Stamps/CFL Offseason Thread

[Flickered Flame]

The Grey Cup champs announced today that Mike Labinjo has signed a new deal to keep him with the Stamps through 2011.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=2573...=secStory_main

[You Need a Thneed]

Excellent. HUGE part of the Stamps late season greatness.

[troutman]

Also, George Cortez could be back. He has talked with TOR, but nothing serious.

[OzSome]

I don't really foresee a lot of changes in the lineup next season but yes we will see some changes for sure. Yes we will see Sandro and Browner try the NFL, then some players who didn't really fit in with the Stamps move somewhere else. Of course, we will lose a player or two on Dispersal Draft next season with Ottawa coming back in the league. I can see Stamps exposing S Richard Karikari to dispersal draft. I think the receiving corp will stay together with exception of Ryan Thelwell and maybe Copeland. Not sure what is Thelwell contract status but I think he is a free agent next season. Copeland bounced back late in the season so he might stay depending on the Stamps management decision. We might lose some of our spare LB ie: Grootegoed. OLine will stay the same but we might lose some of the backup. DLine with Labinjo, Robede, Chevrier, Hughes, Freeman and maybe Juwan Simpson will stay. Howard Hodges might look somewhere else because he might want to be a starter and play a lot or Stamps might expose him on the dispersal draft. LB are pretty much the same next season. DBs, we might lose some players but I definitely don't care if Calvin Bannister leaves. I would like to see Smith, Anderson, Walls, hopefully Browner, Collins, and Lysack. I really think Sandro will change his mind and stay with the Stamps. QB, Burris will go for another few years more. I like the progress of Nealy and it looks like Proctor would be definitely be a good 3rd stringer and learn the system. Are we going to see another QB factory here just like in 90s with Flutie, Dickerson, Garcia and Burris?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by OzSome

Of course, we will lose a player or two on Dispersal Draft next season with Ottawa coming back in the league.

Ottawa isn't scheduled to come back until the 2010 season, so there shouldn't be any dispersal draft next season.

[troutman]

The Commish was also saying something last week about Moncton - they are building a 28,000 seat stadium for some track and field event?

http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/...a-36da7d380a5b

A sod-turning ceremony in Moncton to mark the spot of a new track and field stadium carried with it hopes the city could one day land a Canadian Football League franchise.

Some $3 million in additional funding came Moncton's way Tuesday for a 28,000-seat stadium at Universite de Moncton.

It's officially designed for the upcoming 2010 world junior track and field championships, but most people, including many officials, have professional football on their minds.

Moncton might be better than Halifax, in that it is more central and could draw from all over the Maritimes. Call them the Atlantic Schooners, and they could have a Schooner nation that will rival Rider Nation.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/b...ton-cohon.aspx

On moving a team back to Ottawa: “We have a blue-ribbon group in Ottawa, with Jeff Hunt, John Ruddy, Roger Greenberg and Bill Shenkman. As you’ve probably read, the city council decided about two weeks ago not to re-open the international design competition, and they’ve directed city managers to work exclusively with the proposal that our group has in front of them. And by mid-January, we hope to have an indication from the city in terms of the direction we’ll be going in Ottawa. If that is positive, we’re hopeful that 2011 would be a time that we could get a team back in Ottawa.”


On an event in Moncton: “So we are looking at an opportunity, in 2010, of, ‘Can we do neutral site, regular season games out east and create an annual tradition?’ Those are some of the things we are looking at. With a stadium of that size, we think there’s a real potential for us to do that, and to expand our reach across the country.”

[Fire]

Moncton is on the small side, even for the CFL. They have a metro population of only 125,000. They would be fine to host one annual CFL game but beyond that I have my doubts. Quebec City and Ottawa makes more sense for expansion assuming a viable stadium.

Saskatoon should be ranked higher than Moncton in the expansion viabilty list IMO.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Fire

Moncton is on the small side, even for the CFL. They have a metro population of only 125,000. They would be fine to host one annual CFL game but beyond that I have my doubts. Quebec City and Ottawa makes more sense for expansion assuming a viable stadium.

Saskatoon should be ranked higher than Moncton in the expansion viabilty list IMO.

A viable stadium is a huge stumbling block for either Halifax or Québec City. If Halifax had gone through with and won its bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, they would have built a viable stadium and the CFL would likely have awarded an expansion franchise, but that fell through.

It looks like some people want to build an arena and/or stadium in Québec, so that might become viable. Jean Charest is promising some money towards the efforts if he wins the Provincial election in December: http://www.globesports.com/servlet/s....wspt_quebec13


Presumably, the advantage to Moncton would be similar to Regina in that it could attract fans from all over the maritimes being about 2 and half hours away from Halifax and even closer to Fredericton and Charlottetown.

I doubt the Riders would ever allow an expansion team to Saskatoon since it would cut their fanbase in half.

[Flickered Flame]

Mike Kelly looks like the Bombers next head coach.

http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=257401&l...headlines_main

And the Argos are looking at former Giants coach Jim Fassel about their head coach position.

http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=257399&l...headlines_main

[MJM]

Originally Posted by Fire

Moncton is on the small side, even for the CFL. They have a metro population of only 125,000. They would be fine to host one annual CFL game but beyond that I have my doubts. Quebec City and Ottawa makes more sense for expansion assuming a viable stadium.

Saskatoon should be ranked higher than Moncton in the expansion viabilty list IMO.

Moncton has a population of well over 1,000,000 (Saint John, Frederiction, Miramichi, Halifax, PEI, and all other rural towns/cities) people within a 2.5 hour drive. If a team is ever in the Maritimes, it has to be Moncton because no one city alone would draw even close to 20,000 fans game over the course of a season. Moncton is smack-dab in the middle of the Maritimes, and is a large shopping/tourism on weekends for other parts of the Maritimes.

That being said, I think any expension into the Maritimes is going to fail. Simply not going to be able to draw 20,000 fans a game anyhwere there over the long-term (may for the first year or so, but not after the novelty wears off). They should be focusing on Quebec City,

[troutman]

Originally Posted by MJM

That being said, I think any expension into the Maritimes is going to fail. Simply not going to be able to draw 20,000 fans a game anyhwere there over the long-term (may for the first year or so, but not after the novelty wears off). They should be focusing on Quebec City,

I think it could be at least as successful as Regina. Regina has 201K - the entire province is just over 1 M, spread over a much bigger area than the martimes. The population of NB, NS and PEI is 1.8 M.

Quebec City should be the first target. London could work.

[troutman]

Bad news - Danny Cantcoachcia is stepping down as Eskimos' coach.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/C...57606-sun.html

Danny Maciocia has stepped down as head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos.

After four seasons as bench boss, Maciocia is now the club's full-time general manager and director of football operations, Sun Media has learned.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by troutman

Bad news - Danny Cantcoachcia is stepping down as Eskimos' coach.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/C...57606-sun.html

Danny Maciocia has stepped down as head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos.

After four seasons as bench boss, Maciocia is now the club's full-time general manager and director of football operations, Sun Media has learned.

Is there something in the water in Edmonton? Just like the Oilers, the Eskimoes promote someone who really needed to be fired.

I'm not complaining.

[moon]

Originally Posted by troutman

Bad news - Danny Cantcoachcia is stepping down as Eskimos' coach.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/C...57606-sun.html

Danny Maciocia has stepped down as head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos.

After four seasons as bench boss, Maciocia is now the club's full-time general manager and director of football operations, Sun Media has learned.

At least he is staying on as GM. It would be perfect if he continued to do both but I think he can still do a decent job of screwing up the Esks from that position.

[Cheese]

Originally Posted by troutman

I think it could be at least as successful as Regina. Regina has 201K - the entire province is just over 1 M, spread over a much bigger area than the martimes. The population of NB, NS and PEI is 1.8 M.

Quebec City should be the first target. London could work.

I concur...and I also think KWC tri cities region could also be a possibility. The population is the same for both areas. Both areas also love their football. The issue is stadiums being built for 9 - games a year. Not even Balsillie would do that. Quebec City, London, KW, Victoria and then something east...like Moncton.

[thefanblogger]

Originally Posted by troutman

Also, George Cortez could be back. He has talked with TOR, but nothing serious.

Has turned down the Argo position looks like he is coming back

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by thefanblogger

Has turned down the Argo position looks like he is coming back

Yeah and you know if you he's turning down T.O., he's turning down Hamilton and that gong show.

I wonder if he'd consider the eskies though.

[Flickered Flame]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

he's turning down Hamilton and that gong show.

The Ti Cats have already announced that Bellefeuille will be their head coach in 09. I am not sure the Esks would even look at him. I wonder if Greg Marshall will get a look with the Esks. Wasn't he with them before he headed to the Bombers?

[Flickered Flame]

The Leos have released Clermont and decline the option on Roberts.

http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=258390&l...headlines_main

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Flickered Flame

The Leos have released Clermont and decline the option on Roberts.

http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=258390&l...headlines_main

To follow up on this, the Stamps have made an offer.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=2591...headlines_main

"I was quite taken aback by the professionalism that Calgary displayed with their recruiting," Clermont told CKNW. "It's outstanding. They've basically had their entire coaching staff call and discuss what they would be doing."