By: Justin Boone
jboone@ticats.ca
Show me a Ticats fan without an opinion (for better or for worse) and I’ll show you someone who doesn’t truly bleed Black and Gold.
Tabbies faithful have plenty to say and they do a great job of getting it out on the Ticats.ca forums, which is why I’ve encouraged fans to send their thoughts my way. Whether it be about a move the team made or an article I wrote that they disagree with, it’s always great to hear feedback straight from the people who matter most.
Of the e-mails we receive, some are published in the Letters To The Editor page of the Black and Gold Magazine, but many don’t see the light of day. So, as an early form of Spring Cleaning, let’s get some of those e-mails out of the inbox and onto the website for discussion.
Q: I read the brief draft preview in the Ticats magazine at the end of the season, but I haven’t seen anything about the draft online or anywhere. What are the Ticats going to do with the top pick?
–Andy L., St. Catharines
I was about to put this e-mail on the scrap heap before I realized the CFL Evaluation Camp is only two weeks away. Fresh off free agency, football operations staffs from across the league will converge from March 14-16 to run this year’s crop of Canadian athletes through drills and interviews in hopes of finding the next homegrown talent. As far as coverage goes, it’s fairly limited at the moment, and by limited I mean non-existent. In the past CFL.ca has been your one-stop shop for draft information, but this year you don’t need to venture far, since Ticats.ca will be providing extensive coverage of one of the league’s more unsung events. Starting in mid March, log on to Ticats.ca for articles, videos and maybe even a clue or two about which prospects might be on their way to Steeltown.
Q: How does a team let one of its best players walk away in free agency? The Ticats are going to miss JoJuan Armour, and Zeke Moreno will have a hard time matching his tackle total from last year without JoJuan to back him up.
–Randy Evans, Burlington
I understand your pain, and I can tell you that you certainly aren’t the only one who is going miss JoJuan, both for his play on the field and his personality off of it, but to say that Zeke will suffer with JoJuan in Calgary is a bit over the top. Ray Mariuz did an excellent job stepping in at the end of last season, totaling 17 tackles in the final two games, as the starting outside linebacker. I don’t expect the linebacking corps will be any less dominant in 2008, and it will be great to see JoJuan back on the field at Ivor Wynne as an opponent on October 24.
Q: Any chance Corey Holmes comes back to Hamilton? I don’t think we gave him a chance last year and I think Marcel Desjardins gave up on him way too soon.
–Phil C., Dundas
Absolutely and unequivocally… No. Much like JoJuan, Corey was a great guy off the field, but there’s better odds of seeing me on the roster than seeing Corey back in Hamilton. Especially when you take into account the emergence of Terry Caulley as a speedy and elusive tailback. Caulley gives you everything Corey could, as a change of pace back from number 28, Jesse Lumsden. There may some new faces on the team this year, but Lumsden and Caulley will be your first and second string running backs.
Q: I know the team signed Tony Miles, but is that enough to get more touchdowns and plays from the receivers?
–Sonny, London
If Tony Miles is as quick on the field as he is on the basketball court playing for the Cops and Cats team, it just might be enough. Miles is a talent, and an upgrade, but it’s going to take contributions from more than just one player. Miles needs to stay healthy, Frank Murphy needs to come in and make plays, Chris Bauman needs to take the next step in his sophomore season, Jason Armstead needs to continue to be a threat after the catch, but mostly all the receivers need to develop chemistry with Casey Printers, something they’ll have a much better chance to do with a full training camp. Add to that list of names, Pat Woodcock who joined the club today. Woodcock rounds out a group that definitely has more skill than the collection of pass catchers that reported to the team at the beginning of last season.
Q: Any predictions on where the Ticats will end up this year?
— Ryan E., Hamilton
Let’s hold off on predictions at least until after the draft and preferably once we get a look at the new players in training camp. I will say that the team is showing a lot of bravado by offering season ticket holders a playoff guarantee. It’s far from a prediction, but I highly doubt the Ticats will occupy the basement in the East this year and that’s all your getting out of me for now.
Let’s hear your thoughts about the Ticats moves this off-season or their chances for the upcoming year. Send your Ticats questions or comments to jboone@ticats.ca to let me know what you think.
Easier Said Than Done
(Quote of the Week)
“It has very little to do with me and a lot to do with everybody that played a part, big or small, in helping us be successful on and off the football field this year in Saskatchewan.”
Kent Austin, on winning the coach of the year award, an award he accepted as the new offensive coordinator at Ole Miss. I’m sure everyone in Saskatchewan is wishing him luck in his new job, while secretly wishing he was still on their sideline for at least one more season.
In Case You Blinked
(News from the Week)
The Roughriders were also in the news this week for signing former Denver Broncos tailback Quentin Griffin. In two seasons with the Broncos (2003-2005), the 5-foot-7, 195-pound runner played in 16 games, rushing for 656 yards and two touchdowns, while fumbling the ball five times. He’s spent the last couple years recovering from a knee injury and bouncing around between the NFL and NFL Europe.
