CFL Week 3 predictions! (CFL)

1) Edmonton @ Winnipeg

Even though the Eskimos are 2-0 and leading the West division, they'll come up short against a Blue Bombers team that wants to open at home with a bang. The offence should fire on all cylinders, and the defence will end up containing Trevor Harris by game's end. Look for it to be a close one, however. Also.....key Blue Bombers return from injury, giving the team a needed boost.

PICK: Blue Bombers

2) Montreal @ Hamilton

Not much to say here. Alouettes QB Pipkin is out for a while, and the team isn't going to do well against a Tiger-Cats team that put up over 60 points last week in Toronto. Expect the 'Cats to steamroll the Alouettes at home.

PICK: Tiger-Cats

3) BC @ Calgary

Both teams are winless to start the season, with the Stampeders getting beat up at home last week by Ottawa, and the Lions losing out in Mike Reilly's return to Edmonton. This is a game that could go either way, and even though the Stamps are usually stellar at home, I'm going to say that the Lions will squeak out a win at McMahon.

PICK: B.C.

4) Toronto @ Saskatchewan

Both these teams are utterly hopeless right now, but I honestly think that the Roughriders have the best chance to win this week. They are at home against a Toronto team that just gave up over 60 points to Hamilton, and look to be going nowhere, fast. Even using backup QBs, the Roughies should beat the Argos at Mosaic in front of the home crowd.

PICK: Roughriders

BYE: Ottawa

LAST WEEK: 2-1

SEASON: 5-2

Agree or disagree with TTS? Leave a comment below!

Alex Smith: To play or not to play. (NFL)

          Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith has gone on record saying that returning to the football field is 'the plan.' Smith hasn't played since November of last year, when he sustained a season-ending injury when he broke his tibia and fibula in his right leg.
          As much of a competitor Smith is, it might not be the best idea to come back and play again. Smith has yet to win a Super Bowl, and this would more than likely be the main reason for him to keep playing, with the hope of hoisting a Lombardi trophy in the future. The problem right now is that everything is working against him, and I'll explain why.

He's getting 'old'. Smith is 35 years old, and has been in the league since 2005. He's often been plagued with injuries throughout his career, with the wear and tear already taking their toll. It's conceivable that if he does indeed come back, he might only have one or two good seasons left in him, and that's before the rust from missing more than a season.

Money versus risk. Smith has made a lot of money thus far in career, and has a family to take care of, having two kids with his wife. There is really no need for him to come back after the injury that he suffered, and it's perplexing to see him wanting to increase his own risk of further injury which could be more serious the next time around. I could see if he was in his 20's and still had a lot to prove, but not now.

Theismann had the same injury. Legendary quarterback Joe Theismann suffered the same horrific injury back in 1985, which abruptly ended his career. It had been said several times over since last November that Smith was going to retire, or should retire after such an injury. I tend to agree with that, and believe that Smith is tempting fate by coming back. Only time will tell if his return will be successful, or lead to an abrupt retirement. Only Alex Smith himself knows where he is going, and whether or not it's the right decision.


Agree or disagree with us? Leave a comment below!

CFL Week 2 predictions! (CFL)

          For some reason, there are only three games on the docket this week, with three out of the nine teams having a bye week. I don't understand the logic behind this, but we will continue on with our picks for Week 2 regardless.

1) Saskatchewan @ Ottawa

Things are going to go from bad to worse for the Roughriders, who lost starting QB Zach Collaros last week to a concussion. The Roughriders are apparently going to go for a rotation of quarterbacks for this game, which more than likely won't be very helpful. The RedBlacks are coming off an impressive season opener where they handily defeated the Stampeders, and it looks like they have something to prove this year.

PICK: RedBlacks

2) BC @ Edmonton

Mike Reilly gets his first shot at his former team this week, and it could get interesting. I fully expect to see an air duel between him and Eskimos' QB Trevor Harris, with Reilly getting the slight edge in the end. Reilly didn't look that bad last week versus the Blue Bombers, and I think he pulls this one out. Expect the Eskimos' fans to give him a warm welcome back as well. After all, he did bring them a Grey Cup.

