Penton: Bo Levi hoping to resurrect career in Hamilton
By Bruce Penton
Bo Levi Mitchell is hoping a change of scenery will lead to a return to Canadian Football League stardom.
The starting quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after 10 seasons with the Calgary Stampeders, Mitchell is draped in the black and yellow colours of the Ti-Cats this year after an off-season trade. Hamilton acquired his ‘rights’ in exchange for a couple of draft picks, but Mitchell made it known he planned to test free agency. The Ti-Cats, though, opened the bank vault and seduced Mitchell with an offer of $500,000 per year for three years.
Mitchell had an outstanding career in Calgary, guiding the team to Grey Cup victories in 2014 and 2018. He was twice honoured as the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player. But things went sour in 2022. A series of injuries and sloppy play (13 interceptions compared to 10 TD passes) eventually led to Mitchell’s benching, with Jake Maier taking over as the Stamps’ starting quarterback and deeming Mitchell expendable.
The Ti-Cats, who opened their season in Winnipeg with a 42-31 loss to three-time Western Conference champion Blue Bombers, need to have the 2016 version of Mitchell at the helm, because his Steeltown backup is Matthew Shiltz, whose CFL experience consists of only 35 passes — 24 of them complete. The Ti-Cats’ season could be a disaster if Mitchell happened to get injured again, or resumed his habit of throwing the ball to opposing players.
While Mitchell’s situation in Hamilton is one of the more interesting quarterback stories in the CFL this year, there are many other QB storylines. Only two teams this year — Winnipeg and Edmonton — are starting the season with their full-time 2022 quarterbacks — Zach Collaros with the Bombers and Taylor Cornelius with the Elks. Otherwise, there has been substantial QB movement around the league: Trevor Harris starts in Saskatchewan after former stops in Ottawa and Montreal; Cody Fajardo will guide the Alouettes in Montreal after a pretty good run in Regina; Vernon Adams takes over as starter in B.C. after the departure of Nathan Rourke to the NFL; Chad Kelly is the man on the spot in Toronto, where he started only one game last year for the Argos but sparked the team to the Grey Cup title in November; and Jeremiah Masoli gets the starting call in Ottawa, where he started only four games for the Redblacks last year before suffering a season-ending injury following a dangerous hit by Saskatchewan’s Garrett Marino.
Mitchell, who turned 33 in March, has put together a 90-25-2 regular-season record over his career, and win No. 100 shouldn’t be out of reach in 2023. Offensive co-ordinator Tommy Condell told sportsnet.ca “I think what’s great about seeing him out here is his level of control of everything and just the aura he brings.” At 33, Mitchell is far from old as a quarterback.Tiger-Cat fans will be overjoyed if the new surroundings bring out the best in the CFL vet.
Comedy guy Steve Burgess of Vancouver: “Just watch, this Stanley Cup Final is going to be great for hockey. Fort Lauderdale and Vegas kids are going to be out on backyard rinks this winter with brand-new flippers.”
Vancouver comedian Torben Rolfsen: “Remember when ‘Fear the Beard’ meant James Harden, instead of an Alek Manoah start?”
Another one from Burgess: “Relax people. Sportswriters covering the pro golf tour can now be killed and dismembered ONLY if written permission has been received from tournament organizers.”
Golf journalist Geoff Shackelford on the PGA Tour-LIV merger: “And now the world has PGA Tour Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan. Or, as DP World Tour chief Keith Pelley called him in a Golf Channel interview, His Excellency. Barf.”
Golf journalist Shane Bacon, lamenting the recent focus on off-course instead of on-course news: “The focus has been on wallets instead of wedges.”
Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg: “Don’t get so upset yet golf fans, the PGA merger with Saudi-backed LIV isn’t final yet. Rumour has it ISIS might start a tour and make better offers.”
Comedian Gary Bachman: “The Miami Heat are not as tall and physical as the Denver Nuggets. They need to make a trip to Rent-a-Centre.”
Bachman again, with a non-sports note: “The smoke from Canada has actually improved New Jersey’s air quality.”
Columnist Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post: “Why would the PGA Tour join forces with a vermin-populated fourth-rate start-up such as LIV Golf, a comedic failure that can’t command any ratings, headed by that king of the white mice, Greg Norman?”
RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com: “Sportsnet president Scott Moore once said he roots with his heart for the Habs and with his wallet for all Canadian NHL clubs. So he no longer has a team to cheer in the playoffs — not for love nor money.”
fark.com headline: “Everyone has a price; the Saudis found the PGA Tour’s.”
Phil Mushnick of the New York Post: “Well, shut my laptop! Just when I’m ready to ridicule MLB Network for scrolling another absurd stat — ‘Mariners are 0-8 when allowing 10+ runs’ — the Braves beat the Mets, 13-10.”
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca