2014: Grey Cup

[AngeloV]

You may be right. I just looked at Giguere's stats this season and they weren't that bad, especially as I believe he plays that Z receiver position that gets the fewest throws. My bad on this one. He had 41 catches for 520 yards and a TD this season.

I found the Cats offence to be way more dangerous when Giguere lined up at slot for an injured Fantuz. Like Fantuz, he has good size, but he has speed that makes him way more dangerous. In the one game at the dome, when they ran the throw back screen which he scored on, he looked to me like a guy that can be a huge difference maker.

I was talking pure receiver talent wise and Fantuz has been injured / nicked a lot of this season, but Tasker couldn\t hold Fantuz's jockstrap in terms of receiver skills; son of hall of famer Tasker is a middling to mediocre CFL receiver talent who gets tons of passes thrown his way because he is one of Kenty's boys

You're entitled to your opinion, but I think it's totally based on bias. The reason Tasker gets more balls thrown to him is because he makes more plays. To say that Tasker gets more balls thrown his way because he's "Kent's boy", is ridiculous. Kent won a Grey Cup with Fantuz as one of his prime targets, but that was 7 years ago. Fantuz, granted because of wear and tear, is not the same receiver he used to be. He used to beat teams deep, he can't anymore. It's almost the 2nd coming of Jason Clermont.

I have no reason to cheer for Tasker. In fact, Rod Black kind of makes you want to cheer against him, but I've seen him play live a few times now, and he is a very good football player.

[Ron]

Hamilton wins this 31-17. All three East teams finished the season as better teams than the west side. Calgary did look good beating an Edmonton team that barely beat a lousy Rider squad.

[OV Argo]

Yep- we're entitled to our individual opinions on individual football players.

Receiver production wise FYI - Fantuz has a CFL best season of 87 catches for 1380 yards; he also has 4 other seasons of either 60 plus catches or 850 plus yards. We shall see if son of HOFer Tasker puts up those kinds of CFL receiving seasons in his career - and I expect huge seasons out of a CFL receiver who is the #1 target in an offence with tons of passes thrown his way - and not just decent hands; Fantuz just has shown so much more in pro receiver skills - particularly great hands and excellent route running that gets him open deep some for not a fast receiver, but he has the size to win battles for passes; maybe he has lost a step or two and can\t get open deep anymore but speed was never a main asset for him as a receiver anyways.

Giguere may be a fast, physical speciman but he has played several CFL seasons now and just has not risen above an average receiver talent - not great hands or route running skills and not enough big play, YAC yards or circus/tough catch ability - kind of like Tasker IMO.

[ArgofanIan]

Really lookin forward to the game.... will be interesting to see how the young quarterbacks react on both teams... how John Cornish will do.... How special teams on Hamilton does..... to see which defense rises to the occasion .... I think Calgary wants the win more to get the monkey of their back...... but I don't think Hamilton is looking for a second straight grey cup loss.... I really enjoyed the last part of the season.... especially here in the east....should be a great game.....go ARRRGOOOOS 2015 !!!!

[Fumblitis]

Really lookin forward to the game.... will be interesting to see how the young quarterbacks react on both teams... how John Cornish will do.... How special teams on Hamilton does..... to see which defense rises to the occasion .... I think Calgary wants the win more to get the monkey of their back...... but I don't think Hamilton is looking for a second straight grey cup loss.... I really enjoyed the last part of the season.... especially here in the east....should be a great game.....go ARRRGOOOOS 2015 !!!!

Me too. I remember a few weeks ago when the Riders lost I remember telling everyone I could that I didn't care anymore because the Riders were out. As much as I tried to focus on the NFL during the division finals, I couldn't stay away from the division finals. As much as I tell myself my focus is the NFL (which I love just as much as the CFL), I have to admit I will be getting my errands done during NFL Sunday so I can watch the Grey Cup (and I hate the Stampeders with a passion). There's just something special about our home grown game. Long live the CFL!

[gilthethrill]

What do the players on the winning side/losing side get payed today?

[jerrym]

Hamiltion's plugging the middle to stop Cornish has given Calgary to often go outside and deep successfully. It will be interesting to see if Hamilton adjusts at halftime and if Calgary gives Cornish more rushes if the Ticats do that.

