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  1. #21
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    There are still big questions about Hamilton's kicking game with the departure of Medlock, as noted in this review of the team's ST.

    Medlock's perceived shortcomings and his hefty price tag led the Ticats to let him walk and while that decision made some practical sense, it has left the team with a key question heading into training camp: Who, exactly, is going to replace him?
    In Part 3 of our training camp preview, we examine special teams.
    Kickers
    After Medlock signed with the Bombers, the Ticats made an unsuccessful run at former Toronto Argonaut Swayze Waters, who ultimately signed in the NFL, then worked out a number of kickers from both sides of the border. The team brought four to mini-camp in April and while they have yet to make it official, the Ticats are expected to bring in two American kickers to compete for the job.
    Brett Maher played 22 games over two seasons with Ottawa, including all 18 games in their inaugural 2014 campaign where he kicked the game-winner in Week 3 to give the new franchise their first-ever CFL win. But a torn labrum in his kicking hip was discovered just before training camp last season, leaving him in need of surgery and six months of rehab. He returned to punt in four games for Ottawa in 2015.
    For his career, Maher is 25 of 37 (67.6 per cent) on field goals, going just 3-for-10 on kicks from 40 yards and beyond. He has never connected from beyond the 50, going 0-for-2. Maher averaged 45.4 yards per punt in 2014, tied for second in the CFL, while his 38.0-yard net average was third. His 62.2-yard kickoff average was fifth.
    His numbers at Nebraska: 83 per cent on field goals in 47 attempts, 8-for-11 between 40 and 49 yards, 6-for-11 on attempts of 50-plus yards with a long of 54. So the leg strength would appear to be there.
    Competing against Maher is Cody Mandell, who has never played in the CFL. The 24-year-old was a punter for four seasons at Alabama — he was a member of two national championship teams — and had an impressive 47.1 yard average his senior year.
    The big question will be Mandell's place-kicking ability, something he hasn't done since high school.
    Assuming Maher or Mandell kick well enough to earn the starting job in training camp — and the Ticats will want one guy to do all three things — they'll still have to prove they can do when the games really matter. And they have some pretty big (kicking) shoes to fill.
    Return men
    After posting seven kick return touchdowns in his first two-plus seasons — including four last year — Brandon Banks has cemented his status as one of the most electrifying players in the game today. His seven returns of more than 30 yards led the CFL last season when he was named the league's Most Outstanding Special Teams Player.
    If there's a concern about Banks, it's his durability. He's listed at 5-foot-7, 153 pounds, but it hasn't been an issue yet, as he's missed just four of a possible 41 regular season games during his career.
    The loss of Terrell Sinkfield to the NFL robs the Ticats of another legitimate return threat — not to mention a 1,000-yard receiver — but the addition of Chad Owens (eight career TD returns) and Demond Washington from Winnipeg should help provide some depth. C.J. Gable is a solid kick returner, too.
    Long snappers and holders
    Both of the team's primary snappers return this season with veteran Aaron Crawford and youngster Mathieu Girard in camp. Crawford handled punts with Girard taking field goal duties last year, though it's possible the latter could fill both roles this season while also providing valuable insurance on the offensive line.
    The team has a number of experienced holders including Luke Tasker — Medlock's personal favourite — receiver Andy Fantuz and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. Developing a good working relationship with the new kicker, whoever that may be, will be key.
    Cover teams
    The Ticats' special teams have been very solid under co-ordinator Jeff Reinebold the last three seasons, allowing just one return touchdown over that span. But the departures of some key contributors, including Americans Erik Harris, Taylor Reed and Brandon Stewart and Canadians Arnaud Gascon-Nadon and Neil King will put several units under pressure.
    On the plus side, Ticats have excelled at finding big, athletic Canadians to help on teams. Frederic Plesius' 19 special teams tackles was good enough for third in the CFL last season while Beau Landry was second on the club with 14. Byron Archambault, recovering from torn knee ligaments, Jay Langa and Mike Daly all know their way around the kicking game.
    Alex Hoffman-Ellis, signed as a free agent from the B.C. Lions, should help and Reinebold will need to get the rest of the American newcomers up to speed as quickly as possible.

    http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/6694921-tiger-cats-put-special-emphasis-on-special-teams/


  2. #22
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    Tiger Cats' Brandon Banks has been suspended.

