3-15 and done

The mess that is the Toronto Argonauts has begun digging itself out of 2009 quagmire created by the nitwit owners, the lame GM, and suddenly dead quiet Micheal Clemons.

I have watched this team in bad times, seen some truly bad talent plat here, so when I say this team is not that bad talent wise, trust me, I know.

I am likely on shaky ground with that statement, but the defense needed 2009 to remake itself, and it did, despite the antics of it's head coach.

The office is run by nincompoops, and Adam Rita has escaped the noose because Bob Nicholson needs someone to answers the phones until CFL Commisar Cohon steps is and says, okay boys, " Who owns the team ? Really ??? " Then once David Braley who already owns the Lions, finds a local buyer for his Leo's, he can begin the house cleaning exercise, and Adam, your ticket will get punched then.

Get me 4 talented receivers, and another defensive back who can play that rover position, and a kick returner who can actual make a difference, and a coaching staff that knows that there are only 3 downs, and that when you are averging 6.3 yards per rush , you don't abandon the run game just because you want to prove that you can mould QB's ( like you did in the NFL ).

If you can do all that, this situation is fixable, and this team is not that far off where Hamilton and Winnipeg are.

While I am at it, let's get Pinball out of the promo booth and back involved with this team, and make him the GM, hire a Canadian coach, and I bet you dollars to doughnuts, this team gets back to .500 next year.

Okay, that's it for this year, I am going to sit back for the holidays and reflect fondly on the Flutie years, the Dunigan years, and the Damon Allen years, maybe even the Conredge Holliway years, while chestnust roast over my open fire.

G'Bye Black Bart, see ya in the funny papers....

Merry Christmas Everyone

Over and Out

3 Wins and 15 Losses


The 2009 season ended with a resounding thud, and the players bailed out of town faster than the Toronto Maple Leafs in April.



If the team wasn't up for sale, which is, Adam Rita, and Bart Andrus would and should be shown the door.



Imagine that 5 games into the season, I was laughing at Hamilton ( for taking Arland Bruce III )


and the Blue Bombers who had zipped through 3 QB's in 4 weeks, and were onto Michael Bishop. Hahahahaha, c'mon, Michael Bishop, please. We traded him away because we had Kerry Joseph.

Cut to the end of the season, Ti Cats make the playoffs, Bishop almost gets the Bombers there too and we did not win a game after the CNE finished for their 2 week run.



We stink, and we need to find the following.

1. A new ownership group, one that does not have one foot in exploring NHL franchises in Phoenix, or needs bail outs from the BC owner.

2. A new GM, and scouting staff, we have yet to produce in almost 7 years enough quality receiving talent, while watching BC, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Montreal , Hamilton all find great receivers.

3. Stop the Andrus experiemnt, this work in progress, this idea that we are getting better every week, I mean rally, I agree with TSN reporter Dave Randorf, " What are we painting the Sicstine Chapel here ".....

4. A Canadian coaching staff that knows the Canadian game ( copying the Alouettes and Tressman as their blueprint was fine in theory, but the Al's had talent to start with, and Tressman made little change if any )

5. If the Pinball does not run for mayor, we need his influence back on the team. I think he botched the Kerry Joseph/ Mike Bishop thing, but largely he has a positive impact on the team.
We can use him more than just as a figurehead.

Over and out

Smell the Coffee

Can you smell that ? It's horrible, and it's coming from the Rogers Centre, and yes, it could be the Blue Jays, but they were in Crab Land facing the Orioles, no it's our Argonauts, I know that stench.

Time to have that face to face with the big boss, and present him with the ugly truth, we stink, and it's not getting any better.

Soon people will stop coming because we now have the Leafs and Raptors to yell at, and your window of opportunity has just closed. Had this team surprised, and been 8-5, in 2nd place and looking good, perhaps they could envision making the playoffs, but this season, added onto the 0-8 finish last year, and in the last 21 games, the Argonauts are 3-18. Guys, we are not not going in the right direction.

Adam Rita sat back 2 years ago and let this team get old, and put the Defensive Co Coordinator in as the coach, fired him when the team was 4-8, and replaced him with legendary CFL guru Donny Matthews. damn, that was 2 mistakes in the same year.

Add on the QB controversy created with signing Joseph, while keeping 1st string QB Michael Bishop, and you had a recipe for disaster.

The 2 owners , Sokolosky and Cynamon have to take responsibility for this mess, last year allowing Mike Clemons to weigh in on football decisions fractured the front office, and what progress was made. None.

I am going to put on a pot of coffee, because I need a better smell the Boatmen.

Time for housecleaning

I think I have seen enough from coach Bart Andrus, and I have certainly seen quite enough from GM Adam Rita.

Both must go, sorry, but we are not making progress at any level, well the defense gets some credit, but they are just about ready to mutiny themselves.

