2015 Labour Classic Tiger-Cat Depth Chart is Out

The Cats just released their depth chart for the game against the Argos.

For the offensive line, as per usual, American tackles with Olson and Lewis. Bomben is out at guard with the veteran O'Neill in. Dyakowski and Filer are still at guard and centre. As per usual the three interior positions are Canadian.

Bakari Grant is still out. Coates is in as the lone starting Canadian receiver at wideout. Tolliver is the other wide receiver, with Sinkfield, Underwood and Tasker as the slots.

Grigsby is listed ahead of Holly at running back, with non-import Prime as the fullback. Collaros is the quarterback with Matthews backing up and likely in for sneaks.

Medlock punts and kicks this week as punter Hugh O'Neill is out injured (likely beard related), with Banks as the returner.

That's four Canadian starters on offense.

On defence, Norwood is out injured at defensive end and Sears Jr is out in the secondary. Import Tracy comes in for him, with Hickman as the other end. Non-import Laurent and Hall are the defensive tackles. Lawrence, Reed and Harris are the starting linebackers.

Gainey and non-import Stephen are the starting corners. Rico Murray and Davis are the starting defensive halfbacks. Non-import Butler starts at safety. So that's three starting Canadian defenders.

Norwood, Grant, Bomben and Sears Jr. being out injured definitely hurts, although not fatally. The question is O'Neill a big downgrade at guard for Bomben and whether Tracy can get pressure on the quarterback in place of Norwood. Laurent, Henry and Hickman are still three solid players on the defensive line.

Also interesting will be the performance at Grigsby at running back. Expect more passes to him, although I doubt a lot of runs. Can Grigsby pass block adequately is another question.

Bell and Larry Tanenbaum to Buy Argos, Rogers Doesn't Want Them, Grey Cup 2016?

TSN.ca is reporting that the mystery group that wants to buy the Argos and move it to BMO Field is actually MLSE owners Bell and Larry Tanenbaum minus the other owner of MLSE Rogers who apparently don't want the Argos.

That's a pretty good group to have and it makes sense for Bell considering that they own TSN whose prime property is pretty much the CFL now (after Rogers snarfed up the NHL). As has been reported before, two Grey Cups in ten years would be needed to hosted in Toronto to justify the deal.

Rogers appears to be trying to free ride on the Argos to some extent. Since MLSE pretty much controls BMO Field, and gets the revenue from the naming rights, the Argos being playing at BMO Field likely boosts those naming rights.

What does that mean for the Ticats chances for hosting a Grey Cup in 2016? I actually don't think it is that bad for their chances. With the Argos moving next year, I'm not sure they could be organized enough to host a Grey Cup in time for November 2016. The Cats organization which is pretty strong (plus the city has good experience as the recent Junos showed) I'm sure could be ready.

Still it is a little strange no host for 2016 has been named considering it is almost May.

Photo of BMO Field Reconstruction

I took this photo of the reconstruction of BMO Field in Toronto last Thursday. The East stands look like they are being made  larger. Still no word on whether the Argos will be moving in. 

Good Adam Radwanski Piece in The Globe and Mail

Adam Radwanski who writes about politics in the Globe and is an avid Argo fan has a nice piece about his father and him going to Argos games.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats Go for 2014 Harold Ballard Cup and Playoff Spot

The Tiger-Cats are going for their second consecutive Harold Ballard Cup (presented to the season series winner between the Ticats and the Argonauts) in Toronto this afternoon. Both teams have won a single game and both games were by a single point. If this game ends in a tie, what's the tie breaker?  The Cats won the 2013 Harold Ballard Cup.

Ticat notable injuries are Andy Fantuz (that's not good), Cary Koch (meh), Marcellus Bowman (not great), Ted Laurent (very bad), Ellingson yet again (not great). Not having Bulcke and Laurent kind of screws with the Ticats ratio plans of having two defensive line starters and they'll have to cope with none. Playing three Americans on the offensive line, somewhat constrains them, although at least they have two other defensive Canadian starters. Not have Fantuz obviously hurts with ratio as well.

At least the Cats have Madu back at running back.

Thoughts on the Ticats Loss in Toronto, Harold Ballard Cup All Tied Up

I attended the Ticats game at the Rogers Centre on Friday against the Argos, which the Ticats ended up blowing a big lead and losing 34 to 33. Being in the stadium was fun as a Ticat fan for majority of the game until the Argos managed to win with two late TDs. My section was mostly an Argo one, although there were plenty of Ticat fans overall and certainly by sound, Ticats plays were cheered loudly (my guess is that the average Ticat fan was at least thrice as loud as the average Argo fan).