    Ticats training camp got underway Sunday morning and we already have our first bit of intrigue.
    Brandon “Speedy” Banks, the 2015 CFL Most Outstanding Special Teams player, was placed on the suspended list by the club. He is not at training camp.
    While there has been no official explanation as to his absence – head coach Kent Austin will meet the media after practice – word is he has some sort of family situation. The timetable for his arrival, however, is unknown.
    http://3downnation.com/2016/05/29/br...w-ticats-camp/

  3. #23
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    The Tiger Cats have made some changes to their training camp roster, including the adding of Brett Maher and LaQuan Williams, and the suspension of Brandon Banks.

    Williams, 27, spent time on the Saskatchewan Roughriders practice roster in 2015. The University of Maryland product played 23 NFL games over two seasons (2011-12) with the Baltimore Ravens, registering four receptions for 46 yards, six kick returns for 114 yards, and nine special teams tackles. Williams, a 6-0, 195-pound native of Baltimore, Maryland, spent part of the 2013 season with the New England Patriots before returning to the Ravens practice squad in 2014.
    Maher, 26, has appeared in 22 CFL games with the Ottawa Redblacks since 2014, converting 25-of-37 field goal attempts (67.6%) and averaging 45.2 yards per punt on 160 attempts. In Week 4 during his rookie season, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln product earned CFL Special Teams Player of the Week honours after making all six of his field goal attempts and scoring all of Ottawa’s points in the franchise’s first win. Maher, a 6-0, 186-pound native of Kearney, Nebraska, also attended training camp with Winnipeg in 2014.
    The Tiger-Cats also announced some additional transactions on Sunday.
    The following players have been added to the six-game injured list:
    NAT – DB – Craig Butler
    INT – OL – Jake Olson

    The following player has been added to the suspended list:
    INT – WR/KR – Brandon Banks
    http://ticats.ca/tiger-cats-sign-wid...ekicker-maher/

  4. #24
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    Simoni Lawrence receives contract extension
    http://3downnation.com/2016/05/29/la...icats-sources/

  5. #25
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    Sounds like Banks is attending to a family matter and nothing more.
    TORONTO ARGONAUTS FOOTBALL CLUB
    GREY CUP CHAMPIONS: 1914, 1921, 1933, 1937, 1938, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1952, 1983, 1991, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2012, 2017, 2022



  6. #26
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    Austin has begun his "power" practices.

    It was the first of Head Coach, Kent Austin’s “power practice”. Coach Austin’s preference over two-a-day’s saw the team have one big practice split with a nutritional break. That method of practicing has been proven to maximize recovery time for athletes as well as making team meetings and film study far more efficient.
    “They’re practicing very hard, great energy,” Coach Austin said after the second day of training camp wrapped up, reiterating his satisfaction in the overall effort being put on display.
    The offence seemed to have burst out of the gates quickly as practice got underway. Quarterback, Jeff Matthews, had a pair of touchdowns in scrimmages against the defence. Matthews connected with both Spencer Watt and Junior Collins, who were tightly covered on each of the connections showcasing Matthew’s confidence and accuracy for those in attendance.
    Shortly thereafter, rookie quarterback, Jake Waters, pulled off a well executed play action, which Waters kept for himself and scampered 40-yards untouched drawing praise and applaud from the fans that made it out to Ron Joyce Stadium on the campus of McMaster University.
    If anything, the early days of training camp have shown the system that Coach Austin, has implemented and the system he’s had his players and coaches buy into. The rookies too have been looking good adjusting to the faster pace of the game and making the most of the team meetings going on throughout the duration of training camp.
    Regarding the commitment towards studying the playbook, Coach Austin said, “We want the players to take very seriously what it means to be a pro. If you’re not prepared and you don’t know what you’re doing then you’re going to play slow and your overall physical skills are not going to show to the best of their ability and we’re not going to get a proper evaluation.”
    Practice wrapped up on an interesting note as the coach’s put the two kickers, Brett Maher and Cody Mandell, up against their first big test. As either of the kickers lined up for 45-yard field goals, their teammates stood as a mob around them; shouting, chanting, jumping and dancing, the ball soared through the uprights to end practice and day two of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 2016 Training Camp.
    http://ticats.ca/training-camp-recap-day-2/

  7. #27
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    Hamilton has added National fullback Preston Huggins to the TC roster.

