Hamilton Tigercats

Just when the future seemed squarely in place for the long-term development of the Hamilton Tiger Cat franchise, a new, unnecessary squabble has reared its head.

Bob Young, the owner of the Hamilton Tiger Cats objects to the location of the new proposed stadium to built for the Pan Am Games in 2015.

The plan is that the new stadium will be built with limited seating for the Games and then expanded to an acceptable CFL-size and become the Cats' new home.

Young claims that the stadium has to be built somewhere for vehicle owners only, with lots of parking to accommodate them.

He claims that Hamilton transit is so bad that no one will use it to come to see the team play.

This is in complete contrast to Toronto, with the downtown Rogers Centre, which relies on rapid transit subways to bring fans to the game. When the Blue Jays were drawing 4 million fans a year, nobody seemed to object.

Hamilton has no subways and none are planned to be built in time for the games, but it is expected that the existing transit system will be improved.

The problem is that nobody is thinking long-term here and not just about transit.

When a community gets to host a major event, everything has to be improved for the long-term.

When Montreal was awarded Expo 67, it was viewed as part of a major downtown revival.  Until then, Montreal never had a subway system and building one went hand-in-glove, with the exhibition and other revival projects.

The same can be said for Vancouver with Expo 86 and the recent Olympics.

Part of the problem can be attributed to "small city thinking", the kind of thinking that cost Winnipeg and Quebec their NHL teams when nobody wanted to discuss ways of building a proper NHL arena that would ensure long-term survival.

What is needed here is a practical visionary, not a wild person with unbelievable schemes, but someone with practical plans to ensure long term profitability.

The way the story reads now, a new stadium will just be plunked in a location with no thought of what will happen after.

Young seems to think that a vehicle-only stadium is the only kind feasible for Hamilton, but as the Toronto situation shows, a rapid transit stadium can work too. Some kind of combination seems the best model for Hamilton.

Many issues and possibilities need to be discussed, and they can't be limited to just the stadium.  Someone has to have a grand vision of the Hamilton of the future.

The issues include:

1.  Should the stadium be the centre of a major revival project?
If so, what other things should be built? Including a shopping centre, other attractions, a casino, and hotels. Many modern stadiums are now being constructed with these added features around them to ensure profitability. As part of the complex, improvements to parking, transit, including a subway would have to be discussed.

2.  Size of the stadium. T
The current plans seem to indicate that the new stadium will be expanded to the same size as Ivor Wynn.  If that is the case, why build a new stadium at all? Why not just renovate Ivor Wynn so that Pan Am events can be staged there? It would be cheaper.

Between 1980 and 2005, Metropolitan Hamilton grew by 150,000. When the next census is taken in 2011, the population will be over 700,000. Hamilton has trouble making a profit now with the existing stadium, so what makes planners think that building a stadium the same size will be any different?

Tiny Moncton, with a listed population near 130,000 is building a stadium that can hold over 20,000 for this year's Touchdown Atlantic. Regina, with a population of 200,000 wants to build a 30,000+ stadium for the Roughriders.

In that light, a stadium of 35,000 - 40,000 with the possibility of expansion seems the best long term solution for Hamilton.

This of course leads to another issue

3. Team Marketing. 
This needs to be overhauled. As everybody knows, Hamilton was in the centre of a bid to get an NHL team.  It was speculated that a Hamilton NHL franchise would be the third most valuable in league, behind only Toronto and the New York Rangers.

The Tiger Cats need to find a way to tap into this market and certainly a new, enlarged stadium, in the centre of a new shopping-tourist district would be a way of doing it. They need to do a better job of attracting fans from places like Kitchener, London, St. Catharines, and other southern Ontario towns and cities.

Bus tour packages, like those that take Toronto fans to see the Bills in Buffalo need to be set up.

But all this takes vision and planning. Someone has to have a grand vision of the future Hamilton, which includes the Tiger Cats.

The 2015 Pan Am Games can be a great opportunity for Hamilton, or they can lead to nowhere like the recent bid for an NHL team.

After decades of being in the CFL wilderness, are CFL teams finally relenting and prepared to give chances to Canadian quarterbacks?

Hamilton was the latest to give rise to these hopes by interviewing two-time Hec Crighton trophy winner, Erik Glavic.

Glavic unprecedentedly won the Crighton trophy as the CIS's top player a second time at a different university. The first time he was as a member of the St. Mary's Huskies, and now last year, he won it as a member of the Calgary Dinosaurs.

