Bart Andrus makes Mike Kelly look like a football genius over the course of a long season

Mike Kelly tried hard this season. Every dubious personnel decision (Stefan Lefors as a starting QB??!), every media rant, every spy scandal, and every early season loss of the Winnipeg Blue-Bombers made him look like the inevitable heir to the title. Yes, Mike you could have won the coveted Dave Beckman Award for the worst CFL coach ever.

Unfortunately, even if Mike is not necessarily sly as a fox, he was smart enough to change things around when it became clear his grand scheme was not working. He pulled the plug on the Lefors debacle. He brought in an occasionally competent CFL quarterback like Michael Bishop. He delegated some offensive responsibilities, including play-calling. The sudden improvement in the Blue-Bombers towards the final weeks of the season demonstrates that he put the team before his ego.

Bart Andrus did none of this. He let the Toronto Argonauts sink deeper and deeper into the mire, claiming that mediocrity could be seen at the end of the tunnel - if only he was allowed to carry through his 5 year plan.

Like Mike Kelly, he dispensed with an offensive co-ordinator. Unlike Mike, he stayed in place even as three quarterbacks and 659 receivers failed to demonstrate any vague resemblance of competence.

Bart preached discipline, expelling star players who didn’t live up to his celestial vision. Bart’s team then went on to lead the CFL in penalties.

The Argos’ season ended with a whimper as the Montreal Alouettes crushed Toronto 42-17. As of writing, the Blue-Bombers still have to beat or tie Hamilton to get in the playoffs but at least nobody has made a complete fool of themselves in Winnipeg (except maybe the coach on the radio).

Bart did make one team better this year – the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Thanks for trading us Arland Bruce III, Bart, we’ll send a card to your forwarding address!

Count Chocula’s team hasn’t won since Bruce booted out

Bart Andrus is still smiling, the Argos are still losing

Please ignore my previous post about Arland Bruce. I couldn’t stand the guy when he played for Toronto, but now that he’s in Hamilton I think he’s great. Not just because of his catches and his professionalism but because the double-blue scum haven’t won since Bart Andrus decided the Argos could do without the all-star receiver.

Last night, in the Argos’ fifth straight loss, the Ticats won the Labour Day Classic 34-15 and Bruce caught six passes for 115 yards. We didn’t get a groovy touchdown celebration but everything else went right for the exile and his new team.

As Bruce said after the victory, “I think that was probably the worst decision in football that’s ever been made”.

Now Bart and his bunch of superior professionals have to get ready for the rematch on Friday. The Bartman has to look at himself in the mirror. You are at the absolute bottom when Mike Kelly is a more successful CFL head coach than you.

Chase Clement “did not feel that the Candian [sic] style of football was something that he could be passionate about.”

It’s been one day since Chase Clement left the Ticats rookie camp and the world has not ended. The team has had a bit of an embarrassment but will survive and perhaps be more careful in future recruiting. The real victims are free agent QBs like Erik Meyer and Josh Betts who were cut to make way for Clement.

I’ve been enjoying reading the blog and news updates of US college football analyst Nate Griffin. He got the scoop on the family’s explanation for Chase’s quick departure: “He did not feel that the Candian style of football was something that he could be passionate about. He knew right away—(Craig [the father] quotes Chase) he says— “it’s completely different—lots of schemes—a lot of motion. It’s just not what he was trained to do.”

I’m not so sure about the claims in Mr. Griffin’s blog about the pro-football potential of Mr. Clement: “For those of you reading this, I think I can safely say as a College Football Analyst, at the very core, Chase’s leaving camp had nothing to do with his abilities. … Meanwhile, what teams do you think might give him a shot at making their roster?”

Not so sure this affair will have improved his resume in the eyes of NFL or AFL2 teams.

US College Star QB Chase Clement Quits TiCats Rookie Camp after 1 Day

The Hamilton media is reporting that former Rice QB Chase Clement has quit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats rookie camp to pursue “business interests”. It seems like it was just yesterday that the CFL team announced his signing – well, actually it was three days ago.

The player came accompanied by a big reputation, as promoted on websites like examiner.com:

This analyst expects Clement to surprise a few people! However, one of the first things to which Clement will have to become accustomed is how the Canadians spell offense and defense…they spell them…offence and defence!&^*(&*(!

 Well, he sure surprised everyone – even though he didn’t last long enough to learn the local etymology.

The question remains, however, as to what these urgent “business interests” actually were. Here are our top ten alleged possibilities:

10. A position opened up with Casey Printers’ agency for motivational speakers.

9. Just one word: Plastics.

8. He wanted to invest in that General Motors everyone keeps talking about.

7. Just three words: Texas Style Poutine.

6. Who needs football when you can get 200% interest from Madoff and Associates?

5. Shamwow needed a celebrity endorser.

4. “Would you like fries with that sir?”

3. The next big thing: Polaroid. “The photos develop all by themselves.”

2. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire… The A-Team.

1. The bankruptcy proceedings of the NHL Coyotes presents a unique opportunity to bring pro-hockey back to Arizona.

Ti-Cats are starting to look like contenders in the CFL East

A great man, ever since he left Toronto

Yesterday’s signing of Offensive Tackle Dan Goodspeed in a complex three way trade is the latest improvement Bob O’Billovich has made to the Hamilton Tiger-Cat roster in recent weeks. Like the Kevin Glenn free agent signing, Obie seems to have taken advantage of novice Winnipeg GM Mike Kelly and improved a problem area at the expense of a divisonal rival. There’s no doubt that the offensive line was the most glaring defect in a mediocre squad last season. Now we have 2, count ‘em 2, of Winnipeg’s starting tackles from 2008.

 Of course these player departures may all be part of Kelly’s big Blue-Bomber plan. Maybe he’s freeing up salary cap space to sign Ti-Cat reject Casey Printers…

Nice and Comfy

Do you have any hope?

Another Grey Cup has passed and, consistent with the rest of the Bob Young era, the Hamilton Tiger-Cat football team was not involved. Of course, there were many former Ti-Cats on the field but that, as they used to say on the kid’s show with the guinea pigs, is another story…

The big question for Ti-Cats fans is when we will we have the chance to enjoy a Grey Cup as participants. Indeed, even an away playoff game would be nice.

So what do you think? Respond to our latest Tazeworld Ti-Cat poll:

Casey Printers goes out with a whimper

At last it’s over. Another useless season. Only 3 wins.

A 44-30 loss to a Winnipeg team who couldn’t care less, using the meaningless match to try out the backups.

But we learned a few more things in this last game:

1. 1. Casey Printers is done – I had been keeping the faith but couldn’t see anything positive today.
2. 2. No team spirit - Casey took a cheap sideline shot and Cat players stood by and watched.
3. Adam Tafralis – looked much better than Printers (but it was junk time in a meaningless game).
4. We need an O-line – Do I need to explain?
5. We need a serious upgrade on defence - coaching, pass rush, defensive backs.
6. Hero tabs – the best sponsors CHML could get for the last broadcast of the season.

Marcel Bellefeuille named permanent Hamilton head coach

Marcel at work

To quote the announcement in the Hamilton Spectator:

 Bellefeuille, 1-6 since taking over,said

he welcomes the chance to rebuild the Cats.

I like what Bellefeuille has done since he took over from Charlie ‘apathy’ Taaffe on an interm basis but I am not sure that 1 win in seven games is the greatest resumé for a professional football coach.

So what do the fan(s) think:

We ask the questions…

1.

2.

Thrill as Obie’s new Tiger-Cat airlift all-stars

demonstrate their readiness for the Alouettes

“Coach! They’re doing it again!”