PICK: B.C.

3) Hamilton @ Toronto

The Argos start their 2019 campaign at home this week against the Tiger-Cats, but I honestly think that Jeremiah Masoli and the 'Cats will keep rolling, and beat the Argos at home. Toronto is rebuilding, and is still far away from establishing a new identity at this point. I think it will take them several weeks just to get everything figured out, so this game against the 'Cats won't even be close.

PICK: Tiger-Cats

BYE: Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal

LAST WEEK: 3-1
SEASON: 3-1


Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments below!

Zach Collaros: The Roughriders deserve all the blame. (CFL)

          Yet another Canadian Football league regular season has started, and we have yet another Zach Collaros exit due to a concussion. TTS looks at several key points as to why this is less of the fault of the Tiger-Cats Simoni Laurence, and why the blame for the whole situation should be placed directly on the Saskatchewan Roughriders themselves.

A history of injuries. Collaros has never been a very durable quarterback, to say the least. From his seasons in Hamilton, as well as his short time in Saskatchewan, Collaros has suffered numerous injuries. Knees, a torn ACL, an multiple concussions have taken their toll on him, limiting his playing time and effectiveness.

He's already had several concussions, and even hid one. Before the start of the 2018 regular season, Collaros suffered a concussion in a pre-season game, and managed to hide it from the Saskatchewan Roughriders' medical staff, not admitting the episode until some time later. Curiously enough, the medical staff took his word for it, and didn't check him under the league's concussion protocol at all. In a sport such as football where head hits can be massive, the Roughriders really slipped up.

What's up, doc? How can a professional sports team and their team doctors somehow clear a quarterback who had his brains scrambled in that pre-season game let him play on his word? The whole purpose of having team medical staff and concussion protocols is to prevent this exact thing from happening. This is a player who routinely gets his bell rung on the football field, and yet the Roughriders let it slip? What does this say about their organization?

Conclusion. Yes, Simoni Laurence hit Collaros hard enough to concuss him and knock him out of the game. This is football. It's a brutal sport at times, and players know the risks before they take to the field. That being said however, the blame for this whole thing should be placed on the Roughriders for A) bringing a player into their organization that is damaged goods, B) Know his history of concussions and ignore it, and C) Let him play after suffering a concussion.


Agree or disagree with this post? Let us know in the comments below!

CFL Week 1 predictions! (CFL)

           TTS is finally making our picks for the CFL, which will be posted every Wednesday! With Week 1 set to start tomorrow night, here are the predictions for the opening matchups!

1) Saskatchewan @ Hamilton

This is a game that could potentially go either way, as both teams will have something to prove right out of the gate. Is Zach Collaros one hundred percent? Will Jeremiah Masoli make an early statement? Both are good questions, but only one will be answered.

PICK: Tiger-Cats

2) Montreal @ Edmonton

The Mike Reilly era is over in Edmonton, with the Eskimos going in a new direction with QB Trevor Harris. Look for them to easily win at home against a confused Alouettes that will struggle for the first few weeks of the season.

PICK: Eskimos

3) Ottawa @ Calgary

I'd like to say that Ottawa has a chance, but Dominique Davis is going to get smoked by the Calgaryd defence, and dare I say that Bo Levi Mitchell will roll right past the RedBlacks without much effort. Personally, I'm tired of the Stampeders, but they'll win this one.

PICK: Stampeders

4) Winnipeg @ B.C.

Mike Reilly is now the star pivot in BC, and he has several weapons on offence to help him get to where he needs to go. Unfortunately, it won't be in Week 1, as the Bombers should have no problem in dealing with the Lions. It will take two or three games for the Lions to get rolling.

PICK: Blue Bombers

BYE: Toronto

THIS WEEK: --
SEASON: --


Agree or disagree? Tell us in the comments below!

