Article content
It has been fascinating to watch Winnipeg Blue Bombers GM Kyle Walters dance his way to the doorstep of CFL free agency.
Sports
Terrible Tuesday? Bombers face potential gut punch, upper-cut in free agency – Winnipeg Sun
Advertisement 2
Article content
But can he do the limbo?
Article content
There are still some critical players scheduled to hit the market at 11 a.m. Tuesday, and Walters will have to pull off some financial contortions to stay under the salary cap of around $5.6 million.
Either that or he’ll be staring at more sizable holes to fill in order to keep his team a contender.
Among those already as good as gone are all-star and CFL interception leader Demerio Houston and all-star O-lineman Jermarcus Hardrick.
If nothing changes between now and lunch time on Tuesday, the big questions are: Who’ll do the kicking, and who’ll be returning them?
Unless they get Sergio Castillo’s name on the dotted line, the Bombers will once again be on the hunt for a reliable toe.
We’ve seen how important that role is.
The Winnipeg Sun’s Daily Headline News
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
Castillo’s return to Winnipeg last season provided an immediate upgrade, as he led the league in scoring (partly because he booted more converts than anyone), was third in field-goal percentage and second in average kickoff distance.
But the 33-year-old product of La Joya, Texas, has redefined the term “journeyman” — over his seven-year CFL career, he’s never stayed in the same city for two years in a row.
Beginning with the Bombers in 2015, Castillo has moved to Ottawa, Hamilton, B.C., back to Winnipeg, to Edmonton and finally a third stop with the Bombers.
Last season wasn’t his best, statistically — most notably he missed five converts — but he did hit on 90.2% of his field goals, was perfect from inside the 40 (31-for-31) and hit four of six from 50-plus yards.
Advertisement 4
Article content
The finest hour of Castillo’s career was the 2021 Grey Cup, when he was a perfect five-for-five in field goals and one of the key players in the Bombers’ overtime win over Hamilton.
He’s one of just five kickers in CFL history to be perfect on that many field goals in a Grey Cup game.
He may not be Money Medlock, but he’s been a reasonably Clutch Castillo.
Which brings us to another big-game performer: Return specialist Janarion Grant.
Grant is a game-changer, a field-position flipper who pulled off one of the most electric plays of 2023, a 92-yard punt-return touchdown in Saskatchewan, Week 2.
In just four seasons, and despite missing more than half of last year to injury, he has cracked the top-five franchise list for career punt-return yardage, passing Albert Johnson III last year.
Advertisement 5
Article content
He’s already the runaway leader in career punt-return touchdowns, with seven.
Add another on a kickoff and two more in the playoffs — including a record 102-yarder in the 2022 Grey Cup — and Grant has taken a kick to the house 10 times.
Recommended from Editorial
Nobody in CFL history has returned kicks for more yards in Grey Cup games than the diminutive Florida product, who might weigh 160 pounds dripping wet.
We’ve given him a hard time for fumbling, but he dropped the ball just once in eight games last season.
At 30, Grant has shown no sign of slowing down.
Will he run right out of town?
It’s hard to peg which would be a more damaging loss for the Bombers this off-season, Grant or Castillo.
Advertisement 6
Article content
Losing both would be gut punch followed by an upper-cut, a Terrible Tuesday.
Then again, we said that about running back Brady Oliveira and receiver Dalton Schoen, too, and last week Walters inked both.
After all the vets Walters has re-signed, we’re not sure how much money is left in the kitty.
But starting O-lineman Geoff Gray, gritty receiver Rasheed Bailey, promising linebacker Malik Clements and veteran corner Winston Rose are still without deals, to name a few.
Canadian linebacker Shayne Gauthier is back, the Bombers said on Monday, and on the weekend they signed American O-lineman Chris Ivy, who spent part of last season on the practice roster.
But we could be seeing more vets head out the door, as Walters goes younger and cheaper.
Advertisement 7
Article content
That’s just the nature of the biz when you’ve been as consistently successful and stable as this team has been the last few years.