The Argos outscored the Ticats 21 to 3 in the final quarter versus the Cats outscoring the Argos 30 to 13 through the first three quarters. Did the Argos make the biggest comeback in the CFL this year? One related point I've made about the Ticats is that the truly good teams in the CFL step on the throats of an opposing team when they get ahead and keep scoring points to absolutely guarantee victory. The Cats were almost there this game, but basically needed another field goal.

The Tiger-Cats did actually have a good chance to win at the end of the game when Sinkfield managed to return the Argos kickoff after the go ahead TD to the Ticats' 51 yard line with around a minute left (Sinkfield actually had a fabulous game returning kickoffs and punts). With the game indoors and having Medlock, that wouldn't have required many yards for a field goal. But the Ticats managed to totally screw up that possession, ending it with a bad snap on a long third down.

Stats wise, Collaros had a pretty good game, going 23 for 32 for 302 yards with two TDs throwing and no picks. Collaros also had seven runs for 65 yards and at TD which is impressive.

Madu had a great day catching the ball with 87 yards on six catches, but only 14 yards on three runs. The Cats don't use the running back to run much, but do use the position as almost the primary receiver. Fantuz had a good day with seven catches for 77 yards and a TD and Tasker had three catches for 71 yards and a TD. Tasker has emerged as the best import receiver.

One interesting reception, Matt Coates caught a single pass for fifteen yards. Who's Matt Coates? I had to look him up. He's a rookie non-import (23 years old, 6'3" 197 lbs.) who came from the Hamilton Hurricanes rather than the CIS or NCAA. I assume he was on the roster for special teams, but another no-import receiver making a catch besides Giguere and Fantuz is always news.

The Cats defence also had a good game until the fourth quarter. Lineback Taylor Reed led with seven tackles. Norwood is also having a great year a defensive end, with six tackles and three sacks, putting him at 11 sacks on the year. Hickman had a tackle. Non-import defensive tackle Ted Laurent had a sack, putting him at seven sacks, which is good for an interior defensive lineman.

Ricky Ray didn't look good for the first three quarters, but ended up with good stats, with 34 completions on a massive 48 attempts for 431 yards, three TDs and a pick. Ray has to be coming close to being a lock for the eastern nominee for most outstanding player, which he won last year (but not the overall award).

Chiles had a great day, with eight receptions for 123 yards. Chad Owens also had a great day with 109 yards from six catches and the game winning TD.

One last thing, the Harold Ballard trophy race (presented to which ever team wins the season series between Toronto and Hamilton) is tied, with each team having a win apiece and the total points scored also tied. If the Cats and Argos tie their next game, I'm not sure what the tie breaker is.

BMO Field Expansion Approved, Argos Moving

The expansion of BMO Field has been approved (strangely with Argo fan Rob Ford the only one voting against). The Argos can now move there. I'm sure Toronto FC supporters are annoyed with gridiron football now to be played there.

I've argued that the Argos playing at BMO is valuable to MLSE because it adds value to the naming rights. Argos games get high television ratings and TFC historically hasn't.

As a Ticat fan, I'm glad our nemesis has somewhere to play. Although I'm kind of afraid of how expensive a beer will be there.

Ticats at Argos Half-Time, October 4th 2013

Good to see the Cats with a big lead after the first half.

Steve Tasker gets his first TD which fortunately for us, Rod Black isn't doing the broadcast, otherwise we would hear endlessly who his father was.

Interestingly the Cats started non-import Wojt at right tackle, breaking with their several year habit of starting two import tackles. If the import isn't any good, it isn't worth wasting a spot on him. O'Neill started at Wojt's guard spot.

Dobson Collins didn't do bad as a receiver so far. The Cats seem to have no difficulty finding import receivers. Still no Greg Ellingson which hurts.

Gable had a good game so far. Burris also did well apart from that one interception that was either under or over thrown.

Durie burnt the Cats pretty badly with yards after the catch. Owens didn't really do much.

Toronto Argonauts Must Move From Roger's Centre By 2018

Here's the definitive Globe and Mail article on the subject. The Blue Jays want to install natural grass in the Dome and that precludes the Argos from playing there. I assume that for Grey Cups, the grass is removed at the end of the baseball season and thus Grey Cups in November can be played there.

