Monday Morning Sentimonies: Random Quasi Coherent Thoughts

By now you’d think I would have learned. There was an over abundance of news last week and I decided to cram it all into one big post on Friday. Then of course there was next to no news over the weekend leaving me with nothing to write about today (not that lack of real content has ever stopped me from posting in the past). So you’ll have to settle for Random Quasi Coherent Thoughts. I swear I’m working on some filler stuff to ensure this doesn’t become a regular occurrence… just be advised that “working on” is not the same thing as “completed” or “will be posted”.

- First and foremost, you are almost out of time to vote for me for Best Sports Blog in the Canadian Blog Awards. If you haven’t already done so please cast your vote. If you have done so, please commandeer another computer and vote again. 

http://polldaddy.com/poll/5787380/

- The only notable occurrence across the CFL was the Ti-Cats announcing they had hired George Cortez to be there new head coach. Given how long the Ti-Cats waited to name a coach, all signs pointed to Cortez being their guy. He didn’t come cheap though: a four year deal, making him one of the highest paid HC’s and given him control in the form of Director of Football Ops. All this for a man who has never been a head coach before. I admit that Cortez is a solid choice as head coach but this is a very risky move by the Ti-Cats to make this heavy of a commitment to him.  

- Note that the Ti-Cats did the right thing by firing Marcel Bellefeuille in order to place Cortez in a prominent role… by contrast when Cortez was on the Riders’ coaching staff we kept him subjugated under Bellefeuille as an O-line coach. 

- Now Cortez will be re-united with Henry Burris and the Ti-Cats hope that they can rekindle to the success they had together in ’08 with the Stamps. Problem with that thinking is that unlike Calgary in ’08, Hamilton does not have a trio of all-star caliber receivers, one of the best defensive coordinators in the league, a talented secondary or a younger (not in the declining stages of his career) Burris. Other than that it’s pretty much the same.

- Add Tampa Bay to the list of teams that have auditioned Jerrell Freeman. By this point I think we can safely assume that if Freeman does end up returning to the Riders it won’t be until September.

- This hatred of Andy Fantuz for not signing with us already is getting a bit ridiculous. He hasn’t left the team yet. He is just misguidedly exploring NFL options that don’t really exist and waiting until free agency opens to see what other teams will offer. If we have the best offer, he’ll be back. Its just business. Please save your hatred and pitchforks until he actually signs somewhere else.  Right now I put the odds of him returning to the Riders at 65%.

- Jim Popp is among the candidates being considered for the vacant GM job with the Indianapolis Colts. Popp is being considered mainly because he is among the most qualified when it comes to running teams that are completely dependant on an ageing, future hall of famer QB with absolutely no back-up plan.

- Kudos to Tim Tebow for proving that in a head to head match-up the god fearing Christian boy will prevail over the sinful suspected rapist.  

- Dear Pittsburg Steelers. Those rare times Tebow throws he only ever throws to Demaryius Thomas… you’d think the supposed best defense in the NFL would be able to figure out that they should probably cover him.

- It’s funny watching elite NFL pass rushers struggle with playing contain on a mobile QB. It’s pretty much a defensive fundamental up here but in the NFL where QBs are schooled to stay in the pocket it’s like a foreign concept at times.

- The English speaking Habs coach opens a post-game press conference with a sentence in French in the same week as the Habs go on a 2 game winning streak. Coincidence? I think not. If he starts wearing a beret and carrying around a baguette and a bottle of red wine, a deep playoff run is sure to follow.

- Has anyone even noticed that the NBA has started again?

- How long before there are so many college bowls that they just become a weekly, year-round occurrence?