The Imperfect Storm
How bad has it been? Let us count the ways. 2017 TIGER-CAT SEASON
At the very least, the 2017 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season has been a memorable one.
The Ticats headed into Friday night’s game against the B.C. Lions with a 2-9 record but leading the CFL in controversy and headlines. Here’s a look back at the most significant moments in what’s already been a crazy 2017.
1. June 25: On the second play of the season-opener against Toronto, receiver Terrence Tolliver tears his ACL and is done for the year. His injury was one of many: defensive backs Emanuel Davis and Abdul Kanneh, all-star defensive tackle Ted Laurent and a number of key Canadian contributors have all missed significant time.
2. July 8: Linebacker Will Hill, one of the team’s few bright spots in the early going, shoves an official during a game in Saskatchewan. He is ejected from the game and suspended the following week. His behaviour is a sign of things to come. He was released on Aug. 10.
3. July 29: The Ticats lose 60-1 in Calgary, the second-worst defeat in franchise history and the third-worst in CFL history. The true low point of a season full of disappointments (at least from an on-field perspective.)
4. Aug. 1: Offensive and defensive players engage in a large scale brawl during practice. The team is 0-5 and while head coach Kent Austin and team leaders brush it off, many see it as a sign that tensions are starting to boil over.
5. Aug. 2: The Ticats hire former NCAA and NFL head coach June Jones as an offensive assistant, despite the fact that he has little CFL experience and no previous relationship with Austin. It immediately leads to speculation about Austin’s job security.
6. Aug. 6: With the team at 0-6 and giving up a CFL-worst 39 points a game, team replaces defensive co-ordinator Jeff Reinebold with linebackers coach Phillip Lolley. Reinebold is offered another position within the organization but declines and says on his NFL-themed podcast for SkySports: “When you go through these things you find out a tremendous amount about loyalty.”
7. Aug. 24: With the team now 0-8, Jones replaces Austin as head coach and accelerates his installation of a completely new offensive system. “For me, I’m going to make it fun for the last 10 games and try to get some wins,” Jones says. Austin remains as vice-president of football operations.
8. Aug. 28: The Ticats announce the hiring of former Baylor head coach Art Briles as an assistant — without mentioning the sexual assault scandal that rocked the university and led to Briles’ ouster. The decision is roundly criticized by media across North America and fans in Hamilton, forcing the team to rescind the offer days later and offer a series of apologies.
9. Aug. 29: With Briles still in the headlines, Jones announces that he’s benching starting quarterback Zach Collaros in favour of Jeremiah Masoli. Collaros, one of the league’s highest-paid players, has lost his last 12 straight starts.
10. Aug. 30: The Cornell Daily Sun reports that Cornell University is suing Austin for $100,000. The story says Austin’s five-year, $1.4 million deal with the university, where he served as head coach for three seasons beginning in 2010, included a penalty clause if he departed before the contract’s scheduled expiration in January, 2015. The lawsuit is dropped after Austin repays the money. 11. Aug. 30: Reports emerge that the Ticats worked out Johnny Manziel, setting off yet another media frenzy around the TMZ-friendly quarterback. Speculation about Manziel’s arrival in Hamilton or potential trade destinations continues while the CFL conducts a review into his domestic violence history.
12. Sept. 15: Defensive back Demond Washington is ejected from the game and the team is penalized 25 yards after he spits on an opposing player during a loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Washington is subsequently fined by the league.
13. Sept. 20: Receiver Mike Jones is suspended two-games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs after testing positive for a banned substance. Jones maintains his innocence but decides not to appeal.
Bonus 14: There’s still two months of the football season left to go.
For me, I’m going to make it fun for the last 10 games. JUNE JONES TIGER-CATS COACH