2025 @CFL hot stove league

[John Tapscott]

BIG SURPRISE: The Ticats fired George Cortez today.

He was hired because of his great success as an offensive coordinator over the years. So in his one year as head coach, the Ticats led the league in offense while finishing last in the standings. That tells me that they needed a new defensive coordinator, not a new head coach.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=411431

This is very surprising in a league that counts every $ very carefully (No NFL here!). It's reported that Cortez has 3 years left on his contract at $400K per. That's a lot to swallow for a CFL team. So there must have been major issues.

[GA Russell]

John, Cortez was both head coach and player personnel director. Perhaps they wanted to put in a new man for that second role.

This causes me to lose a lot of faith in the Ticats' management. Their president will be leaving soon. I don't think a well-run sports team has a revolving door of coaches and GM's regardless of how many games they lose the first year.

With Cortez fired, I wonder if that $400k counts against the cap. I suspect not.

Edited December 13, 2012 by GA Russell

[John Tapscott]

John, Cortez was both head coach and player personnel director. Perhaps they wanted to put in a new man for that second role.

This causes me to lose a lot of faith in the Ticats' management. Their president will be leaving soon. I don't think a well-run sports team has a revolving door of coaches and GM's regardless of how many games they lose the first year.

With Cortez fired, I wonder if that $400k counts against the cap. I suspect not.

I think only players' salaries count. I don't know that Calvillo and Ray and Burris make that much. Maybe, but no more than that. I don't know whether or not it's still true, but it seems to me that at one time the CFL exempted one player's salary (usually the QB) from the cap. But I could be wrong on that.

I actually liked what I saw of the Ti-Cats early in the year. I thought they might end up where the Argos did. But bad defense did them in.

Edited December 13, 2012 by John Tapscott

[GA Russell]

I am sure that the coaches' salaries count against the cap, but don't know about former coaches who are still being paid.

I think that Winnipeg with Paul LaPolice still has that issue as well.

Back in the days of Doug Flutie, each team had a Marquis Player whose salary did not come under the cap. But most teams couldn't afford to take advantage of that loophole, so they merely named their highest paid player, their quarterback, to be their Marquis Player.

[GA Russell]

The Ticats have hired Kent Austin as their new head coach, general manager and head of football operations.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/ticats-hire-kent-austin-to-be-head-coach-head-up-football-operations/article6469834/

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=411817

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfl/news/news.aspx?id=4550323

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The Argos have released Noel Prefontaine.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=411853

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Dave Naylor points out that only 40,770 attended the Buffalo Bills game in Toronto Sunday. That's only 3,000 more than the attendance of the Vanier Cup, which was also at Rogers Centre. It makes you laugh at all of the talk by the sportswriters a few years ago that the Bills playing in Toronto would kill the CFL.

[GA Russell]

The Argos have released Etienne Boulay.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=411956

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The Alouettes are going to sign Kyle Quinlan again.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=411917

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Now that Tim Tebow wants out of New York, there is the usual talk of him playing in the CFL.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=411961

[John Tapscott]

The Ticats have hired Kent Austin as their new head coach, general manager and head of football operations.

http://www.theglobea...article6469834/

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=411817

http://www.sportsnet...aspx?id=4550323

*****

The Argos have released Noel Prefontaine.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=411853

*****

Dave Naylor points out that only 40,770 attended the Buffalo Bills game in Toronto Sunday. That's only 3,000 more than the attendance of the Vanier Cup, which was also at Rogers Centre. It makes you laugh at all of the talk by the sportswriters a few years ago that the Bills playing in Toronto would kill the CFL.

The Ticats have hired Kent Austin as their new head coach, general manager and head of football operations.

http://www.theglobea...article6469834/

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=411817

http://www.sportsnet...aspx?id=4550323

*****

The Argos have released Noel Prefontaine.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=411853

*****

Dave Naylor points out that only 40,770 attended the Buffalo Bills game in Toronto Sunday. That's only 3,000 more than the attendance of the Vanier Cup, which was also at Rogers Centre. It makes you laugh at all of the talk by the sportswriters a few years ago that the Bills playing in Toronto would kill the CFL.

If the Bills were any good and tickets weren't so outrageously priced more might attend. There is not as much of a natural connection between Buffalo and Toronto as people assume (at least not in sports - the Leafs and Sabres have long been bitter rivals with the Sabres usually having the upper hand). Actually the Blue Jays AAA club has moved to Buffalo from Las Vegas for 2013.

