2025 @CFL hot stove league

GA Russell · February 6, 2009

Dave Dickenson announced his retirement yesterday. Believe it or not, he retired because the doctors wouldn't give him medical clearance. Apparently he was willing to go back out there after all those concussions.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Cal...274101-sun.html

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The Ticats cut Tony Miles and Pat Woodcock this week. I guess that might be the end of the road for them both.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Ham...8277391-cp.html

GA Russell · February 8, 2009

Milt Stegall will announce his retirement in a few weeks.

Marcus Brady will not only be the Als' backup QB this year, he will also be the assistant coach for receivers.

http://sports.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/...tsFootball/home

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This will be Bryan Hall's last year doing the play-by-play for the Eskimos. He will turn 75 this year, and has been covering them for 55 years. I met him at the 1978 Grey Cup. Nice guy.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Edm...303476-sun.html

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The Bombers have cut Tom Canada. You will recall that he discovered a health problem when they traded him to the Ticats last year, voiding the trade. I suspect that he will not play again.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Win...303596-sun.html

GA Russell · February 17, 2009

Free agent signings started today. So far, a number of good players have been announced, but only two stars, both offensive linemen.

Rob Murphy left the Lions for the Argos.

Alexandre Gauthier left the Bombers for the Ticats.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...ory/GlobeSports

GA Russell · February 18, 2009

Jesse Lumsden has left the Ticats for the Eskimos.

I think that Edmonton is whistling past the graveyard getting excited about an oft-injured running back. People forget that not only was he injured the past two years with Hamilton, he was also injured his rookie year in the Seattle Seahawks' training camp.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...ory/GlobeSports

GA Russell · February 22, 2009

The Ticats have cut Casey Printers. David Naylor doesn't think that any team wants him.

http://sports.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/...tsFootball/home

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Milt Stegall officially retired.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Win...437076-sun.html

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The Bombers traded Zeke Moreno and a draft pick to the Argos for Riall Johnson. Moreno has led the league in tackles the past two years.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Tor...450386-sun.html

GA Russell · February 28, 2009

On the Argos front, Chad Folk and Chris Hardy have retired, and Mike O'Shea has been cut.

http://sports.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/...tsFootball/home

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The Bombers have released Timmy Chang. Word is that the Bombers plan to start Stefan LeFors at QB, which leaves Kevin Glenn on the outs.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Win...541226-sun.html

GA Russell · March 3, 2009

The Argos released another ancient today, Jude St. John, as well as OL Jerome Davis.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Tor...592931-sun.html

GA Russell · March 7, 2009

The Rules Committee has proposed two important changes.

The first would move the kickoff line following a safety touch from the 35 back to the 25. Conceding a safety touch to obtain better field position is SOP. This might make coaches think twice before giving up the two points.

The second will need more thought. Right now the three QBs are neither imports nor non-imports. The QB is required to line up behind the center.

The proposal would allow the QB to line up anywhere in the backfield. This would be a boon to QBs who can run like Kerry Joseph. You would have more interesting plays with a halfback option.

But this might also require that the QBs just be declared imports. Otherwise a team could declare as a QB an American who has no passing ability. This would be politically harmful IMO because as it stands there are more non-imports on the team than imports. Calling the three QBs imports would give the majority of the squad over to the imports, which would undermine the rasion d'etre of the league. However, the majority of the players on the field (seven) would still be required to be non-imports.

http://sports.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/...lobeSports/home

Edited March 7, 2009 by GA Russell

GA Russell · March 10, 2009

The Bombers cut Kevin Glenn yesterday, before they had to pay him any money. Funny that they weren't able to trade him for even a draft pick.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...tsFootball/home

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Win...8687346-cp.html

GA Russell · March 22, 2009

Kevin Glenn has signed with the Ticats.

Right now it looks like he will start the season backing up Quinton Porter, but I'm not sure how long they will go before giving him a chance to play. The year before last I realized that although he has been in the league a long time (since 2001), he is still young (only 29). I think that his best years are ahead of him, kind of like Anthony Calvillo at that age.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Ham...8825421-cp.html

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The Bombers are considering Casey Printers!

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Win...844341-sun.html

GA Russell · March 26, 2009

Edmonton's Shannon Garrett retired yesterday. He had a solid career.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Edm...878576-sun.html

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Burke Dales played out his option, and considered signing with the Bombers, but has decided to re-up with the Stamps.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Cal...878411-sun.html

GA Russell · April 3, 2009

Today is the first day of a new era for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

It was announced that the club would be taken private by David Asper, who would obtain the real estate of CanadInn Stadium, and that a new 30,000 seat stadium would be built on the campus of the Univ. of Manitoba with funding by the various governments as well as Asper.

The franchise will revert back to the community should it fail financially.

http://sports.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/...lobeSports/home

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It was announced earlier (as I noted) that Marcus Brady would be both the Als' receivers coach and backup QB. Today it was announced that Brady will retire as a player.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Mon...8980121-cp.html

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The Bombers continue to make major changes. In a complicated three-team trade with the Riders and the Ticats, Winnipeg sent Dan Goodspeed, who has been an all-star lineman the past two years, to Hamilton.

The Bombers also traded Anthony Malbrough to the Eskimos for future considerations. When I was a boy, I think a majority of NFL trades were for future considerations, but it's been years since I've seen the last one.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Win...976516-sun.html

GA Russell · April 12, 2009

Happy Easter everyone!

This year's Hall of Fame inductees were announced this week: Alondra Johnson, Glen Weir, Rudy Phillips, Jim Mills and builder Tony Anselmo of Calgary.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/New...9041321-cp.html

Soulstation1 · April 15, 2009

2 words

Brett

Favre

GA Russell · April 15, 2009

ss1, the last NFL retiree who decided to finish up his pro career in the Canadian league that I can remember was Fred Biletnikoff (who played one year with the Alouettes)!

Andre Rison also finished up his pro career with the Argos, but it was his intention at the time to return to the NFL.

GA Russell · May 2, 2009

The CFL's draft was today.

http://sports.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/...lobeSports/home

GA Russell · May 24, 2009

Sask traded Kitwana Jones to Edmonton for a QB named Juan Joseph. Jones' name was called a lot every Riders game I listened to.

http://cfldigest.com/riders-deal-kitwana-jones-to-eskimos/

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The Bombers traded Kelly Malveaux to the Eskimos for Fred Perry. There must be a story about Malveaux. He's a good player, but this will be his fifth team in nine years.

http://cfldigest.com/trade-perry-to-bomber...aux-to-eskimos/

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CFL training camps officially open June 7. There are pre-season games scheduled for June 17 and June 23.

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Here's an article about some interesting promotions that the league will do this year related to the sale of single game tickets.

http://cfldigest.com/cfl-single-season-gam...on-sale-june-1/

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The Eskimos have signed a rookie defensive end named Greg Peach. He won the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in Div. 1-AA, or whatever they are calling it now.

http://cfldigest.com/eskimos-sign-peach/

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I didn't know that Bob O'Billovich was named Montana's Player of the Decade for the 1960s.

http://cfldigest.com/obie-set-for-surgery/

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Here's a nice Toronto Star article about Nick Volpe, whom I met in 1978. He's still active!

http://cfldigest.com/volpe-more-than-just-a-argo-scout/

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Here's an excellent Winnipeg Free Press pre-season review of the teams' off-season moves.

http://cfldigest.com/winnipeg-free-press-g...ffseason-moves/

Edited May 29, 2009 by GA Russell

GA Russell · May 25, 2009

Here's more on the Kelly Malveaux trade, indicating that it doesn't make sense.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Win...479781-sun.html

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The Ticats have signed a Division III rookie QB named Jason Boltus. Did Phil Simms play Div. III, or was it Div. II? I can't imagine that a Div. III player is good enough for the pros, but this guy is the all-time Div. III leader in total offense, so maybe he has a shot.

http://cfldigest.com/ti-cats-add-div-iii-standout-qb/

GA Russell · May 28, 2009

Mike Vanderjagt has requested and received his release. His feeling at this time is that he doesn't want to play this year, but he did not officially retire because he realizes that he may change his mind.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Tor...9601576-cp.html

GA Russell · May 29, 2009

The Ticats have signed rookie QB Chase Clement from Rice. Clement was third in Div. 1 total offense last year.

http://www.thespec.com/article/572430

GA Russell · June 1, 2009

The Regina Leader Post is publishing this week a series of pre-season analyses of the Riders by position. First up are the linebackers.

http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/Saskatche...4096/story.html

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The Lions re-priced their tickets in the off-season. As a result, ticket sales are down 10%, but revenue is up.

http://www.theprovince.com/sports/football...1567/story.html

GA Russell · June 1, 2009

As you can see, I have again changed the thread title to reflect that the season is upon us.

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David Naylor discusses the state of coaching in the league this year.

"Aside from B.C. Lions boss Wally Buono, who will likely become the league's career leader in wins this season, none of the league's other seven head coaches have more than a single year at the helm of a CFL team.

For the second season in a row, half of the league's teams have installed first-year head coaches – meaning never have so many had so much to prove."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/foot...article1162252/

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The Globe and Mail gives capsules of the teams, of the sort one usually finds the day before Opening Night.

East:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/foot...article1162261/

West:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/a-lo...article1163537/

GA Russell · June 4, 2009

At the bottom of this article about Kerry Joseph it says that the Bombers have released Jason Armstead.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/foot...article1167693/

GA Russell · June 7, 2009

Here's a good pre-season preview from the Sun papers.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/200...699016-sun.html

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The only Arena league player I have found to have signed with a CFL team is the MVP of last year's Arena Bowl QB Matt D'Orazio, who is with the Stampeders. He's a 32 year old rookie!

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Cal...686631-sun.html

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Dan Comiskey has retired.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Edm...686646-sun.html

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Remember the great Fiesta Bowl when Boise State beat Oklahoma? Boise State's QB was Jared Zabransky. He spent a little time with the Steelers but he hurt his throwing arm. He has undergone surgery, and is now trying out with the Eskimos.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Edm...673651-sun.html