The Ti-Cats Report

Here we are now just a little over halfway through the 2006 season, and already the post-season for the Tiger-cats is a mathematical possibility, and nothing more. My hat is off to anyone who is holding out hope that this team will still be playing when the regular season is over: you are a far greater optimist than I am.

Disgusted!


There’s really no better word for the mood in the stands at Ivor Wynne Stadium than that: disgusted. Not a mild distaste, or a bit nauseous, but thoroughly and utterly disgusted.

The stands are still full - 26,564 at this latest game - but the mood has changed. The party atmosphere is all but gone; now we are sickened by the play of the team that we have faithfully supported with our hard-earned dollars. We have been more than patient with this team, giving them more than enough time to “gel”. They are repaying us with the worst football I’ve seen since I began following the sport a quarter century ago. It’s unusual for the stands at Ivor Wynne to be more full of boos than booze, but that’s been the case these past few games. Even I (for the first time ever, if I’m not mistaken) actually booed the team as they left the field at halftime. (Please, Tiger-cats, don’t make me have to do that again.)

Some of you who are fans of other teams may not be aware of what we have been subjected to these past few games, so allow me to enlighten you. Imagine sitting in your seat for three games, 180 minutes of official time, running approximately ten hours of real time. Imagine your team surrendering one hundred points, while scoring a total of ten. Now imagine that not one of those ten points were scored while your team had possession of the ball. No touchdowns, no field goals - and in fact only one field goal attempt - in three games. Every point your team scored was conceded to them by their opponents: four punt singles, and three conceded safety touches. Imagine during all that time, your team not once giving you a reason to stand up and cheer.

Now imagine all this after being promised that this year would be better than last, when your team was the worst in the league...but still had a better win percentage than they do now. Imagine this being the fifth year in a row, during which time your team has played a total of one playoff game - and that one on the road.

None of us expects the team to win every game. I wouldn’t even mind if the Cats had a losing record, and missed the playoffs. What I want to see is a competitive team. I’m tired of games being out of reach at halftime. I can’t stand seeing the visitors score more points in the first five minutes than the Ticats do in the entire game. I’m sick of seeing the stands empty out as soon as the winner of the 50/50 draw is announced. I was thrilled to see legendary rush end Grover Covington, the CFL’s all-time leader in quarterback sacks, not ten yards from me, sitting in the stands with the rest of us; but saddened when even he got up and left early in obvious disgust.

The maddening thing is that the players are here. Most of these guys have been star players with other teams, and I doubt any of them have suddenly forgotten how to play football after donning the black and gold. The player personnel staff has done a tremendous job bringing these players in, so they cannot be blamed for what’s happening on the field. Which as I see it could only leave the coaching.

I like Joe Paopao. I liked him as a quarterback, and from all accounts I’ve heard, he’s a very nice person. But most of us in the stands are getting fed up with those three-yard sideline passes on second-and-nine. Some people say that you have to take what the defence gives you, and for the most part I agree. But there is a reason why the defence allows those short passes: because they know the offence can’t sustain a drive with those plays. And why is it that every other team is able to move the ball downfield with at least some success against every team, and yet every defence in the league has apparently conspired not to allow the Tiger-cats anything but three- and four-yard passes? Early in the year I was more patient, because this offence was a work in progress. But the Cats have now played eleven of their eighteen scheduled games, and nothing has changed. If Paopao is making the play calls, then as much as I like him, I think it’s time to let him go. Right away, while the playoffs are still a mathematical possibility, at least.

It may be that Jason Maas’ injury is hampering his ability to throw. If that’s the case, then he should be benched. He should be enough of a professional to know that sitting on the sidelines until he’s healed is better for the team in the long run than staying in the game, continuously aggravating the injury and prolonging his return to full strength. It will also give Kevin Eakin - and perhaps Richie Williams - more experience in game conditions, so that next year they can go in if needed. Maas says that being pulled is a slap in the face; well, then, Jason, give the coaches a reason not to take you out of the game.

Whatever they decide, if they’re going to make any changes in an attempt to salvage this season, they had better do so quickly. With only four more home games this year, there isn’t much time to win back the fans they have seemed so determined to lose.