International Convert to Canadian Football

Hamilton Tiger-Cats
#1

I have been following the CFL for 2.5 seasons now and must admit that I enjoy the fast-paced games more than those of my once beloved NFL. Today I will be watching Calgary and Montreal, giving the American games an occasional glance. The wide-open nature of the CFL is appealing. You only have to stop opponents twice to get the ball back to your own team, and other rules are incredibly interesting. Last night's developments at the end of the game provided a real conundrum for the Eskimos. In retrospect, they should have done things differently. The punt hitting the goal post was a real break for the Cats. Also, having only nine teams makes it easier to follow the league, itself. The NFL is just too big and overwhelming.

I am here as a Cats' fan because Zach is from my home town and I have been watching his games since 7th grade. At this time I must offer an apology for being an Arblows fan until last February. Barring injury, I think Zach may have found a home. Hamilton is the closest CFL city to his beloved Steubenville, Ohio and he must be quite at home in a "Steel City." By the way, he grew up 35 miles from Pittsburgh, Pa. watching Big Ben Roethesberger. Big Ben doesn't like to throw the ball away, either.

Last night you got to see Zach's determination and "never quit" attitude. He stood in there, brushed off the constant harassment by the Edmonton rush, and helped win the game. The defense and Banks did the rest. Last year, he had some amazing games with Big Blew, at times shaking off a poor first half to come back and win the game late. Honestly, I don't think we have seen anything yet. He will make mistakes, but he will never let them affect his play. Give him a little time and a slightly open receiver, and he will burn the opposition. His skill set is perfect for the CFL.

I was born on an American Air Force base in Newfoundland, and I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Canada. I'm glad you kicked our butts in the American Revolution and War of 1812 - we deserved it. You are not "just like us," but you are wonderful in your own way. Not only that, but your national anthem is the best, much better than our old English drinking song.

:thup:
#2

Great post… Welcome

#3

Right on Brother! We truly appreciate Steubenville's Greatest gift to Hamilton in the form of Zach Collaros and we appreciate you spreading the word of the CFL in Ohio! Make it up to the Hammer for a game sometime! :thup:

#4

Nice post hope to here form you more

#5

Believe me, I tell everybody about the CFL experience.

#6

That's Amore!

#7

Welcome Stubber to the great Canadian game and of course the Ticats. We'll even forgive you for being a Blew fan for a while since you were following Zach's career. Their loss has certainly been the Ticats gain and I think most, if not all fans hope that Zach remains a Ticats for years to come! :slight_smile:

#8

I'm trying, right now I need help answering questions. I'm in a Sports Lounge in Colorado Springs and there are 63 people here that never watched a CFL game until today. First game was on ESPN2 so the Lounge put CFL on 2 TVs, interest was high enough to watch the second game that I connected someone's laptop to the 2 TVs and now we have the Ottawa game on ESPN3 and NFL San Francisco on the others.
I'm getting a LOT of questions, some I can answer some I can't, but I can tell you that CFL has gained fans here today.
Talked to a friend at the Lounge I go to back home and the interest remains high there. Just hope ESPN broadcasts more games next year!
Need to thank the CFL, haven't had to buy a beer all afternoon!

#9

Ask the questions here, now. We’ll see what we can do.

#10

I'm doing this on my Ipad while watching the game(s) so please ignore spelling, poor sentences.
I'll ask three questions several people have ask and I can't answer.
Is the Offensive line different than NFL, appears to be more QB sacks in CFL?
If the ball hits the ground on a punt is the five yard restriction still in effect?
It appears that most running plays are right up the middle is this correct?
The most ask question was why do they punt on third down? This I was able to answer, may surprise you but a lot like the three vs the US four plays. Seems to open the game more.
Really appreciate the help and any info you can provide.

#11

We have the same 5 regulars on the Oline as they use when playing by American rules. We use a tight end much less frequently. The Defensive players have to line up a yard off the line of scrimmage and the field is wider which can spread players out a little more. Lastly, being only a 3 down game a higher % of the plays run are passing plays which leads to more opportunities for sacks.

Yes, the 'no yards' penalty is in effect for balls that touch the ground on punts. The penalty for violating this is 15 yards if the ball is caught on the fly or 5 yards if the return man grabs the ball after a bounce.

I'm not sure how to validate or disprove your running up the middle observation; it may or may not be correct.

Hope this helps! I'm sure my fellow Ticats fans will have lots to add. Welcome to Canadian football,
And thanks for joining us!

#12

Yes. Since the NFL tends to hold onto db's and OL we do suffer a tad.
Yes, but the penalty is only 5 yards as compared to the 15 yarder
I'm not sure. Guess it would depend on the team and their strengths at Oline.

I like NFL and 4 downs but in my opinion the most exciting play in football is the punt return for TD. So having more chances at that is whats makes 3 down football great.