Toronto Argos
Kerry Joseph An Argo?
Published March 5, 2008 @ 19:29 in Toronto Argos
The Toronto Argonauts appear to have landed a bonafide starting quarterback who's not in his 40s. Sources say the Argos have acquired the Canadian Football League's reigning outstanding player, Kerry Joseph, for a group of players. We'll likely get the details tomorrow at 10am.
Joseph ranked third in CFL passing last season with 4,002 yards and guided the Roughriders to a 12-6 record and their first Grey Cup appearance since 1997.
Arrrrrrgoooooos!
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Pinball for Mayor
Published November 17, 2007 @ 11:12 in The T.Dot, Toronto Argos
Stephen Brunt has a great column in today's Globe & Mail entitled "A Higher Calling". It's about Michael "Pinball" Clemons, easily the most likable athlete to play in this city. Pinball is asked daily when he's going to run for Mayor of Toronto. I decided long ago this was both inevitable and a very good thing for my city.
In September 2000, Pinball was set to play his final game of professional football. His last run would take place at SkyDome against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and I knew I had to be there. I bought two tickets and took my wife to say farewell to a player who didn't just excite you with a big play, but inspired you with character. Pinball was never just a running back or kick and punt returner, he was a motivator, a leader and a hero, on and off the field. After the game he addressed the crowd with a wonderful speech drenched in class and sincerity. I'm glad I was there.
On Sunday he coaches in the conference final, and hopefully he'll be coaching in this year's Grey Cup. Then, I hope he steps down as Argonaut head coach. It's time he enters the political arena and takes the first step toward being our next mayor. He does have a higher calling, and we're the beneficiaries.
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Michael Bishop 8-1 as Argo Starting QB
Published October 13, 2007 @ 17:43 in Toronto Argos
As I prepare for Sid the Kid, it's time to give some love to my Toronto Argonauts Football Club. Not that long ago, the double blue were 2-6 and all hopes we'd play in the Grey Cup game we're hosting were spilling down the drain. We won 35-17 victory over the Montreal Alouettes last night to improve to 7-7.
We might finish second in the division, in fact a win next week clinches that possibility, but a certain fact about Michael Bishop at quarterback is what has me intrigued. With Michael Bishop starting at quarterback, the Toronto Argonauts are 8-1.
Imagine if he hadn't broken his wrist and missed five games. We lost every one of them.
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The Rouge Does Suck
Published September 27, 2007 @ 13:26 in Toronto Argos
There's a nice little list in the Sun today. They rank the top 10 dumb sports rules and #1 on their hitlist is the Canadian football rouge. Here's what the article says.
How much do we need to say about a rule that rewards failure? If you lineup for a field goal and miss, you should get nothing. Instead, in the CFL, you get a point even if you miss by 20 yards, as long as the other team concedes or the ball goes through the end zone. However, if the ball goes off the upright, which means it was a decent kick that missed by inches, you don't get a point. Here's a single point for you -- the rouge sucks.
I too think the rouge sucks. It's not just in the CFL, I remember Michael Power getting on the board in a Metro Bowl by scoring a rouge. I've never understood the purpose of the rouge, other than to differentiate our game from the American game, and that's not a good enough reason.
The best moment a rouge ever gave us was that great scene in The Simpsons episode "When Flanders Failed" when Homer was watching the CFL draft on television.
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2007 Grey Cup Headliner
Published May 29, 2007 @ 11:26 in Toronto Argos
We're hosting the 2007 Grey Cup in November, and I hear tickets for the big game are almost sold out. That's good news because nothing would be more embarrassing than a chunk of empty seats for the Grey Cup at the venue formerly known as SkyDome.
They announced a pretty strong lineup of concerts for the occasion. Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, Great Big Sea, Spirit of the West and Lowest of the Low sounds pretty sweet to these ears. BNL won't be the headliners as they haven't announced the halftime show yet. The big question of the day is, who's it going to be?
I would hope it's a Canadian band with a local flavour and more cache than BNL, and that only leaves us with a few options. It could be Rush, a local favourite and worthy headliner. I'd suggest the Hip, but they performed the halftime show at a Grey Cup quite recently. They may go poppy and hit us with Avril Lavigne, or perhaps they'll go old school and throw us a Band reunion or Gordon Lightfoot.
Who do you think will be performing during halftime of our Grey Cup this fall?
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Ricky Returns to Wacky Tobaccy?