So the Argos have to find a new home. MLSE has already mulled buying them and having them play at BMO Field. The Argos could play their potentially 11 games a year there on the natural turf without too much damage (rugby is already played on it), however MLSE could put back in artificial turf. That could make CFL haters the Red Patch Boys and former Toronto mayor David Miller* crazy, however Toronto FC has sucked its entire existence, but with and without grass. As I already mentioned in another post, having the Argos play at BMO on national television would boost the value of the naming rights.

Potentially the Argos could try an ultra cheap bare bones stadium somewhere or other. Really the Argos need a small stadium around 20,000 seats they can fill and the CFL needs the television money. People will watch the Argos on television but they won't watch TFC. Maybe the Argos could partner with the rugby and cricket folks for a stadium.

One thing to consider with television is that the CFL needs the Argos. They may be willing to fund $5 million per year over 20 years to help with a new stadium. Perhaps the Argos could partner with a developer and have some condo towers integrated with the stadium and get some money that way. This issue will probably simmer for a few years and then heat up.

*At least current Toronto Rob Ford is a CFL supporter, even showing up at a game in Saskatchewan.

The Curious Case of Cory Boyd

So the Argos have released Cory Boyd. I think this Damien Cox article in the Star pretty much hits the nail on the head in terms of reasoning: with performance bonuses quarterback Ricky Ray will make a lot money and cause salary cap problems. Cox doesn't mention it, but likely Boyd had performance bonuses based on set yardage totals so releasing him halfway through the season gets rid of more than his base salary as his totals are good this year. Also after I believe nine games CFL veterans are guaranteed their full salary even if released, so Boyd had to go quick.

Ticats fans should pay attention to what happens with sitting veteran running back Avon Cobourne. Likely his contract has performance bonuses, which he obviously isn't hitting so maybe he won't be released before the nine game mark as insurance in case Chevon Walker goes down.

Chad Kackert the new starting Toronto running back has actually struck me as a fairly decent player, thus illustrating my mantra that in the CFL, import running backs are fungible commodities. Also with Ricky Ray as quarterback, rather than a stiff like Cleo Lemon, passing is going to come to the fore and the Argos don't have to lean on their running backs as much.

Not sure how great a pickup this is for the Esks, but he is a good back. I'm shocked the Eskimos are a 4 and 2 this year, but apart from Winnipeg, it has been a weird year of parity in the CFL. I think the salary cap is finally starting to really kick in in the CFL this year. If you've spent a lot on your quarterback, his teammates are going to be smellier.

Ticats Lose to Argos 29 to 24; Beer Prices Rise to $9.00

I attended the pre-season game on Wednesday. Generally, despite the loss I was happy with how the team looked. Burris looked good when he was in and the receiving corps is strong, both import and non-import although Aaron Kelly was his usual inconsistent self. Running game was decent with Walker and Berezik looking good. Porter played poorly. I think he needs to talk to Danny Mac and learn his quick release. LeFevour looked good as the third string quarterback, and Forcier looked crap and is apparently now released.

Hamilton outgained Toronto 524 yards to 317, but the turnovers were a problem. The linebackers looked good, but the defensive line looked weak.

The Cats at one point had third and 46 (to which I yelled go for it) which made me wonder, what's the record for the longest third down in the CFL? Probably a lot longer than third and 46.

Argos didn't look bad with Ricky Ray in, but I question their depth. They did manage to win six games last year with complete fools at quarterback, so a nine win season is not impossible.

With regards to the game day experience, I wasn't surprised to see tall boy beer prices rise to $9.00 from $8.75 last year. That probably hurts tips for the attendants. Who knows what the prices will be in the new stadium. With regards to beer service, I noticed that on the North side concourse, the all you can eat section near section five has been replaced by a regular food and beer stand, which wasn't busy at all.

There's a Smoke's Poutinerie on the South side now which is an improvement. I saw someone with a full sized pizza box from Pizza Pizza. I can't imagine how much that costs. There was also something called "Three Minutes of Madness" sponsored by Pizza Pizza which seems to consist of jump cuts of fans on the big screen with no apparent purpose.

The cheerleaders had their last centre field performance at 9:28 of the third quarter which strikes me as somewhat lazy. The Cats appear to have a DJ, located somewhere, but I could never figure out where sitting on the North side.

There was a nice hit by linebacker Jamall Johnson but rather than a replay, we saw a Poole Shoppe commercial. That was somewhat annoying.

Finally there was some new mascot that seemed to be a tiger, but in some weird spherical form. I found it disturbing and would appreciate it if it didn't make a return appearance.

