I do remember complaints about that actually, when the realignment was announced.
But the rationale for the realignment (by time zones) seemed to outweigh the imbalance in the conferences.
With Vegas being added this year, the imbalance is reduced.
This is why I believe that the next expansion team will be in the west (Seattle perhaps?).
Sadly, I think Quebec City will not get an expansion team - only a transplanted eastern team (Islanders? Panthers?)
7 wins and barely missing the playoffs. Nowhere near as bad as Montreal, but Popp needs to fix our Oline next season, and Trestman needs to tweak some of the things he's doing IMO.
I checked off 8 wins. But am having second thoughts after the Labour Day fiascal. Starting to look like 7 on a wing and a prayer to get second place. That's if Ricky stays healthy. I think Popp has to fix our OLine this season. There's got to be a couple of good American free agents out there if they look hard enough. Van Roten would have been good as he could step right in. But in the meantime maybe it's time to give young Jamal Campbell a shot at Guard.
A number of pretty decent O-linemen in the crop for next year's draft (4 NCAA Div I guys, plus several CIS all-star types).
Back to more drafting of NI O-linemen? Popp's m.o.- maybe bound to find a real good one, but maybe should have had at least one by now (Sackey, Campbell & Woods from the past 2 drafts - not going to pan out ?)
Bound to be a couple of good FAs to be signed too - search far & wide to fix a problem area - might be worth it to sign a top, proven FA O-lineman or 2 - NI or import - and pay big bucks.
Year of the Rocket: John Candy, Wayne Gretzky, a Crooked Tycoon, and the Craziest Season in Football History (https://sutherlandhousebooks.com/pro...of-the-rocket/)
Bouncing Back: From National Joke to Grey Cup Champs (https://bit.ly/3fvip5x)
YOTR YouTube https://bit.ly/37jtG4f
BB YouTube https://bit.ly/2TSYPs7
Top three rated picks are NCAA OLinemen. Knevel (Nebraska), Rutherford (Connecticut), Hunter (Bowling Green) and the Godber (Rice) at #6. Knevel at least will probably be in a NFL camp and maybe the others as well.
But I'm starting to think teams should look at the CIS linemen a little closer for their top picks. Winnipeg did take Geoff Gray high this year and will have to wait for him.
However, history is showing the top picks out of the NCAA are not exactly tearing up the League. Some are starting to look like busts, while the CIS Olinemen are starting and excelling.
Ottawa's 1st over all pick in 2015 Alex Mateas out of Connecticut is finally starting in his third year. But CIS players Winnipeg's Sukh Chungh and Argos McEwen taken the same year have started almost from day one. OG Dillon Guy out of Buffalo is on his 3rd team still looking for a roster spot.
2016 top pick NCAA's Josiah St. John has been slow to break into the starting line up in Regina. While Ottawa's Lauzon-Seguin out of Laval has turned out to be the best, starting at RT for his second year. Other Laval guys that same year Villiancourt (BC) and Gagnon (Montreal) have started around injuries as well. Revenberg out of NCAA II has started some for Hamilton.
This year the top pick out NCAA Iowa DT Faith Ekakite looks like a bust. I know everybody's different, but you look at the History of these Canadian NCAA linemen compared to the CIS players and it's not very good IMO. So the smart money this year just might be on the six Canadian OL's that are rated in the top 17, with the top CIS guy at #5 is Darius Ciraco (6'4 300) out of Calgary U and a Burlington native. But Popp loves his NCAA guys. Mason Wood. meh. If they thought he was any good he would be in uniform as a back up by now. Jamal Campbell out of York looks like the only one who is going to be any good.
OV has converted me to the CIS. lol You want good Canadian offensive linemen, look no further than Calgary and Laval. They recruit well, the players are well Coached and they know the Canadian game.
Just want to verify what I think I'm reading here R.J.
Argos with 7 wins miss the playoffs.
Better record than Montreal though.
Therefore, you see Ottawa and Hamilton in the playoffs from the east.
Correct?
Therefore, Hamilton with at least 7 wins plus the tie break over the Argonauts?
(Sadly, I can't dismiss this possibility given what has happened over the past couple of weeks.)
For some reason I believe Hamilton will squeak in, and Toronto barely missing out. I could see the reversal as well though, with Toronto squeaking and Hamilton just on the outs. Montreal is IMO is worse than their record shows and IMO the West is too strong for a crossover not to happen. This is the time of year where we see what teams really are - contenders or pretenders. I'm hoping Trestman and Co can turn things around shortly and lead us to the playoffs. Once we're in, anything can happen.
How long is Harris out for?
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No way...no friggin way Hamilton gets in the playoffs. They win 2 games in a row and all of a sudden people are talking like they are the 2nd Coming. They got help on Labour Day and Ottawa seemed to forget how to play football on Saturday. It comes down to Ottawa and Toronto in the East. They are a bad football team. They win 4 games.
IMO - good scouting should be looking strictly at the players' game film & skills/abilities, plus testing measureables and not assuming.
The Bombers could have picked Junior Luke out of Montreal in the CIS over Ekakite out of NCAA ball for DTs - we shall see how that pans out.
I liked Brian Jones as an Argo 1st round draft pick, but now wish they would have picked Vaillancourt (multiple time CIS all-star O-lineman out of the proven Laval hogs factory) instead - and at a position where NI players get more shot to play in the CFL, plus a real Argo area of need.
Tough call with drafting. I wouldn't necessarily pass on one of those NCAA O-linemen this coming draft, but take a good look at a few of those CIS guys as well.
I'm back on the 8 win band wagon. lol
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