Published May 11, 2007 @ 14:16 in Toronto Argos
Ricky Williams had me convinced he would never smoke again. I actually don't personally care if he enjoys a little grass on his days off, but I bought into his "natural high" mantra nonetheless.
I attended Ricky William's first ever game in an Argos uniform and waited on the field with James to meet him afterwards. After his stint with the Argos, he taught yoga in California. Last month, he was quoted as saying his interest in eastern philosophy had overcome his desire for mind-altering substances.
He's tested positive again for marijuana, putting his future in the NFL in doubt once more. I suspect nobody will be surprised, yet I find myself shocked.
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My Google Argonaut Dominance
Published November 12, 2006 @ 14:43 in Toronto Argos
I mentioned briefly in an earlier entry that my site is #5 when you Google toronto argos. Here's a screen cap.
In actuality, the first and second ranked sites are the very same site. The official Argonaut site can be reached at both argonauts.ca and argonauts.on.ca, and somehow both got ranked separately, even though the content is identical. Between the official site and my site is the Wikipedia entry and the official shop. So, if we eliminate sites owned and operated by the the Argonauts football club, I'm #2 behind good ol' Wikipedia.
I'd like to use this as an example of my SEO prowess, and no doubt that's part of it, but this is probably more a reflection of how little online interest there is in the CFL. It's low hanging fruit.
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A Quick Note For Pinball
Published November 12, 2006 @ 14:21 in Toronto Argos
It's half-time in Montreal and we're down 16-3. Rumour has it Mike "Pinball" Clemons visits this site during half-time (currently #5 when you Google Toronto Argos!) so this message is for him.
Play Michael Bishop. Do it now. Damon Allen is 43 and unable to put points on the board. There's no tomorrow, play Bishop while you can.
And God bless you.
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Keep Yer Damn NFL
Published November 5, 2006 @ 16:35 in Toronto Argos
That was a great game. While most of you settled in for an afternoon of NFL football, I watched the Toronto Argonauts host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the East Division semifinal.
Down 27-17 midway through the fourth quarter, Michael Bishop came off the bench to bring us all the way back. He hit Arland Bruce III on a 68-yard TD strike on his first snap from centre and hit R. Jay Soward with a 15-yard pass to put us up 31-27. It was a thrilling comeback and earned us a spot in the East Division final againt the Montreal Alouettes.
You guys can keep yer damn NFL.
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A Dangerous Trend
Published October 21, 2006 @ 08:16 in Toronto Argos, Toronto Maple Leafs
I'm a little concerned. On Wednesday, I attended the Leafs game at the ACC and witnessed an uninspired performance by the blue and white. The Avs creamed us 4-1. Last night I was at Skydome to watch the Argos host the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Again, the home team put in an inept offensive performance. We didn't manage a single touchdown, getting our points with field goals, a touchback and a single.
It's quite possible that I'm the common denominator here. It's probably best that I avoid attending games for a while. I apologize to fellow Leaf and Argos fans.
The game left a lot to be desired, but I did see linebacker Mike O'Shea register his 1,000th career tackle. He's the first Canadian to reach that plateau and third player overall, joining Willie Pless and Alondra Johnson. The other highlight came during halftime when Bill Szijarto tried to kick a field goal from the 50-yard line for a cool mill. He was good from 20 and 30, but he was short from 40 and 50. I'm telling you, the place was electric.
Here are pictures from the game. If you're a betting man, bet every penny you have that the Marlies will be shut out this afternoon. I'll be at the Ricoh Coliseum and I sense this dangerous trend will continue. Sigh.
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Abandoning the NFL for the CFL
Published October 20, 2006 @ 09:21 in Toronto Argos
My brothers still ridicule me for abandoning the NFL for the CFL. When I mentioned I was going to the Argonaut game tonight, they sort of yawned. To them, watching a a preseason Titans~Texans game on television is infinitely more exciting. I respect their preference, one shared by many in this city, but I stand soundly by my decision.
Let's review the sequence of events that led to this radical epiphany.
- Buffalo chooses Rob Johnson over Doug Flutie - This was the spark.
- Argos Win 2004 Grey Cup - In this entry I come clean about the Flutie-Johnson controversy and my decision to "screw the NFL".
- Doug Flutie Announces His Retirement - The Magic Flutie calls it a career.
- Unparalleled Argo Buzz - Ricky Williams signs with the Argos.
