Accentuate the Positive

Plenty of people earn their daily bread by writing about everything that's wrong with their given subject. I could do that too, but I'd rather try something novel: looking for the good in things. So without further ado, here are some positive things occurring around the league at the moment.

BC: Dave Dickenson looks like he's ready to roll, Wally's an expert on determining when people are done or not (can't argue with success, now can we?), and the Lions still have an abundance of talent behind centre.

Calgary: Hank's smilin' about the new ball, the Duncan O'Mahony story may have a happy ending yet, and just one look at the wide receiver depth chart should have every Calgary fan smilin' like Hank.

Edmonton: I'll admit it, I'm not a football talent evaluator, and when a team cuts a guy like Ricky Bell so quickly, it makes me wonder what kind of hidden talent the professionals see. If the pros are right, Edmonton will have no problems whatsoever with their linebacking corps, even after the retirement of Singor Mobley.

Saskatchewan: New coach, new GM, new hope. If that's not enough to smile about, watch newly-acquired RB Henri Childs play. He didn't get many touches last year in Winnipeg, but he always seemed to be playing hard, and nearly helped the Bombers convert an onside field goal through sheer hustle.

Winnipeg: Nate Davis looks like a monster in camp. This used to be bad news for Bombers fans. Not any more, as Davis will help anchor a defensive line that has a claim to be called the best in the league. Having Pat Fleming in camp also hopefully solves that nagging punting problem the team had early last season.

Hamilton: A new head coach and a young GM with dazzling credentials top the list here, but there are also five quarterbacks in camp, and it's very likely that there's at least two CFL-caliber arms in there. Keep your eye out for Richie Williams. He has CFL experience already, and while Shaun King has led NFL teams to the playoffs before, we all know that the NFL experience doesn't necessarily transfer over very well.

Montreal: Chip Cox's agent says his decision will be made either "Monday or Tuesday" as to where he ends up. It's Tuesday, and there's no news. That bodes well for Als fans. It also must be nice to have the constant distractions of "The Bachelor" Jesse Palmer behind the team as well. Oh, yeah, they still have Anthony Calvillo, Ben Cahoon, and Robert Edwards coming back this year. That should keep an Als fan smiling all day.

Toronto: Argos fans have to be happy about having two quarterbacks that could quite easily start all year. The Ricky Williams roller coaster is over, but Jon Avery's still in town. And oh yes, you can expect the re-liberalized kick return blocking rules to benefit Bashir Levingston. It's not a stretch at all for Toronto fans to dream about a Grey Cup in their home stadium.

Finally, kickoff to the regular season is June 28th. That's the biggest positive for fans everywhere.