Thanksgiving week-end is an away game on the Friday in Edmonton.
For that I (and my wife!) give thanks. I will not be tied up on the week-end itself this year.
I have already downloaded the schedule into Outlook from that schedule page and have started booking the days.
The coaches must be jumping for joy with this schedule. It’s unbelievably good, with not a single week where the schedule puts the Cats at any serious disadvantage.
I am not someone that looks for conspiracies, ... but if I were ...
... my question would be:
Why do the schedule makers favour Toronto (and to a lesser extent Montreal & Winterpeg) with earlier start times of games when playing in Western cities? When dealing with time zone changes, the later the start time the greater the disadvantage for eastern teams ... based on the schedule, Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg all have easier schedules than Hamilton.
Evidence:
Jun 30 Toronto @ Edmonton 7:00 PM Eastern Time
Jul 13 Winnipeg @ Edmonton 9:00 Eastern Time
Oct 05 Hamilton @ Edmonton 9:00 PM Eastern Time
Aug 17 Montreal @ Edmonton 9:00 PM Eastern Time
Sep 8 Montreal @ BC 4:00 PM Eastern Time
Sep 15 Toronto @ BC 7:00 PM Eastern Time
Jul 6 Hamilton @ BC 10:00 PM Eastern Time
Jul 28 Hamilton @ Sask 6:00 PM Eastern Time
Sep 2 Winnipeg @ Sask 4:00 PM Eastern Time
Oct 20 Montreal @ Sask 3:30 PM Eastern Time
Oct 27 Toronto @ Sask 4:00 PM Eastern Time
Sep 29 Toronto @ Winnipeg 7:00 PM Eastern Time
Aug 16 Hamilton @ Winnipeg 8:00 PM Eastern Time
Sep 21 Hamilton @ Winnipeg 8:00 PM Eastern Time
Aug 3 Montreal @ Winnipeg 8:30 PM Eastern Time
Nov 3 Montreal @ Winnipeg 3:00 PM Eastern Time
all game times in Calgary involving eastern teams are 7:00 PM Eastern time.
The Wpg and Sask game times are irrelevant as they are about the same time eastern teams play their own home games (8 p.m. is insignificantly different than 7 or 7:30, etc.). The only places where one could argue there is an unfair disadvantage are Hamilton's 10 p.m. start time in B.C. and the fact that the Argos play two hours earlier than the other eastern teams in Edmonton. Not a big deal, and I for one am glad that for once all of the eastern teams are not playing in B.C. at 10 or 10:30.
The July 6th start at 10pm EST in B.C. is a Friday night which in B.C. time is 7pm PST
To start an afternoon game at 4pm PST on a friday would make for a pretty empty B.C. Place.