By: Justin Boone
Angelo Mosca At Large
No one has ever accused Angelo Mosca of trying to blend into the crowd.
This Saturday in front of the fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium, he will stand out, quite literally, at midfield, as the Tiger-Cats honour him and the 50 years he has spent in Hamilton and the CFL.
“I hope there is a lot of grey hair in the stands this week,” joked Angelo, who turned 70 this year.
“Someone once said, ‘Good luck is when preparation and opportunity meet,’ and I consider myself lucky. I’ve had a great life and it’s still going strong. Age is only a number. If you want to be old you can be old, but I’ll tell you what, I phoned JC (Jesus Christ) this morning and the line was busy, he didn’t want me yet.”
The Hall of Fame defensive tackle will have the chance to interact with all his fans in attendance during an autograph session in the Pepsi Pre-Game area, prior to Ticats kicking off against the Alouettes. Then he will take the microphone at halftime and address the legions of Mosca’s Meanies that still remain in IWS.
The Big Nasty, as he has been referred to, was aggressive on the football field, and is still a bit rough around the edges, but he has become one of the Tiger-Cats greatest ambassadors.
“It’s not about the day for me, it’s about the day for the city, the Tiger-Cats and Bob Young. I just hope the fans will turn out to see this old mug enjoying 50 years of Canadian football.”
The Ins and Outs
(Storylines from around the CFL)
In The Know – In addition to honouring Angelo Mosca, it will be Womans’ Night on Saturday at Ivor Wynne Stadium. The first 200 ladies through the gate will receive pink pompoms and every fan will be given a pink ribbon in support of breast cancer. The players will be doing their part as well, donning a pink decal on their helmets and the McMaster cheerleaders will be collecting donations for the Breast Cancer Foundation.
Hang Out To Dry – If you haven’t seen Eskimos LB Agustin Barrenechea’s helmet-t
o-helmet hit on Bombers QB Kevin Glenn, open a new internet window and search it. It’s the kind of hit defensive players applaud, offensive players cringe at and the league issues fines for. It’s actually surprising he wasn’t suspended at least a game for it, since the two teams meet again this week. Auggie better keep his head up because I’m sure there will be more than a few Bombers players looking to dish out their own punishment.
In The Ballpark – Can we get the ball rolling on the conversation about whether Cameron Wake will set the single season sack record this year? This guy is feasting on opposing quarterbacks and it seems like teams are unable to stop him. In addition to his 18 sacks so far this year, he’s also seventh in the league in tackles with 56 (He’s a defensive end!). Wake has been on fire as of late with nine sacks in his last four contests. With five games left, including two against the Argos, he needs nine sacks to pass former B.C. Lion James Parker, who holds the current mark of 26.5.
Flat Out – To say that all the Ticats close losses this year aren’t beginning to take their toll would be an obvious disregard of your common sense. Knowing that the team could have four, five, or six victories at this point and then looking at the standings to see a two in the win column is disheartening, but don’t expect this team to coast. Marcel Bellefeuille will be tough on them in practice as they prepare for back-to-back games against the Alouettes. Last year at this time it seemed like the Tabbies weren’t even in the same league as the CFL’s other seven teams. Now they are on the cusp, and need a solid end to 2008 to build towards next season.
Easier Said Than Done
(Quote of the Week)
“The fans aren’t the only ones who like Nick (Setta), myself and our coaching staff like Nick. Nick kind of left it with us just like Jesse did. We talked to him at length about a new contract extension and it still might get done. ”
Bob O’Billovich discussing the team’s attempts to resign import K/P Nick Setta. You can watch the rest of his two-part interview this week on Ticats TV, where he discusses all the top issues facing the team, some of the personnel moves that have been made this season and how he plans to address team needs moving forward.
Follow The Leader
(Leaders from CFL and the Ticats)
CFL Rushing – SSK Wes Cates – 177 carries, 1,055 yards, 9 TDs
Ticats Rushing – HAM Jesse Lumsden – 84 carries, 586 yards, 5 TDs
CFL Passing – EDM Ricky Ray – 314/456, 4,262 yards, 19 TDs
Ticats Passing – HAM Casey Printers – 118/207, 1,562 yards, 4 TDs
CFL Receiving – B.C. Geroy Simon – 61 receptions, 1,112 yards, 7 TDs
Ticats Receiving – HAM Prechae Rodriguez – 38 receptions, 631 yards, 3 TDs
CFL Tackling – WPG Zeke Moreno – 71 Tackles
Ticats Tackling – HAM Markeith Knowlton – 65 Tackles
CFL Interceptions – B.C. Barron Miles – 7 INTs
Ticats Interceptions – HAM Chris Thompson – 6 INTs
CFL Sacks – B.C. Lions Cameron Wake – 18 Sacks
Ticats Sacks – HAM Darrell Adams – 5 Sacks
Let me know your thoughts on the week by sending your e-mails, comments, or questions to jboone@ticats.ca
