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.