CFL East: Hamilton finally delivers

Football Betting Lines

07/21/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats looked the best of any team in week three, something that will have head coach Marcel Bellefeuille smiling - at least until their next game. One game won't solve everything, but at least Hamilton, and in particular quarterback Kevin Glenn, knows the spark from the latter part of last season isn't entirely snuffed out. Meanwhile, the Toronto Argonauts continue to surprise with a second straight victory, and Montreal sits atop the eastern standings with a 2-1 record of their own.

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

It took a little longer than expected but chants of "oskee wee wee" were finally heard last week in Hamilton. The Tiger-Cats pulled off their first win of the season, displaying a great all-around brand of football against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a 28-7 win.

It was a much-improved performance from week one, when the Bombers ran away offensively against Hamilton scoring 49 points. The Ti-Cats had a renewed focus on defense in week three's rematch, as they didn't allow a first down until midway through the second quarter.

The offensive line stepped up big time, giving up just one sack compared with a monstrous seven in week one.

The key for Hamilton, however, was Glenn. If he continues to limit his interceptions - he had none against Winnipeg in week three - and spreads the ball around amongst his receivers, Hamilton will make its way back to being the top team in the east as projected before the season began.

Offensive key for next game: Getting revenge against Winnipeg was good, but now comes a much more important test - a road game against the Montreal Alouettes. Glenn will need to play his absolute best against a defense that limited the Lions to just 12 points in Week 3. Canadian David Stala has emerged as the best option amongst receivers and he'll need another huge game if the Ti-Cats want to get back to .500.

Defensive key for next game: Anthony Calvillo is as good as any quarterback to have played in the CFL, and though the Als have not dominated the way many were expecting, Hamilton can't afford to sleep on the skill set of Montreal's veteran QB. Hindering Calvillo's play is the production of his o-line. The Als have given up a league-leading nine sacks, something the Ti-Cats should be able to exploit on defense.

Look ahead: As if Montreal wasn't a tough enough task, Hamilton has to play the league's best team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the following week. It's entirely possible to lose both games - in fact, it's more than likely given how they are both road games - but Hamilton should not get discouraged if that were to happen. They have the weapons necessary to compete, it's just a matter of getting Glenn and company to perform consistently.

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

In each of the past two seasons, the Argonauts probably would have lost the two games they managed to win in this young season. Both were come-from-behind, two-point victories in the fourth quarter, the latter via a one-yard TD run in the last two minutes of play.

Whether it's character, heart, or perhaps just a little luck, there's no denying that this year's team will not give up on any game.

Cleo Lemon has been getting better for the blue and white with each passing game. The 30-year-old is adapting to the CFL rather quickly, using the whole field and taking advantage of the bigger end zone, nowhere more evident than a towering toss to Chad Owens for a two-point convert late in week three's game against Calgary.

Perhaps an even bigger boost for the Argos has been the play of Cory Boyd. The rookie looked completely out of sorts in his first game, but has carried for over 100 yards in each of the last two games.

Offensive key to the game: The Toronto Argonauts play at home again, this time against the punchless BC Lions. As much as the Lions have been struggling offensively, they have been tough without the ball and the Argos will have to show their resiliency once again to get through it. Cory Boyd will need to be huge again for the Argonauts to have a chance.

Defensive key to next game: Running back Jamal Robertson makes his first visit to Toronto since signing with BC and will be motivated to not only perform against his former team but also erase his dismal 4-yard effort in week three. Stopping him will be key for the Argos to have a shot at winning three in a row for the first time since a run of seven back in 2007.

Look ahead: The schedule sure gets tough for the Argos after the Lions. Dates with the CFL's two best teams, Montreal and Saskatchewan, may derail what has been a good start for Toronto.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

The gamble worked for a little while, but Winnipeg's luck ran out last week.

After two weeks of strong play from newly acquired Buck Pierce, the quarterback found himself in familiar territory: on the sidelines, injured.

Reports indicate that the Blue Bomber will be out for two-four weeks, a big blow for a team looking to stay in the hunt in the east.

Steven Jyles will step in for the injured Pierce. He's been in the league for five years, but this will be just his second career start. Behind Jyles will be recently signed Joey Elliot, a former Purdue University player.

With such inexperience at the helm for the Bombers, it will be tough to bounce back from a devastating 28-7 loss to Hamilton last week.

Offensive key to next game: Fortunately for the Bombers, they start off the Pierce-less stretch against the league's worst team, the Edmonton Eskimos. Winnipeg's success will depend on how well Jyles can put it together, but running back Fred Reid must play out of his mind to take the pressure off his inexperienced quarterback.

Defensive key to next game: The Eskimos have been having trouble scoring touchdowns, thanks in part to dropped passes by the receiving corps. Winnipeg's defensive backs need to control the backfield and force Edmonton QB Ricky Ray to make a mistake.

Look Ahead: After hosting the Eskimos, Winnipeg travels to take on the other Albertan team. Calgary has been one of the year's best teams, though the sloppy play of Henry Burris is a concern for the Stampeders. If Winnipeg can win at least one of the battles against Alberta, it would be a huge boost of confidence for a team without their star quarterback.

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

After giving up 54 points in the season opener, the Alouettes dropped it down to 23 in their second game, and 12 against BC last week.

The defense is coming around, which is bad news for the rest of the league.

Montreal grinded out a win in BC for the first time in 10 years, a positive step for a team that has yet to have a complete game this season.

But perhaps that's asking too much from even the defending champs. Going 2-1 on a three-game western road trip is usually a good showing no matter what team you are.

Offensive key to next game: The Ti-Cats were impressive defensively against the Blue Bombers last week. If that same defense shows up, Montreal will have problems sustaining long drives, meaning kicker Damon Duval may be leaned on for several field goals. What will help Montreal is if quarterback Anthony Calvillo and long-time teammate Ben Cahoon can find the chemistry Als fans know all too well. The slotback made just three catches in last week's game, and given Cahoon's career as a receiver who can get the clutch first down, now is the time to step up.

Defensive key to the game: Kevin Glenn has been lights-out for Hamilton and will be tough to contain for an Alouettes team who've shown some signs of weakness on pass defense. Stop the passing game, in particular receiver David Stala, and the Ti-Cats are in trouble.

Look ahead: Just as they opened the season on a three-game road trip, the Als return to Montreal for a trio of home games. After hosting Hamilton, the surprising Argos come to town. Both are crucial games for the Als to win and maintain their place as the east's best team.

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Police report: Terrell Owens hospitalized after attempt

Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.

The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.

Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.

NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.

"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.

The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.

But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.

The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.

Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.

The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.

The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.

The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.

Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.

Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."

Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.

"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."

Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.

It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.

"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."

Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.

"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."

At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.

According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.

Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.

Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.

When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.

He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.

Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.

Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.

Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.

While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.

"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.

Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.

Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com

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