Ticats ready to run with Sinkfield

It is a story that won’t go away until something makes it go away.

How the Hamilton Tiger-Cats can fill the hole, or abyss, created by the season-ending injury to Brandon Banks is a topic of conversation right across the CFL.

Although every Ticat, from the head coach down, says no one person alone can replace Banks’ output, it is Terrell Sinkfield — a 1,000-yard receiver here in 2015 — who will be the game-day roster replacement at wide receiver.

There has been concern expressed in some corners that while in NFL camps over the past two years Sinkfield has concentrated mainly on defensive cornerback, not offensive wide receiver.

But quarterback Jeremiah Masoli — who spent the day at the stadium with him on Monday, a nonpractice day for the Ticats — says he thinks that experience in the secondary will actually help Sinkfield on offence.

“At defensive back you see what the receivers do,” Masoli said. “He was even coaching me up on some stuff as far as what the DBs are looking at. With his perspective on the game, he’s so much better than when he left here and that’s saying a lot because he was already super good.”

Since he returned to Hamilton nearly two weeks ago, Sinkfield has been staying with Banks. The two spent a lot of time during Banks’ post-injury weekend studying June Jones’ offensive system.

But, Jones conceded Wednesday, Sinkfield is being given a full role in the offence a little more quickly than he (Jones) would prefer.

“We’re down five guys,” Jones shrugged, “So he’s getting rushed in.”

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Defensive tackle Jason Neill, who was enjoying a solid season until sitting out the last three games with a hamstring injury, should be back in the starting lineup Saturday afternoon for the rematch against the Ottawa Redblacks. Having Neill back in the middle rotation with Ted Laurent (two sacks in Ottawa) and Nikita Whitlock should help amplify the pass rush.

The Ticats won’t decide until Thursday whether defensive end Adrian Tracy, who has missed three games with a leg bruise, will play Saturday.

Shutdown cornerback Delvin Breaux, who missed some plays in Ottawa with a knee problem, hasn’t taken part in full practice yet this week but will play in Saturday’s rematch.

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The Tiger-Cats incurred more than 100 yards in penalties, many of them significantly costly, in five of their first eight games. Then they went six games without being flagged for 100 yards.

But after being penalized nine times for 127 yards in Toronto two weeks ago, they took a dozen more for 128 yards, directly and adversely impacting their 35-31 loss in Ottawa.

“We were reverting back to what was costing us early in the year,” Jones said Wednesday. “The costly part is that we had got them off the field and then gave them points back on the board three times because of penalties.”

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If you got ’em, don’t smoke ’em. Not unless you’re at least 20 metres away.

Saturday afternoon’s game against Ottawa will be the first time the Tiger-Cats play at Tim Hortons Field since the federal government’s Cannabis Act became a Canadian reality Oct. 17.

Matt Afinec, Ticats president and COO of business operations says that, “First and foremost, Tim Hortons Field is a non-smoking venue. Marijuana or cigarettes: doesn’t change anything.”

Simply put, fans can bring the legalized amount of pot (up to 30 grams of dried cannabis) with them into the stadium, but can’t smoke any of it there.

“As the stadium owner-operator, (the city) is following the legislation regarding cannabis that became effective Oct. 17,” says Rob Gatto, the city’s manager of sports and entertainment facilities, which oversees Tim Hortons Field. “And we’re also following the city’s smoking bylaws.”

There is no smoking allowed in any city building.

There are “in-and-out” privileges at Ticats’ games, meaning fans are allowed to leave to smoke in two designated areas, 20 metres from the perimeter of the building, outside the north and south end zones.

But, Gatto says, “Every event is handled differently as far as in-and-out privileges. Those are determined by the promoter.”

For example, when the city itself is the promoter, there are no in-out privileges.

Afinec adds that the team has its own fan code of conduct which dictates that if you’re visibly impaired you’ll be ejected from the stadium, or not allowed into it in the first place.

“It’s all about giving our fans the best game-day experience,” Afinec says.