Game Thread: Argos vs. TiCats Saturday Aug. 22 7:00 PM CNE Game - Carnies, Corn Dogs, and Canadian Football

[Scooter McCray]

I miss those old days, today’s excessive show boating is quite nauseating.

I want Centres to celebrate every good Shotgun snap....every lineman to celebrate a block....nauseating to say the least.

I agree. Not every first down needs to be celebrated like it was the greatest first down in history. I honestly can't remember exactly when receivers celebrating first downs became a thing.

Especially on bad teams. If anyone on Ottawa is doing that, they should feel embarrassed watching film the following week. Exactly what were you celebrating?

[TICATS SUCK !]

Well said. I was surprised how good the field looked at the start of the game.

I'm right once every few years.

Makes sense. The halftime was cut to 12 minutes

One complaint: the P.A. dude needs to stop asking the fans to make noise WHEN THE ARGOS ARE ON OFFENCE!!!

356 passing yards on almost 19 yards per completion almost never produces zero TD passes. The Tre Ford enigma continues.

Tre Ford will go down as the QB that ends head coach careers. Lot's of pressure to play this talented Canadian QB but the losses build up and the HC gets sacked.

Pressure from who???

When Ford was first with the EE, that clown Chris Jones played a raw rookie American first over Ford; and Ford goes to Hamilton and Scotty M plays Dolegala as next up and then yanks Ford for a another raw rookie American.

Sorry, it's the other way around - the pressure on a CFL GOB who plays a Canadian at QB and then the guy is not an instant success (like a Davis Alexander say), and then the ridicule that could follow is a GOB big fear. That loser Scotty M (only CFL HC now with a career losing record) could play his boy Frosty all season and lose every game, and the standard CFL media response would be: "oh well, he's a young QB, give him some more time; and poor Scotty". IF Ford had a way under .500 record as a starter, or his career completion % was under 60% or he had thrown way more INTs than TDs, then all kinds of questions could be asked about why is he getting to play, but this is not the case. Standard GOB procedure says Canadians aren't fit to play QB in the CFL (unless they come from a US college ball starter resume) - and they will keep proving themselves right on that with basically zero evidence from the playing field. Ford may get some media attention cause of his passport and a few CFL fans pulling for him to do well, but the criticisms and harsh grading of his play are basically 10x what most young American QBs face here. Jake Maier in now about 20 games under .500 as a CFL starter in getting handed starts with 3 different CFL teams. Figure any Canadian QB would ever get that much rope? So "radically" Canadian CFL typical.

Still waiting for the answer to my question on how a superior mobile/ run threat QB in Tracy Ham fared as the starter in an Argo all-pass run & shoot offence ?

Just wondering why you consider Milanovich to be a loser. There is a possibility that Dinwiddie could also have a losing record by the the end of the season (he's currently 51 & 45). If this was to happen, would consider him to be a loser too? You make several good points about Tre Ford, although I don't subscribe to assigning QB'S a win/loss record in the ultimate team sport, even though it's become commonplace to do so these days. As far as answering your question goes, I'll repeat what I said in a previous post: The Argos made Ham look like a bum.

[TICATS SUCK !]

What was his dad (Adrion) like as Argo? Before my time, caught him only in his last season, but I know he was a fan favourite. Was he big into celebrating?

He was not flamboyant like Kiondre; did no more celebrating than anyone else (and celebrations were muted back then).

I miss those old days, today’s excessive show boating is quite nauseating.

I totally agree with your sentiment. I've become quite weary of seeing every Tom, Dick, & Harry receiver celebrating after making a catch to gain a first down. Even though he's obviously not the only one who showboats, Kiondre Smith annoys me a lot for some reason. Perhaps it's because of the team he plays for.

[ArgoGabe22]

He was not flamboyant like Kiondre; did no more celebrating than anyone else (and celebrations were muted back then).

I miss those old days, today’s excessive show boating is quite nauseating.

I want Centres to celebrate every good Shotgun snap....every lineman to celebrate a block....nauseating to say the least.

I like the ball spins after a catch. Especially when short of a first down

[ArgoRavi]

Tre Ford will go down as the QB that ends head coach careers. Lot's of pressure to play this talented Canadian QB but the losses build up and the HC gets sacked.

Pressure from who???

When Ford was first with the EE, that clown Chris Jones played a raw rookie American first over Ford; and Ford goes to Hamilton and Scotty M plays Dolegala as next up and then yanks Ford for a another raw rookie American.

