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The Canadiens simply did not win a championship in every decade of the 20th century, Rochester is the only other franchise with this claim to fame
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The '''Hamilton Tiger-Cats''' are a [[Canadian Football League]] team based in [[Hamilton, Ontario]], founded in 1950 with the merger of the '''Hamilton Tigers''' and the '''Hamilton Flying Wildcats'''.<ref name="merger">The Tiger-Cats were founded in 1950 as a merger of the Hamilton Tigers (founded 1869 as the Hamilton Foot Ball Club,[http://www.footballcanada.com/history_timeline.asp] later merged with the [[Hamilton Alerts]]) and the Hamilton Flying Wildcats.</ref> The Tiger-Cats play their home games at [[Ivor Wynne Stadium]]. Since the 1950 merger, the team has won the [[Grey Cup]] championship eight times, most recently in [[1999 Grey Cup|1999]].<ref name="cupswon">There is some contention regarding the number of times that this franchise has won the [[Grey Cup]]. Many people include all the teams that merged to form the team: Hamilton Tigers (5 championships), Hamilton Flying Wildcats (1 championship) and the Hamilton Alerts (1 championship) in addition to the 8 as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, while others do not agree and only count the wins since the 1950 merger.</ref>
The '''Hamilton Tiger-Cats''' are a [[Canadian Football League]] team based in [[Hamilton, Ontario]], founded in 1950 with the merger of the '''Hamilton Tigers''' and the '''Hamilton Flying Wildcats'''.<ref name="merger">The Tiger-Cats were founded in 1950 as a merger of the Hamilton Tigers (founded 1869 as the Hamilton Foot Ball Club,[http://www.footballcanada.com/history_timeline.asp] later merged with the [[Hamilton Alerts]]) and the Hamilton Flying Wildcats.</ref> The Tiger-Cats play their home games at [[Ivor Wynne Stadium]]. Since the 1950 merger, the team has won the [[Grey Cup]] championship eight times, most recently in [[1999 Grey Cup|1999]].<ref name="cupswon">There is some contention regarding the number of times that this franchise has won the [[Grey Cup]]. Many people include all the teams that merged to form the team: Hamilton Tigers (5 championships), Hamilton Flying Wildcats (1 championship) and the Hamilton Alerts (1 championship) in addition to the 8 as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, while others do not agree and only count the wins since the 1950 merger.</ref>


Including their historical lineage, Hamilton football clubs won league championships in every decade of the 20th century, a feat matched by only one other North American franchise in professional sports, the [[Montreal Canadiens]] of the NHL.
Including their historical lineage, Hamilton football clubs won league championships in every decade of the 20th century, a feat matched by only one other North American franchise in professional sports, the Triple-A [[Rochester Red Wings]] of the [[International League]].


== Team facts ==
== Team facts ==

Revision as of 20:59, 8 June 2009

Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Founded1950[1]
Based inHamilton, Ontario, Canada
Home fieldIvor Wynne Stadium
Head coachMarcel Bellefeuille
General managerBob O'Billovich
Owner(s)Bob Young
DivisionEast Division
ColoursBlack, gold and white
     
Nickname(s)Ti-Cats, Tigers, Tabbies
Mascot(s)TC & Stripes
Websitewww.ticats.ca

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Flying Wildcats.[1] The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Since the 1950 merger, the team has won the Grey Cup championship eight times, most recently in 1999.[2]

Including their historical lineage, Hamilton football clubs won league championships in every decade of the 20th century, a feat matched by only one other North American franchise in professional sports, the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings of the International League.

Team facts

File:CFLE-Uniform-HAM.PNG
Hamilton Tiger-Cats uniform: 2005–present
Founded: 1950, a merger of the Hamilton Tigers (merged with the Hamilton Alerts) and the Hamilton Flying Wildcats.[1]
Formerly known as: The Hamilton Tigers and Hamilton Flying Wildcats.
Helmet design: Black background with a leaping tiger
Uniform colours: Black, Gold and White.
Home stadium: Ivor Wynne Stadium (1950–present), Hamilton Amateur Athletic Association Grounds (1872–1949)
Current Owner: Bob Young
Eastern regular season championships: 21—1950, 1952, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1980, 1981, 1984,1985, 1986, 1989, 1998, 1999
Grey Cup final appearances:: 29—1910—Tigers (lost), 1912—Alerts (won), 1912—Tigers (won), 1915—Tigers (won), 1927—Tigers (lost), 1928—Tigers (won), 1929—Tigers (won), 1932—Tigers (won), 1935—Tigers (lost), 1943—Wildcats (won), 1944—Wildcats (lost), 1953 (won), 1957 (won), 1958 (lost), 1959 (lost), 1961 (lost), 1962 (lost), 1963 (won), 1964 (lost), 1965 (won), 1967 (won), 1972 (won), 1980 (lost), 1984 (lost), 1985 (lost), 1986 (won), 1989 (lost), 1998 (lost), 1999 (won)[2]
Grey Cup wins:: 15 (Alerts—1, Tigers—5, Wildcats—1, Tiger-Cats—8)
Main Rivals: Toronto Argonauts (see Labour Day Classic).
2008 Regular Season Record: 3 wins, 15 losses, 0 ties.