If Hamilton follows up their interview and signs Glavic, it will be a smart move.

Certainly Glavic's achievements in Canadian University Football more than merits a serious look by the CFL and probably by the NFL too.

Typically, unlike his American quarterback counterparts, Glavic is facing a part time job with a gas company.  Such is the ignominy of being a Canadian quarterback.

If Hamilton signs him, the same question will arise as that surrounding Danny Brannagan, who earlier signed with the Toronto Argonauts:  Will he be given a real chance to become the starting quarterback?

The Hamilton quarterbacking situation needs fresh blood.  They have veteran Kevin Glenn, but he was only meant to be the back-up for emergencies. Instead, by the end of the season, Glenn became the number one quarterback because the development of Quinton Porter regressed instead of progressing.

Adam Tafralis and Jason Boltus are also around.

If Hamilton wants to take the next step and really challenge Montreal for the Eastern Conference, quarterback improvement is critical.

Glenn is unlikely to improve, and if Porter continues to stagnate, Hamilton will just spin its wheels, unless they give somebody new a chance.

So what has Hamilton got to lose by signing Glavic?  At the very least, it provides more competition for the quarterback position and possibly more depth.

It may also sell a few more tickets for the Tiger-Cats.

Just think of the excitement on Labor Day, if the Argonauts, led by Brannagan, challenge the Tiger-Cats, led by Glavic.

Perhaps it would start a new trend in the CFL.

There is no doubt that Hamilton was the most improved team in the CFL last year.

After years of being a doormat, the Tiger Cats finally made the playoffs last year where they bowed to BC. in overtime.

But unless they do something about their quarterbacking, they'll be spinning their wheels or even regressing this year. As great a stride as they made last year, their quarterback situation stagnated and may have even regressed.

Unfortunately, the best of the bunch was ex-Winnipeg quarterback Kevin Glenn. Glenn did a competent job, but it's unlikely he will lift the team higher than playoff contender.

He has never won the Grey Cup and anyone who has seen him play over the years can tell why. He can be hotter than a firecracker for one quarter and be completely ice cold the next.

Most quarterbacks show their poor play by how many turnovers they commit. With Glenn, it is how many two-and-out series he has.  That was very evident in Hamilton's playoff loss.

But he wasn't supposed to be the starting quarterback anyway.

Excited by Quinton Porter's potential in 2008, Bob O'Billovich and Macel Bellefeuille wanted him to be the full-time quarterback last year.

Instead he ended up losing his job to Glenn and became a bench warmer.  His career and development stagnated.  Also on board is Adam Tafralis.

Last year, lots of things went right for Hamilton, but they won't go any further until the key offensive position is improved.

Glenn will probably go into training camp as the starter, but that is hardly good news.  He's unlikely to improve.  If Hamilton had the quarterback they need, Glenn would be a very good back-up.

What Hamilton needs is either Porter or Tafralis to seize the position by demonstrating competent leadership or hope someone else is hungry enough to take advantage of the situation.

There's lots to be excited about in Hamilton after a horrible decade, but bad quarterbacking could undo much of the gains that were made last year.

How to find the best deal Part 1.

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With the help of a realtor, it’s much easier to find properties that would yield over 15% annually as a rental property in the price range below $100,000. buyers have been focused in this market segment simply because of the ROI they have been getting in this market segment.


About 70% of the homes in Las Vegas has been built in the past 15 years, most homes are in great shape and will need minimum  work outside to bring them up to almost new standards.


There's plenty of 4 homes that are priced at 50% of the insurance value for this type of home in the Las Vegas market. I will talk about this aspect of the investment on part II. Such properties could rent out for $1100 to $1200 a month. If you purchase such a property in the 80K-90K range, for a cash deal, that’s over 17% return on your money. I have found properties in the 20-30 % ROI range, its a matter of looking around for such properties.


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It's an exciting time here in Hamilton as Ivor Wynne plays host to its first playoff game in eight years. Yes, that's right, the last time a playoff game was held in Hamilton was 2001.

Just to make you realize how long that is, it's an eight-team league and only two Tiger Cats players from the 2001 season are still playing in the CFL today. Really, it's just a great wake up call for Hamiltonians who turned their backs on this franchise.

Let's see here. They eliminated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, clinched a B.C. Lions playoff crossover birth, made it into the postseason for the first time in five years, and clinched a home playoff game for the first time in eight years.

