CFL
Marc Trestman could be precisely what Jay Cutler needs
Marc Trestman will give as honest an answer as he can to his players, and leave no doubt as to what is being said, something that just should serve his new team, the Chicago Bears, very well.
NFL
Bills still only NFL option for Toronto
NFL expansion to Toronto? Beyond cameos by the Buffalo Bills, not a chance. At least, not without a commitment from the city to build and pay for a massive new playpen to cavort in.
CFL
10 things we learned this CFL season
From the Drew Tate saga, to Hamilton's stadium issues, to Jim Barker's big year, here are 10 takeaways from the 2012 CFL season.
CFL
Losing a Grey Cup simply 'makes you sick'
There are no moral victories in the Grey Cup game. Losing hurts. You never forget it. It doesn't matter the circumstances. That's what worries today's players as they head to Sunday night's game. Losing, and never getting another shot.
CFL
Argos QB Ricky Ray too hot for Stampeders
This year, the Grey Cup game is a choice between the hottest quarterback in the CFL versus the hottest team. I'm going with the quarterback.The
Toronto Argonauts (9-9, 2-0 in the playoffs) will defeat the Calgary
Stampeders (11-7, 2-0) in the 100th Grey Cup game on Sunday evening at
Rogers Centre.
CFL
Anwar Stewart, Van Zeyl to renew trench battle in Grey Cup
Anwar Stewart of Calgary and Toronto's Chris Van Zeyl, briefly teammates about five years ago in Montreal, will be pitted in one of the key matchups of the 100th Grey Cup.
CFL
Lions favoured over Stampeders with good reason
CBC Sports football contributor Malcolm Kelly explains why he believes the B.C. Lions will prevail over the Calgary Stampeders in the West Division final at B.C. Place on Sunday.
CFL
Advantage Argos with red-hot Ricky Ray at helm
CBC Sports football contributor Malcolm Kelly predicts the Toronto Argonauts will defeat the Montreal Alouettes in the East Division final at Olympic Stadium on Sunday.
CFL
Argos GM Barker deserves contract extension
Jim Barker proved up to the job of turning the Toronto Argonauts around after a lousy 2011, bringing in about 30 players to leave his designs all over a credible Grey Cup contender.
CFL
CFL East semifinal: Ray will get revenge on Eskimos
Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray always seems to maintain an even strain. But inside is a guy still seething at the way Eric Tillman and the Eskimos handled him on his way out of Edmonton, and he's in position to exact vengeance in Sunday's playoff game in Toronto.
CFL
CFL West semifinal: Stamps will regret starting Drew Tate
Calgary coach John Hufnagel says he's playing a hunch with his
choice of Drew Tate to start at quarterback for the CFL West semifinal game against Saskatchewan, so I'm playing a hunch with my choice of winner: the Roughriders will defeat the favoured Stampeders on Sunday at McMahon Stadium.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 19
After spending nearly all season in the top spot of the CBCSports.ca CFL Power Rankings, the B.C. Lions were knocked off the perch in the final week by a hard-charging West rival.
CFL
Making the case for Chad Owens as Most Outstanding Player
The Toronto Argonauts have been running one of the great misdirection plays of all time, doing it so well they could unintentionally wind up costing one of the Canadian Football League's best players, Chad Owens, a chance at the CFL's Most Outstanding Player award (MOP).
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 18
The Calgary Stampeders seem to be peaking at the right time, the B.C. Lions can't afford to get complacement, and the Grey Cup host city's team doesn't seem as much of a longshot for the championship game, writes Malcolm Kelly.
CFL
The Great Toronto Argonauts Strike of 1969
The great Toronto Argonauts player strike of 1969 may seem quaint now,
compared with the numbers thrown around by the NHL and the NHLPA in their current labour dispute, but those involved 43 years ago were deadly serious.They were not getting what they felt was deserved, and they weren't going to put up with it any more.
CFL
CFL Power Rankings: Week 17
Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League. In this week's Power Rankings, B.C. remains at the top of the pile, but the Montreal Alouettes are slowly creeping their way into contention while the Argonauts are in a downward spiral.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 16
The Calgary Stampeders and Montreal Alouettes didn't look fantastic, but they overcame challenges to get back into the win column and nudge ahead in the Malcolm Kelly's weekly CFL Power Rankings.