Sorry, it's the other way around - the pressure on a CFL GOB who plays a Canadian at QB and then the guy is not an instant success (like a Davis Alexander say), and then the ridicule that could follow is a GOB big fear. That loser Scotty M (only CFL HC now with a career losing record) could play his boy Frosty all season and lose every game, and the standard CFL media response would be: "oh well, he's a young QB, give him some more time; and poor Scotty". IF Ford had a way under .500 record as a starter, or his career completion % was under 60% or he had thrown way more INTs than TDs, then all kinds of questions could be asked about why is he getting to play, but this is not the case. Standard GOB procedure says Canadians aren't fit to play QB in the CFL (unless they come from a US college ball starter resume) - and they will keep proving themselves right on that with basically zero evidence from the playing field. Ford may get some media attention cause of his passport and a few CFL fans pulling for him to do well, but the criticisms and harsh grading of his play are basically 10x what most young American QBs face here. Jake Maier in now about 20 games under .500 as a CFL starter in getting handed starts with 3 different CFL teams. Figure any Canadian QB would ever get that much rope? So "radically" Canadian CFL typical.

Still waiting for the answer to my question on how a superior mobile/ run threat QB in Tracy Ham fared as the starter in an Argo all-pass run & shoot offence ?

Just wondering why you consider Milanovich to be a loser. There is a possibility that Dinwiddie could also have a losing record by the the end of the season (he's currently 51 & 45). If this was to happen, would consider him to be a loser too? You make several good points about Tre Ford, although I don't subscribe to assigning QB'S a win/loss record in the ultimate team sport, even though it's become commonplace to do so these days. As far as answering your question goes, I'll repeat what I said in a previous post: The Argos made Ham look like a bum.

All it takes is one or two bad seasons for a coaching record to take a beating. Milanovich went 9-9 (winning a Grey Cup), 11-7, and 10-8 (with an extremely challenging schedule) before going 5-13 in 2016 and he's been playing catchup since. Dinwiddie had a stellar record going into 2025 but a 5-13 record last year followed by a disastrous record this year is doing some damage to his overall coaching record.

[Will]

I remember Kevin Elliott always spinning the ball on the ground after a reception.

[argolio]

Try following the thread / conversation please. A poster above said there's "lots of pressure to play" Ford.

My response was - from just who? And why is there evidence of both HCs Chris Jones & Scotty M turning to other QBs (including raw rookie Americans with zero experience playing Canadian ball) as next up before Ford, if they were under this big pressure to play Ford ? And how come Jake Maier is not ridiculed and deemed "not good enough" when he has lost way more games and has a way lower win % as a starting QB vs. Ford?

Jake Meier almost certainly would have won a week one poll on any team's website (except maybe Ottawa) as the worst starter in the league. Would that not qualify as ridicule?

Since the modern CFL started (1954 when full professionalism was mandated or 1958 when the CFL name came into use), there has been exactly one legit star QB from Canadian university ball. Gotta be some pressure to be #2, if only from Ford himself. Coaches just want to win, and Milanovich was put in a crappy position when BLM got hurt. I have no issue with him testing out all available options.

I agree. Not every first down needs to be celebrated like it was the greatest first down in history. I honestly can't remember exactly when receivers celebrating first downs became a thing.

Probably when NFL guys started doing it.

[Will]

Tre Ford will go down as the QB that ends head coach careers. Lot's of pressure to play this talented Canadian QB but the losses build up and the HC gets sacked.

Pressure from who???

When Ford was first with the EE, that clown Chris Jones played a raw rookie American first over Ford; and Ford goes to Hamilton and Scotty M plays Dolegala as next up and then yanks Ford for a another raw rookie American.

Sorry, it's the other way around - the pressure on a CFL GOB who plays a Canadian at QB and then the guy is not an instant success (like a Davis Alexander say), and then the ridicule that could follow is a GOB big fear. That loser Scotty M (only CFL HC now with a career losing record) could play his boy Frosty all season and lose every game, and the standard CFL media response would be: "oh well, he's a young QB, give him some more time; and poor Scotty". IF Ford had a way under .500 record as a starter, or his career completion % was under 60% or he had thrown way more INTs than TDs, then all kinds of questions could be asked about why is he getting to play, but this is not the case. Standard GOB procedure says Canadians aren't fit to play QB in the CFL (unless they come from a US college ball starter resume) - and they will keep proving themselves right on that with basically zero evidence from the playing field. Ford may get some media attention cause of his passport and a few CFL fans pulling for him to do well, but the criticisms and harsh grading of his play are basically 10x what most young American QBs face here. Jake Maier in now about 20 games under .500 as a CFL starter in getting handed starts with 3 different CFL teams. Figure any Canadian QB would ever get that much rope? So "radically" Canadian CFL typical.

