
Hamilton at Winnipeg
The Ticats wouldn't mind getting 10 wins and having a winning regular season (the last I believe was 2003), so there's that. Winnipeg is playing for their jobs, but that's because they aren't a very good team. The Cats have some starters coming back from injury who will play to get the rust off (hello Greg Ellingson) so it won't be a pile of total stiffs for Hamilton. Burris will get some work, but last week Masoli got a ton of action with the wildcat and was more effective than Burris and will obviously play a lot, so that might not be to Winnipeg's advantage. Defensive end Greg Peach (formerly a Ticat) is injured in a surprise to no one. Somehow with Hamilton needing a victory for a regular season winning record I think they'll do it. Also Winnipeg has been pretty incompetent this year.
Ticats 28 Bombers 26
Edmonton at Saskatchewan
A nothing game to the Riders, but Edmonton has found ways to lose all year, so I'm not go to even waste the time with a cursory analysis.
Riders 30 Eskimos 20
Montreal at Toronto
Ricky Ray is being rested (pretty sensibly) which does hurt, although Collaros did quite well when Ray was injured. Toronto will probably rest anyone else who is iffy. Montreal will go with Troy Smith again and I will assume try to go with a lot of the first team offense just to try and get them more in sync with Smith before next week's playoff game. More likely some defenders may rest. Hard to pick. I have the feeling Toronto doesn't really care, however I do like Collaros better than Smith at this stage. Toronto is a much more ballhawking defence than Hamilton was the past two weeks against Smith, expect a few picks. Maybe even pick sixes.
Toronto 33 Montreal 22
Calgary at BC
Buck Pierce gets the start. But will he get the finish? Even if he is healthy (which is a bit of a stretch) DeMarco will probably finish. Haven't heard who starts for Calgary, but it will probably be Tate who will be motivated. BC is at home and the Stamps don't care too much. However the Lions offense has been mediocre all season, especially without Lulay. Talent seems to be a bit of problem and I don't expect that to change.
Stamps 44 Lions 38
Hamilton at Winnipeg
The Ticats wouldn't mind getting 10 wins and having a winning regular season (the last I believe was 2003), so there's that. Winnipeg is playing for their jobs, but that's because they aren't a very good team. The Cats have some starters coming back from injury who will play to get the rust off (hello Greg Ellingson) so it won't be a pile of total stiffs for Hamilton. Burris will get some work, but last week Masoli got a ton of action with the wildcat and was more effective than Burris and will obviously play a lot, so that might not be to Winnipeg's advantage. Defensive end Greg Peach (formerly a Ticat) is injured in a surprise to no one. Somehow with Hamilton needing a victory for a regular season winning record I think they'll do it. Also Winnipeg has been pretty incompetent this year.
Ticats 28 Bombers 26
Edmonton at Saskatchewan
A nothing game to the Riders, but Edmonton has found ways to lose all year, so I'm not go to even waste the time with a cursory analysis.
Riders 30 Eskimos 20
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
2013 CFL Power Rankings Week 18
1. Calgary Stampeders
You can't argue with continued success. In a game that was meaningless to the standings but meaningful for the power rankings, the Stamps beat the Riders at home. Also Cornish outgained Sheets in rushing yards.
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Riders are right now the second best team, but they can't beat Calgary. So they're stuck in number two.
3. Toronto Argonauts
Back to back wins over the Bombers after back to back losses to the Tabbies. More importantly Ray is back and isn't showing any signs of injury, putting up ridiculous pass completion percentages. Kackert and Owens contributing or not doesn't really seem to matter, showing the Argos are a team that is more than the sum of their parts.
4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
After a terrible outing the previous week against the Als, Hamilton bounced back with third string quarterback playing a ton executing a wildcat offense and thoroughly perturbing television commentators everywhere by beating Montreal with it. Even with Burris in a funk, the Cats have options at quarterback. The Ticats defence was better this week, even if it was against media favourite, but mediocre quarterback Troy Smith.
5. Montreal Alouettes
Fabulous defence that almost never allows yards after the catch. New quarterback in Troy Smith who isn't totally terrible. S.J. Green making unbelievable catches. Meh. Good enough for fifth.