CFL
QB greats understand Buck Pierce's desire to keep playing
Former CFL QB greats understand what Winnipeg Blue Bombers pivot Buck Pierce is going through as he recovers from yet another in a serious of injuries, this one a concussion caused by a vicious hit to the chin by Toronto's Brandon Isaac on Sept. 29.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 15
Malcolm Kelly's weekly rankings reflect a poor week for the CFL's Ontario teams, while there is also a shuffle of West teams near the top of the board.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 14
Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
CFL pile ups anything but civil
CFL players know there is one rule when they battle for a loose ball under a big pile of bodies - no biting.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 13
Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
Rookie CFL official learns breaks of the game
Adam Paradowski's rookie season as a Canadian Football League official spanned a heart attack, a naked man and a broken leg.It
was also filled with strong reports back to head office that seem to
have ensured the Winnipeg resident will be back at it again next year.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 12
Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
CFL Power Rankings: Week 11
Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
Americans in CFL Part 2: Owens family finds right balance
Toronto Argonauts star receiver Chad Owens has found the right balance between his football life and his family responsibilities.
Hockey Night in Canada
Summit Series: Russians outclass Canada, Esposito fumes
CBCSports.ca sent columnist Malcolm Kelly through a time warp and into the body of a veteran Vancouver sportswriter, circa 1972, to report on Game 4 of the Canada-Soviet hockey series. Here's what he sent back.
CFL
Adjusting to CFL life can be tough on Americans
Chris McKenzie knows how to adapt to his surroundings, and that makes the New York City native and former NFLer a great source to go to for young Americans coming up to the Canadian Football League for the first time.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 10
Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
CFL Power Rankings: Week 9
Once a week, Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
10 things we've learned at the CFL's halfway point
Here are 10 things that struck our CFL columnist as the league heads to the halfway point.
CFL
CFL Power Rankings: Week 8
Once a week, Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League. The B.C. Lions continue to roar at the top while the Hamilton Tiger-Cats continue to fade.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 7
Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
High school football coaches retire having made their mark
Canadian high school football coaches Brian Walsh and Paul Forbes have never met. Never spoken. Never heard of each other. But as they both retire from the sidelines they seem to have had the same experiences in very different situations.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 6
Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
Olympics2012
The IOC should ditch the sideshows
Here's a suggestion for the next time the International Olympic Committee decides to allow someone into the Olympics as a show of how far we've come and to set the groundwork for yet another member to the exclusive club: Don't. It's embarrassing.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 5
Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
Five fat guys and a Ferrari
We're only just over a month into the Canadian Football League season
and already there have been three missed three pointers run all the way
back for seven the other way. That's one more than all of last year. Would
have been four if one of the returners hadn't tried to hot dog his way
into the end zone and wound up tackled on the one yard line.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 4
Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League. <br/>
CFL
Calgary's Jon Cornish understands math behind his success
The study of Jon Cornish is an exercise in applied analysis and probability. Handy, because mathematics is something the Calgary Stampeders running back warms to, so much so he's going back to school to get a degree (No. 2) in it.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 3
Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
Argos Suck!, and other stories from Box H
CBC Sports' Malcolm Kelly watched from the trenches of Ivor Wynne
Stadium as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Toronto Argonauts 36-27
Saturday night. It was not easy for the Argonauts, who had the "heckle
zone" on them all night.
CFL
CFL Power Rankings: Week 2
Once a week, Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
Adam Paradowski savouring life as CFL rookie referee
Adam Paradowski's rookie jitters disappeared last Saturday night the first time he threw his little red weighted flag up in the air and made a penalty call.
CFL
CFL Power Rankings: Week 1
Once a week, Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
Memories will stand long after Ivor Wynne Stadium is gone
HAMILTON--When they take down Ivor Wynne Stadium early next year, they'll be removing a bit of Bill Kyle's heart.
He and his wife, Connie, had four season seats here since 1950, sharing
the ins and outs of the Tiger-Cats through Grey Cup wins, the ignominy
of this century's first decade and the fun of beating up on the Toronto
Argonauts.
CFL
CFL 2012 East Division Preview
While it's hardly the old-time Big Four in the CFL East, this is the
stronger of the two divisions and will feature the closest fight for the
playoff spots.
Here's our picks for the East, and as always, please put yours below
(and remember if you pick records, they have to add up to 72 for the
whole league).
CFL
CFL 2012 West Division preview
There is a distinct difference between the haves and the have-nots in the CFL for 2012, especially in the west.