    The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced Monday that the club has signed national free agent fullback Preston Huggins.
    Huggins, 23, was signed by the Tiger-Cats in April and attended the team’s mini-camp before being released. The 2014 OUA First-Team All-Star was selected by Hamilton in the seventh round, 61st overall, in the 2015 CFL Draft, and attended training camp with the Tiger-Cats last season. He was converted from linebacker to fullback before returning to Western University for his final season as a linebacker. The 5-11, 205-pound native of London, Ontario, played 33 games at linebacker at Western from 2011 to 2015, recording 104.5 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and one interception that he returned for a touchdown.
    http://ticats.ca/tiger-cats-add-hugg...g-camp-roster/

  8. #28
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    Banks is missing Tiger Cat training camp because of a legal dispute with the mother of two of his children.

    First, let's deal with the elephant-sized poster in the room: Brandon Banks did not miss the start of Hamilton Tiger-Cats training camp so he could go to a pool party.
    That's been the rumour floating around social media for a couple of days, fuelled by a poster which showed Banks, in full Ticats' uniform, as the feature image on promotional material for a pool party held in Raleigh, N.C. on Sunday— the same day as Hamilton opened their 2016 camp.
    But that's not the reason he isn't at McMaster with the rest of his teammates. Banks is involved in a family law dispute with the mother of two of his children, a situation he's trying to resolve before he returns to Canada and resume his football career.
    http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/...pt-banks-away/

  9. #29
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    First day impressions of Tiger Cat TC by Drew Edwards:

    There is an undeniable buzz that accompanies the start of a new CFL campaign, a palpable excitement as players and coaches finally get back to football after the league's long and sometimes tedious off-season.
    There were also about 100 fans in the stands at Ron Joyce Stadium on the campus of McMaster University, soaking up the sunshine getting their first look at the 2016 edition of the Ticats.
    There were lots of familiar Ticat faces — there's Peter Dyakowski back for a ninth season, hey, look, it's Luke Tasker — but plenty of new ones as well. Of the 84 players on the roster at the moment, 36 are new to the league, the Ticats or both. There are also four guys with the surname "Davis."
    But much of the attention on day one was focussed on one player who wasn't on the field and another who is trying desperately to get back on it. All-world return man Brandon Banks was a no-show after remaining at home to deal with a "family issue," while quarterback Zach Collaros is still rehabbing from torn knee ligaments suffered last season.
    Head coach Kent Austin said there's no timetable for Banks' return. ...

    Collaros' schedule is just as vague. He did some throwing drills and some light running on Sunday, but steered clear of the team sessions as Jeremiah Masoli and Jeff Mathews — who are trying to earn the job of interim starter — split reps with the first-string offence.
    http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/...g-day-of-camp/

  10. #30
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    This video shows past highlights of Simoni Lawrence.

    http://ticats.ca/video/highlights-la...s-through-2017

  11. #31
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    Hamilton DL is starting to gel.

    http://ticats.ca/video/front-four-begins-to-gel
    Last edited by jerrym; 06-01-2016 at 06:45 AM.

  12. #32
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    The city of Hamilton and the Tiger-Cats are suing over delays in construction of Tim Horton's Field.