Long gone are the days when it was Winnipeg poaching other teams in free agency, bringing in high-priced franchise pillars like Andrew Harris, Stanley Bryant, Willie Jefferson and Adam Bighill.
Now it’s the Bombers being poached, their hands tied by financial strings, left to hope the family vibe and culture they’ve created is enough to keep as many players as possible — even if they have to take less dough to stay.
When Walters holds his annual mid-February media session on Wednesday, the free agents he’s signed aren’t like to be the story.
More likely, it’ll be the ones he’s lost.
pfriesen@postmedia.com
X: @friesensunmedia
Article content
Continue Reading
LONDON – Canada will meet three-time champion Germany in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in Malaga, Spain this November.
Canada secured a berth in the quarterfinals — also called The Final 8 Knockout Stage — with a 2-1 win over Britain last weekend in Manchester, England.
World No. 21 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal anchored a five-player squad that included Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., Gabriel Diallo of Montreal, Alexis Galarneau of Laval, Que., and Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C.
The eight-team draw for the quarterfinals was completed Thursday at International Tennis Federation headquarters.
Defending champion Italy will play Argentina, the United States will meet Australia and Spain will take on the Netherlands. Schedule specifics have yet to be released but the Final 8 will be played Nov. 19-24.
Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz were unbeaten in doubles play last week to help Germany reach the quarterfinals. The country’s top singles player — second-ranked Alex Zverev — did not play.
The Canadians defeated Germany in the quarterfinals en route to their lone Davis Cup title in 2022. Germany won titles in 1988, ’89 and ’93.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Canada, fuelled by a 2-1 win over the U.S. and scoreless draw with Mexico, has jumped two places to No. 38 in the FIFA men’s world rankings released Thursday.
Of the top six CONCACAF teams, Canada was the only one to move up. Mexico was unchanged at No. 17 while the U.S. and Panama each fell two rungs to No. 18 and 37, respectively
Costa Rica slipped one spot to No. 50 and Jamaica two places to No. 61.
It marks Canada’s highest ranking under coach Jesse Marsch, who was hired in mid-May when the Canadians were ranked 50th. Since then, the team has climbed to No. 49, 48, 40 and now 38.
Canada has been as high as No. 33 in the men’s ranking, achieved in February 2022 under John Herdman with Canada, named the “Most Improved Side” in 2021 by FIFA, turning heads with an unbeaten run in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.
The new rankings encompass 184 internationals involving teams from all six confederations including 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia, Oceania and South America.
The top 10 was unchanged with Argentina ahead of France, Spain, England, Brazil, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Colombia and Italy. But the gap at the top is closing with Argentina losing 2-1 away to Colombia and 3-1 at home to Italy.
Teams 10 through 15 were also unchanged. But there was movement after that in the form of Japan (, up two), Iran (No. 19, up one) and Denmark (No. 20, up one). Egypt (No. 31), Ivory Coast (No. 33), Tunisia (No. 36) and Algeria (No. 41) all jumped five places while Greece (No. 48) climbed six spots.
The biggest movers were Brunei Darussalam (No. 183) and Samoa (No. 185), who vaulted seven spots on the back of two wins apiece.
Qatar suffered the biggest drop, tumbling 10 places to No. 44.
San Marino remains at the bottom of the rankings in 210th place despite recording its first victory in more than 20 years, San Marino defeated Liechtenstein 1-0 on Sept. 5, ending a 140-game winless run since a 1-0 decision over the same opponent in April 2004.
Liechtenstein fell four places to No. 203.
Canada’s next match is an Oct. 15 friendly against Panama at Toronto’s BMO Field. The next men’s ranking will be released Oct. 24.
—
Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform, formerly known as Twitter
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
It has been a difficult start to the NFL season for quarterback Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers.
Carolina has dropped its opening two games after Sunday’s 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. And Young, the first player taken in the ’23 NFL draft, was 18-of-26 passing for 84 yards with an interception while being sacked twice.
