MISSISSAUGA, Ont. James Van Riemsdyk Jersey . -- He plays with passion and energy and always has something to say but Brandon Isaac will have a bit more juice than usual Friday night. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats colourful linebacker will face his former Toronto Argonauts teammates for the first time since being released by the CFL club in July. Isaac helped the Double Blue win a Grey Cup title last year and was a team captain to start the season before being let go four games into the season. The four-year CFL veteran will arrive at Rogers Centre with a definite chip on his shoulder in the opening game of a home-and-home series between the long-time rivals. The Argos face the Ticats in Guelph, Ont., on Oct. 14. "I can say you play a little harder, you can say that because youre going to have that grit to win and try to prove those guys wrong," Isaac said candidly. "Ive thought about it (facing the Argos), Ive looked at it a few times (on the calendar). "Its here now and as a team were ready to play and see where were at." Ticats coach Kent Austin, always a model of political correctness when addressing reporters, could only shake his head at Isaacs brutal honesty during Hamiltons pre-game news conference. "Thats not what I wanted to hear," a smiling Austin said, drawing laughter from the assembled media. And asked if Isaac had been watching his news conferences this season, Austin jokingly quipped: "Apparently not." However, Austin said hes not concerned about emotions getting the better of Isaac on the field. "Look, football is an emotional game and youve got to play with your heart but you also have to play with your head," he said. "B.I. brings us . . . the energy, the emotion, the physicality our defence needs. "He handles it the right way." Isaac definitely has the gift of the gab on the field and says hell have plenty to say Friday night. "Theres a couple of things I want to say," he said. "I envision me making certain plays and saying certain things but those plays have to happen for me to say it that way. "Im going to talk and whatever I feel at that moment is the right thing to say Im going to say it." But Toronto receiver/returner Chad Owens (ribs) -- who will be game-time decision -- said the Argos expect to face a motivated and vocal Isaac. "B.I. is a good football player," Owens said. "He tries to get under your skin but were not going to involved in that. "Whether he knows it or not, that energizes both sides of the football, that will get us going. We have to know where hes at, we have to understand what hes doing, when hes blitzing and we also have to worry about what were going to do." The game is an important one for both clubs, who will play their final five regular-season contests against East Division rivals. Toronto (9-4) can clinch a home playoff game with a win and would cement first in the East if the Montreal Alouettes also lose to the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday. Hamilton (6-7) can close ground on the front-running Argos with a victory and would claim a post-season berth if Edmonton and Winnipeg (which is visiting Calgary) also both lose. "Thats what our season has come down to," Austin said. "Its pretty apparent theres good and bad news. "The good news is theyre all Eastern teams, the bad news is theyre all Eastern teams so we have to prepare well because theyre the most meaningful games." Sophomore Zach Collaros makes his sixth straight start for Toronto in place of veteran Ricky Ray, who suffered a shoulder injury against Calgary on Aug. 23. Ray will be the Argos No. 3 quarterback behind Collaros and backup Trevor Harris. "Hes not at 100 per cent, hes probably at 85 per cent strength in his arm but if he has to play, he can," Milanovich said of Ray. "We want to get him out there and used to his pre-game routine and going over the wristband . . . so if its next week or the week after hes ready to start that its not the first time he goes through it." Toronto is 4-1 since Rays injury, becoming the first CFL team ever to win all four games of a four-game road trip in the process,. They rallying from a deficit in each road win. Collaros has been especially impressive in the fourth quarter of those contest, completing 33-of-38 passes for 372 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions and a stunning 142.5 quarterback rating. "I guess weve executed, Ive thrown better, weve caught it better and done all those things better in the fourth," Collaros said. "I dont really know if their is an answer for that. "We need to find an answer for the first couple of quarters to get it going and not make it so hard on ourselves." Hamilton will have rookie safety Courtney Stephen back in the lineup while former Washington Redskin Brandon Banks will return kicks. "He (Stephen) is going to be a really really good football player in this league for a long time," Austin said. "We had pretty high expectations for him but I think hes developed faster than I thought he would. "Banks is a natural returner . . . hes got a great initial burst. Well see come gametime but what Ive seen in practice is what Ive seen on his tape and thats a guy who has good vision and runs with vision, not just with speed." Friday nights game will be Torontos first at home since dropping a lacklustre 20-9 decision to Montreal on Sept. 9, the first game after Ray was injured. "Im very excited to be back home," Milanovich said. "Just playing in our stadium and not having to concern yourself with weather and some of the decisions you have to make from a head coachs perspective on the road makes it a little bit cleaner. "It seems like its been a long time since weve gone into that locker-room." Milanovich downplayed the significance of Torontos record-setting road trip, suggesting it was a first because clubs dont often play four straight games from home. Of more importance, he said, was the Argos pulling together to find ways to win in hostile environments. But Austin said Toronto deserves to be in the discussion about which are the CFLs top teams. "Theyre a good football team, theyre well coached, they play well together and they believe in one another," he said. "You can see it, you can see the chemistry . . . Its hard to beat a team that has a high level belief that theyre unbeatable." Tie Domi Authentic Jersey . Jones had to work hard against Korean skip Kim Jisun and didnt hold a lead until the seventh end. Jones, lead Dawn McEwen, second Jill Officer and third Kaitlyn Lawes were 8-0 going into the game and had already clinched a berth in the semifinals. Cody Franson Jersey . After losing the first two games of this set in Arlington the Tigers showed some signs of life on Tuesday, as Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta all homered and Austin Jackson went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI for the AL Central champs in a 5-2 win.Tampa, FL - Karri Ramo stopped 31 shots and the Calgary Flames beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-1, on Thursday. Mike Cammalleri and Kevin Westgarth scored 15 seconds apart in the first period for the Flames, who had lost three of four coming in. Curtis Glencross scored twice late in the game. The loss moved Tampa Bay into the third position in the Atlantic Division. The team is tied with Montreal in points and both teams have played the same amount of games, but Montreal has two more wins in regulation or overtime, to hold the tiebreaker. Ondrej Palat had the lone goal of the game for the Lightning, who have dropped two of their last three games. Ben Bishop gave up three goals on 24 shots. Calgary got the first goal on a Bishop miscue, as he held the puck behind his net and tried to pass it up the left side, but it went right to Cammalleri and he put the puck into the open net at 10:20. Just 15 seconds later, the Flames made it a 2-0 game as Christopher Breens shot from the right point hit off of two players and Westgarth shot it home from the right side. Kris Versteeg. The only goal of the second period went to Tampa when Matt Carle fired a shot on net from the slot, and Palat slipped home the rebound from the right side for his 20th of the year. Tampa threw 12 shots on net in the third period, but took a penalty with 2:19 to go and Glencross made them pay as he worked a give-and-go with Cammalleri and put home the rebound of Cammalleris shot from in front with 1:56 to play. Glencross scored an empty-netter in the final seconds to account for the final score. Game Notes Calgary plays at Florida on Friday ... Tampa hosts Dallas on Saturday ... Tampa had won the previous two games, and Calgary won for the first time as guests in the series since a 9-6 victory on Dec. 13, 2007 ... The Flames were 1-for-2 on the power play while Tampa was 0-for-3. cheap jerseys ' ' '
