The long wait is over....

Hamilton Tiger-Cats
1

I don't know if it is just my gut feeling...
But I think the 2008 season, is going to be the long awaited turn around year...for our Cats.
The right Coaching staff, is in place, and with a GM like "Big Bob" who has a nac for finding the right talent, this is one fan who believe's the long wait is over. :thup:

2

I think most of us hope that the team shows positive steps and direction, as well as adding some keeper players that can be the building blocks for the future.
Also along the way play some exciting football, be in a bit of a playoff race...and beat the Arblows.

Thats all I am looking for this year.

3

It's tough turning around a bad team in one year, but it's not impossible.

Having Casey all year will eliminate that whole Maas/ Williams/Chang debate. Each game Jesse will know who is going to hand the ball to him, each receiver will know whos throwing the ball to them. Receivers will be able to run routes based on timing knowing that Casey can get the ball to them. If Casey is as mobile as he was in his MVP yaer, he will make the O Line better, the extra second will make the receivers better.

2008 will be an important year for Jesse. I know that I have been accused of "not being a fan", but nothing could be urther from the truth. He is a agressive "kamikaze" style runner who can break off big runs at any time. What has driven me nuts is the attitude in Hamilton that he is the best back in the league and HOF bound. Jesse has yet to play anything close to a full season, and if you remove 2-3 big games from his stats, he is kinda ordinary. His POTENTIAL however, is huge. If he can stay healthy, he will be great, assuming that the Cats can surround him with enough talent so that defences cant key on him.

Miles is a good find, however injuries and consistancy are an issue. If he can connect with Casey...watch out.

The biggest roadblock for this years Cats will be defense. Losing Armour will be huge. I know that I am an Als fan, but losing Cody wont help either. He looked a bit lost at times last year, maybe a change of scenery will help. Either case, the backfield looks a bit suspect, and lets face it, the Cats are playing in a division that has some pretty good QBs.

In earlier posyts, I predicted 4-5 wins...I am going to change that and say 6-8. 2009 will be even better

4

Over confidence at this stage of the season??? to early to rest on FANhype. Taaffe has a short leash , Obie cant turn over the whole roster, . Lumsden is the linch pin for this season , he is nfl bound next, so give him the reps!!!

5

[quote="Massdestruction"]Over confidence at this stage of the season??? to early to rest on FANhype. Taaffe has a short leash , Obie cant turn over the whole roster, . Lumsden is the linch pin for this season , he is nfl bound next, so give him the reps!!![/quote

Jesse's NFL boat has long set sail.

Time for him to concentrate on becoming a CFL Star and leading the Cats to repectability.

As much as he would like to play down there, so would the rest of the roster.

Another NFL tryout would be pointless and selfish on his part.

Lets hope his shoulder holds up!!!

6

Seen that 6 win estimate thrown around alot.
Printers, all the upgrades in coaching, a healthy Lumsden et al. only adds up to THREE more wins than 07??
Last year Cats should have won 2-3 three more and were competetive in at least that many until the last QTR.
6 wins sounds more like wishfull thinking by some and for some because they just love being negative rather than the estimate being based on objectivity.

7

Yep there was a stretch early on when the defence played solid and the offence just couldn’t get it done, then Cody came back and the defence just collapsed.

This year I just feel like they added the right pieces and got rid of the right pieces, except losing Murphy is kind of a big blow.

8

SJ:
I share your optimism about the team but I don’t think the wait is over yet.
Why do you think the “right coaching staff” is in place? We have no evidence of that yet. Charlie still has to prove himself and the OC and DC are unknown quantities. If we had been able to snare Greg Marshall (the other) and a more winning and experienced OC then I would feel a heck of a lot better. I wish Marcel and Denny the best this season but I don’t expect any kind of a magic turnaround. The other teams (not sure about the blue team though) will still be very competitive and we have a long way to go.
The only one I feel good about right now is Obie. However… he will need more than a season to get the right pieces of the puzzle together.
I see this season as being the first step towards a solid foundation for the future. Thats good news. But I think there will be many more changes over the the next two years (players and possibly coaches) before we see a team that has the talent and consistency needed for a winning season.
If we get to mid-season with some big wins and a strong showing, feel free to remind me of this post and I will be glad to admit that I have misjudged things.

9

A look to the past to see how things can change over just one season...

1997 - 2 and 16
1998 - trip to the Grey Cup, lost on a last play field goal
1999 - win it all...

And that was with the addition of Danny Mac and Flutie. I think we have added more talent this year than between 1997 and 1998. So... anything can happen. I believe that we will have a much better season, 9 - 9 or better.

10

1991 3-15 4th in east.. missed playoffs
1992 11-7 2nd in east.. made it to east final

11
1998 - trip to the Grey Cup, lost on a last play field goal
Thank you Don Sutherin.
12

Well, Mark McLoughlin. LMAO

But I do understand your sentiment. :wink:

I am not a fan of prevent defences because they often prevent one from winning. Having said that, even great defensive coordinators like Sudsy get trumped at times. C’est la guerre. It just hurts even more in Grey Cups, I think!

Oski Wee Wee,

13
If we get to mid-season with some big wins and a strong showing, feel free to remind me of this post and I will be glad to admit that I have misjudged things
Thanks Mr62Cats... I will remember. Cheers.