As a result, veteran Andy Dalton will start Sunday when Carolina faces the Las Vegas Raiders (1-1).
According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., the Chargers’ win was the most accurately predicted moneyline selection by Proline bettors. A whopping 92 per cent of wagers were on Los Angeles beating Carolina with 92 per cent also picking the Chargers to cover -4.5.
In other action that went in favour of Proline bettors: Kansas City edged Cincinnati 26-25 (86 per cent correctly selected the Chiefs to win); Houston got past Chicago 19-13 (81 per cent); the New York Jets defeated Tennessee 24-17 (78 per cent); Pittsburgh beat Denver 13-6 (76 per cent), Washington beat the New York Giants 21-18 (73 per cent); and Seattle toppled New England 23-20 (62 per cent).
However, only five per cent of bettors had the Raiders upsetting Baltimore 26-23.
And there was one winner of Proline’s second week main NFL pool of $407,613.
In NFL futures bets after the second week of the season, the odds for offensive player of the year got shorter for running backs Breece Hall (Jets) and Bijan Robinson (Atlanta) and Detroit receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. But they got longer for running backs Kyren Williams (Rams), Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco) and Jonathan Taylor (Colts).
Quarterbacks Bo Nix (Denver), Jayden Daniels (Washington) and Caleb Williams (Chicago) all had their odds for offensive rookie of the year go up while they went down for running back Ray Davis (Buffalo), tight end Brock Bowers (Raiders) and receiver Malik Nabers (Giants).
Quarterbacks Patrick Mahones (Chiefs), Aaron Rodgers (Jets) and Jalen Hurts (Eagles) all had their odds for regular season MVP go up. But quarterbacks Jordan Love (Packers), Lamar Jackson (Baltimore) and Joe Burrow (Cincinnati) all saw theirs go down.
Kansas City, Philadelphia and Houston had their Super Bowl odds increase while Green Bay, Baltimore and Cincinnati all decreased.
Not surprising, the week’s top events were all NFL games. In order, they were; Buffalo-Miami, Chicago-Houston, Cincinnati-KC, Raiders-Ravens; and Saints-Cowboys.
A Proline retail player cashed in a $26,183 winner from a $10 bet on a 12-leg major-league baseball parlay. Another won $24,602 from a $10 wager on a 12-leg NFL parlay.
A third received $1,737 from a $3 bet on a six-leg NFL parlay.
A digital bettor earned $2,927 from a $25 bet on a five-leg NFL parlay while a second had a $704.35 return from a $1 wager on a seven-leg NFL parlay.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
News9 mins ago
Arch Manning to get first start for No. 1 Texas as Ewers continues recovery from abdomen strain
News9 mins ago
Former Canada captain Atiba Hutchinson tells his story in ‘The Beautiful Dream”
News9 mins ago
Injury-plagued season continues for Jays’ Bichette, now out with fractured finger
Media1 year ago
12 Bizarre Things People Did Just To Make Social Media Content
Sports5 years ago
AP source: Bears acquiring quarterback Nick Foles from Jaguars – Sportsnet.ca
Investment5 years ago
dynaCERT Inc. Invites You to Join Us at the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference | INN – Investing News Network
-
Media4 hours ago
Sutherland House Experts Book Publishing Launches To Empower Quiet Experts
-
News16 hours agoAlberta Premier Smith aims to help fund private school construction
-
News5 hours agoQuebec won’t fund graphite mine project tied to Pentagon; locals claim ‘victory’
-
Economy16 hours agoN.B. election: Parties’ answers on treaty rights, taxes, Indigenous participation
-
News16 hours agoNova Scotia NDP accuse government of prioritizing landlord profits over renters
-
News16 hours agoHealth Minister Mark Holland appeals to Senate not to amend pharmacare bill
-
News16 hours agoNurse-patient ratios at B.C. hospitals set to expand in fall, says health minister
-
News16 hours agoFlames re-sign defenceman Ilya Solovyov, centre Cole Schwindt
Comments