The second-worst record in Ticats history. They came into Labour Day 1-8 after having fired head coach Don Sutherin three weeks earlier and replacing him with Urban Bowman. They were hammered by the Cup-bound Argos on the first Monday in September. Lancaster, Danny McManus and Darren Flutie arrived as saviours for the next season (12-5-1) and, because the defence was relatively commendable in 1997, Sutherin returned as defensive co-ordinator.

1991 (3-15)

Two days before Labour Day, the Ticats fired the forgettable David Beckman. Like this year, they were 0-8 going in. They hammered the Argos 48-24 under new coach John Gregory. But then they reverted to form and lost five in a row. It was the first time in Tiger-Cat history that the team had missed the playoff two years in a row, but the next season Gregory and the 'Cats went 11-7 and reached the conference final.

1985 (8-8)

This is the result the Ticats probably thought, until recently, that they could repeat this year. The Ticats were only 1-6 heading into Labour Day but beat Montreal (the CFL was dumber about Labour Day then), went 7-2 the rest of the way and made it to the Grey Cup, but lost to B.C. Head coach Al Bruno was retained and, in 1986 (9-8-1), won the Grey Cup.

1978 (5-10-1)

Hamilton came to Labour Day, when they beat the Argos, at 1-5-1 after new owner Harold Ballard had fired brand new head coach Tom Dimitroff Sr. (father of the Atlanta Falcons' GM) after just five games. John Payne handled the club after mid-August and spent two more years at the helm. The Ticats lost in the first round of the playoffs, and in 1979 improved by one point to 6-10.

1960 (4-10)

The season started much later, so the Cats were only 0-4 coming into Labour Day and missed the playoffs for the first time since the Tigers united with the Wildcats in 1950. Jim Trimble kept his job as head coach, and went to 10-4 the following season.

1949 (Wildcats 0-12)

OK, so this was before the pre-Labour Day football and also before the Tiger-Cats, but it's the season that engendered them. The Wildcats' Big Four schedule started on Labour Day with a loss to the Argos and never got any better. That convinced football operators in this town that there was room for only one pro-senior team, so the Wildcats merged with the Tigers who were 10-2, replacing the Wildcats in the old (amateur) ORFU. Neither the Wildcats' Frank Gnup nor the Tigers' Murray Griffin was invited to coach the inaugural Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1950. Oklahoman Carl Voyles took the Ticats to a 7-5 record and an Eastern final loss to the Argos.

smilton@thespec.com

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