The Cats new head coach, steeped in CFL experience with more than a few years of NFL work under his belt has been a fixture in professional football for a number of years, considered one of the great coaching catches in recent CFL history, he arrived in Hamilton to a team that had gone on a signing spree that had brought some high profile CFL and NFL talent onto the Tabbies roster.
From the arrival of Henry Burris and Andy Fantuz from the west and the repatriation of Sam Giguere from the NFL, the offence that the Cats were expected to bring to the CFL East this year was the king of thinking that re-writes record books.
However, as is the case in these things, just because the names on the paper are impressive doesn't mean that the product on the field will shine and such has been the situation thus far in a frustrating 2012 campaign.
The Ti Cats on offence have been a perpetual work in motion, Henry Burris struggling at the helm, his high profile receiving corps the envy of the league at the start of the season having their troubles adjusting it would seem.
The defence, always a fierce thing to face when you travel to Ivor Wynne has had their troubles as well, surrendering points, collapsing in fourth quarters, not the menacing force of CFL legend.
It has been a horrid season so far in the farewell tour of Ivor Wynne, made worse by the fact that the hated Argonauts not only captured both ends of the Labour Day Classics, but now are competing and competing hard for first in the East, the chance to be the home side in this years Toronto hosted Grey Cup a very real possibility.
Dire times indeed for any Hamiltonian, though, perhaps a corner has been turned, last weeks total annihilation of the Edmonton Eskimos just the tonic for what ailed the Cats thus far in 2012.
If ever a game came along that showcased everything that the CFL thought would be the Ti Cats this year it was last weeks 51-8 smoking of the Esks, everything was clicking on the weekend.
Burris was hot, as hot as he's been all year, his receiving corps sure handed and spectacular, a running game that punished the Eskimo defence with every carry, special teams which have been the one real bright spot in Hamilton this year once again had a strong game.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Cats were in full smash mouth mode, the Esks could not gain any traction, each set of downs ending in frustration and surrender, it was as though everyone found the magic potion at the same time.
The Cats who still have an uphill battle ahead of them, they've fallen behind the front runners in the East by four and six points, the prospect of a Western Crossover team is also there, though Hamilton did themselves a major favour by knocking Edmonton off on the weekend.
Some more ground could be made up with the trip this weekend to Winnipeg, the Bombers as woeful as they've been in decades seem very confused and have lost all of that much talked about swagger of last year, they are once again ripe for a shellacking, the Cats having found their game last weekend can get back into the CFL East race with a convincing win on Friday night.
It will tell much about whether their win over Edmonton was the beginning of the climb back into respectability, or just a mirage that quickly passed by.
Hamilton Spectator-- Ticats dig deep to stay alive
Hamilton Spectator- Reports of the Ticats' demise greatly exaggerated
Hamilton Spectator-- Ticats special teams play has certainly been, well, special this season
Toronto Sun-- No rest for Tiger-Cats in their quest for CFL playoffs
National Post-- Ticats show brute strength in rout of Eskimos
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