Hamilton TigerCats

[SteelTown]

Great game!

[highwater]

!!!!!!!!!!!

[c@taract_soulj@h]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Ticats, city tackle new lease deal for Ivor Wynne Stadium

February 05, 2009
Nicole Macintyre
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/507672

The city is negotiating a new lease for Ivor Wynne Stadium with the Tiger-Cats.

The old five-year agreement, which saw the team pay $25,000 a year to use the sporting facility, expired in December.

It costs the city $1.2 million a year to run the stadium with the football team as the prime tenant.

Joe Rinaldo, the city's former finance chief who is part of the negotiations, said he's hopeful the city will be able to secure more revenue in the new lease. But he's also mindful of the team's finances.

"They're trying to balance their books as well," he said. "It's a matter of how far you push."

The Ticats recently predicted its sixth money-losing season.

President Scott Mitchell said the team isn't willing to pay more for its lease, but is interested in additional revenue sharing with the city. For example, he said the team would look at a special ticket surcharge to support the stadium.

Mitchell said the lease cost doesn't accurately reflect the team's contribution. Over the years, the Ticats have invested more than $5 million in renovations to the stadium, from the video board to locker room upgrades, he said. "It's gone much farther than the $25,000."

The old lease price covered 11 games per year, plus office space, locker rooms and a neighbouring practice field. The team also benefits from the concession revenues. The city picks up the security costs for games. If the team made the playoffs, it would pay an additional $15,000 per game.

Diane Lapointe-Kay, director of recreation, noted the city must also consider the non-financial benefits of the team, including the fact the televised games give Hamilton national exposure. Besides the Ticats, the city pulled in about $45,000 in other revenue from the stadium.

Prime tenant...Only tenant?

[FairHamilton]

President Scott Mitchell said the team isn't willing to pay more for its lease, but is interested in additional revenue sharing with the city. For example, he said the team would look at a special ticket surcharge to support the stadium.

A ticket surcharge is not "revenue sharing", it's having the customer pay more.

Do they really think we are that stupid??

[drpgq]

There's a lot of other events in the stadium besides the Tigercats. Go down to the stadium on a weekend and there's often various soccer games, plus the Hurricanes. Problem is none of those community groups have any money to cover the million.

[SteelTown]

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[SteelTown]

[SteelTown]

Ticats going with Glenn

October 14, 2009
Drew Edwards
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/653395

This season, Ticat head coach Marcel Bellefeuille has doled out varying degrees of punishment for a consistent inability to hang on to the football.

Receivers Airese Currie and Chris Davis were sent packing while Drisan James got benched.

So it's hardly a surprise that Bellefeuille, after standing by starting quarterback Quinton Porter for much of the season, finally demoted him today after the second-year pivot lost two fumbles in last Monday's 38-28 loss to Winnipeg. They were Porter’s eight and ninth turnovers in the last four games.

"We're going to start Kevin Glenn. It was the fumbles – that's the only reason. We've won with both guys and I still believe in Quinton but at this time of year, we can't turn the ball over," Bellefeuille said today after practice at Ivor Wynne.


"We have to treat that position the same as any other and we've gotten rid of players and sat players down who have dropped or fumbled the football so the same rules apply for the quarterback position," he said.

Porter said he wasn't surprised by the decision, given that the team has lost three straight games for the first time this season and head to Montreal this Sunday tied for second in the East Division with Winnipeg.

"It's OK. I feel fine. I'm not dumb, I knew this could happen at any point in the season if we weren't winning – we lose three games and that's what happens," Porter said.

Glenn's start will be his fourth of the season but his first since Sept. 11. He's also come on relief of Porter five times this season and has 12 touchdowns to go with just five interceptions. He's fumbled once, but the Cats recovered.

The nine-year veteran got the majority of the reps with the first team offence in practice today – something he hasn't had for much of this season.

"I wouldn't say it's been difficult, but it's hard to get in a groove when you're playing, then not playing, then playing. But that's the nature of pro football," Glenn said. "I don't think you need all the first team reps to play well, but it does help get the timing down with the receivers."

Bellefeuille said he expected Glenn to have success but stopped short of naming him the starter for the remainder of the season. And the coach still expects Porter to be the team's quarterback of the future.

"I shared with Quinton that we believe in him and we still believe that he's going to be a good player. He just wants to win. He's not in this for himself and whatever his role is, he'll do it," Bellefeuille said.

Porter said his confidence isn't shaken, despite his recent struggles.

"It doesn't change how I feel about myself as a quarterback. I know what I've done on the field and what I can do. And I also know when other members of the team aren't doing what they need to do," Porter said. "I can see the bigger picture. I'm 26 years old and have plenty of good football left to play."

In the meantime, Glenn will try to get the Cats to the playoffs and beyond.

"I've been here before where it's been crunch time, late in the season when you have to get wins. We're still in control of our own destiny and if we go out and handle what we need to handle, then we'll be alright," he said.

[drpgq]

Cats win 24 to 6 versus Saskatchewan! Local boy Dave Stala caught nine passes for 126 yards to lead the Cats to victory. On to the Peg!