Yep, that's just how much that 38-17 win over Winnipeg meant.

For those of you who watched it, you all saw what they called a "blue-out".

Well, it was unsuccesful and you also saw the boat celebration twice by several Ti-Cat defensive players.

Excessive celebration sure. Good fun, yes. But they did it in style as well. I must say I chuckled during that because I was probably as happy as they were.

I don't think the Winnipeg fans enjoyed it though. In fact, they're probably pissed, but who cares?

I know Hamilton fans enjoyed it and I'm guessing some B.C. fans did too.

A game most thought would be a lot closer was blown wide open. Surprising stat of the game? The Cats' defense tied the Winnipeg offense for points.

How 'bout 11,000 playoff tickets being sold in the hours after the game on Sunday. I got mine today 'cause they'll be gone soon. It's definitely going to be a capacity crowd.

Hey, Bob Young might even start to gain a profit. Then again, maybe we shouldn't go that far.

But if the Cats keep this play up, it'll be sooner rather than later before the dollars start flowing Young's way.

The future looks bright for the Ti-Cats. I'm too excited to write a real game recap. So let's just leave it at this: Hamilton wins the chance to host the B.C. Lions in the East Semifinal this Sunday.

Be sure to tune in. And for those of you who can— get your tickets.

Also, let's not forget to mention how good it was to see that Gatorade bucket dumped on Marcel's head.

Here's hoping we'll see it again.

In an exciting game, (if you're a Ti-Cat fan, which I am) the Hamilton Tigercats tore apart the Roughriders, who didn't seem all that tough, as the Ti-Cats beat them across the field on route to a 24-6 win.

The team seems to be back on track and ready for the playoffs with two wins in a row.

It couldn't have come at a better time as the Ti-Cats head to Winnipeg next Sunday to face the Blue Bombers, which will determine who gets 2nd in the East and host the East Semis.

Although, Montreal is looking ready to redeem itself from last year by grabbing the Grey Cup.

However, anything can happen in the playoffs.

Anyways, back to next week and the Tigercats.

With one game left in the season, the playoff picture still remains murky with a lot of possibilities. So, I'm not even going to scratch the surface.

If I understand this right, which I'm not sure if I ever did, if Hamilton and Winnipeg end up tied at the end of the season, that eliminates the crossover possibility regardless of whether Edmonton or B.C. have a better record.

Hamilton becomes the third seed in the East and Winnipeg hosts them in the East Semis.

Anybody want to clarify? But, if Hamilton ends up with a better record then Winnipeg then the crossover definitely happens...?

Anyways, be sure to watch next weekend's games as Edmonton is in B.C., Hamilton is in Winnipeg, and Calgary is in Saskatchewan. All three games will be intense because they all have playoff implications for all six teams.

The only match-up that means nothing is Toronto vs. Montreal but even that could have a mysterious outcome, as neither team really cares if they lose that game.

Yet, they do.

Toronto is for sure out and Montreal is for sure holding the East Finals. So, either team has nothing of importance to pay for in that game, except Toronto might want to end the season on a high note and Montreal might want to make their record look all that much more astonishing.

Saturday's game saw Deandra' Cobb not only reach the century mark in rushing yards, but get 1,140 yards on the season and with one game left.

Kevin Glenn also continued his impressiveness as in three games he hasn't been sacked or thrown an interception.

Glenn has also thrown some touchdowns, continuing to show that he wants that starter spot come playoff time. I think he has seized that opportunity. Things are starting to come together again and maybe even better than before. 

We'll see if the Ti-Cats can continue their strong play next week in Winnipeg, only one of next week's game I'll be watching.

So, as you can see in my title I'm talking about some trophy. We'll get into that a bit later. But, right ow let's break down the ti-cats finally getting a 7th win.

Yes, it took like 5 or 6 weeks. But, the Ti-cats finally have a 7th win and you know, it couldn't have come at a better time. As, Winnipeg(6-9) are set to face the Montreal Allouettes this (Saturday) afternoon in Winnipeg.

Well, I might also add that Montreal may be Calvillo-less, Adrian McPherson stepped up and in against my steel town cats last week and I don't see why he can't do it again. Infact, as much as Montreal irritates me I'm going to be pulling for them in this back-to-back home and home series. 

Not to mention that wiuth Edmonton losing (to Calgary 30-7) last night. Which drops them to the same record as the Ti-cats (7-9). If the Cats were to somehowend up in third in the east and maintain a better record than Edmonton.