[LLB997]

What do the players on the winning side/losing side get payed today?

stamps players get 16 grand, and ticats players 8 grand. not bad for 3 hours work

congrats stamps, and ticats....................1999 XD

[jerrym]

It drives me nuts that the CFL cannot feature Canadian talent at the halftime show, in what is the biggest Canadian entertainment show of the year, especially when they seem so derivative. Just last night I saw a Canadian group that could play everything with flare from oldies to new age rock to current hits with a couple of rap songs thrown in.

[Bleeds Double Blue]

Is it just me or do they have a lot more TV commercial time outs today? It must be quite frustrating for the people at the game.

[Fumblitis]

Nice pick, Breaux!

[Neely2005]

That's an unsportsmanlike penalty?

[ArgoGabe22]

Should Taylor Reed be worried of manure being thrown on his lawn?

[Bleeds Double Blue]

Congratulations to the Calgary Stampeders and hats off to the Tiger Cats. I really though the Stamps would blow them out but Hamilton hung in right to the end.

[gilthethrill]

I imagine Ticats fans were wondering why Banks was not on the field for the final drive, I know I am. All in all a very good weekend for Canadian Football. Although Hamilton went winless in both Championship games, their teams played very well and provided great entertainment for football fans in Canada.

[ArgoGabe22]

I imagine Ticats fans were wondering why Banks was not on the field for the final drive, I know I am. All in all a very good weekend for Canadian Football.

Banks was too upset to play. Can't believe he reacted the way he did. After the game sure but with 35 seconds left... come on man.

[OV Argo]

Congrats to the Stamps, but kudos to Pussycats for hanging and making a game of it = gotta love a close championship game that goes down to the wire.

Stamps offence with Mitchell looked good in the first half with some good passing and Cornish either shut down or else just a decoy; but i said to myself at half - they will be in trouble if they abandon their run game and a great weapon like Cornish when they need it most; was pulling for the Stumps, but almost wish the Ticats could have pulled it off to make Huff and his coaches pay for such an incredibly stupid coaching decision: you have a 4 point lead late in the game and you choose to punt it straight to the most dangerous weapon the Ticats have - and Banks almost made them pay for it (obvious clip on McCartney - the top Stamps gunner) - they got lucky - guess they deserved to win though, but not an overly impressive performance or smart coaching IMO.

[Antwon]

Banks was too upset to play. Can't believe he reacted the way he did. After the game sure but with 35 seconds left... come on man.

Yep, that's got to hurt your credibility with teammates!

[Antwon]

I really think Collaros choked a bit. Jumpy feet, tunnel vision, and didn't take off and run.
But he's young and will learn.

This needs to be addressed much more that I am seeing in the media at the moment. It will be interesting to see if anyone does address it in the next day or two. I feel badly for Banks but he has to keep his head in the game until the final second ticks off the clock. His speed could've made a difference in those final 35 seconds but he had already checked out of the game.

Anyway, long-time fans will remember a similar ending to the 1979 Grey Cup. The Als were trailing 17-9 late in the game when Keith Baker returned a punt for a TD which, with a 2 point convert, could have tied the game. However, Gerry Dattilio (yes, the Canadian who would be the East MOP a year later as a QB) was called for an illegal block on that play and the Als' hopes ended much like the Ticats' hopes ended today.

It should also be said that the Ticats did not lose this game on that one play. They were the worst red zone offence in the league this year and they were atrocious in that area once again tonight including late in the fourth quarter when they were 1st and goal from the Calgary 2 yard line and had to settle for a Medlock FG instead. Medlock also had another FG attempt blocked. On top of that, the Ticats started poorly once again which was another problem that they have had all season. Furthermore, Kent Austin managed the clock very poorly tonight. He failed to use a timeout late in the first half to give his team a chance to close the gap further after they had just scored a TD and had all of the momentum. Then, he didn't use a timeout until there were 30 seconds left in the game and his team was scrimmaging from their own 5 yard line. That timeout should have been used prior to Paredes' final punt. The Ticats lost 20 valuable seconds by not taking the timeout then. I know that some in the media are scared of ticking Austin off but they need to hold his feet to the fire a bit for those decisions as well as his decision to sit better receivers such as Ellingson and Koch to play an inferior receiver in Terrell Sinkfield who had a rough game tonight.

Ellingson was a healthy scratch? Bad move IMO.

[ArgoRavi]

I really think Collaros choked a bit. Jumpy feet, tunnel vision, and didn't take off and run.
But he's young and will learn.

Mitchell is a more polished QB at this point than Collaros is. I think that we saw evidence of that tonight. Collaros seemed to panic at times this year when the game was on the line including during the Ticats' two losses to Toronto.