Ruminating (without Rum, BTW!)

Hamilton Tiger-Cats
1

We played a very good game against the Argo's, with all facets of the Team showing well. I suppose the brightest spot was how well Jerimiah Masoli played at QB.

There were a few 'negatives', that we would like to gloss over...Banks losing the handle on the ball at a critical time, the penalties that hurt us, the fact that if Andy didn't have such great hands, we weren't going to score the seven...

Next week, we are in what might be called a "Cat Fight", happily at home, against the Lions.

I cannot have greater respect for coaching than KA, OS, and JR, but I remain in some sort of 'Awe' of Wally Buono. They went out and kicked Calgary's butt on the weekend...they are not a force to be trifled with, with a credible running game as well as passing...this may be the truest test of what and where we are? They, too, are playing the #2 guy at QB, as Lulay rests, but I expect they would throw him back on the field, where Zack is not accessible to us.

With Bighill and Aluminium, they might have the best or second best Defence in the League at this point in gelling their guys together, no big losses to free agencies, so its going to be a very tough test on Canada Day, and I'm a bit excited how our guys will come out.

I am certainly no 'expert' in understanding or researching these sorts of things, but wondered what this exciring board might think of believe?

Best Regards

2

Jennings is not #2 he is the starter. Calgary is not the same team we have played the past 2 years and lost too. BC has improved and will be a challenge but I have a feeling about our team. Silent confidence.

3

Your lips to God's ears!

4

Fixed that for you :slight_smile:

5

Creeker, I share your ruminating thoughts. Buono is a top-notch coach who always seems to get the best out of his players and seems to be a great developer of QBs. This will be a truer test for the Ti-Cats than was Toronto.

Sears and Tisdale now have game experience with OS, and another week of practice for Tisdale, but they both make me a little uncomfortable on the field. Plus Sears seems to be susceptible to injury? Still and all, an improvement over Gainey?

If you take away the fortunate bounce to Fantuz, and the inception TD by Simoni, and we still come out ahead on the final score. And Speedy B is usually more sure-handed, so that was a fortunate TD for Toronto. So, all in all, I think we have the personnel and definitely the staff to plan and execute a winning game plan, but, I would never take a Buono team for granted.

It's Friday night, its the home opener and its a holiday. Going to be a good night in THF!

6

Hi Palmer

If working through my career, our Company President taught me one thing of very great value. "Take the toughest calls first". The easy ones were just that, and you could save them up after you had made the important tough calls disappear.

Time will tell, but I think KA thinks along the same lines and could arguably be the 'best' Head Coach at training QB's in memory, at least. Tisdale and Sears? They need to shake a little rust, that's all. Tisdale is a remarkable football player, whose weakness is that he gets a bit over aggressive....OS will sort that out in no time. Agreed, Sears is a bit injury prone, but plays very well. He will succeed, or die in the attempt. The key to that one is Orlando himself, we must do whatever needs be done to retain him.

Sometimes the "bounces" go your way, sometimes they don't. In the Toronto game, we were lucky that they did. (I could give a speech about "sea level" and being at the crest or trough of a wave, but won't).

Friday is in fact going to be a great game, and will be a good insight as to wherever we are...the Argo's, Lions, and Eskimo's are the teams we must show well against, the remainder have some issues that game planning might be a little more easy to overcome (Mind, you have to be careful about the Stampeders and Red/Blacks as well!)

7

Realistically, the only way to keep Steinauer, is for Austin to step aside from HC and offer the job to Orlondo.
Unfortunately Austin loves coaching too much for this to happen at this juncture of his career.
There will be many HC opportunities open for Steinauer next season when his contract expires.

BC - Wally would step aside for a quality guy(he wanted him last season)
MTL - Popp will surely be looking for a HC
WPG - nuff said
TOR - Milanovich is under pressure to win, if he doesn’t get TOR to their hometown Grey Cup, he is toast!

8

Hi Grover!

Reference your remarks, I wonder where BC will pick their next head coach (and/or GM?) Wally is pretty tight on his perch, and I think would want to go with an Offensive guy, as opposed Defensive one.

Montreal is a bit of a train wreck in motion, but with Calvillo there, there can't be much doubt about who's going to be "next", and lets not kid ourselves, he should know who the viable Defensive Heads are, which is sort of scarey.

I don't think (personally) that OShea is doing too badly, I think he's in there another year or three before anyone tries to sweep the broom though, though my expectations of Wpg remain a bit low, until they really rebuild the D and get a QB better than Willie, and so on...

9
:rockin:
10

Just to continue, for a couple minutes....

Calgary has Dickensen, and you don't get rid of somebody like that very quickly.

Edmonton has Maas, maybe an experiment, but he should have a year or two on his contract, and has a good team....hard to argue with that.

Saskatchewan is in a rebuilding process, but has hired a good coach, who might need a year or two...

Winnipeg, we've covered.

Hamilton has a full house, that any one of our assistant coaches are competent to take over a team...

Toronto has Milanovich and Stubler...while I personally regard KA, OS, and JR superior in every regard, in their individual jobs, I just don't see Toronto in the market for a new coach.

Ottawa is pretty successful, and won't be changing coaches terribly quickly.

There's a quirk coming up, in that if the League expands, (say to Halifax or wherever) a whole new tray of coaches will be required, but you get into the "Salary Cap" thing (even with a cheaper cost of living out there), and who you can "afford" to import.

(Scratches balding, greying, skull)

With a bit of luck, we'll be able to keep our coaching staff for another few years. Our players are another question!

11

Hell yah! The place will be rocking giving our guys the needed advantage

Ohh that reminds me I have to get noise makers

12

“if the league expands” ?? :? :? :?
I don’t think you have to worry about that. Halifax is no closer to a CFL team than they were 40 or 50 years ago.