TORONTO — As the players had the scenario explained to them, you could often see the pain in their faces.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.cfl.ca/2024/04/19/the-players-say-who-will-win-the-111th-grey-cup
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.cfl.ca/2024/04/19/the-players-say-who-will-win-the-111th-grey-cup
What the heck? Four votes for the Riders, 2 each for the Lions & Elks, one lowly vote for the Bombers & Stamps. What happened to the East who won the last 2. For the record the East won 19 of 32 interdivisional games last year on the way to the Cup. None of the 4 Eastern players voting here see an East team winning??
Even the players are buying in to the Rider hype. Still not convinced they’re a playoff team. 
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Truly odd that Toronto and Montreal didn’t get a single vote. But hey, that’s why the game is played on the field, right?
I also think some players were repping teams with their friends on them. Like Geno Lewis going for BC where his old buddy Stanback is now.
At this point in time, I’ll say it’s a two-way tie between Winnipeg and Toronto for the Cup, with B.C. and Montreal as edge candidates.
I like what Danny Maciocia has done for the Als in the offseason, notably getting a lot of core pieces re-signed or extended, but we suffered three significant losses (and no, I’m not talking about Stanback): Austin Mack and Lwal Uguak to the NFL, and Shawn Lemon to retirement. All three played a crucial role in the 2023 Cup run. Whether we can compensate for their absence remains to be seen. But at the moment, we have no proven #1 receiver or top-tier defensive ends. Those are big holes to fill.
Of course, if Uguak and/or Mack get released from the NFL and return to us, all bets are off.
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You always give a fair & measured assessment of your own club which is appreciated.
These things are interesting talking points BUT looking at the players being signed by all clubs from the USFL etc, we’ll be seeing some very good veteran talent in camps with all the clubs. Add in the best crop of CDN talent in the draft in a number of years & I would not be surprised to see as many as 1/2 dozen new faces on most teams this year. And look at all the retirements throughout the league the last few months. Teams are definitely looking hard at what they want to pay for players, with say, an injury history (like Janarion Grant), sub par performances (Whitehead) & age (Laurent etc.).
It’s way too early to handicap any of the contenders at this point until we see what washes out in camp. I expect some older veterans getting more competition for jobs this year than has been the case in the past.
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I wouldn’t rate Toronto very high at the moment until the Chad Kelly saga plays out. He could miss only a few games or even the entire season. It’s impossible to rank the Argos without that knowledge, so I would look at them as “off the board” for now.
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Fair. (I honestly haven’t been paying attention to that story since it first broke, and my cynicism makes me think both the league and the Argos will do everything they can to sweep the Kelly scandal under the rug so things can go on as usual. BUT I don’t want to derail this thread.)
Back to the discussion at hand.
BC, Winnipeg, Montreal, Edmonton, Hamilton (gut feeling) Sasketchewan, Toronto, Calgary, and Ottawa.
In that order.
if my gut had feelings, it would be ashamed to show itself
Hamilton will quietly go about its business with Coach M, a healthy Bo, and a revamped D. Not ruling them out: could be the sleeper that Montreal was last season.
Well you could be right considering that they’ve been asleep now for almost a quarter century dating back to 1999 . 
I think this has a legit shot at being true IF BLM can recapture some of his old championship form. That is a big if, though.
The Argos will bounce back, with one year experience behind him Kelly will lead them to the Grey Cup.
From the responses I have read coming from the players - I doubt their logic and knowledge of the past several years. How anyone can just discount any team in the East is astounding - and yet there it is. I will stick my neck out and go with a team that has been chewing on the bone of winning for a long time - how about the Hamilton Tiger Cats? They have had their share of disappointment and hardship - but doesn’t that make people winners? So my pick for this year’s Grey Cup are the Cats!
Hey, players are players. They’re paid to play, not to think or prognosticate. Their opinion on who will win isn’t worth more than any fan’s opinion IMO.
It’s weird how people will fixate on all the issues facing eastern teams but minimize or omit issues facing western teams. Despite the fact that the east was the stronger division in 2023 and an eastern team has won the last two Grey Cups. I don’t see a single team, east or west, that is teflon or bulletproof or without its share of concerns at whatever positions. Winnipeg comes closest but even they have questions (at O-line, D-line, and linebacker) that need answering. B.C. lost their star pass rusher to the NFL and still have to prove they can beat the Bombers when it counts.
The other three western teams are all enigmas. SSK is putting its faith in a first-time HC, an offensive coordinator who had his playcalling duties taken away from him last year, and a 38-year-old QB coming off a major injury who has never won the big game. Edmonton is gambling that MBT can get them over the hump offensively while hiring the DC SSK fired last year. Calgary has to prove that complacency and staleness haven’t overtaken the Dickenson era after their 6-12 2023 season, and that Jake Maier is actually worth the investment they’ve made in him.