The Party's Over! Cleo Lemon Released By the Argos

The Argos have apparently released Cleo Lemon and installed former Bomber pivot Steven Jyles as their new quarterback and person who has to throw to the league's worst receivers. Lemon survived a surprisingly long time, but the Argos didn't have a lot of options. Jyles was distinctly mediocre last year in the games he started for the Bombers (especially considering they didn't have a bad defence) but is still a step up from Lemon. Last year his stats for the Bombers were surprisingly good: 196 for 318 (61.6% completion percentage), and 19 TDs versus 7 picks for a rating of 100.9. He also rushed for a very respectable 452 yards on 65 carries (7.0 average). For a team with mediocre receivers, if the quarterback sees he can get a run for a first down, he probably should

The Argos while in theory still in it for a crossover birth, have to think about next year, especially with their best offensive lineman Rob Murphy out with injury. The Argos overachieved wildly last year and are probably underachieving a bit this year. Considering the riches the Ticats have at import receiver, its amazing the Argos can't find some decent ones, but finding out who to keep for next year is the double blue's task for the second half of the season.

Rob Ford Makes CFL Picks?

How did I not know this? Maybe I don't watch enough TSN. Anyways from this Star article:

In fact, despite the gracious words in his final speech, Ford seemed to dismiss the deputants in an interview with TSN Radio host James Cybulski that was recorded Thursday morning or early afternoon.

After Ford made his CFL picks for the week, he was asked the best suggestion he had heard during the meeting.

Ford responded: “Actually, I haven’t heard anyone wanting to reduce. They just want to keep everything. So I don’t think people understand that if we don’t do anything with the $775 million (budget shortfall), you’re going to be looking at thousands of dollars of property tax increases.”

He added: “I haven’t heard any good suggestions on saving money. I’ve just heard ‘don’t cut this and don’t cut that.’”

I'm guessing he picks the Argos every week, but I'm curious to see how he does for the other teams. Kudos to James Cybulski for scooping the rest of the media.

CFL Rankings Week 3

1. Montreal
Pretty hard to argue against Montreal being the top ranked team.
2. Edmonton
I'll pick the Eskimos over the Bombers, just because they have a more durable quarterback. Buck Pierce could explode at any time.
3. Winnipeg
Their offense is anemic, but early on a tough defence can do wonders. I don't know if they will be here a the end of the season, but I didn't think the Argos would finish at 500 last year either.
4. Toronto
Normally I would have put Calgary ahead of the Argos, but the Argos beat them on the road on week 1. Henry Burris is getting a bit long in the tooth and the Stampeder offensive line hasn't been great so far. Cleo "the Party" Lemon is still mediocre.
5. Calgary
See above.
6. Hamilton
This might be a bit of a homer's pick, but one of the three 0 and 2 teams has to be ranked highest. Bruce has to break out some time. Hopefully.
7. Saskatchewan
Not having Canadian receivers Fantuz and Bagg available this year has to be hurting the RIders ratio wise. Maybe Durant isn't the third best player in the CFL.
8. BC
I don't think BC will necessarily end up as the team with the worst record in the CFL, but they haven't looked great so far. Probably not going to playing in Vancouver for the Grey Cup.

I caught the first episode of the inside the Argos show, the Extra Yard. I kept wondering if the narrator was the old guy from the Labatt's Blue commericals. I also wondered how many cigarettes do you have to smoke to sound like that guy. Also I was surprised to see that Cleo Lemon is actually kind of cocky, which surprised me, considering he's Cleo Lemon. The show was actually somewhat compelling and it was tough watching players being released.

Barker Wins

So Argos coach Jim Barker ends up winning coach of the year. Going from 3 and 15 the year before and then going 9 and 9 during the regular season with a win on the road in the playoffs is a pretty good accomplishment. I predict the Argos will slide back a bit this year, but they shouldn't be too bad.

CFL Predictions, Division Semifinals

Toronto at Hamilton,
Hamilton is favoured by 6.5 points at home, which seems a little high. Hamilton has lost two coming in, while Toronto has won one. The Ticats are 5 and 4 at home, while the Argos are 5 and 4 on the road. The Argos are still starting Cleo "the Party" Lemon, who has passed for 3,433 yards going 285 for 462, a not terrible 61.7% completion rating. 15 TDs to 19 picks certainly isn't good. Glenn went 388 for 602 (64.5%) for 5,102 yards with 33 TDs and 17 interceptions. Amusingly both teams ended up with 9 and 9 records despite the quarterback disparity.