6. BC Lions
They beat Edmonton but allowed them to score 29 points. I'm assuming that Lulay isn't presently available (and I'm wondering if he's coming back for the playoffs). They have Stefan Logan back, but I'm not sure he's the player he was four years ago with BC. Somewhat of a missed opportunity season for BC. Anything can happen in the playoffs.
7. Edmonton Eskimos
Why better than Winnipeg? I'll say quarterback Mike Reilly and excellent slotback (and Humpty's pitchman) Fred Stamps. Crappy, crappy defence.
8. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Hall seems to be an OK quarterback and maybe gives hope for the future. The Bombers just can't seem to win games. Maybe next year they can improve to six victories.
You can't argue with continued success. In a game that was meaningless to the standings but meaningful for the power rankings, the Stamps beat the Riders at home. Also Cornish outgained Sheets in rushing yards.
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Riders are right now the second best team, but they can't beat Calgary. So they're stuck in number two.
3. Toronto Argonauts
Back to back wins over the Bombers after back to back losses to the Tabbies. More importantly Ray is back and isn't showing any signs of injury, putting up ridiculous pass completion percentages. Kackert and Owens contributing or not doesn't really seem to matter, showing the Argos are a team that is more than the sum of their parts.
4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
After a terrible outing the previous week against the Als, Hamilton bounced back with third string quarterback playing a ton executing a wildcat offense and thoroughly perturbing television commentators everywhere by beating Montreal with it. Even with Burris in a funk, the Cats have options at quarterback. The Ticats defence was better this week, even if it was against media favourite, but mediocre quarterback Troy Smith.
5. Montreal Alouettes
Fabulous defence that almost never allows yards after the catch. New quarterback in Troy Smith who isn't totally terrible. S.J. Green making unbelievable catches. Meh. Good enough for fifth.
6. BC Lions
They beat Edmonton but allowed them to score 29 points. I'm assuming that Lulay isn't presently available (and I'm wondering if he's coming back for the playoffs). They have Stefan Logan back, but I'm not sure he's the player he was four years ago with BC. Somewhat of a missed opportunity season for BC. Anything can happen in the playoffs.
7. Edmonton Eskimos
Why better than Winnipeg? I'll say quarterback Mike Reilly and excellent slotback (and Humpty's pitchman) Fred Stamps. Crappy, crappy defence.
8. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Hall seems to be an OK quarterback and maybe gives hope for the future. The Bombers just can't seem to win games. Maybe next year they can improve to six victories.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
2013 CFL Predictions Week 18
Winnipeg at Toronto
It is has been a while since we had a Thursday game. So no procrastinating until Friday with my picks. The Bombers didn't look to bad against the Argos at home, but as the Bombers have been wont to do in 2013, they lost. In the Argonauts favour, Ricky Ray is now firmly back and the rust should be off. The Argos are also at home, which doesn't mean a lot since the double blue may be better on the road. The Bombers have nothing to lose, but not a lot to win either. I assume that there will be some evaluation of who should come back next year for Winnipeg. Probably a closer game than would be expected, but the Bombers aren't winning.
Argonauts 27 Bombers 23
Edmonton at BC
This game is interesting because neither time has much to play for. The Esks are out and the Lions can't get a home playoff game. No Lulay for this game is probably the most important fact. The Lions have lost three in a row and the Eskimos four. BC is at home, however I'm going to go for once with the Eskimos. Reilly has had a fair number of starts and should have the advantage over his counterpart DeMarco who hasn't played as well as he did initially.
Montreal at Hamilton
After last week's dismantling of the Hamilton offense by the Montreal defence, some would think the Cats are totally doomed. However it is often true in the CFL that it is difficult to win two games in a row against an opponent and Kent Austin is a good enough coach to make some adjustments to the Ticat offense. Despite what the CFL commentators said last week, Alouette quarterback Troy Smith wasn't actually very good with a completion rate just under 50%. Don't expect that to change this week. Plus Hamilton is 5 and 3 at home versus Montreal being 3 and 4 and Hamilton needs this game to get a home playoff game.