Here's a rundown, and our picks (remember, I don't own my own house).
Please give us yours below, and make sure the wins across the league add
up to 72
CFL
Forecasting stars no easy task for CFL GMs
Let's begin the 2012 football season with something cliched - a conversation about Nostradamus.
CFL
CFL training camp preview: The West
There hasn't been a training camp in the Canadian Football League like this for quite a while.
Out west, new head coaches in B.C. and Saskatchewan lead the way, the former a major move as it means Wally Buono is off the sidelines.
Stories are everywhere. Here are some of them:
CFL
CFL training camp preview: The East
As training camp opens in the east, two teams feature new head coaches, and there are two big name quarterbacks coming in from the west.
At the same time, an old performer is getting ready to answer the bell once again, and last year's Cup finalist has holes to fill.
CFL
History says Ricky Ray = Grey Cup ring
Those Toronto Argonauts may not be able to develop a quarterback, but they sure can successfully trade for them on a semi-regular basis.
NHL
Multi-company ownership not new for Leafs
Ownership of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the companies controlling the
team and its building, by competing entities is hardly new.
Nor is having a major player in the broadcast business as part of the group.
CFL
10 things we learned this CFL season
So, 2011 is in the books, and that leaves one job. Here are 10 things learned as the Canadian Football League heads to the 100th Grey Cup season.
CFL
Time will tell if Argos' Milanovich was good hire
I've never understood why the Toronto Argonauts dropped the slogan "Pull Together" from their logo about 25 years ago, because it so beautifully encapsulated what this, or any team, has to do to win on a regular basis.
CFL
Lions unsung hero Khreem Smith's fairy tale journey
Once upon a time there was a man named Khreem Smith who found a great, golden Grey Cup ring at the end of a long, long journey.
CFL
Catching shut-eye Grey Cup eve tricky for some players
At their hotels in Vancouver on Saturday night, the B.C. Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers faced the night in a 104 different ways. Some snoozed, some paced, some lay there staring at the ceiling.
CFL
Tips for righting the good ship Argo
After 43 years of growing up with, cheering for and then watching the Toronto Argonauts as a professional journalist, it was beginning to look here like the only person who could find this almost sunken franchise was Dr. Robert Ballard. There is, however, a plan to salvage what's left of the famous old boat.
CFL
Sidelined Bomber stays upbeat for Cup 'home game'
Brandon Stewart was crutching his way around the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' media breakfast on Thursday morning, spreading cheer, chatting away and looking nothing like a guy with a slightly broken heart.
CFL
History will bite the Lions
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (10-8, 1-0 in playoffs) will defeat the B.C. Lions (11-7, 1-0 in playoffs) in the 99th Grey Cup Game, Sunday night (6:30 p.m. ET) at B.C. Place in Vancouver.
CFL
West Final prediction: Lions too hot for Eskimos
This was going to be so much more fun to work out before the news came
that running back Jerome Messam will not be available for the rest of
the season.
Rats. No revenge motive. No "Bet you're sorry you got rid of me now."
So...
The host B.C. Lions (11-7) will defeat the Edmonton Eskimos (11-7, 1-0
in playoffs) in the West Division final on Sunday afternoon at B.C.
Place.
CFL
East Final prediction: Bombers to tame Ticats
The host Winnipeg Blue Bombers (10-8) will defeat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8-10, 1-0 in playoffs), in the East Division Final on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m. ET) at Canad Inns Stadium.
CFL
West semifinal: Stamps to prevail in Edmonton
Trying to work out who's going to defeat whom in this, the most competitive Canadian Football League season in history, seems a losing proposition, but since I'm interested in receiving my pay this week, let's give it a try.
CFL
CFL East semifinal: Ticats will topple Als
Coming off a brilliant 1-4 post season last year we were seriously considering giving up, until the editor pointed out no picks, no pay cheque.