    Turns out it's never too late to reignite Hamilton's years-old stadium location debate. The city and Hamilton Tiger-Cats have filed new court documents with details about stadium delay damages they claim against each other, the contractor, province and Pan Am organizers. Last month, the city filed notice it would seek $35 million from the province and contractor Ontario Sports Solutions over a litany of deficiencies, construction delays and contract disputes related to the $145-million Tim Hortons Field.
    The city separately claims about $4.7 million in damages from the Ticats, while the team claims about $13.8 million against the city, contractor and province. The city's latest filing alleges its tenant "caused or contributed to the delay of the stadium reaching substantial completion by the positions it took on the location of the stadium and by its interference with the process." The claim has yet to be tested in court.
    Spokesperson Andrea McKinney said the city can't comment on details of ongoing confidential negotiations to settle stadium issues. But she added Hamilton's statement of claim "takes an expansive approach, including early discussions about the stadium, so as not to prejudice the city's rights."
    City council originally planned to build its new stadium in the West Harbour. The expropriation process for area homes and businesses was already underway when the football team announced in 2010 it wouldn't support the proposed stadium site. That spurred an acrimonious debate and increasingly desperate search for an alternative ahead of a deadline to qualify for Pan Am infrastructure cash. After rejecting several sites, council ultimately agreed at the last minute to tear down Ivor Wynne Stadium and build anew on the same land. The contractor was unable to finish the stadium by the original June 30, 2014 deadline and handed it over still unfinished just months before the 2015 Pan Am Games.
    Infrastructure Ontario assured the city local taxpayers would not be liable for late stadium costs. But the agency filed its own legal notice action in May claiming damages of $50 million from all parties. The Spectator was not able to reach the contractor Friday while the provincial agency declined to comment.
    Ticats spokesperson Aaron Gogishvili called the court filings a routine protection of the team's legal rights and emphasized negotiations continue. While the team listed 30-plus outstanding stadium problems in its claim, Gogishvili said the "vast majority" should not be noticeable to fans.
    McKinney said work continues to fix various deficiencies and prepare the stadium for the football season. Notable new allegations in the team's court filing, which have not been tested in court, include:
    •The Keith Urban concert in the stadium Sept. 27, 2014 resulted in unspecified losses to the team. About 20,000 people attended, but 3,200 seats were off limits due to elevator problems. The team previously said it spent $1 million to bring in artists;
    •The stadium delays stopped the team from hosting "soccer events" in 2014, resulting in unspecified losses. It's not clear what events are being referenced;
    •Blocked views from 878 stadium seats and "unusable" seats surrounding the eastside tunnel openings.
    http://www.thespec.com/news-story/66...-court-filing/

  13. #33
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    Recap of Day 3 of Hamilton TC:


  14. #34
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    Video of HC Austin comments on Day 3 of TC:

    http://ticats.ca/video/kent-austin-scrum-may-31st

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    Rookie draft pick Mercer Timmis comments on TC:


  16. #36
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    Coaches and draftees comment on draft picks and TC in this video:

    http://ticats.ca/video/16-draft-clas...o-expectations

  17. #37
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  18. #38
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    What Austin wants in his RBs.


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    Day 4 of Hamilton TC.

    In order to be a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats backfield you’re going to have to be a complete back. The ability to run, catch and block for the quarterback are all part of the skill-sets Ticats Head Coach, Kent Austin and Running Backs Coach, Corey Grant are looking for out of the backs during training camp.
    Today was a short practice, but that didn’t stop the backfield from making some plays. C.J. Gable could be seen setting the tone early in positional drills as he exploded through a blocking bag, knocking over a member of Hamilton’s coaching staff.
    The Tiger-Cats second round pick, running back Mercer Timmis, has been challenged throughout the first four days of training camp. Today, Timmis showed no hesitation as he stood up a much larger defensive lineman. Coach Austin said, “We feel Mercer can be as physical as he needs to be to play at this level. He just needs to get use to the level of competition here.”
    Through day four of training camp the quarterback situation is still yet to be determined. The four quarterbacks have been taking equal amount of reps throughout practice. Jeff Matthews and Jeremiah Masolihave both taken turns starting off drills and will likely continue to do so leading up the first preseason game in Toronto on June 11. Quarterback, Jake Waters, seems to be adjusting to the Canadian game well, displaying his patience and accuracy during his reps on offence, two main reasons behind his record breaking success while at Kansas State.
    Coach Austin touched on the kicking competition between Cody Mandell and Brett Maher following practice, as that continues to be a topic of discussion surrounding Ticats training camp. “They’re both doing really well. They have a great attitude,” said Austin. “It’s a little difficult to get a full evaluation until we see them under the lights.” June 11 will be when both kickers will receive those evaluations as they’ll be splitting duties against the Argos in their first preseason game.
    Coach Austin mentioned that the current plan is to have one guy responsible for all of the kicking duties when the regular season comes around at BMO Field when the Tiger-Cats kickoff the season in a rivalry matchup against the Argonauts on June 23.
    http://ticats.ca/training-camp-recap-day-4/

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    July 1st Home Opener details:


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