Fantuz a Ticat!

[tcmike]

@"woody"

@"ronfromtigertown"

I wonder if a deciding factor in Andy Fantuz coming to Hamilton [not Toronto]

was that Obie promised him all our home games will be played in London in 2013.

P.S.

Western University in London will certainly be getting a lot of games that year.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Tiger Cats to market the London area aggressively
to see if they can get a big whack of season ticket holders from that area after 2013.

Why not make Western our home field and send busloads of Ticat fans from area malls.

up the relatively light-travelled 4 lane 403 highway west to London every “home” game?

Maybe I missed something but I don’t remember any annoucements regarding where games will be played in 2013?

For myself and a few other Ticat season ticket holders it will certainly shorten our drive. I can see a busload coming from Sarnia as well. http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=s … 3t05mRm3BA

I really don’t see a downside to playing in London (other than the fact that Hamilton will miss the games while the stadium is being built). I can see people from Woodstock , Strathroy, Chatham, and anywhere else in a 60 mile radius joining the base we have in Brantford and Kitchener for games. Maybe even “the NFL lovers” in Windsor will make the trek East. (Windsor has such a long history of Canadian football connections. I would not be surprised to see some Detroit fans as well)

London has lots of “sports bars” and motels are reasonably priced. Perhaps some of the seating that is added there will stay. I see it as a win-win all around. Let’s hope it happens.

[mightypope]

@"Ockham"

I’d be shocked if Obie doesn’t take a receiver with the first round pick.

Well, be prepared to be shocked then. The obvious, more pressing need, is to draft a lineman, either offensive or defensive. We need a potential starter with our first draft pick, not some back-up receiver.

[HfxTC]

@"mightypope"

@"Ockham"

I’d be shocked if Obie doesn’t take a receiver with the first round pick.

Well, be prepared to be shocked then. The obvious, more pressing need, is to draft a lineman, either offensive or defensive. We need a potential starter with our first draft pick, not some back-up receiver.

Right now the top 3 receivers are being scouted by NFL scouts. Its a weird year for the draft. There really isn’t a safe bet in the top 10 or 12.

[woody]

@tcmike...follow the thread.

ronfromtigertown made a suggestion/joke

My post ended with "Let's hope it happens"

The truth of the matter is that "NO", nothing firm has been announced about 2013...but London is in the thought process.

[woody]

@"mightypope"

@"Ockham"

I’d be shocked if Obie doesn’t take a receiver with the first round pick.

Well, be prepared to be shocked then. The obvious, more pressing need, is to draft a lineman, either offensive or defensive. We need a potential starter with our first draft pick, not some back-up receiver.

It all starts with the "O"line.

However I’d like to see us get a dependable “DB” by trade or FA…but it looks like the one I wanted may be taken.

[oski-oui-oui]

@"HalfTheDistance"

This is awersome news, huge signing WTG Obie!!

X2 – definitely what the passing doctor would prescribe.

Oski Wee Wee,

Russ

[PatLynch]

A big Canadian target! It will be like having Tony Gabriel back.

Pat Lynch(the old happy guy)

[oski-oui-oui]

@"PatLynch"

A big Canadian target! It will be like having Tony Gabriel back.

Pat Lynch(the old happy guy)

Or Rocky DiPietro.

Oski Wee Wee,

Russ

[ExPat]

I take it Fantuz has forgiven the Tiger-Cat organization for that little "Fantuz Flakes" parody video a couple of years back.

Anyone know if it's still available online?

[15_championships]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acItB9NfnuI

[disciplineandpunish]

@"stevehvh"

Well, that’s one perspective on it. Some other posters here feel like Hamilton’s position is a bit stronger than that. You may well be right-- I guess only Obie and Popp know for sure.

I’m not saying Hamilton’s position is weak. Please be clear on that. I’m just saying that Montreal has no pressing need to bolster its receiving corps. So if you want to offer us the rights to a receiver, you’re not offering anything really enticing to us. Our major needs are defensive lineman, defensive back, and kick returner, in that order.