That prevents the Eskimos from hopping over to the east division and crushes there playoff hopes. THe pressure is on Winnipeg this afternoon and let's hope they crumble under it.

Okay, now let's get a little more into this Hamilton win. They beat the Argonauts 26-17 with 2 TDs and 4 FGs. Unfortunately, (Arland) Bruce never got a TD and couldn't unveil his special celebration. But, that promo for his new Halloween celebration mask, classic.

(Kevin) Glenn threw a touchdown to De' Andra Cobb (who is now 21 yards short of 1000 yards rushing) and Tafralis punched it in from th one yard line for the 2 TDs. Glenn I would think deserves the nod again after throwing no interceptions.

As well as the ti-cats having 0 turnovers. Nick Setta looks like he's got his boot back after going 4 for 4 from field goal range on the night. The defense was a bit sloppy as the game went on in the second half to give th argos that 17 points, but, overall it was a good performance by this team.

It makes you wonder with Glenn throwing for 508 yards last week and 323 this week, along with 0 interceptions. What he's going to have in store next week!? Now, the series between the argos and ti-cats is tied.

But, the Cats succesfully defended the Harold Ballard Trophy as they had better point differentials in the games they won or something along those lines. For those fo you who don't know Harold Ballard, he owned the Maple Leafs and ti-cats at a point and so, well I think you can figure out the rest.

To rap this up Hamilton won, Edmonton loss, and Winnipeg remains a mystery until this afternoon. Should be a good game (Montreal vs. Winnipeg) or series for that matter. so, make sure you tune in there is alot riding on those 2 games.

An thrilling game turns in the end result a fourth straight loss for the Hamilton Ti-cats. but, they look like they are ready to turn things around and make a final playoff push starting this Friday in Toronto.

There were alot of positives including good ball security and that we now know Kevin Glenn can produce results with a heavy burden on his shoulders. The Man (Ti-cats QB Kevin Glenn) threw for 508 yards and touchdowns to Arland Bruce(1 TD) and Marquay McDaniel (2 TDs).

To go along with zero interceptions, to go along with some pretty solid offense except for a key fumble near the end zone by Marquay McDaniel that the Cats just couldn't recover from as well as a couple dropped passes.

Which you can't blame on Kevin Glenn who got the ball where it was supposed to go all night. The recievers just had some struggles squeezing the ball (or in McDaniel's case a bit too tight of a squeeze).

Glenn's amazing game easily gave him another chance to prove his worth as a key to this team's success, which will be this Friday in Toronto. I don't know what it has been with this team as of late, I mean the offence has just got out of a slump.

Now, it seems like the Cats normally stellar D is going into a slump. Well, hopefully they can rebound off of a team who has nothing to play for now (Argos), but really pride, I guess.

(FYI, Kevin Glenn was just named the CFL offensive player for this week.) Nonetheless, though, was anyone really expecting the game to be that close, I mean you can try to make a point that Montreal has nothing to lose (secured top spot in east). But, they seem to have this obsession of winning and it ain't just games. No, it's like they want to win every play.

I don't want to hype the crap out of this, but Glenn was the one who kept it close and lost the game by only a field goal 38-41. it's still a loss though and it's the Cats fourth straight. Luckily, they remain tied for second spot in the east (with Winnipeg) thanks to a B.C. win.

The Cats should be able to rebound against the Argos and maybe reclaim second spot in the east. As, the BlueBombers have to face the Montreal Allouettes... twice!! All I have to say is Winnipeg better play hard and maybe hope Calvillo is still injured.

Bob O'Billovich has done wonders upgrading the talent in Hamilton this year.  The team is now a respectable contender though in the lower echelons of the league.

But the one thing he has been unable to do is upgrade an intangible: leadership.  That's been apparent during the Tiger Cats' recent losing skid.

And again it revolves around the key position of quarterback.  There are three quarterbacks on the active roster and another on the injured list.  Active are Kevin Glenn, Quinton Porter, Adam Tafralis, and on injured reserve is Jason Boltus.  There is also the possibility of bringing someone else in.

Hamilton need look no further to the solution for its problems than by looking at their previous opponent, Winnipeg. 

Supposedly, Michael Bishop has finally grabbed the bull by the horns and has assumed the position of leader which has resulted in three straight wins, admittedly over the worst three teams in the CFL.  Bishop can be a streaky quarterback, so all this could end just as soon as it began, but there is no doubt that if he has become more of a leader, Winnipeg is reaping the benefits of it.