CFL
Pass interference a big challenge for CFL officials
When Al McColman was first hired as a downfield official in 1978 to decide what was, and what was not, pass interference, the decision was pretty straight forward. Did the defensive player make contact with the receiver? If so, flag.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 19
Once a week, Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
CFL Power Rankings: Week 18
Once a week, Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
NFL
The Bills...and all that jazz
A quick peruse online showed a single seat in the upper deck of the Rogers Centre for Sunday's Bills' Toronto series game between Buffalo and Washington cost around $150 for the privilege.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 17
Once a week, Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
Argonauts' Owens combines for hard yards
Michael Clemons calls Chad Owens "Extrasplendifiscent," a combination of extraordinary, splendid and magnificent. We'll allow that, as the man tagged as "Pinball" has always reminded us of a character from a Disney movie anyway. It was around the nine-minute mark of the second quarter on Friday night that Owens took a punt at his 13-yard line, ran through the first line of Edmonton defenders, juked left and up the sideline before being boxed in.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 16
Once a week, Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
Handicapping the CFL stretch run
If famed Woodbine race announcer Dan Loiselle were calling this year's
race for the Grey Cup as it heads around the final turn, he'd be hanging
out of his little booth screaming "There's a stampede at the head of
the stretch!"
That there is. And heading for the line it's the closest race in many years.
Here's the morning line on the five contenders, one outsider and two pretenders for the 2011 Grade 1 Grey Cup Stakes.
CFL Power Rankings
CFL Power Rankings: Week 15
Once a week, Malcolm Kelly breaks down the balance of power in the Canadian Football League.
CFL
When dominoes fall, good CFL GMs are ready
Anthony Calvillo may be the most outstanding player on the Montreal Alouettes, year by year, but if general manager Jim Popp had to vote for most valuable on his roster, Diamond Ferri might get at least a little consideration.
CFL
Ticats QB Boltus understands life as 3rd stringer
Jason Boltus is the pride of Hartwick College, a beautiful little liberal arts school nestled in the Catskill Mountains where the native of Baldwinsville, N.Y., (pop. 7,053) became the NCAA Division III all-time leader in total offence.
CFL
Former Ticat attempting to resurrect U of T
When Greg Gary told friends he was going to take over the University of Toronto football program, a few of them were taken a tad aback.
CFL
Lemon's actions likely led to exit out of Toronto
The Cleo Lemon quarterback experiment is over. Long live Steven Jyles.
CFL
CFL's mid-season: 10 things we learned
As the Canadian Football League heads through the halfway point, CBCSports.ca's Malcolm Kelly takes his annual look at some lessons learned in the first two months.
CFL
Firings linger forever: CFL coaches
The late Punch Imlach once found out he was no longer employed as general manager by the Toronto Maple Leafs by showing up for work one day and finding his parking spot had been taken away.
CFL
The block: Where courage trumps technique
The block. Knocking an onrushing defender down. Getting in their way. Keeping them out of the play or off the quarterback.
It seems so simple, and yet is one of the toughest things for a football player to learn, and especially to learn to do well.
CFL
A few minutes with Adriano Belli*
Do you ever wonder what a quarterback sounds like when a 290 pound defensive lineman falls on him?
CFL
CFLers define that 'magic moment'
The perfect football moment.
A ball hangs up there, gleaming under the summer lights, spinning in the tightest of spirals, dropping, seemingly ever so slowly, into the soft hands of a speeding receiver who is no more than half a step - a mere blink of an eye - in front of the defender.
Six points. Lovely.
CFL
Fear factor influences CFL passing game
Defenders call it Alligator Arms. And you've seen it.
That's when a receiver or slot back has been hit a couple of times on
pass routes, and suddenly their willingness to put those hands
aggressively up in the air to haul in the ball begins to fade.
The defensive backs and linebackers love that moment, one that used to
be called "hearing footsteps," because it's the time you can really
smell fear.
CFL
New injury treatment hits the CFL
Tiger Woods has had it. Kobe Bryant has had it. Byron Parker has had it. And I've had it. If there's any justice in the world, the more famous in that above list also yelled like a six-year-old having his first booster shot when they received it, so I can feel better.
CFL
Quarterbacking then and now
Wally Gabler remembers a time in 1968 when his then-Toronto Argonauts were playing Ottawa in a two-game East final, and coach Leo Cahill came to his quarterback for a chat.
CFL
Undersized Suber packs big punch for Bombers
Winnipeg's Alex Suber is yet another example of how the Canadian Football League has offered homes to those who may not fit the NFL's idea of what size you need to be a good football player.
Malcolm Kelly
Malcolm went to his first CFL game in 1968 at the original Exhibition Stadium in Toronto where the Argos featured Wally Gabler as the quarterback and Bill Symons as the running back. Through 30 years as a professional sports journalist he’s never lost his love of the Canadian Football League and counts Michael Eben as his favourite all-time player.
