Argos QB Bethel-Thompson violated COVID protocol, could miss East Final vs Hamilton Tiger-Cats: report
Published December 3, 2021 at 2:30 pm
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats could face Toronto in the CFL East Final without McLeod Bethel-Thompson in the lineup.
The Argonauts quarterback reportedly violated COVID protocol by attending the Toronto Raptors game on Thursday (Dec. 2) night. TSN reporter Dave Naylor tweeted that Bethel-Thompson was sent home from team practice Friday (Nov. 3) as part of a CFL mandated four-day quarantine. That would make him eligible to return on Monday — one day after the Argos host the Ticats at BMO Field.
Hearing @TorontoArgos QB MacLeod Bethel-Thompson has been sent home and is being held out of practice today because of attending the @Raptors game at his team’s request. It’s a violation of CFL Covid protocol, which states he must now quarantine 4 days. Game day is Sunday.#CFL
— Dave Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) December 3, 2021
Making the story more confusing is Naylor’s claim that Bethel-Thompson attended the Raptors game at the Argos’ request.
Speaking of confusing, Brandon Banks was left scratching his head. The Tiger-Cats receiver tweeted that he had been wanting to attend a Raptors game all season but was told he wasn’t allowed due to the CFL’s COVID restrictions.
Wow when I tried to go to raptors game the @cfl told me I couldn’t go ! I ain’t snitching but shit fishy ! #Protocol #tier1 https://t.co/iVuowKAPI1
— brandon banks (@speedybanks87) December 3, 2021
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The news altered the betting odds for the East Final. The Argos opened as -1.5 favourites before the Bethel-Thompson news. Since then, the line moved to -2.5 in favour of the visiting Ticats.
The winner of Sunday afternoon’s contest will punch their ticket to the 108th Grey Cup, which is being hosted by Hamilton at Tim Hortons Field. The Winnipeg Bluebombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders are going head-to-head in the West Final.
UPDATE: The Canadian Football League announced that quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson can play in the Toronto Argonauts’ East Final against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats if he produced a negative COVID-19 test following a 48-hour quarantine.
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