[HalfTheDistance]

So when it was all said and done, we traded Bruce for Fantuz!

[ETMRaw]

He will have to buy black-and-gold jerseys for the 10 or so family members that always attended Rider games at IWS.

Welcome Andy!

[cats99]

Yessssss! Ob you de man

[rockfish]

Great signing!
Landing the top free agent available is a real coup.
Now lets' try to pry MacPherson from Montreal for Giguere.

[old_fan]

Discipline and Punish wrote:

"I'm not saying Hamilton's position is weak. Please be clear on that. I'm just saying that Montreal has no pressing need to bolster its receiving corps. So if you want to offer us the rights to a receiver, you're not offering anything really enticing to us. Our major needs are defensive lineman, defensive back, and kick returner, in that order."

At least one writer disagrees with you....Steve Milton of the Hamilton Spectator...

"And nothing’s happened with Sam Giguere yet. Fantuz’s 180 grand has sucked up a big chunk of the receiving corps’ budget, and 2008 draft choice Giguere wants better money than he’s been offered by Bob O’Billovich.

His NFL aspirations apparently thwarted, Giguere would like to go to Montreal if he plays in the CFL, and Montreal would like to have him.

But there should be only two CFL options for Giguere: playing for the Ticats or parking it. Obie can’t be giving the Als, seriously smarting at Canadian receivers, exactly what his vulnerable division rival needs."

Didn't Giguere do some kick returns down south??

[HfxTC]

@"disciplineandpunish"

@"stevehvh"

Well, that’s one perspective on it. Some other posters here feel like Hamilton’s position is a bit stronger than that. You may well be right-- I guess only Obie and Popp know for sure.

I’m not saying Hamilton’s position is weak. Please be clear on that. I’m just saying that Montreal has no pressing need to bolster its receiving corps. So if you want to offer us the rights to a receiver, you’re not offering anything really enticing to us. Our major needs are defensive lineman, defensive back, and kick returner, in that order.

From a football perspective you are correct but from a marketing Giguere would give a huge boost to Lalonde. How that translates in fair value is completely up to the Tiger-Cats. What do they see fit for a quality prospect. IMO Giguere is worth a high draft pick and some form of additionnal compensation as a more ready one having spent four years getting pro coaching and the Ticats waiting but that is just my opinion.

[mikem]

Milton is right, the $180,000 to Fantuz does suck a lot of money out of the receiving corps. I hope Williams is making that kind of dough, after all he's receiving, returning kicks and punts.

Some games to look forward to. Good article in the Post

[url=http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/02/17/cfl-schedules-align-for-hamilton-tiger-cats-and-toronto-argonauts/]http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/02/ ... argonauts/[/url]

[old_fan]

Hamilton starting at home against the Riders…did the schedule makers know something ahead of the rest of us on the Fantuz signing??

[HfxTC]

@"old fan"

Discipline and Punish wrote:

“I’m not saying Hamilton’s position is weak. Please be clear on that. I’m just saying that Montreal has no pressing need to bolster its receiving corps. So if you want to offer us the rights to a receiver, you’re not offering anything really enticing to us. Our major needs are defensive lineman, defensive back, and kick returner, in that order.”

At least one writer disagrees with you…Steve Milton of the Hamilton Spectator…

"And nothing’s happened with Sam Giguere yet. Fantuz’s 180 grand has sucked up a big chunk of the receiving corps’ budget, and 2008 draft choice Giguere wants better money than he’s been offered by Bob O’Billovich.

His NFL aspirations apparently thwarted, Giguere would like to go to Montreal if he plays in the CFL, and Montreal would like to have him.

But there should be only two CFL options for Giguere: playing for the Ticats or parking it. Obie can’t be giving the Als, seriously smarting at Canadian receivers, exactly what his vulnerable division rival needs."

Didn’t Giguere do some kick returns down south??

Sam wants nothing to do with returning kicks for 44k a year and I can’t blame him. He’s a receiver and that’s where the money is for him. Kick returners in the CFL is a losing proposition on all fronts.