Toronto has a chance if Cory Boyd gets hot and they get excellent special teams play and don't fall behind early. That's a lot to count on. Hamilton wins their first playoff game in quite some time.
Hamilton 29, Toronto 25

BC at Saskatchewan,
The Riders are favoured by 4 points at home, where they are a stellar 7 and 2. The Lions do sport a good 5 and 4 away record. BC is 7 and 3 over the last ten games and has won their past 3. The Riders have a one game winning streak, ending the Eskimos' season. BC has some good offensive weapons, but quarterback Travis Lulay isn't as good as Saskatchewan pivot Darian Durant. There's a chance of a BC upset, but the Riders are a different team at home.
Saskatchean 33, BC 27

CFL East All-Star Selections

I suppose I should say something about the CFL East all-star selections. Nine Alouettes being selected obviously makes sense. Seven Argos is a bit dubious, but Toronto was strong on defence and special teams and sucked on offense, so some of the defensive and special teams players making does make a certain amount of sense. Strange that the Ticats only had four players, Bruce, Stala, Hage and Knowlton. Especially only one defensive player making the squad, considering the Cats ended up with a decent defence by the end of the season.

But what it is really weird is Winnipeg a 4 and 14 team having seven players. I certainly don't remember the Cats having many all-stars during their 3 and 13 seasons. In a four team division you're going to see some weirdness I guess. Plus a lot of it is based on racking up stats by playing your position the entire season.

Here's a CBC article on the history of Argo Ticat playoff football.

Here's a TSN article singing the praises of Ticat receiver Chris Bauman who ended the regular season with 298 yards and 3 TDs. Hopefully he has a good post-season.

Finally looks like Richie Hall is out as the Edmonton Eskimos coach. If he had won last week to get in the playoffs but then lost against the Riders on Sunday, would he still have a job? Hard to say. Edmonton was pretty mediocre considering they had a bona fide starting quarterback, which is a lot more than the Argos had and they managed to eke out nine wins.

CFL Previews, Week 18, Part A

Montreal at Toronto,

Toronto could in theory host a playoff game, but they have to win. Montreal has nothing to play for. Toronto's quarterback is Cleo "the Party" Lemon. Montreal has some injuries. Toronto is at home. Montreal probably wants to play at least some decent football before the playoffs. Montreal looked awful last week against the Ticats, but they got behind early after some bad breaks and no incentive to bust their asses to get back in the game. I would expect more from Calvillo this week and Toronto's offence is crime against humanity.

Montreal 27, Toronto 19

Hamilton at Calgary,

The Ticats have been hot, winning their past three games. Calgary has been more tepid lately and already have captured their division and losing last week. Hamilton could lose the right to hold a playoff game, but they would have to suck pretty hard. How hard will the Stampeders play in this game? If the Hamilton front four comes after Burris hard what happens. I get the feeling that Hamilton has no desire to let up going into the playoffs, although missing Arland Bruce this week hurts. I'll go with the Cats in a squeaker, with Stevie Baggs making the difference.

Hamilton 33, Calgary 32

Best Defence in the CFL?

Look which team has only given up 372 points after sixteen games, the best in the league. That's right the Hamilton Tiger Cats. The Cats are fourth in offence with 436 points scored. I will also point out that the Argos are dead last in points scored with only 313. Bizarrely the Argos have given up 401 points yet still have a 500 record at 8 and 8.

I've noted in the past that the CFL is the ultimate home field advantage league. Currently the only team with a winning away record is Calgary at 5 and 3.

CFL Predictions, Week 17, Part B

Winnipeg at Toronto,

This is a bit biased considering I'm writing this after the BC Calgary game last night, which pretty much screwed the Blue Bombers. Fulling expecting BC to lose, Winnipeg really needed this game, whereas Toronto not so much, especially with Hamilton winning this week as well. Knowing all this, I'll go with the Argos. They find weird ways to win this year, whereas the Bombers have massive skills in losing close games. Admittedly the Argos are still starting Cleo "the Party" Lemon, who may go down as the year long starting quarterback with the worst stats in CFL history. Steven Jyles isn't really that good either.

Toronto 22, Winnipeg 15

Saskatchewan at Edmonton,

This is a hard one. BC has won, putting pressure on Edmonton to step things up. Calgary losing makes this game more important for the Riders, trying to take the division for two years in a row. Saskatchewan has some injuries, Edmonton sucks. The Riders have some pride and aren't likely to go into this game half-assed like Alouettes into Ivor Wynne last night. I'll pick the Riders.

Saskatchewan 33, Edmonton 28