Off Topic » optimism because they get their quarterback

The Toronto Argonauts have a lot to look forward to in 2014. Long gone are the glory moments of the 100th Grey Cup, back to reality, which is an almost total rebuilding effort on defence in effort to get back to the 102nd Grey Cup come November 30th. First and foremost, this year has such special optimism because they get their quarterback back. With Anthony Calvillo out of the picture, Ricky Ray is the best in the league. He did have issues staying healthy last year but in the time he played he was remarkable. Completing 77 per cent of your passes and finishing with a 21:2 touchdown to interception ratio is an accomplishment that other quarterbacks envy and respect. His quarterback rating was 126.4. If Ray can stay healthy for the year, the Argonauts will always be in position to win it all. Health really is the only issue as age, now creeping into the mid 30s, is still not a significant detriment. Other positions? Absolutely. If you are a running back or defensive back, when you lose that athletic burst or reactive ability, you lose a lot. But quarterbacks, more than any other position, are cerebral more than physical and as long as the first dominates the second, you can continue to play at a very high level. The next aspect of success could be a re-designed defence. Losing Chris Jones, now the head coach with the Edmonton Eskimos, was intense as Jones transferred his intensity successfully to the players he directed. But when a coaching void is opened it is usually filled quickly, and the combination of Tim Burke and Casey Creehan will develop their own style based on experience, not experiment. Toronto will be a much more "upfield" team, depending on a front four to pressure and a back eight to react. As a coordinator, Burke has always been successful, and as a linebacker coach so has Creehan. Then after Mike OShea left to become the head coach in Winnipeg, the void was filled by Jim Daley, who knows this league better than any. Losing two assistants to head coaching jobs says a lot about how good the defensive staff was, but it could be even better potentially with the positions filled in the present. Running back will be a battle. With Chad Kackert retired, it appears to be a three-man competition between Steve Slaton, Curtis Steel, and Anthony Coombs. Can Coombs be an 18 game starter? Very unlikely, but possible. Nothing would be better than to see the University of Manitoba star be the next Jon Cornish. If he does, then everything falls into place on offence and with ratio flexibility. Overall, from last year there are major priorities for improvement. Toronto ended the season with the best red zone offence and the best red zone defence. 69 per cent of the time the Argos produced touchdowns over field goals on offence. And only 46 per cent of the time Toronto allowed touchdowns, forcing opponents into field goals. Inside the 20, the Argos were the best in CFL football. Outside the 20s: a priority to improve. On average, teams produced 389 yards of offence, 289 of which was through the air. Those totals were both eighth in the league. Toronto finished dead last in rushing yards as well, with only 85 produced per game. And that eighth-place reality is for the second year in a row. But you can rationalize that with a +18 takeaway/giveaway number and arguing what happens between the 20s is not as significant as what happens from the 20 in. But all that yardage against takes time away from Ray and the offence; that has to be improved. So looking into the future one year at a time, Toronto will have a good team. Looking into the future more than one year, Toronto needs a new home for the team. BMO Field is an excellent choice but the financing is still floating in space. Because the stadium was built with tax payer money, there is no reason not to include all. If it was privately funded, than those who paid for it can use it as they see fit. But it was paid by the public so should be open to public use, and that includes the Toronto Argonauts. To me, expansion will create more revenue for all and the location and design can be adapted for all. Where there is a will, there is a way. Both Hamilton and Montreal will be better and are better right now than at this time last year. Ottawa is a complete unknown but is not to be looked at as a guarantee win day. Toronto is somewhere in the middle, catching up perhaps to Hamilton and Montreal but way ahead of Ottawa. But with Ray at quarterback the catch up is more of a threat than a desire. Two years removed from the Grey Cup means a new team in Toronto. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Arsenal Jersey . He looked very comfortable Wednesday night. Konerko had a big three-run double and Gordon Beckham homered for the second straight game, leading the Chicago White Sox to an 8-3 victory over the sliding Chicago Cubs. Bernd Leno Jersey . The 23-year-old Poland international is back as first choice at Arsenal after losing his regular spot in the team on occasions over the last three seasons. http://www.arsenalsoccerproshop.com/Authentic-Rob-Holding-Arsenal-Jersey/ .com) - Matt Duchene picked up the deciding goal early in the third period and added an assist, as Colorado escaped with a 4-3 victory over Dallas at Pepsi Center. Petr Cech Arsenal Jersey . Charlottetown scored four times in the third period en route to a 5-2 win over the defending champion Halifax Mooseheads on Friday. Nacho Monreal Jersey .9 million deal Thursday. The 25-year McGinn had 19 goals and 19 assists in 79 games last season in helping the Avalanche tie a franchise record with 52 wins.SAN DIEGO - The Pirates West Coast road trip has been filled with sunshine and smiles. Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez hit two-run homers to back Gerrit Coles solid outing and Pittsburgh beat the San Diego Padres 4-1 on Tuesday night. The Piartes have won the first two games of this three-game series after three of four in Los Angeles. The trip in New York, where the Pirates lost two of three to the Mets. "We didnt play our best ball in New York and we had to move on from there," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "We got some traction, got some starts we needed and the bullpen is working very efficiently and the offence continues to show up." Cole (6-3) limited the Padres to one run and four hits while striking out six in 5 2-3 innings as the Pirates went to 6-1 in his last seven starts. Pittsburgh won its third straight game and 10th in its last 14. Jason Grilli pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his ninth save. Jesse Hahn (0-1) lasted 2 2-3 innings in his major league debut for San Diego. He allowed four runs on six hits, including the homers by Alvarez and Walker, striking out five with two walks. "It was just good to be out there," Hahn said. "Its what I worked for and its good to get the first one out of the way." The Padres lost for the third consecutive time and sunk a season-high seven games under .500. Cole breezed through the first five innings with only two Padres reaching scoring position. But with two outs in the sixth inning, consecutive singles by Chase Headley, Seth Smith and Yonder Alonso ended Coles night, with Alonso driving in Headley to pull the Padres to within 4-1. Jared Hughes relieved Cole and got Jedd Gyorko on a grounder to second to end the rally. "I had good stuff tonight and stuck around long enough to win but I wasnt very effective at all with a four-run lead," Cole said. "That was pretty frustrating and I uncharacteristically ran out of stuff at the end." He retired 10 straight at one point and only two Padres get into scoring pposition over the first five innings.dddddddddddd. Alvarez doubled the Pirates lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning, hitting a fastball over the right-field fence for a two-run homer. Alvarezs 11th home run on the year scored Russell Martin, after he opened the inning with a walk. Hahn gave up two more hits, to Jordy Mercer -- his sixth in seven at-bats -- and Josh Harrison, before being lifted for Jason Lane. Walker became the eighth different Pirates player to hit their last eight home runs when he connected in the third inning for his 11th of the season. Walkers two-run, opposite-field blast to left came off Hahns curveball. "It was easier the second time around to see what he wanted to do," Walker said Once Hahn exited, Lane worked 3 1-3 perfect innings in his first major league appearance since Oct. 1, 2007, and first as a pitcher. Lane switched to pitching after 497 games as an outfielder. "Jason did a great job," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Just what we needed." With Hahn and Lane making their major league debuts as pitchers, it was first time since Sept. 4, 1971 that two Padres did that on the same day. NOTES: Padres RHP Andrew Cashner could start as soon as Saturday against the Nationals. Cashner will test his mending elbow in a Wednesday side session before getting the OK for Saturday. . LHP Eric Stults was placed on bereavement leave after the death of his grandmother. He isnt expected to miss a start. . OF Carlos Quentin was out of the lineup but is expected to start on Wednesday; he struck out as a pinch hitter in the eighth. . Pirates OF Starling Marte, hitless in his previous 17 at-bats, didnt start. "Its been hard sledding for him," Manager Clint Hurdle said. Marte struck out as a pinch hitter in the seventh. ... RHP Stolmy Pimentel (sore right shoulder) will pitch three innings for Class A Bradenton on Friday. ... Padres RHP Ian Kennedy (4-6, 3.42) faces Pirates LHP Francisco Liriano (1-5, 4.62) in Wednesdays finale of the three-game series. ' ' '