Recent CFL happenings that make little sense. (CFL)

         You would think that when it's only a week or so before the start of the regular season, that there would be a calm in the league as teams prepare for the new campaign. This year however, there has been a slew of confusing moves by several teams that don't really add up. TTS looks at a few of these recent points, and what they mean.

The Argos release Coombs. This was a head-scratcher, to say the least. Arguably the best wide receiver and production man on the roster, cutting Coombs so close to the start of the season made little sense whatsoever. Yes, he was injured for most of last season, but before that, his production was always consistent, and he was proven to be a reliable workhorse. The Argos are clearly in a rebuild, but this move simply didn't make sense at all.

RedBlacks name Davis as the starter at QB. Ottawa lost starting QB Trevor Harris to Edmonton through free-agency, and needed a star QB to replace him. They signed former Lions QB Jonathon Jennings, which was a great move. But, in keeping with the 2019 CFL tradition of doing stupid things, the RedBlacks named Dominique Davis as starting QB ahead of Jennings. This is a very confusing move, as they went to all the trouble in getting a proven pivot in Jennings. Why they'd start Davis instead seems a very odd move. Personally, I think the Davis experiment will fail early in the season, necessitating the switch to Jennings.

The Argos release Bridge. What is it with the Argos these days? I understand they are trying to find a new direction after the retirement of Ricky Ray, but who is running this team lately? Canadian QB Brandon Bridge, who has a hell of an arm, has been sacked already after having signed a one-year deal with the team in February. The Argos named Michael O'Connor (who?) as their starter to open the season. This is another example of the Argos not thinking things through. Do they want to endure another three-win season, because this is how you do that!

Bye-bye Mr. Sherman. Montreal sacked head coach Mike Sherman this past week, after one season at the helm. Yes, the Alouettes were terrible last season, but for once, you can't blame the head coach. The team was inconsistent, the offence was brutal do to a lack of quality players, and their whole season was consumed by the whole Johnny Manziel situation. Add to the fact that GM Kavis Reed is usually in la-la land, and voila. Kind of hard to blame the coach with all that going on. Khari Jones takes over as interim head coach for the time being.


Do you agree or disagree with TTS? Let us know in the comments below!

The NFL goes to Winnipeg. (NFL)

          Earlier this spring, the National Football League was looking to play a pre-season game somewhere in Canada, with Saskatchewan having (at that time) emerged as the most likely destination for the contest. It has been reported just a few minutes ago that the NFL has an agreement in principle with the City of Winnipeg to have the game at Investor's Group Field, home of the CFL's Blue Bombers.
          While I'm a little disappointed that the City of Toronto missed out on this, it's nice to see a quality stadium such as IGF able to get an NFL game. The Oakland Raiders will be playing as the 'home' team, with the opposition being the Green Bay Packers. A news conference will be held today in Winnipeg to officially announce this contest.

           NaVorro Bowman retires. Bowman, a long-time staple in the San Francisco 49ers defensive corps, played in the red and gold for almost eight seasons, appearing in the Pro Bowl numerous times, and earning All-Pro honours along the way. Over the course of his career, Bowman recorded 798 tackles, 14 sacks, and 5 interceptions.
           Bowman leaves the organization as one of it's most fearsome defensive players, always making an impact on the field and terrorizing opposing offences. He was always a treat to watch, and was a well-respected member of the team during his tenure. It would be interesting to see if he returns to the NFL at some point in the future as a defensive coach, or assistant.

           Pre-season. For all intensive purposes, there would normally not be a day where TTS would agree with anything that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says or does. However, his recent stance on pre-season contests is something all football fans should be throwing their support behind. The NFL does not need four pre-season games whatsoever. Two would be more than sufficient, as pre-season games do little other than injure star players in meaningless contests.
           Personally, I'd rather see the pre-season schedule cut in half, with an extra week added to the regular season. Goodell might face an uphill battle from the owners on this one, but I believe it's the right thing to do.

           \
           Do you agree or disagree with TTS? Post your comments below!