IMO, Kent Austin is a very good hire for the Ti-Cats.

[GA Russell]

Eagle Keys has died.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=412052

[GA Russell]

Here are videos of the Top Ten kick returns of 2012.

http://cfl.ca/video/index/id/82561/autostart/true

[GA Russell]

There is a report which says that Solomon Elimimian has signed with Cleveland.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=412595

[GA Russell]

Further word on the Elimimian situation: Lowell Ullrich reports that Elimimian and Emanuel Arcineaux are represented by the same agent. This agent also has a regular segment on the Minneapolis ESPN radio station. So it is that station which is reporting that Elimimian has signed with Cleveland, and also that Arcineaux has signed with the Jets.

http://blogs.theprovince.com/2013/01/01/happy-new-year-for-lions-lb-off-to-nfl-again/

[GA Russell]

Tom Clements and Mike McCoy are being considered for head coaching jobs in the NFL.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/former-cfl-quarterback-mike-mccoy-hot-commodity-in-nfl-coaching-circles/article6869575/

[GA Russell]

Kent Austin and the Ticats have hired Orlondo Steinauer as their new defensive coordinator.

The Ticats finished last with the best offense in the league, so I have to think that any change on defense will be an improvement.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=412709

[GA Russell]

The NFL Network is reporting today that the Bears want to talk with Marc Trestman (former Evan/Bright Moments schoolmate!) about becoming their next head coach.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=412859

[GA Russell]

Here's what ESPN has to say about Trestman. You will note that the article also mentions that the Bears are also interested in Tom Clements.

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/8815994/chicago-bears-interview-montreal-alouettes-marc-trestman-sources-say

[GA Russell]

Here's a Dan Ralph article about the Als' situation. A worst case scenario would be pretty grim.

Marc Trestman will be interviewed by the Bears. The Browns were also interested in him, but apparently have backed off.

Jim Popp will be interviewed by the Carolina Panthers. IMO he's a lot more important than Trestman. I think the world of him.

Asst. GM Marcel Desjardins has met twice with the people of the new Ottawa team.

http://www.theglobea...article7021738/

Edited January 8, 2013 by GA Russell

[GA Russell]

Today's report says that Marc Trestman met with the Browns today and the Bears yesterday.

http://www.tsn.ca/nfl/story/?id=413068

[GA Russell]

SI.com is reporting that Carolina has passed on Jim Popp, and will hire the New York Giants' David Gettleman.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2013/football/nfl/wires/01/09/2020.ap.fbn.panthers.gettleman.2nd.ld.writethru.0951/index.html

[GA Russell]

The Chicago Bears have hired Marc Trestman away from the Als.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=413656

[GA Russell]

Yesterday the Ticats released Quinton Porter. He seemed to have so much promise when he was a rookie, but things never worked out for him.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=413590

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Former Stamps backup QB Mike McCoy was named the head coach of the San Diego Chargers yesterday.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/ex-cfl-quarterback-mike-mccoy-agrees-to-become-chargers-coach/article7375743/

[GA Russell]

Ricky Ray was said to be the league's highest paid player at $400,000 a year. The Lions have signed Travis Lulay for $450,000 a year, so I'm guessing that makes him the new highest paid player.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=413744

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The Lions have released Arland Bruce III and Byron Parker.

The year that Bruce played for the 49ers, they insisted that he drop "the Third" from his name. Now with RGIII I guess the NFL doesn't care!

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=413895

[GA Russell]

Byron Parker has signed with the Als.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=414041

Edited January 21, 2013 by GA Russell

[GA Russell]

Ottawa has chosen Marcel Desjardins to be their general manager.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=414075

Edited January 21, 2013 by GA Russell

[GA Russell]

From Dave Naylor: The last time San Francisco was in the Super Bowl, Baltimore was a CFL city!

Edited January 21, 2013 by GA Russell

[GA Russell]

Not only did the Als sign Byron Parker, they announced today that they have also signed Arland Bruce and Quinton Porter. (Now Bruce has been a member of all four Eastern teams.)

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=414119

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George Cortez has joined the Riders as their offensive coordinator.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=414120

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The Eskimos have released Steven Jyles.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=414145