Ticats 33 Alouettes 24
Saskatchewan at Calgary
Not much to play for for either team except to set an example for when they could meet in the playoffs. Both teams are hot, with the Stamps winning four straight and watermelon people winning three. Calgary has been basically unbeatable at home, at 7 and 1, while the Riders are a respectable 5 and 3 away from home. This could come down to a Jon Cornish versus Kory Sheets battle. However I think the true edge for Calgary is that Kevin Glenn is playing better than Darian Durant at the moment.
Stampeders 41 Riders 36
It is has been a while since we had a Thursday game. So no procrastinating until Friday with my picks. The Bombers didn't look to bad against the Argos at home, but as the Bombers have been wont to do in 2013, they lost. In the Argonauts favour, Ricky Ray is now firmly back and the rust should be off. The Argos are also at home, which doesn't mean a lot since the double blue may be better on the road. The Bombers have nothing to lose, but not a lot to win either. I assume that there will be some evaluation of who should come back next year for Winnipeg. Probably a closer game than would be expected, but the Bombers aren't winning.
Argonauts 27 Bombers 23
Edmonton at BC
This game is interesting because neither time has much to play for. The Esks are out and the Lions can't get a home playoff game. No Lulay for this game is probably the most important fact. The Lions have lost three in a row and the Eskimos four. BC is at home, however I'm going to go for once with the Eskimos. Reilly has had a fair number of starts and should have the advantage over his counterpart DeMarco who hasn't played as well as he did initially.
Montreal at Hamilton
After last week's dismantling of the Hamilton offense by the Montreal defence, some would think the Cats are totally doomed. However it is often true in the CFL that it is difficult to win two games in a row against an opponent and Kent Austin is a good enough coach to make some adjustments to the Ticat offense. Despite what the CFL commentators said last week, Alouette quarterback Troy Smith wasn't actually very good with a completion rate just under 50%. Don't expect that to change this week. Plus Hamilton is 5 and 3 at home versus Montreal being 3 and 4 and Hamilton needs this game to get a home playoff game.
Ticats 33 Alouettes 24
Saskatchewan at Calgary
Not much to play for for either team except to set an example for when they could meet in the playoffs. Both teams are hot, with the Stamps winning four straight and watermelon people winning three. Calgary has been basically unbeatable at home, at 7 and 1, while the Riders are a respectable 5 and 3 away from home. This could come down to a Jon Cornish versus Kory Sheets battle. However I think the true edge for Calgary is that Kevin Glenn is playing better than Darian Durant at the moment.
Stampeders 41 Riders 36
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
2013 CFL Power Rankings Week 17
1. Calgary Stampeders
Not a big surprise that the Stamps are yet again number one. Yet another victory, this time over the hapless Eskimos. Glenn has settled into being the starter, Cornish and Hughes are rolling. Blah, blah, blah first overall.
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Riders bitchslapped the Lions last week. Sheets is back and playing well, Durant is playing better with Sheets back.
3. Toronto Argonauts
After two back to back losses, the Argos went back to winning last week. Admittedly it was against the Bombers and it was close, but with Ray back at the helm and an excellent defence, the Argos are capable of beating all the teams in the CFL.
4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Ticats were demolished by the Alouettes in Montreal and didn't look particularly good. The offense was terrible (although how much that was the Alouette defence is hard to say) and were outplayed thoroughly on special teams. Games like this are going to happen on occasion, especially on the road and doesn't mean the team is doomed. Now if they lose next week, things are more problematic.
5. Montreal Alouettes
Impressive outing by the Alouette defence at home against the usually offensively powerful Tabbies. The Alouettes, led by Chip Cox are clearly the best defence in the CFL and their special teams aren't bad either. Their offense was OK last week as well for once. Despite what TSN commentators would have you think, new Montreal quarterback Troy Smith had a mediocre game (below 50% completion rate). Can the Alouettes do it twice in a row and away from home?
6. BC Lions
Is Travis Lulay coming back this season? Hopefully, because the Lions aren't going to do much this year with DeMarco as the quarterback. The Lions seem to be weakening down the stretch. The Lions didn't look that great with Lulay in this year, so maybe the problem is that excluding the quarterback position, the Lions just aren't very good this year. Harris has had a subpar year so far compared to last year. Maybe Stefan Logan will help.
7. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Came close to beating Toronto. That's something at least and Hall is a plausible starting CFL quarterback. The Bombers announced they're raising ticket prices this year. Since they're so bad this year, they could be better next year, but don't bet on it.
8. Edmonton Eskimos
Weak offensive line, not very good defence and Fred Stamps. Stamps is good, but not good enough to help the worst team in the CFL out of the basement of the rankings. At least Stamps has his Humpty's commercials.
Not a big surprise that the Stamps are yet again number one. Yet another victory, this time over the hapless Eskimos. Glenn has settled into being the starter, Cornish and Hughes are rolling. Blah, blah, blah first overall.
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Riders bitchslapped the Lions last week. Sheets is back and playing well, Durant is playing better with Sheets back.
3. Toronto Argonauts
After two back to back losses, the Argos went back to winning last week. Admittedly it was against the Bombers and it was close, but with Ray back at the helm and an excellent defence, the Argos are capable of beating all the teams in the CFL.
4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Ticats were demolished by the Alouettes in Montreal and didn't look particularly good. The offense was terrible (although how much that was the Alouette defence is hard to say) and were outplayed thoroughly on special teams. Games like this are going to happen on occasion, especially on the road and doesn't mean the team is doomed. Now if they lose next week, things are more problematic.
5. Montreal Alouettes
Impressive outing by the Alouette defence at home against the usually offensively powerful Tabbies. The Alouettes, led by Chip Cox are clearly the best defence in the CFL and their special teams aren't bad either. Their offense was OK last week as well for once. Despite what TSN commentators would have you think, new Montreal quarterback Troy Smith had a mediocre game (below 50% completion rate). Can the Alouettes do it twice in a row and away from home?
6. BC Lions
Is Travis Lulay coming back this season? Hopefully, because the Lions aren't going to do much this year with DeMarco as the quarterback. The Lions seem to be weakening down the stretch. The Lions didn't look that great with Lulay in this year, so maybe the problem is that excluding the quarterback position, the Lions just aren't very good this year. Harris has had a subpar year so far compared to last year. Maybe Stefan Logan will help.
7. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Came close to beating Toronto. That's something at least and Hall is a plausible starting CFL quarterback. The Bombers announced they're raising ticket prices this year. Since they're so bad this year, they could be better next year, but don't bet on it.
8. Edmonton Eskimos
Weak offensive line, not very good defence and Fred Stamps. Stamps is good, but not good enough to help the worst team in the CFL out of the basement of the rankings. At least Stamps has his Humpty's commercials.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers Raise Prices for 2014 Season
This Winnipeg Sun article reports that the Bombers are raising their ticket prices for 2014, despite a pretty lackluster campaign in 2013. Most aren't going up that much, but for those poor souls in section P7 (are there P7 Boys or their prairie equivalent?):
"The biggest jump in price is in the P7 category, which includes 4,400 seats at both ends of the upper deck. The price of those tickets is going up from $196.95 to $249, or an increase of more than 25%, but it remains the least expensive ticket available."
Actually $196.95 isn't bad for upper deck at the ends. My section 5 seats at Ivor Wynne which would seem to be equivalent were $300. Who knows what they'll be for the new stadium.
"The biggest jump in price is in the P7 category, which includes 4,400 seats at both ends of the upper deck. The price of those tickets is going up from $196.95 to $249, or an increase of more than 25%, but it remains the least expensive ticket available."
Actually $196.95 isn't bad for upper deck at the ends. My section 5 seats at Ivor Wynne which would seem to be equivalent were $300. Who knows what they'll be for the new stadium.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Ticats at Alouettes Blowout Aftermath
Well that was ugly. I certainly thought Montreal had a chance, being at home and having an excellent defence. I didn't expect that blowout.
Montreal got ahead early and continued rolling throughout the first quarter. They benefited from some penalty calls that kept drives alive or gave good field position. Mainly the Montreal defence was the reason. Constantly blitzing, the Cats didn't have an answer in the first half (nor much of one in the second half either, although when LeFevour was in they were more effective). The Cats were sacked five times total in the game even though it seemed like it was more.