- James' First Game - James and I watch Ricky's Argonaut debut and meet him after the game.
- Paul Stops the Pool - For years I participated in an NFL pool but this year Paul didn't run it. No pool meant no reason to read analysis, follow trends or even check schedules.
I'll be there tonight as we play to clinch the division title. Argoooos!!!
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Remember Ricky Williams?
Published September 21, 2006 @ 09:03 in Toronto Argos
Some of us are old enough to remember a running back named Ricky Williams. He came to town last May with unparalleled buzz and James and I got to meet him following his first game in an Argos jersey. Then, things broke down.
Guess who's back? Ricky Williams has been practicing all week and is expected to start against the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday night.
Maybe I'll be getting that #27 jersey after all...
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Damon Allen: Over the Moon
Published September 4, 2006 @ 20:31 in Toronto Argos
With a shovel pass to Arland Bruce III at 5:02 of the third quarter, Damon Allen made football history. Bruce III's 29-yard touchdown run put Allen over Warren Moon's pro football record of 70,533 yards. Damon Allen is unquestionably the most prolific passer in professional football history.
As the most prolific passer in professional football history, one might assume he'd have a place in Canton, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It is, after all, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and not the NFL Hall of Fame. The top QB should be a shoe-in, but I'll bet he's slighted and never enshrined. Those who vote don't appreciate the CFL and regard it as a minor league system. Dan Marino is on the record as saying Allen shouldn't be considered because he played all his pro ball in Canada. It's a damn shame.
Hall of Fame worthy or not, Allen's accomplishment is remarkable and he couldn't have done it in a better uniform. It's 19-6 right now. There's nothing finer than whipping the Tiger-Cats on Labour Day. Argoooooooooos!
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A Bust
Published July 23, 2006 @ 11:54 in Toronto Argos
Reality bites. It was May 19 when I first wrote about the prospects of Ricky Williams becoming an Argo. As both a CFL and Ricky Williams fan, I thought it was the coolest. On May 26, with it looking more and more likely this was actually going to happen, I started to dream in technicolour. Then, he finally signed and I got swept away in unparrelled Argo buzz. I attended his first game in an Argo uniform and was on top of the world when I actually got to meet Ricky after the game. I took plenty of pictures and looked fondly towards this magical season.
In the first game of the regular season, he ran for a pretty decent 96 yards but followed that up with only 14 yards against the Blue Bombers before running for 97 against the Lions. Then, things went from mediocre to worse. There was that six yard game against Winnipeg while I camped and yesterday, Ricky officially became a bust when he bust his arm against the Riders. That might be it for Ricky Williams in double blue.
Things don't always work out as drawn on the board. The buzz in this city was electric, but today we're left shaking our heads. He's a cool cat who's proven himself in the NFL, but this season in Toronto will be looked back upon with dissapointment.
I was an Argos fan before Ricky and I'll be an Argos fan after Ricky. I don't think I'll be picking up that #27 jersey, though. Maybe I'll get a #7 Eric Crouch...
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Argos 19, Lions 26
Published July 1, 2006 @ 07:59 in Toronto Argos
British Columbia built a 23-0 lead in this one before the Argonaut offense woke up, but it was too little, too late. With less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, Robert Baker took a pass from Spergon Wynn but fumbled on the 20 yards short of a tie game.
Ricky Williams fared pretty well, running the ball 18 times for 97 yards, including a 31-yard rush and his first CFL touchdown.
Season Record: 1-2
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Argos 9, Blue Bombers 16
Published June 24, 2006 @ 13:59 in Toronto Argos
We may have secured one win with Wynn, but I have no confidence we can accomplish that feat consistently with him at the helm. This season lives and dies at the right arm of Damon Allen.
Ricky Williams was a non-factor, running for 14 yards on only 8 carries. His longest run of the day was a whopping 8 yards. Let's hope games like this are the exception and not the norm for #27.
Season Record: 1-1
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Argos 27, Tiger-Cats 17
Published June 18, 2006 @ 10:42 in Toronto Argos
Watching that first pre-season game, Damon Allen looked like our only hope for success and Spergon Wynn looked horrible. Apparently, Wynn's got some win in him because he threw two touchdown passes in a big Argonaut win when it matters. When it didn't matter in the pre-season, Hamilton beat us to a pulp in two games.
Ricky Williams ran for 96 yards on 18 carries and added two catches for 24 yards. His longest run of the day was for 35 yards.
