The Ticats lead the season series with the Argos 1-0 after a win at Tim Horton's Field earlier in the year. With three games against the Argos this year, the Cats can secure the Harold Ballard Cup award to the winner of the season series between the teams. The Cats won the 2014 Harold Ballard Cup and the 2014 Labour Day classic 13-12 in a nail bitter.
Harold Ballard of course was a former owner of both the Cats and the Argonauts. Probably more important for the Cats than winning the Harold Ballard Cup (although that would be awesome) would be that the Cats would lock up the tie breaker with the Argos in case they finished the season with the same number of points. With both teams sporting 6 and 3 records that could be important for who hosts the East final. Given the Cats record at Tim Horton's stadium, hosting the final would definitely help their Grey Cup chances.
I'm always a little surprised the Cats don't make a bigger deal about the Harold Ballard Cup (it isn't even on Wikipedia).
Showing posts with label bob young. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bob young. Show all posts
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Thursday, June 25, 2015
2015 CFL Picks Week 1
Well the regular season is already starting. Here we go.
Ottawa at Montreal
I didn't think Alouette quarterback Jonathon Crompton looked good in the pre-season and I didn't think that he was really as great as some said last year. I felt his stats weren't fantastic and Montreal's defence was really good. I wonder if Dan LeFevour will eventually take over as starter from Crompton. Still Montreal is a fairly talented team, especially on offense and GM Jim Popp is usually good at finding import talent (although Michael Sam didn't work out great).
Ottawa has loaded up on receivers, but are still going with the rather ancient by CFL standards Henry Burris at quarterback. Ottawa to me still doesn't have a lot of depth and as a ways to go, although they should be better than last year. Probably not good enough to beat Montreal at home however.
Alouettes 22 REDBLACKS 16
Hamilton at Calgary
Despite all Hamilton's injuries I still like the club, but they are missing some key parts like DE Eric Norwood and receiver Luke Tasker. They are in Calgary though and Calgary is still the class of the CFL, with most of their team from the Grey Cup winning squad last year around, plus they have Bo Levi Mitchell. The homer in me would like to take Hamilton, but they have historically played Calgary poorly in Calgary. Collaros could have a great game, but that's a lot to depend on.
Stampeders 29 Hamilton 23
Edmonton at Toronto
Technically this is a home game for Toronto but it is being played in Fort McMurray. That's obviously not that far from Edmonton which probably means a pro-Eskimos crowd. And Ricky Ray is still hurt from last year, meaning Toronto has to depend on quarterback Trevor Harris. The Argos have been bought by Bell and Larry Tanenbaum, but they are still probably suffering somewhat from the Braley era of cheap spending in terms of talent beyond Ray. Although they still have Chad Owens
Edmonton is a good team, but the wheels kind of fell off the bus at the end of the season with quarterback Mike Reilly being injured. I'm assuming Reilly is staying healthy to start the season (I'm not sure how long that will last) and thus the Eskimos should be good. And better than the Argos.
Eskimos 23 Argonauts 18
Winnipeg at Saskatchewan
I'm not sure exactly how good the Riders will be this year. Last year with Darian Durant in, they were good, without him they were terrible. This year they have Kevin Glenn in as a backup in case Durant goes down again which is something. The Bombers have Drew Willy, who isn't terrible although I'm not sure he's great either. I have to think for this game that home field advantage has to be the deciding factor. Plus the fact that Winnipeg didn't look very good at all in their last pre-season game versus Hamilton.
Riders 24 Bombers 20
Ottawa at Montreal
I didn't think Alouette quarterback Jonathon Crompton looked good in the pre-season and I didn't think that he was really as great as some said last year. I felt his stats weren't fantastic and Montreal's defence was really good. I wonder if Dan LeFevour will eventually take over as starter from Crompton. Still Montreal is a fairly talented team, especially on offense and GM Jim Popp is usually good at finding import talent (although Michael Sam didn't work out great).
Ottawa has loaded up on receivers, but are still going with the rather ancient by CFL standards Henry Burris at quarterback. Ottawa to me still doesn't have a lot of depth and as a ways to go, although they should be better than last year. Probably not good enough to beat Montreal at home however.
Alouettes 22 REDBLACKS 16
Hamilton at Calgary
Despite all Hamilton's injuries I still like the club, but they are missing some key parts like DE Eric Norwood and receiver Luke Tasker. They are in Calgary though and Calgary is still the class of the CFL, with most of their team from the Grey Cup winning squad last year around, plus they have Bo Levi Mitchell. The homer in me would like to take Hamilton, but they have historically played Calgary poorly in Calgary. Collaros could have a great game, but that's a lot to depend on.