[matt602]

Wow, very nice to hear

[drpgq]

With BC losing, Hamilton is in the playoffs unless Edmonton and BC tie next week.

[Blurr]

Big Win for the PussyCats!

[SteelTown]

Ticats all but assured playoff berth

November 01, 2009
By Drew Edwards
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/article/664270

The Tiger-Cats look to be headed to the playoffs.

After beating the Saskatchewan Roughriders 24-6 on Saturday afternoon, Hamilton got some help when Calgary defeated the B.C. Lions 28-26 in a game that ended early Sunday morning.


That means, barring a tie in the Edmonton at B.C. game next Friday, Hamilton has made the playoffs for the first time since 2005. The loser of the Esks-Stamps game will have eight wins - not enough to get past Hamilton (8-9) in a East Division crossover.

But the first order of business was taking down the Roughies in blustery Ivor Wynne Stadium yesterday, where wind gusts up 60 km/h made the kicking and passing games challenging for both teams.


"It was pretty bad," quarterback Kevin Glenn said of the wind. "I actually thought I was going to throw a pass to myself, let the wind blow it back to me."

The Cats took the wind in the first quarter and used the breeze to their advantage and took an early lead when Nick Setta hit a 34-yard field goal just over three minutes into the game

The Roughriders then fumbled on back-to-back possessions, the latter of which the Cats turned into seven points. Glenn hit Dave Stala for gains of 22 and 11 yards before hitting Arland Bruce from 12 yards out for Bruce's eighth TD of the year. Setta added a single on the next possession – from 63 yards out – to make 11-0 with three-and-a half minutes remaining in the opening quarter.

The Riders turned it over a third time when Darian Durant's pass was picked off by Dylan Barker for his first career CFL interception. The Cats made them pay again driving 69-yards for the TD, the last 23 on a scamper by DeAndra' Cobb. Just over a minute into the second, Hamilton had an 18-0 lead over the visitors.

The Riders got on the board with a single and were set up in Cat territory when Glenn fumbled after scrambling to his own 45. But the Hamilton D held and the Cats got the ball back, albeit inside their own 10-yard line. The Cats conceded a safety to make it 18-3.

But that decision paid off when Hamilton held on defence then drove the ball 74 yards on 13 plays that chewed up an all-important 6:05 against the wind. Setta hit a 10-yard field goal and the Cats had 21-3 lead with less than a minute to go in the half. The Riders' Luca Congi hit a 33-yard field goal as time expired.


The Riders started the third quarter with the wind as well and Congi tried a 55-yarder on their first possession but it hit the crossbar. His 50-yarder a few minutes later was wide right.

The Ticat D came up big time and again in the third, holding the Riders off the scoreboard as they played with the winds at their backs. It enabled the Tiger-Cats to take their 15-point lead into the fourth quarter. The Hamilton defence forced four turnovers and racked up six sacks against the Riders on the day.

"The defence was dominant," head coach Marcel Bellefeuille said. "I had a feeling they could play that type of football game. They've been poised for a big game like that. I thought the front seven did a great job and the secondary as well in coverage. We played good situational defence."

Steven Jyles came in at quarterback to start the final frame for the Roughriders after Durant went eight for 20 for 66 yards and one interception.

But it was the Cats who scored next. They went 46 yards in nine plays and Setta hit 47-yard field goal to make the score 24-6 with just over five-and-a-half to play.

Stala had career game with nine catches for 126 yards while Cobb ran the ball 25 times for 160 yards and a touchdown. Glenn finished with a tidy 237 yards on 22 for 27 passing, one touchdowns and no picks. The Hamilton offensive line did not allow a sack for the third straight game.

The Ticat D held the Roughrider offence to 168 total yards and no touchdowns. Linebacker Jamall Johnson had five tackles, while Otis Floyd had four and two sacks. Khari Long had two quarterback takedowns, Justin Hickman and Matt Kirk added the others.

The Cats can still host the East Division semi-final by beating Winnipeg on the road on Nov. 8. Hamilton will enter the game against the Bombers as winners of two straight.

"It's critical in terms of our momentum going forward," Bellefeuille said. "You want to be playing well this time of year."

Notes: On his first quarter touchdown run, DeAndra' Cobb went over 1,000 yards rushing on the season becoming the first Ticat to reach that mark since Troy Davis in 2004… Jamall Johnson also reached 100 tackles, the first Tabbie since Zeke Moreno in 2007… Attendance was 24,586, the Cats third-largest crowd of the year.

[realcity]

25,000 attendance for a Halloween day game

[realcity]

btw that graphic.... very nice quote from Foxy..... but to the designer/copywriter.... you don't apostrophe a number... ie it's the 80s, 90s, 1000s etc. Not... 80's, 90's, 1000's

just a pet peeve forgive me

[urban_planner]

I was at this game and they played very very well. Especially the Defence.

[SteelTown]

Ti Cats win! Big game next week at Ivor Wynne against I believe BC.

[matt602]

Wow, the Ti-Cats are doing awesomely. I'm really amazed. The Grey Cup is actually looking very possible right now... for the first time in a VERY long time.

[drpgq]

The two boat celebrations after the INTs were the best part.

[SteelTown]

Yea loved the boat celebration heheh.