The Tiger-Cats logo for many decades was an exact mirror-image of the Princeton University Tigers athletic logo. The artwork for the original "leaping tiger" is claimed by Hamilton. Both logos have since been revised or replaced.

Franchise history

Early years

The history of Hamilton Tiger-Cats can be traced back to November 3, 1869 in a room above George Lee’s Fruit Store, when the Hamilton Football Club was formed.[3] Known as the Tigers, they joined the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union in 1907. They also faced local competition with the Alerts, in which they won the first Grey Cup for Hamilton in 1912, beating the Toronto Argonauts 11–4. This was followed by the Tigers the following season (1913) when they beat the Parkdale Canoe Club by the lopsided margin of 44–2. Later, in 1914, both teams would merge under the moniker of Tigers. After World War II, the Tigers and the newly formed Flying Wildcats competed for fans, talent and bragging rights so great that neither team could operate on a sound financial level.[4]

Under the guidance of prominent local leaders such as Ralph "Super-Duper" Cooper and F.M. Gibson, it was decided that the two teams should merge as one that would represent Hamilton. The Tiger-Cats were born in 1950 with Cooper as team president and Carl Voyles serve as head coach and general manager.

A Steel Town dynasty (1950–1972)

The Ti-Cats had great success throughout the 1950s and 1960s, they finished first in the East thirteen times from 1950 to 1972. During that same timespan, they also appeared in eleven Grey Cup finals winning the championship six times. Players, such as Angelo Mosca, Bernie Faloney, Joe Zuger and Garney Henley became football icons in the Steel City. Their 1972 Grey Cup win, 13–10 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders, were led by two sensational rookies, Chuck Ealey who had an outstanding college career at the University of Toledo and Ian Sunter, an 18-year old kicker who booted the deciding field goal that gave Hamilton the cup.

During this era, the Tiger-Cats also became (and remain to this day) the only Canadian team to have ever defeated a current National Football League team; on August 8, 1961 they defeated the Buffalo Bills by a score of 38–21 (at the time, Buffalo was still a part of the American Football League).[5][6]

Later years

Tiger-Cats vs. Argonauts, October 27, 2005 at Rogers Centre

In 1978, Toronto Maple Leafs owner, Harold Ballard assumed ownership of the Tiger Cats. Ballard claimed to be losing a million dollars a year. [7] The Tiger-Cats contended on and off during the rest of the 1970s and 1980s, reaching the Grey Cup final in 1980 and winning the East Division by a mile in 1981 with an 11–4–1 record under head coach Frank Kush, but were stunned by the Ottawa Rough Riders, who finished a distant second at 5–11, in the East final. The Tabbies' defense was very stout, talented and hungry that decade, led by standouts Grover Covington, Ben Zambiasi, Howard Fields and Mitchell Price. They were complemented very well on offense with quarterbacks Tom Clements and Mike Kerrigan throwing to Rocky DiPietro and Tony Champion leading to three straight trips to the Grey Cup in 1984, 1985 and 1986, the latter resulting in winning the title over the Edmonton Eskimos by a score of 39–15. In 1986, Ballard publicly called the Tiger Cats a bunch of overpaid losers. [7] After the Tiger Cats beat the Toronto Argonauts in the 1986 Eastern Final, Ballard said “You guys may still be overpaid, but after today, no one can call you losers.” [7] A few days later, the Tiger Cats won the 1986 Grey Cup by beating the Edmonton Eskimos 39–15 and Ballard said it was worth every penny. Hamilton returned to the Grey Cup in 1989, but were on the losing end of a 43–40 thriller to Saskatchewan.

The 1990s were marked by financial instability, and constant struggles on the field. Quarterback was a weak spot for the Ti-Cats, as in the first half of the decade had names like Don McPherson, Damon Allen, Timm Rosenbach, Matt Dunigan, Lee Saltz and Todd Dillon taking their turns at the pivot. Despite the excellent play of Eastern All Star Earl Winfield rewriting the team's record books for pass catching, Hamilton struggled to attract crowds to Ivor Wynne Stadium. It was not until 1998 with the arrival of head coach Ron Lancaster and the pitch-and-catch duo of Danny McManus and Darren Flutie plus the pass rush abilities of Joe Montford that led Hamilton back to the CFL's elite, reaching the Grey Cup finals in 1998 and winning the cup the following year.