In this season we have seen a lack of vision by the coach, who seems to a cross between an army drill sergeant and a mad scientist. "Let's try running Jamal Robertson 10 times in the first quarter, and then only 2 times the rest of the game", "Now, let's play Cody Pickett even when he's 3-16 for 40 yards, and a seemingly healthy QB Kerry Joseph holds a clipboard"

I think this coach thinks he has 4 years to mold this team, so he can dump Arland Bruce, Byron Parker, and bench Kerry Joseph.

GM Rita has just been unable to find quality receiving talent, and other than bringing back Dom Dorsey to return kicks, this is a weak offensive team. Rita has not upgraded the talent, and has brought in a coach from the US who might never figure out the CFL game, nor want to.

Grab the cleaning products, time to clean this house, AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!

Guys I hated

MOSCA AND BARROW



I mean they were just brutal to any Argonaut, but especially QB's.
Wally Gabler once said he thought he died and gone to heaven when the Argos traded him to Winnipeg, it meant he only had to face Mosca twice a year, instead of 4 times. Probably saved my life, said Gabler. He was so nice off the field, but on it, he was a monster.

Barrow of course was no choir boy either. He was ritualistic sadistic. Hell of a lineman, the pair of them.



ED McQUARTERS

Nicknamed Dr Death, he would live up to that name, as did the player who replaced him, Bill "the Undertaker" Baker.

He ate running backs, he stomped on slot backs, and Quarter backs sought religious asylum as protection. Wishful thinking.

Bill Baker took his right defensive end spot, and continued the Regina tradition of leading the CFL in sacks.














OTTAWA FRONT FOUR

These are the guys from the 1970's, but the foursome was made even worse by Soupy Campbell, and Billy Joe Booth, they traveled in packs like wolves.
I hated these guys !









SONNY WADE


Ooh just the image of this guy makes my blood boil.

One memorable game at the old Autostad in Montreal, ( pre Olympic Stadium days ) Wade was intercepted by the Argonauts ( think this was 1970 or 69 ) and during the runback, deep safety Jim Tomlin was completed a block and went down on the play. Wade actually stepped, or tried to stomp on Tomlin's head. No kidding folks, to which this incensed the Argos because it was missed by the refs. Ed Harrington chased Sonny Wade off the field, and vowed in the Telegram newspaper to hunt Wade down at the next game and take his scalp. Then CFL commissioner Jake Gaudaur fined Harrington for his comments, and when the Als next played at the mistake by the lake, Wade did indeed feel the the wrath of the Argo defense. Als coach Sam Etchevarry pulled Wade early in the 4rth qurater, and later protested to the league, but nothing more came of it.



Others of note, John Helton, Wayne Harris, Dan Kepley, Garney Henley, Ben Zambiasi, current Blue Bomber Barrin Simpson.

Oldies but Goodies

Long do I remember the Argos from my era.

We use to put these cards on our bikes, here

them flap as we rode.

For my 15th birthday, we went to a sporting goods store

and bought a new football, I was told it was a CFL style

ball. It was white, and had the usual CFL partial stripe at

both ends.

I took that ball with to many Argo games, finally

getting enough nerve to ask some of the Argos to

autograph it. First it was Sy, then Raimey, then Wilkie,

and Profit, then Harrington and Luster, and Thornton.

Pretty soon, it was full up, got Dick Shatto, and Leo the Lip,

and surly Bobby Taylor, who just grunted at me. I don't

think he liked me much. Then I got Russ Jackson, and

Whit Tucker, it looked like a tattooed work of art.

Then in 1971, I got one last one, before tragedy struck. I

got Leon McQuay just after Theismann brushed me off. Two older kids grabbed my ball and started

running across the field kicking it back and forth. There were no cops, no stadium officials, just myself and

my friend Ricky Hooper. We chased them, but they exited with my treasure out where the buses used to park to take opposing players back to the airport, or hotel, and as it was 10 pm, and dark, I lost them.

A less than worse fate was my 1970 CFL cards, as I had the complete set ( not the cards above ), and numerous

hockey card collections, 1965 through to 1971, all discarded when we moved to Scarborough. As a kid

in high school then, my subjects occupied my time, and packing was left to my parents. Sorry Mom, but I should have spent some time making sure my oldies and goodies were safe. Also lost were my fave baseball card collection, Topps 1971, black bordered beauties, all gone.

I still have my autograph book, thank goodness, and so I can still relive my best memories, standing at the players exit on the field waiting for my heroes to depart into the night. Symons, Thornton, and Profit always shook my hand, and Symons was a repeat for me and is in my book about 5-6 times, he began to look at me funny, maybe I thought, " He recognizes me", or maybe he just thinks I'm nuts.

