During my weekly "verification" shift (checking up on large orders and unauthorized credit cards) last night, I noticed there were an oddly low number of calls coming from the Hamilton region (which covers most of Southwestern Ontario, and a couple of small towns in the GTA). When my shift ended, I also noted the streets were mostly deserted, rather odd for game night when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats play at home.
No wonder. They were shut-out by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 29-0, the first time they have been wiped out since 1951. Unbelieveable. The stupid Tabbies couldn't even set up a single, and are now 1-6. As pointed out last night on the radio show "The Fifth Quarter," if Hamilton wants even a fighting change to make the playoffs they'd have to go 9-2 in their last 11 games -- and most of those games are on the road. Judging by all the calls coming in after the game, from places as far away as London and Stratford, people were really pissed by what they saw last night.
I didn't even bother to watch the late-night replay on TV. It would have been too embarrassing.
Two points:
This is the last year of a three-year season ticket special that owner Bob Young -- the software billionaire who built Red Hat -- put in to get people to go back to Ivor Wynne Stadium. After showing so much promise in 2004, the Cats tanked in 2005 and are flailing this year. Anyone want to speculate how many of those multi-year holders will put down deposits for even one season in 2007? Not many, I guess.
It's not a coaching problem. Greg Marshall was having problems, and so is Ron Lancaster. And firing receiver Craig Yeast won't do much either, because he's just a sympton of a much wider problem. The team sucks, period. They don't play as a team, but as all-for-myself yahoos. How many times do we need to say this: There is no "I" or "me" in team.
To get people into the seats, the HSR -- the local transit authority -- now even offers free rides to and from the game for ticket holders; a bonus for people who don't want to pay extortion parking fees in private driveways to get to the only stadium in the CFL without access to a real parking lot. But why would I want to ride the buses only to see a bunch of first-class losers who think of nothing of cashing a paycheck to play like jerks?
I've got better ways to spend my cash. Like the theatre. I'd rather stimulate my mind, then get it fried by the current group of weirdos who dare to wear the Black and Gold.
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