Still waiting for the answer to my question on how a superior mobile/ run threat QB in Tracy Ham fared as the starter in an Argo all-pass run & shoot offence ?

Just wondering why you consider Milanovich to be a loser. There is a possibility that Dinwiddie could also have a losing record by the the end of the season (he's currently 51 & 45). If this was to happen, would consider him to be a loser too? You make several good points about Tre Ford, although I don't subscribe to assigning QB'S a win/loss record in the ultimate team sport, even though it's become commonplace to do so these days. As far as answering your question goes, I'll repeat what I said in a previous post: The Argos made Ham look like a bum.

What made Ham successful in Edmonton was having Reggie Taylor and Blake Marshall out of the backfield. The Argos hadn't had a conventional RB-FB backfield since 1989 when it was Gill Fenerty and Warren Hudson. Ham typically hovered around a 50% completion rate. Run & shoot was like plugging a circle into a square. The Argos also traded some key defenders to Edmonton in the deal.

[OV Argo]

Pressure from who???

When Ford was first with the EE, that clown Chris Jones played a raw rookie American first over Ford; and Ford goes to Hamilton and Scotty M plays Dolegala as next up and then yanks Ford for a another raw rookie American.

Sorry, it's the other way around - the pressure on a CFL GOB who plays a Canadian at QB and then the guy is not an instant success (like a Davis Alexander say), and then the ridicule that could follow is a GOB big fear. That loser Scotty M (only CFL HC now with a career losing record) could play his boy Frosty all season and lose every game, and the standard CFL media response would be: "oh well, he's a young QB, give him some more time; and poor Scotty". IF Ford had a way under .500 record as a starter, or his career completion % was under 60% or he had thrown way more INTs than TDs, then all kinds of questions could be asked about why is he getting to play, but this is not the case. Standard GOB procedure says Canadians aren't fit to play QB in the CFL (unless they come from a US college ball starter resume) - and they will keep proving themselves right on that with basically zero evidence from the playing field. Ford may get some media attention cause of his passport and a few CFL fans pulling for him to do well, but the criticisms and harsh grading of his play are basically 10x what most young American QBs face here. Jake Maier in now about 20 games under .500 as a CFL starter in getting handed starts with 3 different CFL teams. Figure any Canadian QB would ever get that much rope? So "radically" Canadian CFL typical.

Still waiting for the answer to my question on how a superior mobile/ run threat QB in Tracy Ham fared as the starter in an Argo all-pass run & shoot offence ?

Just wondering why you consider Milanovich to be a loser. There is a possibility that Dinwiddie could also have a losing record by the the end of the season (he's currently 51 & 45). If this was to happen, would consider him to be a loser too? You make several good points about Tre Ford, although I don't subscribe to assigning QB'S a win/loss record in the ultimate team sport, even though it's become commonplace to do so these days. As far as answering your question goes, I'll repeat what I said in a previous post: The Argos made Ham look like a bum.

What made Ham successful in Edmonton was having Reggie Taylor and Blake Marshall out of the backfield. The Argos hadn't had a conventional RB-FB backfield since 1989 when it was Gill Fenerty and Warren Hudson. Ham typically hovered around a 50% completion rate. Run & shoot was like plugging a circle into a square. The Argos also traded some key defenders to Edmonton in the deal.

Right - so - Tracy Ham was not a bad QB, just made to look like a bum (another poster's words) when he tried to run an offence that just was not for him with the Argos. Though he did get slaughtered bad in the 90 GC before that, he went on to win a GC with the Stallions and had some fine years with the Als (teamed with a great run game & RB in Pringle again). Point being - yep - trying to plug a circle in a square, especially with QBs, and then blaming it all on the QB IMO means you don't understand football very well. And give a QB who has shown some real skills lots of chances and he might pull thru for a particular team.

Tre Ford has been given quite a few CFL opportunities, including being anointed EE starter last year, and has had very mixed results, with some real poor showings included ... trying to run standard, simple, mostly sit in the pocket, pass 80% of the time CFL offence, that is in vogue in the league now. IMO, a sharp, innovative football OC who has that type of QB (wether he is starter out of TC or has to go in as injury replacement) could design and play-call an offence to suit that QB - big ground game with one or more quality RBs; have lots of options for the mobile QB to take off and run, for big yardage and first downs, and then that sets up the pass game well. I.e. - Not sit in the pocket and look for check-downs all day. Unfortunately for Tre Ford (or maybe include Dustin Crum as well), there are just not any such offensive coaches in charge of a CFL offence now. Same old CFL - in so many ways.

[AngeloV]

Cam Dukes had similar mixed results to Trey Ford and was given up on much sooner. I didn’t know he was Canadian, but what else could be the reason?