By: Justin Boone
jboone@ticats.ca
Turning Up The Heat
With the first month of winter behind us, and two glorious frozen months to go till spring, another snowfall has descended upon the region, leaving wheels spinning and cars sliding off the road.
It seems like around this time each year, winter becomes a little less amusing, and one can’t help but let their mind wander to warmer thoughts, like summertime in the Hammer, watching the Black and Gold in action.
With those ideas clearly in mind, it’s time to throw another log on the fire that fuels Ticats fans everywhere, and melt some of the ice that has covered the city and the field at Ivor Wynne.
If your passion for the Tabbies has frosted over, the first way to thaw out is taking a look at the hard work and long hours being put in by the front office. Since his arrival, GM Bob O’Billovich has been diligently scouring both the college and pro games for new talent that will help the team’s roster. Obie is a man, who doesn’t sweat the small stuff, and has centered his focus on the task at hand, improving a lineup that simply didn’t have skill at certain positions.
If the Ticats were a franchise sitting on their hands, content with losing, then it would be an easy decision to pull an about-face on them. Who wants to support a franchise that’s satisfied with remaining idle in the basement of the league? Certainly not you or I, but in the last year let’s pay close attention to the moves the team has made.
The Signing of Casey Printers: It was the most meaningful victory for the Ticats in a long time. Printers showed glimpses of his B.C. days, as he learned the Ticats offence and got acclimated to Hamilton. It’s interesting to note that Printers only shared the field with Jesse Lumsden for two games, due to his arrival midway through the season and Lumsden season ending injury. Together, they give the Cats one of the most star-studded backfields in the CFL.
Experience at Coordinator: Denny Creehan and Marcel Bellefeuille have both enjoyed previous success in the CFL, and give Hamilton a deep well of knowledge for players to draw from. It’s true that their addition doesn’t strike fear into opponents, but they are veterans of the Canadian game, something the team didn’t have at the coordinator spots last season.
Infusion of Young Canadian Talent: Jesse Lumsden, Marwan Hage, Brock Ralph, Chris Bauman, Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, Peter Dyakowski, and Nautyn Mckay-Loescher, among others, give Hamilton one of the brightest collections of young players born north of the border. The team also holds the number one pick in this year’s CFL Canadian Draft.
Above all else, as we continue to defrost, it might be easier to look at the situation with other clubs in the East. Winnipeg, fresh off their Grey Cup defeat, may be lacking some of the motivation they had a year ago. Montreal’s roster is chalked full of aging players, and now has a coach that is a Canadian football rookie. Finally the Argos, long-time Ticats rivals, will also sport a new coach, and the same inconsistent offence that failed them late last season.
When you contemplate the East, it’s completely feasible that Steel town might not only make the playoffs, but host that match-up, which would require the unthawing of Ivor Wynne Stadium as a playoff venue for the first time since 2001.
What do you think about the Ticats chances in 2008? Let me know by e-mailing me at jboone@ticats.ca
Easier Said Than Done
(Quote of the Week)
“I struggled with this one pretty big time. But it is my alma mater, I have a great love and affection for my university … if it had been any other university, I wouldn’t have considered it.”
Former Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Kent Austin, who now puts on the headset as the offensive coordinator for Ole Miss. In two seasons, Austin went from being fired as OC of the Argos, to head coach of the Riders, and now to OC at a Division-I NCAA program. Good luck Kent, I’m sure Riders GM Eric Tillman, another Ole Miss alum, will be rooting you on as well.
In Case You Blinked
(News from the Week)
Ticat castoff Jason Maas, who spent the end of last season in an Alouettes’ uniform, has signed on with the Edmonton Eskimos. Maas is no stranger to his newest team, having spent five years with them at the beginning of his CFL career, including winning a Grey Cup. He’ll be in direct competition with Stefan Lefors for the backup duties behind Ricky Ray.
