in 1992. Among those with late tee times: Phil Mickelso

The situation in the East is simply fantastic for fans of the CFL. All Week 20 games in the East matter as to who is in the playoffs and that’s how you want it to play out. I will be on site at the marque game of the week, Montreal at Hamilton. I am looking forward to seeing Hamilton’s new stadium and the facilities they have for the players and coaches. I can remember when I worked for the Ticats, Jamie Barresi and I shared an office which was fine except for when we had to meet with the players there. The players sat on the floor and watched practice and game film on two TVs we jerry-rigged to play the same video. We had to do this because the room had a weird shape and the guys closest to the exit could not see the big TV. The big TV was actually one I had at my house and had brought in to be able have a bigger screen! I have heard nothing but great things about this new facility that will provide the players with a professional work environment they deserve, looking forward to seeing that. Speaking of Coach Barresi, he is now the head coach of the University of Ottawa, and led them to a 5-3 finish and a first round playoff win over Windsor. He will now come home to Hamilton to take on McMaster this weekend in the second round of the playoffs. I am not sure that this situation has ever happened in the CFL. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats can finish first place, second place, or be eliminated from the playoffs! You don’t often have to prepare your team for all those possibilities within a week. But I think there is a very interesting coaching situation for the Cats, let’s talk about it. Hamilton’s playoff scenario is this: if they beat Montreal by eight points or more they clinch first place; if they win by less than eight points or Toronto loses they earn second place; and if they lose and Toronto wins, they are eliminated from the playoffs. Teams that finish in first place statistically have a greater chance of going to the Grey Cup, so does Hamilton change the game plan to put themselves in first place? I think I would. Let’s say Toronto wins the game Friday and Hamilton is eliminated with a loss, this is the harder scenario. Hamilton starts the game basically down 7-0 to the Als for first place. Do they become more aggressive to make up the point differential and go for first place? Aggressive might be a fake punt or special play on Teams to be able get a few extra offensive scoring possessions. Could it be a more aggressive defensive scheme or pressure package trying to limit Montreal scoring? Third and goal from the two-yard line early in the game, usually you kick the field goal but do you go for it to make up the points to try to get first place? All these things mentioned have a risk that when not executed can hurt your chances of winning the game, which is the ultimate goal for Hamilton because they would be eliminated if Toronto wins. Late in the game this will be employed but early in the game is when it could easily affect the outcome. Certainly late in the game, if Hamilton is up by three, you will see the best of both teams, because Hamilton will actually be trying to drive the length of the field and score a touchdown with the lead. That situation does not happen often. These are the decisions that a head coach must have a good understanding of not only at the end of the year, but at the beginning of the year. In 2009, when I was the offensive coordinator of the Saskatchewan Roughriders we were in the first of a four-game series with an opponent. It was late in the game and we were winning but I called a few more passes and scored a late touchdown. A coach from the other team after the game sought me out on the field and took offence to my offence (funny?) of scoring a touchdown when we could have taken a knee at the end of the game. I looked at him somewhat surprised and said we are playing you four times and there is the very real possibility that we will end up tied at the end of the year and the next playoff tie breaker is points scored. That is why we were scoring points late in the last drive, we don’t know how we will end up, so you assume you will be tied. Points-scored has to be thought of when you play an opponent twice or four times because you could be tied at the end. Playing someone three times, points is not an issue (unless there was a tie) because someone usually finishes 2-1. Back to Hamilton, let’s assume Toronto loses and a loss by Hamilton will not affect their playoff chances, they would have second place locked up no matter what happens in their game. Now you can see the Ticats being aggressive and be ready for anything that can help them score points. No huddle to get more plays, going for it on third down, onside kicks. Mistakes or poor execution of those plays can also hurt your field position which can help Montreal’s opportunity to score, so executing these calls is key. If you have a chance, look up Head Coach Kevin Kelley and the Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas, a coach who calls for onside kicks every kickoff and will not punt throughout the season. The guy must be crazy and must lose every game right? A state Championship, a loss in the finals, and a semi-final appearance in three years tells another story. Although some of his data may not correlate with the CFL, he believes on kickoffs the difference in the field position is only about 15 yards if an onside kick is recovered by the receiving team and coach Kelley’s teams recover one out of every three onside kicks which is a turnover, and we know turnovers are one of the most telling stats in winning football games. In the CFL, a failed onside kick would probably be a 30-yard difference in field position which is certainly a reason not to do it every time. Kelley never punts because his philosophy is you have to score more points to win the football game and you cannot score without retaining possession of the football. That is why he will always go for it on fourth down, to keep possession of the ball. So if your team is in a fourth and 3 situation four times