One could blame the line, but the pressure came from Montreal sending extra defenders, so some of the issue was not getting the ball away quickly. Having both Ellingson and Tasker injured was unfortunate as both are good for getting open inside and catching balls in tight coverage. Hopefully one of them is back next week. Having Simmons back from injury at tackle would help as well.
Montreal also had excellent tackling. The Cats had virtually no yards after first contact, while the Alouettes had a decent amount. Similarly on special teams, the Cats had little in the way of return yards, while Montreal had some decent returns, including some instances where the returner really should have been tackled.
One bright spot is that the Alouettes quarterback Troy Smith wasn't actually very good. He had 247 yards on 17 passes versus 35 attempts. Generally teams don't win very many games when the quarterback had less than a 50% completion. That didn't stop TSN commentators Chris Cuthbert and Glenn Suitor from coverage of Smith bordering on fellatio. I expect that from Rod Black, but generally CFL fans aren't stupid, you tell us once he won a Heismann and we will remember it. Smith did have three TDs versus no picks, but he had numerous passes that while hard thrown were no where near catchable. So that's a positive for the Cats at least for next week.
I'm assuming that Kent Austin will have the team fired up for next week at least and also will have looked at the tape and found some ways to adjust. The Cats really need to win this.
Montreal got ahead early and continued rolling throughout the first quarter. They benefited from some penalty calls that kept drives alive or gave good field position. Mainly the Montreal defence was the reason. Constantly blitzing, the Cats didn't have an answer in the first half (nor much of one in the second half either, although when LeFevour was in they were more effective). The Cats were sacked five times total in the game even though it seemed like it was more.
One could blame the line, but the pressure came from Montreal sending extra defenders, so some of the issue was not getting the ball away quickly. Having both Ellingson and Tasker injured was unfortunate as both are good for getting open inside and catching balls in tight coverage. Hopefully one of them is back next week. Having Simmons back from injury at tackle would help as well.
Montreal also had excellent tackling. The Cats had virtually no yards after first contact, while the Alouettes had a decent amount. Similarly on special teams, the Cats had little in the way of return yards, while Montreal had some decent returns, including some instances where the returner really should have been tackled.
One bright spot is that the Alouettes quarterback Troy Smith wasn't actually very good. He had 247 yards on 17 passes versus 35 attempts. Generally teams don't win very many games when the quarterback had less than a 50% completion. That didn't stop TSN commentators Chris Cuthbert and Glenn Suitor from coverage of Smith bordering on fellatio. I expect that from Rod Black, but generally CFL fans aren't stupid, you tell us once he won a Heismann and we will remember it. Smith did have three TDs versus no picks, but he had numerous passes that while hard thrown were no where near catchable. So that's a positive for the Cats at least for next week.
I'm assuming that Kent Austin will have the team fired up for next week at least and also will have looked at the tape and found some ways to adjust. The Cats really need to win this.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Ticats at Alouettes, Half-Time
Uh, well that sucked. Montreal benefited from some penalties early (Ticats can be called for facemasks, Montreal not so much), but the Cats have played poorly and the Montreal defence has been great.
The game is probably too far gone, so the Cats might as well put Lefevour in for the second half to get some experience. I don't really blame Burris much as he was under a ton of pressure. What he could have done to help was make some runs rather than always going for a pass.
The commentators are saying that Troy Smith has looked good, but he's made enough terrible passes that really he hasn't played well. The Montreal defence is why this game isn't close.
Not having Tasker or Ellingson hurts as both of them seemed to be able to get open early inside, which really could have helped Burris.
Sometimes games get away from you. Too bad the Cats will lose their chance (pretty much) to host the East final.
The game is probably too far gone, so the Cats might as well put Lefevour in for the second half to get some experience. I don't really blame Burris much as he was under a ton of pressure. What he could have done to help was make some runs rather than always going for a pass.
The commentators are saying that Troy Smith has looked good, but he's made enough terrible passes that really he hasn't played well. The Montreal defence is why this game isn't close.
Not having Tasker or Ellingson hurts as both of them seemed to be able to get open early inside, which really could have helped Burris.
Sometimes games get away from you. Too bad the Cats will lose their chance (pretty much) to host the East final.
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