Season Record: 1-0
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James' First Argos Game
Published June 3, 2006 @ 00:02 in Family, The Best of Toronto Mike, Toronto Argos
This game had nothing to do with the final score. It honestly didn't matter. This was James' first football game and the first time Ricky Williams touched the ball in a game as a Toronto Argonaut.
Williams only played one quarter and didn't have a single solid rush, but being there for his Argo debut was something special. The last Argo game I attended was Pinball's last game as a player so it's fitting I return to witness Williams' first. As games go, it was a dog with fleas, but that didn't matter. The real fun began after the game concluded.
Fans are invited onto the field after all home Argonaut games. James and I waited patiently for the go ahead and ran that field like we had just won the Grey Cup. James was literally rolling around on the turf as I snapped picture after picture. Soon, the players began taking the field to meet and greet fans and sign autographs. I said hi to Eric Crouch and others while keeping a look out for #27.
I honestly didn't think he'd come out to meet us, assuming he was too popular and it might be a security risk or something. Then, he appeared. Ricky Williams began making his way along the barricade signing everything presented to him. I stood six feet away from him for ten minutes, holding James and just taking in everything Williams' said and did. He was totally patient and way nicer than he had to be, and then I found myself side by side with him looking him in the eye. I wasn't even thinking about getting an autograph, I just wanted to snap a picture of him and say hi. I ended up saying three words to him. "Welcome to Toronto".
It was surreal. I saw Ricky Williams' first play as an Argo, his first quarter of action and I got to meet him. At St. George station, way past his bedtime, James fell asleep in my arms and I carried him the rest of the way home. We just got in and I'm still buzzed. Tonight, the score didn't matter one iota. This was about something better.
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Unparalleled Argo Buzz
Published May 30, 2006 @ 18:56 in Toronto Argos
I've lived in this city for 31 years and I've never felt this type of buzz for our football team. The closest was probably when we signed Rocket Ismael out of Notre Dame, but it wasn't quite like this Ricky Williams vibe that's gripping Toronto right now. This is just awesome.
Everyone wants to talk about the arrival of the NFL's best running back. In addition to his tremendous athletic skills I've read several articles about his person. His manner and perspective on life is so awesome not a single person who has met him has anything remotely negative to say about him. ESPN is covering Argo practices, talk radio is all about #27 and I'm sopping up everything I can find about the guy on the web. Call it a man crush if you like, but I'm totally jazzed about Williams suiting up for my Argos this season and I'll be there live to watch him make his CFL debut Friday night.
No NFL superstar has played in our league while in his prime, at least not during my lifetime. We're experiencing a near perfect storm here and the CFL is benefitting with some well deserved attention and respect. I was already back in the fold, but now I will recap every Argo game this season, paying particularly close attention to Ricky Williams. This is gonna be fun.
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Ricky Williams Signs With The Argos
Published May 28, 2006 @ 14:12 in Toronto Argos
The Toronto Argonauts have signed suspended Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams. The lingering issues have been ironed out and the Dolphins have given their blessing. He will reportedly earn around $250,000, easily making him the highest-paid running back in the league.
I love this move. It will be thrilling having a back like Williams playing in Toronto. From my perspective it's all good except for the fact we'll have to give him back at the end of the season. I can't wait to catch #34 at SkyDome this summer.
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Oh Ricky, You're So Fine...
Published May 26, 2006 @ 08:22 in Toronto Argos
We've been preparing for the big Ricky Williams signing here in Toronto for a week now. There are loads of conflicting reports out there, but the fact is Williams has been in Toronto all week and he visited with the Argonauts yesterday, even watching a practice from afar.
If it were up to Ricky Williams, he'd be an Argo today. He wants to play this season in the CFL and he doesn't care about our drastically lower salaries. Right now, there are a couple of snags holding everything up. For starters, the Miami Dolphins haven't actually given the Argos permission to sign him. Furthermore, there are issues with the standard CFL contracts that could cause problems when the season ends and it's time for Ricky to return to Miami.
I'm really hoping this works out. I think Williams is an awfully cool dude with a wicked perspective on life. Hell, I'm jealous of this cat. With my buddy getting season's tickets it would be sweeter than sugar if I could watch Ricky run for the double blue. I've got my fingers crossed.
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Ricky Williams An Argo?