in a game and they average 5.5 yards per rush, why not go for it? Kelley believes he will make three out of four conversions and will keep the football. Interesting thoughts and I thought of this philosophy this week to see if the Ticats would employ some of these tactics to get to first place. Either way it will be a great weekend for football, punt or no punt. Cheap Basketball Shoes Free Shipping . And rest hardly led to rust for the two-time defending NBA champions. Basketball Shoes Sale .S. womens soccer team to a 2-0 win over China in Colorado in the afternoon. https://www.cheapbasketballshoesstore.com/ . Sweeting scored two in the first and three in the second before Strong (4-4) got two back in the fourth. Sweeting then scored three in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh to grab a commanding 9-2 lead. Fake Basketball Shoes . After making his All-Star debut in Fridays Rising Stars Challenge, the Raptors sophomore centre wont be sticking around for the duration of the weekends festivities, thinking about the big picture instead. Cheap Basketball Shoes China .A. Dickey earned an American League Gold Glove on Tuesday to become the first Toronto Blue Jays pitcher to win the award.AUGUSTA, Ga. -- With dad in his ear, Bill Haas turned in the best round of his Masters career Thursday. Now he wants to do what his father never could -- finish the job. Haas birdied the final hole for a 4-under 68 and the opening-round lead, the first time he has broken 70 in five appearances at Augusta National. His father, Jay, played in the Masters 22 times, with five top-10 finishes topped by a tie for third in 1995. He is staying with his son this week and providing valuable advice on the practice range. "I never remember thinking, Man, I wish I could hit this shot for my dad," Bill Haas said. "But I do know that theres times Im like, I wish my dad could hit this shot for me." Jay Haas never won a major despite having plenty of success on the PGA Tour. Maybe his 31-year-old son can take care of that family oversight. "I think he deserves a major in his career as good as he played," Bill Haas said. Defending champion Adam Scott has his major title and got off to a strong start in his quest to stay dressed in green, even with a stumble in Amen Corner. Scott shook off a double-bogey at the par-3 12th, a tiny little hole that caused big trouble for a number of players. His tee shot caught the bank in front of the green and hopped back into Raes Creek. "I had just received the most incredible ovation as I came to the 12th tee -- and I hit my worst shot of the day," Scott said. "I think thats my first-ever trip into Raes Creek." The Aussie bounced back with a birdie at the 14th, rolled in a testy putt to save par at the 18th, and finished with a 69, one shot off the lead. "It was a nice way to walk off, not shooting 70," Scott said. In contrast to Haas, it was the fifth time in his last six Augusta rounds that Scott has cracked the 60s, showing he still has the game to make a run at being the first back-to-back Masters champion since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002. Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo are the only other repeat champions. If Scott finishes no worse than a tie for third place, he will take over the No. 1 spot in the world rankings for the first time in his career. "In a sense, winning last year took the pressure off," Scott said. "Whats the worst that can happen? Im still a Masters champion." Louis Oosthuizen matched Scott with a 69. The South African knows his way around the majors, winning the British Open at St. Andrews in 2010 and losing a Masters playoff against Bubba Watson two years ago. But expperience isnt everything.dddddddddddd Playing in their first Masters, Jimmy Walker and Kevin Stadler of the U.S. and Swedens Jonas Blixt were among those shooting 70, making their way around the course just fine despite some unfamiliarity with the revered layout. They are among a record two dozen Augusta rookies in the field, which doesnt include four-time winner Woods, out of the game until summer as he recovers from back surgery. The 35-year-old Walker is having a breakout year on the PGA Tour, picking up the first three victories of his career. He kept up his strong play, ripping off a run of four straight birdies starting at the 14th. "I wasnt thinking I was going to make four in a row," Walker said. "But just keep hitting good shots." Gary Woodland and Brandt Snedeker of the U.S. also opened at 70, as did K.J. Choi of South Korea. Stadler is part of the first father-son duo to play the Masters together. His dad, Craig, was the 1982 champion, while Kevin earned a spot in the field with his first PGA Tour victory at Phoenix. The elder Stadler didnt fare nearly as well as his son. Craig opened with an 82 in what he has said will likely be his farewell as a Masters competitor. "I played like a moron," Craig Stadler said. Two players at 71 provided quite a contrast: 54-year-old Fred Couples and 20-year-old Jordan Spieth, who wasnt even born when Couples won his green jacket in 1992. Among those with late tee times: Phil Mickelson, attempting to join Woods and Arnold Palmer with a fourth green jacket. But that bid got off to a rocky start when Lefty shot a triple-bogey 7 at the seventh, his worst score ever at the hole nicknamed "Pampas." Mickelson finished with a pair of 7s on his card for the first time in five years at a major, and his 76 matched the highest opening round at Augusta for the three-time Masters champion. U.S. Open champion Justin Rose shot 40 on the front and scrambled for a 76. Watson was also among the late finishers, charging up the leaderboard with a birdie at the 15th that dropped his score to 3 under. The tournament began with Nicklaus, Palmer and Gary Player hitting ceremonial tee shots on a brisk, sunny morning. The "Big Three" combined to win 13 green jackets, including seven in a row at the start of the 1960s. This Masters is far less predictable. Without Woods or a dominant figure in golf, its seen as the most wide-open tournament in years. Day 1 did nothing to change that perception. ' ' '