Stampeders 29 Hamilton 23
Edmonton at Toronto
Technically this is a home game for Toronto but it is being played in Fort McMurray. That's obviously not that far from Edmonton which probably means a pro-Eskimos crowd. And Ricky Ray is still hurt from last year, meaning Toronto has to depend on quarterback Trevor Harris. The Argos have been bought by Bell and Larry Tanenbaum, but they are still probably suffering somewhat from the Braley era of cheap spending in terms of talent beyond Ray. Although they still have Chad Owens
Edmonton is a good team, but the wheels kind of fell off the bus at the end of the season with quarterback Mike Reilly being injured. I'm assuming Reilly is staying healthy to start the season (I'm not sure how long that will last) and thus the Eskimos should be good. And better than the Argos.
Eskimos 23 Argonauts 18
Winnipeg at Saskatchewan
I'm not sure exactly how good the Riders will be this year. Last year with Darian Durant in, they were good, without him they were terrible. This year they have Kevin Glenn in as a backup in case Durant goes down again which is something. The Bombers have Drew Willy, who isn't terrible although I'm not sure he's great either. I have to think for this game that home field advantage has to be the deciding factor. Plus the fact that Winnipeg didn't look very good at all in their last pre-season game versus Hamilton.
Riders 24 Bombers 20
Saturday, November 22, 2014
2014 Eastern Final Ticats Lineup Analysis - Andy Fantuz and Peter Dyakowski in the Lineup
First it should be mentioned that Andy Fantuz AND Peter Dyakowski are on the lineup card. Obviously Fantuz and his hamstring have been a question mark for the past several weeks. Whether he will actually play is another question. Dyakowski's return is interesting after being injured in last year's Grey Cup. The Cats have been staring an American guard for a lot of the season, which they unlikely would not have if Dyakowski wasn't injured. Dyakowski isn't starting mind you.
The Ticats go as usual with two import tackles, Olson at left and Figueroa at right. Import Simmons again starts at right guard, with O'Neill as the left guard and Filer as the centre. So yet again the Cats go with the unusual three import offensive line as they pretty much mostly have this season.
Import Tasker and Giguere are the wideouts. The starting slots are import Grant and Fantuz. Sinkfield is listed as the third slot and Banks backs up Tasker. Non-imports Coates, who played some while Fantuz' was injured is listed as Gigure's backups. The not often used non-import Prime is the fullback with Grigsby listed as the starting running back with Madu backing him up. Collaros starts at pivot with McGee as the backup.
With Fantuz and Giguere in that's four offensive starters on offense and if they're in with Prime, that's five.
Banks and Sinkfield return punts and kicks.
The defensive ends are Norwood and Hickman, with non-import Laurent starting at tackle and Hall the other tackle. All three backups on the line are imports, including end Gascon-Nadon.
Lawrence, Reed and Harris are the three starting linebackers. No Bowman backing up this game.
The corners are Breaux and the non-import Stephen. The halfbacks are Stewart and the protean Rico Murray (rather than at linebacker). The non-import Butler starts at safety, which is three non-import defensive starters, which as I've hammered home all year is an anomaly in the CFL.
Medlock punts and kicks.
No Greg Ellingson. I'm not sure if he's still really injured or just has been supplanted by Tasker. Maybe I should go to practice one day.
The Ticats go as usual with two import tackles, Olson at left and Figueroa at right. Import Simmons again starts at right guard, with O'Neill as the left guard and Filer as the centre. So yet again the Cats go with the unusual three import offensive line as they pretty much mostly have this season.
Import Tasker and Giguere are the wideouts. The starting slots are import Grant and Fantuz. Sinkfield is listed as the third slot and Banks backs up Tasker. Non-imports Coates, who played some while Fantuz' was injured is listed as Gigure's backups. The not often used non-import Prime is the fullback with Grigsby listed as the starting running back with Madu backing him up. Collaros starts at pivot with McGee as the backup.
With Fantuz and Giguere in that's four offensive starters on offense and if they're in with Prime, that's five.
Banks and Sinkfield return punts and kicks.
The defensive ends are Norwood and Hickman, with non-import Laurent starting at tackle and Hall the other tackle. All three backups on the line are imports, including end Gascon-Nadon.
Lawrence, Reed and Harris are the three starting linebackers. No Bowman backing up this game.
The corners are Breaux and the non-import Stephen. The halfbacks are Stewart and the protean Rico Murray (rather than at linebacker). The non-import Butler starts at safety, which is three non-import defensive starters, which as I've hammered home all year is an anomaly in the CFL.
Medlock punts and kicks.
No Greg Ellingson. I'm not sure if he's still really injured or just has been supplanted by Tasker. Maybe I should go to practice one day.
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