Published May 19, 2006 @ 08:12 in Toronto Argos
If you believe this article on SI.com, Ricky Williams could very well be a Toronto Argonaut as soon as Monday. Apparently, the Miami Dolphins are set to give the suspended running back permission to sign a one-year deal with the Argos on the understanding that he would be released at the end of the season and return to the NFL club.
This is very cool. When was the last time a top-tier NFL star played in the CFL during his prime? In the early 90s we signed Rocket Ismail, but he came straight from Notre Dame and was unproven. Williams is 29 years old and from 2000 throgh 2003 he rushed for over 1000 yards a season, peaking at 1853 in 2002. This guy is good and I'd love to see him in Toronto. Sure he enjoys the wacky tobaccy, but he seems to be an intelligent, deep-thinker with an interesting and refreshing perspective on things. I suspect he and Pinball will hit it off.
While we're discussing great NFL running backs, here's a great montage of highlights from the best.
Argggoooooos!!!!
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For Sale
Published January 18, 2005 @ 18:51 in Toronto Argos
I hate reading stories like this. According to the Toronto Star, the CFL is discussing the concept of selling the naming rights to the Grey Cup. Our sacred Grey Cup, apparently, is for sale.
I'll be outraged if it becomes the Molson Grey Cup, Tim Hortons Grey Cup or RBC Grey Cup. It's vital that it remain The Grey Cup plain and simple. I don't even like the idea of The Grey Cup being presented by a conglomerate, although that's an easier pill to swallow.
Everything, it seems, has a price including Lord Earl Grey's 1909 rugby trophy. That sucks.
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Grey Cup Ratings
Published November 23, 2004 @ 08:10 in Toronto Argos
If you're curious how many Canadians tuned into the Toronto Argonauts Grey Cup victory over the BC Lions on Sunday, Nielsen Media Research has the answer. They're reporting that an average of 4,012,000 viewers per minute tuned in, the second highest rated Grey Cup in the past decade. The audience peaked at 4.5 million during the game's final half-hour.
For comparisons sake, Nielson tallied 3,560,000 million Canadian viewers for Super Bowl XXXVIII. As popular as the NFL is in Canada, the Super Bowl still isn't as popular as our Grey Cup.
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Champions
Published November 22, 2004 @ 11:16 in The Best of Toronto Mike, Toronto Argos
I'm part of the CFL's lost generation. Coming of age in the 80s, we were sold the glitz and glamour of the NFL, primarily from the Buffalo television stations we received. The Bills propaganda machine rolled on through the 90s when they went to four Super Bowls in a row. The CFL came across like a minor league farming system for the big league to the South.
I rarely paid any attention to the CFL, displaying only a casual interest when Rocket Ismail came to town and again when Doug Flutie signed with the double blue. On Sundays, I'd sit and watch 10 hours of NFL ball, but I'd rarely tune in for Canadian football. The CFL was beneath me. I was an NFL fan.
I remember the moment my interest in the NFL began to wane. It was the day the Bills cut Doug Flutie and decided Rob Johnson was their starting quarterback. All Doug Flutie did for the Bills was play his heart out and win games. All Rob Johnson did was infuriate me. This decision hurt the very core of my being. I loved Flutie and I loved Flutie in a Bills uniform. Cutting him made absolutely no sense to me at the time and history would prove me right. Throughout the following years, I found myself watching less and less NFL football although I continued to watch the Bills until this year. Conversely, I found myself watching more and more CFL football and following that league closer. I grew to appreciate the game and discovered it was thoroughly entertaining. Part of the charm is the lack of schmaltzy glitz that accompanies everything associated with the NFL. This NFL season I've come to realize that of the four major sports, football ranks a definite fourth in my books and I actually prefer Argonaut football to Bills football. In my thirtieth year of life I learned that the wholly Canadian league I grew up thinking was amateurish is, in fact, a more organic, entertaining and satisfying product.
The culmination of this new-found respect for the CFL was witnessing a great Grey Cup and championship for my Argos last night. It was a brilliant contest, exciting to the very end, with a performance from The Tragically Hip at half-time to boot. It was a great game on a great day to celebrate this Canadian institution in our nation's capital. I'm proud to call myself an Argonaut fan and a fan of the Canadian Football League.
Screw the NFL. I've got other priorities now.