2019 CFL Regular Season predictions! (CFL)

          Now that it's officially June, we are less than two weeks until the start of the 2019 CFL campaign. Throwing The Slant looks at each team in the CFL, and breaks down where they finished last season, and where they will be going this year. So, without further adieu, let's begin!

1) Ottawa RedBlacks. 2018: (11-7) Finished first in the East Division, lost to the Calgary Stampeders in the 106th Grey Cup. As much as I like the RedBlacks, and even though it's been awesome to see them as a Grey Cup contender almost every year since they've been back in the league. I don't see them going as far this year. Will Jonathon Jennings be a standout with his new team? Will Brad Sinopoli keep being the top Canadian receiver and improve? Is Ottawa's defence still good enough? Only time will answer these questions.

Prediction: 9-9, second in the East.

2) Hamilton Tiger-Cats. 2018: (8-10) Finished second in the East Division, lost to the Ottawa RedBlacks in the East Final. This should be the year the Ticats run out of lives, and start a downward trend. Aside from Jeremiah Masoli and Brandon Banks, this team doesn't look very good at all. Orlondo Steinauer has a LOT of work to do, and I don't think he'll get it done in his first season at the helm.

Prediction: 5-13, third in the East.

3) Montreal Alouettes. 2018: (5-13) Finished third in the East, and missed the playoffs. The Johnny Manziel era is over (thank God), and now the Alouettes can get their house back in order. I expect to see Antonio Pipkin names starting QB, and I think that the Alouettes will surprise this season. They are a young team that no one is giving a chance to, and I think that might help them achieve a quick start, and turn some heads. That being said, don't expect much of a playoff run.

Prediction: 10-8, first in the East.

4) Toronto Argonauts. 2018: (4-14) Finished last in the East, eliminated early from playoffs. The only way for Toronto to go is up. Ricky Ray retired in the off-season, leaving a big hole at the QB position. It's a toss up at this point on who is named the starter. I have low expectations for the Argos this year as they try to find their identity in the post-Ray era.

Prediction: 4-14, last in the East.

5) Calgary Stampeders. 2018: (13-5) Finished first in the West, and won the 106th Grey Cup. Three straight years the Stamps have been the to the Grey Cup, winning it last season. Yes, Bo Levi Mitchell is good, but not without his flaws. The Stamps have been on top too long, and this shouldbe the year they start a slow decline. A couple teams found the Stamp's weaknesses last season, but ended up falling short due to their own ineptitude. Look for the Stamps to get beaten more often this year.

Prediction: 12-6, second in the West.

6) Saskatchewan Roughriders. 2018: (12-6) Finished second in the West, lost to Winnipeg in the West semi-final. The Roughriders have the tools to stay near the top of the West, but still lack a QB that can finish the job. Zach Collaros is one head injury away from retirement, and the backups on the roster are terrible, to say the least. Not much to see here.

Prediction: 9-9, fourth in the West.

7) Winnipeg Blue Bombers. 2018: (10-8) Finished third in the West, lost in the West final to Calgary. This is the year that Matt Nichols should finally get the monkey off his back and win a Grey Cup. Most of the offensive core of the team is intact, as well as the defence, which should make a huge impact this year. Expectations have never been higher in Winnipeg.

Prediction: 13-5, first in the West.

8) Edmonton Eskimos. 2018: (9-9) Finished fourth in the West, missed the playoffs. 2019 should be a interesting year in Edmonton. Mike Reilly is gone, and has been replaced with Trevor Harris. The season could go either way for the Eskimos, who could surprise, or go down hill in the blink of an eye. Personally, I think they may just slide a bit this time around.

Prediction: 7-11, last in the West.

9) B.C. Lions. 2018: (9-9) tied for fourth in the West, crossed over to the East and lost to the Tiger-Cats in the East semi-final. The addition of Mike Reilly at QB just raised the Lions' profile, and should move them up in the West as quickly. Look for Reilly to make good use of his star targets at WR and make an immediate impact.

Prediction: 11-7, third in the West.


Like TTS' predictions? Comment below and let us know!