Bruce in trouble for Canadian Football League TD Tribue to Michael Jackson

TORONTO — The CFL may not be all that thrilled with Arland Bruce's tribute to Michael Jackson in the Argos' 30-17 win in Hamilton.

The league is reviewing the Toronto receiver's TD celebration Wednesday night.

After scoring on a 21-yard pass from Kerry Joseph to put Toronto ahead 6-0, Bruce removed his helmet, shoulder pads and uniform top and laid down in the end zone. Bruce said he was simply honouring the memory of Michael Jackson by pretending to be buried.

Bruce received two objectionable conduct penalties.

"I made the mistake of telling him in camp that once he got to the end zone I didn't care what he did," Toronto coach Bart Andrus said later. "But he's straight with it now and I think next time around he will celebrate in an appropriate manner."

Canadian Football League Week # 1 Picks

CFL WEEK # 1 PICKS

Argos vs. Ti-Cats

A new year and new attitude. The Ti-Cats have been saying that for years.
The key is how they start the season. If the Cats can get on a roll early,
maybe just maybe they could be loking at second place in the East.

The Argos ???? It will take a few games to tell.

Ti-Cats by 13

Als Vs Stamps

So what has changed since the Grey Cup. Not a great deal.
Two teams content with what they got.
Time will tell if standing still was the right call.
We will go with the champions.

Stamps by 5

Bombers Vs Eskimos

Both teams made tons of changes. You will need a program for this
game. The Bombers are a complete over haul. The Bombers need
the win more than the Eskimos as they start the season playing
6 out of 9 on the road. They fall back early and they could be done.

Bombers by 7

Lions Vs Riders

The Lions have lost quite a number of key cogs and the Riders
have been dealing with the Eric Tillman PR disaster and a non
proven starting QB. Another mystery for this one.

Riders by 8

This year 0-0 Last year 51-21

Former Canadian Football League Award Winner Accused Of Fraud

DALLAS — A former Dallas Cowboys player is being accused of defrauding investors.

In court papers filed Monday, the Securities and Exchange Commission claims Michael Kiselak convinced friends and family members to invest $24 million through him.

Investigators say Kiselak claimed the money was being invested in Treasury bills, but instead, they say much of it went to venture capital investments, such as vineyards and a private jet.

The SEC says $7 million in investor funds is currently unaccounted for.

Kiselak, who now lives in Westlake, had seven starts at center for the Cowboys in 1998. He was on the team roster in 1999, but made no starts.

According to his online biography, he had previously played with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League and was named the CFL's "lineman of the year" in two consecutive seasons.

Kiselak's biography said he founded the Sports Business Network "to help move athletes from game plans to business plans."

Former Canadian Football League Player To Stand Trial

Former CFL and NFL running back Lawrence Phillips will go to trial on charges that he attacked his girlfriend in 2005.

A San Diego judge ruled Wednesday that the 33-year-old Phillips must stand trial on eight felony charges for two alleged assaults.

He could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

A call to his public defender on Thursday was not immediately returned.

Phillips already is serving a 10-year sentence for hitting three teenagers with his car in Los Angeles.

Phillips was once one of the top U.S. college football players at Nebraska. The St. Louis Rams released him in 1997 and he went on to play for a number of teams, including the Montreal Alouettes and Calgary Stampeders.

Former Canadian Football League Player Passes Away

Former Tennessee offensive tackle Leslie Ratliffe, who lettered three seasons for the Vols in the early 1990s and later played professionally in the European and Canadian football leagues, died April 8 in a Little Rock hospital. He was 35.

Ratliffe played under UT head coaches Johnny Majors and Phillip Fulmer, starting at right tackle during Fulmer's first two seasons (1993-94) at the helm. He wore the No. 75 jersey and started 27 games in 32 appearances for the Vols.

Ratliffe went on to become a seventh-round selection of the Denver Broncos in the 1996 NFL Draft, and later had his rights traded to the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. His playing days as a pro came first with the Scottish Claymores and Rhein Fire of the European league, and then with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL.

Born May 22, 1973, in his hometown of Newport, Ark., Ratliffe was the son of Jerry Wayne Ratliffe and the late Velma J. Ratliffe. A member of the St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Ratliffe graduated from Newport High in 1991 as one of the most outstanding players in school history. He was named USA Today and SuperPrep All-America, and was Arkansas' high school defensive player of the year after helping the Greyhounds to a career 36-6 record that included two state championship game appearances.

In addition to his father and other family members, Ratliffe is survived by his daughter, Raven Lee, of Knoxville; and his sister, Pamela (Brian) Warner of Fayetteville, Ark.

Riders Over Canadian Football League Salary Cap

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have violated the CFL's salary cap for the second straight season.

The CFL released results of its annual audit of its eight member teams Tuesday, and the Roughriders were the only team to exceed the $4.2-million cap.

The audit revealed that Saskatchewan exceeded the cap by $87,147 and as a result will have to pay a fine of that amount to the league.

Last year, the Riders exceeded the cap by $76,552 and had to pay a fine of that amount as well. Since Saskatchewan was less than 100,000 over the cap in both instances, the club was able to keep its first-round draft picks.

Teams are fined $1 for every dollar up to $100,000 that they're over the cap. The penalty goes up to $2 for every dollar from $101,000 to $300,000 over, plus a team's first-round draft choice.

Teams that exceed the cap by more than $300,000 are fined $3 for every dollar over and also lose their first-and second-round draft choices.

Last season, the Montreal Alouettes were over the cap by $108,285. Not only did they have to pay $116,570 in fines, they were also forced to give up the fourth overall pick in the '08 draft.

John Hufnagel Named Canadian Football League Coach Of The Year

John Hufnagel has been named the 2008 Canadian Football League coach of the year.

Under Hufnagel, the Calgary Stampeders had a CFL-best 13-5 record in the regular season and then won the Grey Cup in Montreal. It was Hufnagel's first year as head coach in Calgary. Hufnagel beat out Ken Miller of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Marc Trestman of the Montreal Alouettes for the award.

"What a season it was," Hufnagel said. "It was a tremendous race in the West Division. It's the entire organization that has earned this. I am blessed."