While eight teams played pre-season football over the weekend, let’s be honest: there was really only one focus for most of the football world.

This weekend was all about Johnny Manziel and his first action as a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Both on and off the field, Manziel’s first CFL action certainly gave us lots to talk about.

My biggest observation had less to do with what happened on the field and more to do with how much of a spectacle his Ticats debut was. I wasn’t sure how big a deal it was going to be, but as we got closer to Johnny Football taking the field for the first time, it became pretty clear. This was a really big deal!

While both sports networks in this country treated Manziel’s debut as a lead story, I was most interested in how it would be covered south of the border. Well, suffice to say, it was a big deal there, too. North American football fans are genuinely fascinated by how this is going to play out.

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» Big first half propels Argos past Ticats

Manziel is one of the biggest names the sport has seen in recent years. He remains a bona fide superstar in his home state of Texas, and continues to be a household name across the football world. When you add in the redemption angle as Manziel tries to make good on this opportunity, you can see why so many sports fans are gravitating towards this.

Manziel’s performance on the field was solid too, especially knowing the circumstances. He had less than two weeks to prepare for his first game action, which is hardly enough time to get comfortable with the playbook. As such, the Tiger-Cats kept things pretty conservative with their play calls and Manziel executed relatively well.

What I liked more than anything else was seeing Manziel’s physical gifts on display a few times. Seeing him roll out of the pocket, buy time for his receivers, and throw effectively across his body was impressive to see, regardless of the Toronto opposition he was facing. Manziel proved to me he still possesses the raw talent that helped him win a Heisman Trophy and go in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Hamilton’s second and final pre-season game is Saturday in Montreal and all eyes will be on Manziel once again. He’ll have another week with the playbook and has the chance to face some better defensive personnel on the road. It won’t be the be all and end all, but it should give us a little more of an idea on how quickly Manziel is coming along.

If he didn’t have bad luck…

I feel like the old saying “if he didn’t have bad luck he’d have no luck at all” can be used very accurately when talking about Drew Tate. The former Stampeders and REDBLACKS quarterback announced his retirement late last week after a career with some really impressive bright spots mixed with some really frustrating hurdles.

We all know Tate’s career was hampered dramatically with injuries during his nine CFL seasons, which is too bad. When Tate was healthy he showed multiple signs of being able to excel as a starting pivot in this league: he was accurate, mobile, and smart. But, unfortunately, Tate simply had difficultly staying in the field.

I felt really bad for the guy because he just couldn’t seem to catch a break and the timing always seemed to conspire against him. His 2012 season is a perfect example. That year Tate was named Calgary’s starting quarterback right out of the gates only to go down with an injury in Week 2.

It was an injury that kept Tate out until late in the season until he was finally ready to come back late in the season. Part of his return came in the West ern Semi-Final against Saskatchewan, where he hit Romby Bryant for a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds to cap off a superb performance.

But, in another really cruel twist, Tate injured himself in that game, gutted through it, but was unable to go the rest of the post-season. Kevin Glenn took over as the Stamps eventually fell to the Argos in the 100th Grey Cup, but that 2012 season really was a microcosm of Tate’s unlucky career.

And yet, he still spent nine years in the league and had some really nice successes. Tate led the CFL in rushing touchdowns during the 2014 season and was part of Calgary’s Grey Cup winning team that year. He never complained about playing time or getting surpassed on depth charts while injured. Instead, he always the consummate good soldier; it’s too bad the football gods never paid him back.

The Money List

The 2018 Money list is coming together as we continue to put together a team of the best players at each position right now…at least in my opinion. Today we’re focusing in on special teams.

Quarterback: Bo Levi Mitchell, Calgary Stampeders

Running Back: Andrew Harris, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Receiver: Greg Ellingson, Ottawa REDBLACKS

Defensive End: Willie Jefferson, Saskatchewn Roughriders

Defensive Tackle: Micah Johnson, Calgary Stampeders

Linebacker: Alex Singleton, Calgary Stampeders

Kicker: Justin Medlock, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

You might be surprised by this nomination knowing how 2017 went for Medlock, and I get it. But I still think Winnipeg’s kicker is the gold standard and, even scarier, it sure seems like he’s out to prove something this season.

Last year saw Medlock complete just 80 per cent of his field goals, which is well below what we’re used to from the 2016 Most Outstanding Special Teams Player. But Medlock’s 2017 season sure does seem like an aberration from this vantage point; his four seasons prior to last year saw him complete at least 88 per cent of his field goals.

Medlock heavily contemplated retirement after the Bombers went out early in the 2017 post-season, but is coming back for another year. I think we’re talking about a guy who wants to prove he’s still the best, and that’s a tantalizing thought for fans in Winnipeg.

There are some really good kickers in this league, and a few who had better seasons than Medlock did last year. But, his track record, resume, and likely motivation coming into 2018 gives me more than enough confidence to put Medlock in the money category.

Punter: Rob Maver, Calgary Stampeders

For me, Maver is the field position king in this league and has been for quite some time. Now entering his ninth CFL season, there isn’t a punter I would trust more to pin the opposition deep at a key point in a game. There’s a reason why he’s had so much longevity with one team, which isn’t always the norm for his position.

Maver’s raw yardage may not always lead the league, but Calgary doesn’t ask him to go out and kick it as far as he can. His job is to routinely put the opposition in long field situations by dropping the ball inside the 10-yard line. It’s just another weapon the Stamps have been able to employ in their defensive dominance in recent years.

A good indicator of Maver’s success is looking at his safety totals, which were low once again last season. Save a rough 2015 campaign, Maver routinely finishes with five or less safeties despite being one of the busiest punters in the league.

If there’s one word to use when talking about Maver it’s consistency. His reliability gives me confidence he’ll be right in the same wheelhouse against this season, and it’s the biggest reason for his longevity with the Stampeders. That sounds pretty money to me.