Ticats up, Lions down. (CFL)

          We're almost through three whole weeks of the 2019 CFL season, and there are already some interesting story lines throughout the league. I have always been of the opinion that the first three weeks are not enough to critique a team, as there is still lots of time to mount a turnaround and right the ship. That being said, a few teams have had an alarming start, and it may translate poorly for the rest of the season, or a huge flip-flop might be in order.

1) The swing of the Hammer. The Tiger-Cats have started 3-0 this year, and many people (mostly from Hamilton, but some from around the league) have already anointed them as the team to beat, or the early Grey Cup favourite. Personally, I'm not buying it, as they haven't beaten a team with substance as of yet.

Hamilton has wins against a Saskatchewan squad that lost their franchise quarterback and have little else to step up, the Toronto Argos, who are in a rebuild and are struggling to find their identity in the post-Ricky Ray era, and a woeful Alouettes team that currently has no direction. The Tiger-Cats don't have a real test until Week 5 when they play Calgary.

2) Toothless Lions. When B.C. acquired Mike Reilly through free agency, I figured they would start the season at least 2-1, due to their already existing weapons that Reilly would help make even more fearsome. The opposite has happened, with the Lions winless through three weeks. Their defence isn't keeping them in the game, and the offence is just not putting up enough points to get the job done. Even though the season is still young, there must be some kind of urgency in B.C. right now to fix what ails them. Otherwise, it'll be another long year for the Lions.

3) The 25-yard objectionable conduct penalty is stupid. In the first game of the season, Roughriders' QB Zach Collaros was knocked out of a game by the Ticats' Simoni Lawrence. I still maintain it wasn't the most vicious hit I've seen, and it wasn't helmet to helmet. While I agree that there needs to be penalties, 25 yards on the whole team is too much. If anything, the CFL should have maintained the 15-yard penalty, but if the hit is deemed malicious, then the player responsible should be ejected immediately and suspended a game. This whole 25-yard thing is a little too much, and it takes away from the game.


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