The day Dave Raimey ran roughshod over the Tiger Cats 55-7, scoring 3 rushing TD's I nearly lost my autograph book too, as there was a throng of well wishers and press all around, and the book slipped from my hand, and I actually kicked a few feet away.

I was saved by Argo assitant coach Jimmy Roundtree, who saw my dilemma , a skinny kid ( what happened James ) , and picked up, brushed off the grass ( no turf yet ) and waded through the press and fans to return it to me. If that don't beat all. Roundtree asked me my name, I don't remember what I said, likely mumbled " Jim " or heaven knows what and said "better hold onto that, it's a nice book", or something like that. I was just grateful I had not lost it.

I always wonder what happened to the ball, it held so many great stories and Argo great names, it would have stayed with me forever because it was priceless.

I do look each Argo season at the autographs and wonder if the current players stand around as they used to after games, I'd like to think Pinball would, maintaining a tradition.

Holy Overtime

We won one, maybe now we have started the long road back from oblivion, now a sturdy record of 3-7.
Of course anything is possible in the Eastern Conference, isn't it ?
The Cats were not as good as on Labour Day, and to be honest we were better finally on defense. Neither squad could move the ball in the second half until Cody Pickett marched downfield in the late stages of the 4rth quarter.
The best weapon we have is Jamal Robertson, who ran for 115 yards on 17 carries, so please tell me why in the name of Dick Shatto we don't get him the ball more. I think it's more Coach Hair Slick's idea of balancing the offense, maybe he is still trying to prove a point by changing QB's.









So the new boys got a deserved 25-22 overtime win, and broke the 10 game home losing streak which smelled worse than the Toronto Garbage Strike.

I do want to share a memory today, still basking in a rare Argo win, 2 memories in fact.

Jim Stillwagon was honoured last night and his number was raised to the rafters, number 68, the Outland Trophy winner Leo snatched from Ohio State. The Wagon played 5 years here in Toronto, and had to retire early, age 28 in fact, and I always thought it was bad knees, or something like that. He was accidentally subjected to too much painkiller in his shoulder which the results were it killed off many nerves, and therefore he could not take any hits on the shoulder. A shame, he and Jim Corrigal were quite the tandem. He was interviewed on the radio yesterday morning, in town for the ceremony and he recalled his Argo memories.

The other memory was one I had forgotten, and again, thanks AM 640 on the train ride home, a name popped up that I had not heard in many years. That was John Badham, that deep gravel throated play by play man on 680 CFTR, the AM flagship radio station for the Double Blue. John is still in broadcasting, on an FM station. Pete Martin has now worked with many radio partners, and Pete is still the mainstay today.

So thanks to the Wagon, and to John Badham, 2 very good Argo memories.

Prairie Football

They play on Labour Day, just like the Battle of Alberta, and the TiCat-Argo Clash, and they call it the Banjo Bowl, and don't ask me why, but the games between The Green Riders and Blue Bombers are usually more special.


Whether it is prairie bragging rights, or pure hatred from neighbouring provinces, but Winnipeg vs Saskatchewan always seem to bring out the best.


Lancaster to Hugh Campbell, George Reed rumbles in from 3 yard line, with Bomber lineman draped on his back. Dieter Brock, or Tommy Clements to Tommy Scott, or Joe Poplawski on a snowy field in Regina, when they called it Taylor Field.


These games in September are just a table setter to the November clashes when the prairie weather creates high winds, blowing snow, and slick icy fields.

The conditions become part of the panorama of western games.




















Thanks to global warming we don't see too many of those grisy games when the field level was almost a white out condition, and playing on fake grass also takes some of the old style game away, but regardless, they hit each other harder, and it's hyped greater than other divisional games.


It is what makes our game very special, it spans the country, it spans time zones, it spans geography, and culture and the best part of it, it unites the country like nothing else short of an election, or a bonspeil. Give the Melon Heads of Regina and Saskatoon, and Moose Jaw their due, they travel like a thundering herd to Manitoba in droves to support their boys, and they have thee most ardent fans in this Canadian game. They are like no other fans, and they are proud of the small community feeling the Roughriders bring out.

You Beautuful Uglies

Back in the late 60's, we were building a team of winners.

We had Tricky Dick, we had Marv Luster, we had Sy (old 33 ).
But we could not get past the Roughies, so
when the 70's dawned, we looked to the east and saw the magic man had finally retired to become a high school principal. ( Bye Russ )

Then we looked at Jonas, and we looked at Wilkie ( boy kinda blew that one ) at QB.

We recruited like fanatics, and we had the best CFL recruiter, and he was our coach, Leo the Lip.



So we sent him on adventures to the south, we had scouts yes, but when we saw talent, we had Cahill, the prodigious Leprechaun sell the player on Toronto.

And they came, they spurned the NFL and they heard his clarion call, and they came. From Kent State, from Rutgers, from the golden dome of Notre Dame , the Detroit Lions practise squad, but they came.

