Today's Toronto Sun has a CFL preview, and they give the Cats virtually no chance of making the playoffs this year:
[url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/News/2007/05/28/4214374-sun.html]http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/ ... 4-sun.html[/url]I don't blame them for picking us to finish dead last but they can at least pretend they're a major newspaper and do a little bit of homework as far as finding out something about our rookies.
This is how i think it will go this year.
- Winnipeg
- Toronto
- Hamilton- only if our rookies grow up fast
- Monreal- Popp is going to get schooled this year, Calvillo has no one to throw to and his play calling is predictable and their gimik defence won't work for them this year.
I'm not surprised to hear we're slated to finish dead last. We have a lot of questions to be answered. How well will Maas play? If he falters do we have a #1 type QB who can come in?
And where exactly are we going to get a pass rush? I know we have Collier and MacKay-Loescher at the ends, but I wasn't overly impressed by Collier last year, and MacKay-Loescher wasn't an every down player last year for BC.
And what of our Linebackers? Do we have any all-star caliber players at any of the LB spots?
And then there's the receiving corps which will be totally overhauled from last year.
With so many questions yet to be answered, added to the fact that we were the worst team the last two years, I'm fully expecting every analyst and 'expert' in the country to pick us to be dead last again. The team is just going to have to go out there and prove them all wrong.
Our pass rush can’t get any worse.
Our line backers are probably the biggest strength on this team right now with Armour and Moreno.
It's an eight team league. Change can happen very quickly. We have solid ownership, proven management, experienced coaches, strong draft picks, and talented players. Keep the faith.
They are just going on the players we have that they know about . We have very little in the way of experianced receivers and DE`s . But that doesnt mean that these players wont adapt quickly and be very good players by mid season !!!
…and while we all praise ourselves of being the “best” fans in the CFL we are also the most impatient and demanding…which probably means by the 2nd game the threads in here will begin to be a negative campaign…or could I be wrong ?
Time will tell.
I wouldn't line my bird cage with a copy of the "Toronto Sun"...let alone take what "they" have written, as anything even remotely serious, or for that matter informed. Plus, its just someones opinion. just watch, how this paper will put Toronto at the top of the heap after a week of practise....
I was not surprised to see the prediction that the Ticats would finish fourth in the East Division either. I also don’t expect to see many pundits predict that the Ticats won’t finish in last place in their division. With this team, there are certainly too many questions and not enough answers.
But there are a few points made in that article that I’d like to comment on. The 2006 Ticats were referred to as a “rudderless ship” in the article. But there was not much said about the team now not only appearing to have a rudder, but the right people guiding the “ship.” I don’t think one should underestimate what Taaffe and his assistants can do for a team. And underestimating what these coaches can do appears to be exactly what this columnist has done in his assessment of the Ticats.
Also, it was pointed out in that article that the East Division will be a “turtle derby” as it’ll consist of teams that aren’t expected to be as good as their counterparts in the West Division. And that could be another reason the Ticats can’t be counted out. It might not take much for the Ticats to finish in third place, but this columnist does not consider that. You never know what can happen in this league. So while it would not be surprising to see the Ticats finish in last place again, it would not be much of a surprise for them to not finish last in the division.
Lets not forget how optimistic these pundits were along with the rest of us on all the FA signings going into 2006. And how most of us didn't see much going for Kevin Glenn's Blue Bombers.
I think Hamilton might suprise a few teams this year. Not 1st in the east... but I wouldn't be suprised with 3rd or even a push for 2nd.
This is the CFL... we went from the basement to a Grey Cup berth 1997 --> 1998.
uhh ihate the sun and how they think they no so much about the cfl
As others have said, it shouldn't be a surprise that the Cats would be listed last on anyone's pre-season list - there is almost nothing to evaluate this team on because so much has changed. It's a total crap shoot as to whether it will all come together.
It can always turn out like the 2006/07 Raptors - the new GM replaced nine guys on a twelve man roster, they were (IMO reasonably) picked in the bottom five in the league in every single pre-season poll and, yet, after a slow start, they went on to finish third in a fifteen team conference.
Bring on the poor pre-season predictions. In an eight team league,...
I am also not surprised, you have have something to base giving the cats a higher rating and right now there is nothing but If's, When's and Buts..... :rockin:
say, is there a CFL magazine I can subscribe/purchase?
I just signed up because of this post! Finally someone who agrees with me. Montreal is gonna TANK this year!