Inside the CFL: Argo history a three-ring circus

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on November 18, 2022.

sports@medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews

For years, the Toronto Argonauts have resembled a three-ring circus rather than a rowing club.

First, there was Red Story, followed by the Gold Dust twins. There was Heisman winner, Joe Theismann and Thunder Thornton. Toronto released Tom Wilkinson and Peter Liske who went on to hall-of-fame careers with Edmonton and Calgary because they physically didn’t look like quarterbacks. Then came Leo Cahil, followed by Ralph Sazio and Pinball, then John Candy, Wayne Gretzkey, the Rocket Man, and Ricky Ray. Whew! You couldn’t make this stuff up.

Since the first Grey Cup was staged in 1909 at Toronto Rosedale Field, the Argonauts have appeared in the national classic 23 times, winning 17. Other Toronto based teams, like of U of T and Balmy Beach played for the championship on 13 occasions with seven victories. The Argos won 10 titles between 1914 and 1952 after which they experienced 30 years of rough sailing.

If the first Grey Cup hero was Winnipeg’s Fritzie Hanson in 1935, next up was Alvin “Red” Storey in the 1938 match against Winnipeg. Nailed to the bench for most of the game, his team trailing the Bombers 7-6 in the Fourth Quarter, Coach Lew Hayman finally sent him in. He scored three touchdowns in less than 12 minutes to win 30-7. Storey did very little before or after that day, instead going on to fame as an NHL referee.

The stars of the ’40’s were the Gold Dust twins, Joe Krol and Royal Copeland. After he was cut by Detroit, Windsor native Krol signed with the Argos in 1945. He made his debut against Montreal throwing four touchdown passes to Copeland. He led the Argos to three straight titles over Winnipeg, 1945-47. In the 1947 Grey Cup, Copeland lined up on the flank slightly behind Krol who punted the ball toward the sideline. Copeland raced downfield, caught it on the run and got to the 1-yard line.

Those three teams were the last comprised solely of Canadians. They were coached by Canadian Teddy Morris. When American Frank Clair arrived on the scene, prejudiced against Canadians, Krol seldom played.

In 1950 the Argos hosted Winnipeg in the Mud Bowl. The slop was so bad onlookers thought Bomber lineman Bud Tinsely was drowning. “Not so,” he told me years later. Toronto won 13-0 because quarterback Al Dekdebrun taped thumbtacks to his hands. and could grip the ball better than his counterpart Jack Jacobs.

The Argos languished in the basement during the Sixties until Leo Cahill, the greatest promoter the game has ever known arrived on Bay Street. By signing stars like Bill Symons, Jim Corrigal, Mel Profit, he made the team competitive and dramatically increased attendance. In 1968 they lost the Eastern final to Ottawa. The following year, they led the Eastern two-game total point final 22-14, moving Cahill to proclaim before the rematch, “Only an act of God can keep us from winning the game.” God 32, Leo 3.

They finally made it the Grey Cup in 1971. Calgary hadn’t won since 1948, Toronto 1952 On a rain-swept field in Vancouver, the Stamps up 14-11 late in the game, Toronto had the ball at the enemy 14. On second-and-7, Cahill called for a sweep to get in front of the goal posts for a game-tying field goal. Star back Leon McQuay, fumbled, Larry Robinson recovered and preserved the lead. Said Cahill: “Leon slipped and I fell.”

Argo fortunes improved in the 80s when Ticat executive Ralph Sazio was lured to Toronto. He hired a nobody in Bob O’Billovich who got the Argos into three Grey Cups. In 1991, Wayne Gretzy, John Candy and Bruce McNall bought the team, signed Notre Dame sensation Rocket Ishmail and beat Calgary in the 1991 Grey Cup. Next came Don Matthews and Doug Flutie winning Cups in 1996-97. Despite such exciting stars, a year later the team was bankrupt.

But more glory awaited when the beloved Pinball Clemons became the first black coach to win the Cup in 2004. In 2012 Ricky Ray won the 100th Grey Cup over Calgary, repeating the feat in 2017. What’s next?

Recently, allowing he had accomplished everything in the NFL, Tom Brady said he would like to give the CFL a try. Tom, do we have the team for you. ARRRGO!

Graham Kelly has covered the CFL for the Medicine Hat News for 50 years. Feedback for this column can be emailed to sports@medicinehatnews.com