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JUDY OWEN
WINNIPEG
-
Jeremy
Ito
has
provided
another
subplot
in
Sunday's
critical
game
between
the
Hamilton
Tiger-Cats
and
Winnipeg
Blue
Bombers.
The Ticats import rookie will make his pro debut and handle all the kicking chores after two-time CFL all-star Nick Setta injured a quad muscle during Friday's practice.
After arriving in Winnipeg Saturday, the Ticats didn't make Ito available to the media.
Hamilton head coach Marcel Bellefeuille said it wasn't a case of keeping him out of the spotlight before the game (TSN, 1 p.m. ET), which will decide second place in the CFL East Division.
"It was nothing clandestine," Bellefeuille said. "It was just one of those situations where (we were) just getting him situated. We didn't have a flight booked, we didn't have a room booked (for him)."
Ito, who graduated from Rutgers University in 2007 after four seasons, was cut by the Ticats on Thursday when the league deadline for expanded practice rosters expired. He had signed Oct. 10.
He had a flight booked to go home to New Jersey on Saturday and was re-signed on Friday after Setta's injury. Bellefeuille didn't yet know the seriousness of the injury.
"It is what it is," Bellefeuille said of the impact of Setta's absence.
"These things happen at different position groups and we're fortunate that we had a kicker in for the last couple weeks on the expanded practice roster."
Setta had been perfect on his last 10 field-goal attempts and has a 42.9-yard punting average in his third CFL season.
Bellefeuille noted receiver Dave Stala can also punt and kick field goals and did some of that in the team's first game of the season when Setta got injured.
While Winnipeg's Canad Inns Stadium can be tough in windy conditions, the forecast may gave Ito a break. Sunday's forecast calls for a high of 11 C with a southwest wind of about 10 km/h.
The Ticats (8-9) have already secured a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Now the team is aiming for a home playoff date for the first time since 2001.
If Hamilton defeats Winnipeg (7-10), it will knock the Bombers out of the playoffs because the league's crossover format will kick in.
The B.C. Lions ...[next page]
The Ticats import rookie will make his pro debut and handle all the kicking chores after two-time CFL all-star Nick Setta injured a quad muscle during Friday's practice.
After arriving in Winnipeg Saturday, the Ticats didn't make Ito available to the media.
Hamilton head coach Marcel Bellefeuille said it wasn't a case of keeping him out of the spotlight before the game (TSN, 1 p.m. ET), which will decide second place in the CFL East Division.
"It was nothing clandestine," Bellefeuille said. "It was just one of those situations where (we were) just getting him situated. We didn't have a flight booked, we didn't have a room booked (for him)."
Ito, who graduated from Rutgers University in 2007 after four seasons, was cut by the Ticats on Thursday when the league deadline for expanded practice rosters expired. He had signed Oct. 10.
He had a flight booked to go home to New Jersey on Saturday and was re-signed on Friday after Setta's injury. Bellefeuille didn't yet know the seriousness of the injury.
"It is what it is," Bellefeuille said of the impact of Setta's absence.
"These things happen at different position groups and we're fortunate that we had a kicker in for the last couple weeks on the expanded practice roster."
Setta had been perfect on his last 10 field-goal attempts and has a 42.9-yard punting average in his third CFL season.
Bellefeuille noted receiver Dave Stala can also punt and kick field goals and did some of that in the team's first game of the season when Setta got injured.
While Winnipeg's Canad Inns Stadium can be tough in windy conditions, the forecast may gave Ito a break. Sunday's forecast calls for a high of 11 C with a southwest wind of about 10 km/h.
The Ticats (8-9) have already secured a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Now the team is aiming for a home playoff date for the first time since 2001.
If Hamilton defeats Winnipeg (7-10), it will knock the Bombers out of the playoffs because the league's crossover format will kick in.
The B.C. Lions ...[next page]
News from ©The Canadian Press, 2009
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