Native Hamiltonian Bob Young has owned the Tiger-Cats since 2004, and although the team has had a resurgence in home attendance, corporate sponsorship plus a brand new "Tiger Vision" scoreboard at Ivor Wynne, it has struggled with its on field performance. Last place finishes both in 2005 (5–13) and 2006 (4–14), have resulted in an overhaul of the coaching staff for 2007. The moves still have not helped, as the team continues to lag in last place in 2007 and 2008 despite numerous apparent upgrades.

Players and coaches of note

Canadian Football Hall of Famers

Canadian Sports Hall of Famers

Current squad

Hamilton Tiger-Cats roster
Quarterbacks

Receivers

Running backs

Fullbacks

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

1-game injured

6-game injured

Practice roster

Suspended

Italics indicate American player • Bold indicates Global player • 45 Roster, 11 Injured, 9 Practice, 1 Suspended
Roster updated 2024-10-24 • Depth chart • Transactions • More CFL rosters

Quarterbacks -- Josh Betts 

5 Kevin Glenn

-- Erik Meyer 12 Quinton Porter 

4 Adam Tafralis

17 Richie Williams Running Backs

35 Andre Callender 30 Terry Caulley 21 Kenton Keith 49 Robert Pavlovic FB 33 Andre Sadeghian 32 Tre Smith 23 John Williams Receivers

-- David Ball 87 Chris Bauman 83 Eddie Cohen -- Airese Currie 15 Chris Davis 84 Earnest Jackson 89 Scott Mitchell SB -- Johnnie Morant -- Willie Quinnie 81 Chad Rempel 85 Prechae Rodriguez 77 Jo Jo Walker SB -- LaShaun Ward 

 Offensive Linemen

68 J. P. Bekasiak T 63 Gerald Davis T 67 Peter Dyakowski G 53 Cedric Gagne-Marcoux OL 66 Alexandre Gauthier T 64 Dan Goodspeed RT 62 Marwan Hage C 52 George Hudson G -- Todd Londot OL -- Dan Oliphant OL Defensive Linemen

97 Darrell Adams DT -- Brandon Guillory DE -- Dennis Haley DL -- Alan Harper DT 75 Adam Kania DE 93 Matt Kirk DT 91 Dominic Lewis DT -- Shane McCarthy DE -- Garrett McIntyre DE -- Mike McFadden DL -- Alex Morrow DL 99 Jermaine Reid DT 

 Linebackers

-- Agustin Barrenechea MLB -- Otis Floyd LB 47 Sasha Glavic LB -- Tim Goodwell LB 25 Markeith Knowlton OLB 44 Ray Mariuz OLB 51 Jordan Matechuk OLB 40 Cameron Siskowic ILB Defensive Backs

20 Dylan Barker DB 19 Sandy Beveridge S 31 Jykine Bradley CB 29 Lawrence Gordon CB 39 Sean Manning DB 24 Jason Nedd DB 27 Lamont Reid DB 18 Rontarius Robinson S 37 Bo Smith CB 26 Chris Thompson DB 

3 Geoff Tisdale DB

22 Alan Zemaitis DB Special Teams

38 Matt Robichaud LS 13 Nick Setta K/P 

 Inactive List

Currently vacant

Italics indicate Import player Roster updated 2009-04-09 Depth Chart • Transactions 69 Active, 0 Inactive

→ More rosters

Head coaches

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c The Tiger-Cats were founded in 1950 as a merger of the Hamilton Tigers (founded 1869 as the Hamilton Foot Ball Club,[1] later merged with the Hamilton Alerts) and the Hamilton Flying Wildcats.
  2. ^ a b c There is some contention regarding the number of times that this franchise has won the Grey Cup. Many people include all the teams that merged to form the team: Hamilton Tigers (5 championships), Hamilton Flying Wildcats (1 championship) and the Hamilton Alerts (1 championship) in addition to the 8 as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, while others do not agree and only count the wins since the 1950 merger.
  3. ^ "Tiger-Cats History". Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  4. ^ "Canadian Football Timelines (1860–present)". Football Canada. Retrieved 2006-12-23.
  5. ^ "NFL International historical results". National Football League. 2002-05-08. Archived from the original on 2005-02-07. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  6. ^ "Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. Buffalo Bills, August 8, 1961". Mark Bolding. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  7. ^ a b c All Work and All Play: A Life in the Outrageous Sport, p.124, John Wiley and Sons Canada Ltd., Mississauga, ON, 2005, ISBN 0-470-83552-4
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