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The Grey Cup
Published November 21, 2004 @ 17:10 in Toronto Argos
There's little more Canadian than the Grey Cup. Lord Earl Grey donated the trophy to recognize the top amateur rugby football team in Canada and the University of Toronto Varsity Blues won the first one way back in 1909. The Toronto Argonauts won their first one in 1914 but I'm hoping they win another tonight.
Living in Toronto this week, there wasn't quite the buzz you'd expect from a city playing for the championship on Sunday. People were pleased but not ecstatic for the most part. This city gets far more excited by a first round Maple Leaf win. I'm not referring to a first round victory, but merely a single win. A Grey Cup title simply doesn't have the necessary prestige for this city and that's unfortunate.
In a league as small as the CFL, you're bound to win your share of titles. Since the Leafs last won the Stanley Cup back in 1967, the Argos have won the Grey Cup four times. In fact, the Argonauts have won the Grey Cup more times than any other team, 14 times in total, which is the 4th most in North American professional sports, behind the New York Yankees, the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Celtics.
Lets get #15 tonight. I'm one Torontonian who will be watching.
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Toronto Argonauts 26, Montreal Alouettes 18
Published November 15, 2004 @ 07:58 in Toronto Argos
We're heading to the Grey Cup for the first time since winning back-to-back Grey Cups in 1996 and 1997. The Argonauts knocked quarterback Anthony Calvillo out of the game early in the second half and picked off back-up Ted White three times in a 26-18 upset of Montreal in the CFL East Division final before 51,296 spectators at Olympic Stadium.
I'm quite looking forward to next Sunday's 92nd Grey Cup at Ottawa's Frank Clair Stadium. It's Toronto vs. Vancouver for Canadian football supremecy. It's purely Canadian, even The Tragically Hip will be performing at half time. I can't wait.
Argoooooooooooooos!!
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Argooooooos!
Published November 14, 2004 @ 15:30 in Toronto Argos
Remember what happened last year when the Argos went into Montreal for the East Division Championship? That's not going to happen this time. This time, it will be different.
Despite the fact the Argonauts haven't defeated the Alouettes in an East Championship played in Montreal since 1946, I'm feeling good about tonight's game. In fact, I'm predicting a Grey Cup parade in downtown Toronto later this month. But first, we have the Alouettes to dispose of.
Argoooooooooooooos!!
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Argooooooos!
Published November 5, 2004 @ 12:26 in Toronto Argos
I'm a big fan of the CFL's second season. Come playoff time, I jump on the Argonaut bandwagon and begin to dream in grey. The Argos finished second in the East this season and host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East semifinal tonight at Skydome.
We've owned the Ti-Cats this season, going 4-0-1 against them. I'll be watching tonight as Pinball's squad tries to return to the East finals where they were robbed last year.
Argoooooooooooooos!!
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New Home For The Argos
Published October 18, 2004 @ 15:33 in Toronto Argos
York University announced today that an agreement has been reached for the construction of a new 25,000-seat stadium on the York University Keele campus. The stadium will be the new home of the Toronto Argonauts and a world-class venue for Canadian soccer, and will host the FIFA Men's Under-20 World Youth Championship in the summer of 2007.
A nice, cozy 25,000-seat stadium is just what this team needs. I haven't been to an Argo game since Pinball's last run, but I remember how cavernous Skydome seemed with only 20,000 or so people in the stands. Skydome was a horrible place to watch CFL football and I'm certain the new stadium will be infinitely better. I might even attend another game or two.
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Arrrggooooos!!!
Published June 17, 2004 @ 11:03 in Toronto Argos
The CFL season has kicked off and the Toronto Argonauts are already 1-0 after beating the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders 21-10. I'm not the world's biggest CFL fan but I'm glad the league exists and I wish our Argos well each season. I'll even watch an Argos game on television if the timing's right and I always check them out come playoff time. I would be very sad if the CFL ever shut its doors for good.
There was one thing about the CFL that always baffled me growing up. In a league as small as our football league, how is it possible that two franchises had the same nickname? There were the Saskatchewan Roughriders, which we beat on Tuesday, and the Ottawa Rough Riders, which folded a few years back. Eight teams and two with the same obscure name. Can you imagine a new franchise in Major League Baseball being allowed to take the nickname Bluejays? Would a Hamilton NHL franchise be permitted to call itself the Hamilton Mapleleafs? Of course not. The Roughrider/Rough Rider clash always made me think of the CFL as an amatuer league. I still don't know how it ever came to be, I'm just glad it's no longer the case.
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