It was Stillwagon from Ohio State, it was Timmy Anderson to play free safety, it was Barrie, Ontario born Jim "Big Country " Corrigal, it was unheralded Leon "X-Ray" McQuay, and it Greg Barton, and it was a Heisman winner, Joe Theisman. Joe spurned the Miami Dolphins who wanted Joe to return punts, but Joe wanted to play QB, and Leo said he could.


So we parted company with the Tom Wilkinson, Don Jonas, Jim Thorpe and Dave Raimey, and others, and brought in what we felt were major new parts to the Boatman, " More Oarsmen , he cries, "Pull Together ", he yelled ". So they pulled the Boatmen forward to 1st place in 1971.

We had stall wards on defence in Luster, Thornton and Allridge, and new heroes in Anderson, Stillwagon, and Corrigal. We won 14 games that year...14 !!! Can you believe it,a nd we made it to the eastern final , but this year no Jackson, this year no Margene Adkins, or Whit Tucker, or Billy Ray Booth. This time it was the Cats from Steeltown.

h the Cats were good, and always any team with Tommy Joe Coffey, Joe Zuger and Garney Henley was always taken seriously.

We went to play them with the factories of Stelco and Dofasco staring at us, reminding us these were hardened men, tough men, eat ya raw kinda dudes. That cheer, that Oskie Wee Wee chant, and the fans were right on you , so close to the benches.

We beat em in their own park, and we're going home to play part 2 the following weekeknd. God I miss that 2 game playoff.

We lead them 25-15 on points. Could the uglies pull together another game.

I went to that game, sat in the middle section while we held the Tabbies all day long, to a saw off at 15-15 on the day, but enough to send us to Vancouver for the first time since 1952.

It ended poorly on that rainswept day at Empire Stadium, it rained almost the entire game, and we fumbled our final chanced away to the Stamps. If only, if only, if Stillwagon had blocked
Calgary QB Jerry Keeling, then Dick Thornton's interception return would have found the end zone and victory. If only...

You beautiful uglies, you gave me my finest memory as a fan.

Rivalries

Above was the hated one, the divine one, the one Leo Cahill said the phrase, well he can't walk on water, can he ?
I remember 1969, because we hosted Game 1 at the Ex, and won 22-14, over the vaunted, hated Roughies. It was off to Ottawa to play at Landsdowne Park, a graveyard of lost dreams for my Argonauts. Well, in the frigid temperatures that Sunday morning, the field had frozen, and the Roughies had brought their suction cup shoes ( late on the Al's used these broom ball shoes to defeat the Eskies in the 76 Grey Cup ).

So Russ Jackson , the man who could not walk on water, went for a early skate on the Rideau Canal, frozen now, so he truly did walk, well glide on water.
Oh the Cahill prophecy

So Landsdowne was no skating rink, but icy, but Ottawa gripped the field, while we in dumb dumb cleats slid and fell all day long and lost 32-3, erasing the hard fought lead we forged in Toronto.

Rivalries make this game what it is today. In future entries I will attempt to bring myself to the highest heights and discuss the Tabbies/Argos Labour Day tilts, and my own personal memories.


Here are are the 3 Argonaut nightmares,
Jackson, the general.
Vic Washington , the ground force.
Whit Tucker, the air force weapon.

Throw in Bo Scott, and Ronny Stewart,
and their strong O-Line, and they were so tough.









Then there were other Rough Riders out west too !!!

You should seen their guys.

My Argonauts

These are my guys, they have
been my guys for close to 45 years now.


My first memories of those beautiful uglies
was via the radio, CFTR 680, listening
with my mother, thanks Mom.

In 1964 I was 9, and already a big
Maple Leaf fan, but got exposed to a
new game, through the medium of radio,
and it was so different than listening to
Foster or Bill Hewitt, this was a new experience.

I think my first game on the tube was the Alouettes and the Argonauts, but my memory is a little fuzzy. Once we started building our family cottage, there were summers with no television, just the magic of radio to spark my interest.

Wally Gabler was the quarterback, and while he was no superstar, in 1967, he was all we had. That was to change very soon, once Leo Cahill arrived from the Toronto Rifles.


So Wally G was back there calling signals, and usually getting clocked
by The Rough Riders, or Mosca and Barrow of the Tiger Cats.



Poor Wally, I always felt sorry for him.

In later entries I want to provide more memories, and some really nice ones.

Today, I am devoting this 1st Argo memory to the 2 Brians.

My uncle was the other family member devoted to the cause, so much so he brought up an aerial in 1971 to our cottage ( because we were beyond the 100 mile radius ) and were able to watch the 1st game of the 2 game Eastern Final against the Tabbies.

The other Brian is my bud , and he knows the Argos as I do.

More to come, it's 3 and long, but thankfully Dave Mann is back there !