Hamilton is looking for the same thing.  On its own roster, DeAndra' Cobb grabbed his chance to play regularly and has made the most of it.  Nobody talks about Hamilton needing a running back now.  If only the quarterback situation were the same.

While Kevin Glenn is potentially the best quarterback with the most experience, he's also shown why Winnipeg released him.  It was 31-0 before he got untracked.  And because he's older, he's not going to be the future.

Macel Bellefeuille rightly wants one of the younger quarterbacks to step up, like Darian Durant in Saskatchewan.

At times, Quinton Porter looks like he could be Hamilton's long-term quarterback but he took a backward step against Winnipeg by failing to move the ball in a crisis and was yanked early.  He also (along with Nick Setta) lost a winnable game in Calgary.

Then there is Tafralis who threw a touchdown pass against Calgary and runs the short yardage package.  Perhaps he should get more of a look.

And behind everything are the problems of a young team that was so hopeless for so long trying to come together and play consistent top football at every position.

This team can beat and compete with some of the best CFL teams and then look miserable in losing to the worst.

Hamilton has taken some great strides upward this year.  Finding that intangible, a leader, would be the next one.

So, it's come down to this. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are tied with a disaster walking in the Blue Bombers, who I give credit for playing some good games. But, regardless, Hamilton should not be tied with Winnipeg, and everyone knows this.

A few weeks ago, they were shoo-ins for the playoffs, and now they find themselves fighting to secure a playoff birth and are forcing fans to ask, if they do make the playoffs, "Can they do any damage?"

Now, I know the recent dropped catches by Hamilton receivers and the brutal kicking by Nick Setta has not helped the Ti-Cats win games. But it all falls on quarterback Quinton Porter's shoulders, as he's been struggling as of late.

The quarterback sets the tone of the game, and, well, if your quarterback fumbles the ball twice (one leading to a touchdown), it sets a bad tone. The Ti-Cats have lost four of their last five games and what it comes down to is that Porter is not getting rid of the ball quick enough.

So, as Arland Bruce said, according to the Hamilton Spectator, "Let's call a spade a spade: Kevin Glenn is better than Porter. No disrespect to Porter, he's a great guy, but Glenn is the better quarterback, You need the better quarterback in there if you want to get some type of opportunity in the playoffs. Period."

As bold as that may be, it obviously comes from many frustrated people who were thinking it, fans and players included. It just so happens that Bruce was bold enough to say it.

Now, Quinton, I believe you're a good quarterback, and soon you will put down any doubt people have in you. But you have to realize that something's happened, and it's obvious that change needs to happen for the better of the team.

So it's time for you to sit back and take notes on the bench and give Glenn a chance to see if he can turn things around. You are in a slump and that happens, but you are costing the team, your team.

But I'm not going to blame this only on you, as your head coach, Marcel Bellefeuille realized things needed to be shaken up to help get his team out of this slump, but he continued to do the same damn thing hoping for some thing to just magically change.

So, Marcel, I must tell you something: QUIT DICKING AROUND AND DO SOMETHING!

Setta is missing field goals like you wouldn't believe, and Porter is taking too damn long to get rid of the ball.

It's one or the other or maybe even both. Regardless, you now find yourself tied for possibly the last playoff spot and heading to face the best team in Montreal. You are going to have a tough time getting a win there even if you are on a winning streak despite the offensive slump.

It's almost guaranteed you not only won't get a win, but you will get your asses handed to you on a silver platter. So, for the love of all humanity, put Glenn in. You know it's the right thing to do and that everything is pointing to him as the answer.

If he plays poorly, well now you know he's not the answer, but for God's sake you have to give him a chance; he's just got a million good vibes glowing off of him. When one of the best players of all time says it's time, and when he starts dropping passes he usually catches, you know it's time. 

Regardless of what you feel in your heart, you've got to use your brain and do what's right. And I'm pretty sure you know what that right is when you come back from a 31-0 deficit in a quarter and a bit to actually make it look like a decent loss of 38-28.

When the team scores four touchdowns in like 17 minutes, it's because they were starting to mesh and get out of that slump. It's because of Kevin Glenn. Everything is going right when Glenn is on the field, and, unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Porter.

Do you want to kill those sparks or let it work itself into a fire? Putting Porter in will kill those sparks, while Glenn has these sparks starting to smolder and everything pointing to this becoming a fire.