August 12, 2014: Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Toronto Argonauts

[ArgoRavi]

Hey, if they make the post season, the Argos would get their October dates bumped wouldn't they?

According to Curtis Rush in the Star, the Argos could be greatly inconvenienced in October if the Jays make the playoffs: http://www.thestar.com/sports/argos/..._playoffs.html

[1argoholic]

IF the jays make the playoffs. Karma will keep them and Rogers out of the playoffs until they learn how to respect The Toronto Argonauts. I'll be cheering against them. Plus I'm sick of seeing all the 20 something band wagon jumpers wearing their jays crap.

Should they somehow creep in I'll be pissed. I used to be a HUGE jays fan but that has disappeared between all of the steroid, salary and Argo treatment issues I have with baseball and Rogers. Once we get out of that dome I will never enter it again unless it's for Grey Cup.

[Will]

According to Curtis Rush in the Star, the Argos could be greatly inconvenienced in October if the Jays make the playoffs: http://www.thestar.com/sports/argos/..._playoffs.html

Well they did plenty in Seattle to make this possibility increasingly null.

[paulwoods13]

The Jays are almost certainly not going to be playing in October, so this won't be an issue. But I've been worried about the possibility since the schedule came out, and I am deeply concerned that the Argos do not in fact have a serious Plan B in mind yet, just in case it's needed after all. The clock is ticking.

On TSN's telecast last night, they mentioned something about Milanovich being very happy with Laing's play. IIRC, he might have said that Laing has been their top defensive lineman but don't quote me on this last point.

To clarify my earlier comments, I'm not saying Laing is playing badly; I'm saying I have not seen a lot that distinguishes him as excelling. A lot of that is my inability to properly rate the effectiveness of DTs -- they are much harder to evaluate than pass-rushing DEs, IMO. But even if he has been our best and most consistent d-lineman this year, I think it's fair to say he has not played at the level of Armond Armstead or Eric Taylor. And the fact remains that (at least on Tuesday) he was subbed out a fair bit and appeared, to me at least, to be on the field for fewer snaps than Harrell.

[Mulder]

The Jays are almost certainly not going to be playing in October, so this won't be an issue. But I've been worried about the possibility since the schedule came out, and I am deeply concerned that the Argos do not in fact have a serious Plan B in mind yet, just in case it's needed after all. The clock is ticking.

The bigger issue comes next year with the Pan-Am games. I fear the Argos will be kicked out of the Dome between 2 weeks before, during & 2 weeks after the event. For the Jays, to prepare for the events & opening & closing ceremonies, and the Jays afterward. We'll know more when the Jays schedule comes out in September. But the Argos could be homeless the entire first 6 weeks of the season. Yikes!

[Will]

The problem is, Paul, is that there is no Plan B. When the Alouettes were kicked out of Stade Olympique for U2 at least there was Percival Molson Stadium for them to go to even if the tree was growing through the stands. No such contingency exists in Toronto.

[gilthethrill]

The bigger issue comes next year with the Pan-Am games. I fear the Argos will be kicked out of the Dome between 2 weeks before, during & 2 weeks after the event. For the Jays, to prepare for the events & opening & closing ceremonies, and the Jays afterward. We'll know more when the Jays schedule comes out in September. But the Argos could be homeless the entire first 6 weeks of the season. Yikes!

On the topic of the Pan Am games next year, will Hamilton be forced out of THF for a similar amount of time?

[Argo57]

On the topic of the Pan Am games next year, will Hamilton be forced out of THF for a similar amount of time?

Commonwealth games this year-Pan Am Games next year, complete waste of time IMO.

[paulwoods13]

On the topic of the Pan Am games next year, will Hamilton be forced out of THF for a similar amount of time?

For sure THF will be closed to the Tiger-Cats for about a month. I'm not so sure about Rogers Centre -- I don't think there is too much scheduled there for the Pan-Ams but could be wrong.

[AngeloV]

Commonwealth games this year-Pan Am Games next year, complete waste of time IMO.

I'm even starting to think that way of the olympics. Every 4 years some country spends money that they never are able to make back to provide for the freeloaders that are the IOC. I would love it if no country bid for the games. It would be interesting to see if the IOC would fund the games themselves.

[ArgoRavi]

I'm even starting to think that way of the olympics. Every 4 years some country spends money that they never are able to make back to provide for the freeloaders that are the IOC. I would love it if no country bid for the games. It would be interesting to see if the IOC would fund the games themselves.

It is even questionable how much of a legacy the Olympics leaves a host city. Athens hosted ten years ago and their facilities are neglected and crumbling. The same people who want the NFL in Toronto tend to be the ones who want a summer Olympics for the city as well.

[argolio]

On TSN's telecast last night, they mentioned something about Milanovich being very happy with Laing's play. IIRC, he might have said that Laing has been their top defensive lineman but don't quote me on this last point.

I think he's being kind to Laing if that's what he said. Okpalaugo has not only been our best d-lineman, but also arguably our best player so far this season.

[Argo57]

It is even questionable how much of a legacy the Olympics leaves a host city. Athens hosted ten years ago and their facilities are neglected and crumbling. The same people who want the NFL in Toronto tend to be the ones who want a summer Olympics for the city as well.

I saw a feature on that the other day, Billions of dollars and 10 years the place looks like the Ancient ruins..... No thank you!!

[argotom]

I saw a feature on that the other day, Billions of dollars and 10 years the place looks like the Ancient ruins..... No thank you!!

Absolutely no legacy for any games, especially ones that no one will watch or will attend, save family and friends.
And this fiasco will likely cost in excess of $4B.
What a wast of taxpayers dollars and no one will pay the political price here.

[argotom]

According to Curtis Rush in the Star, the Argos could be greatly inconvenienced in October if the Jays make the playoffs: http://www.thestar.com/sports/argos/..._playoffs.html

Let's get realistic here.
The way the Crap Jays have been playing of late, there is absolutely no chance of them making it.
Even if by chance a wild card position was had, all this means is they would go to Oakland or LA to lose the one game and your out.

[Wobbler]

This is off topic, obviously, but the GDT is done, so...

I'm even starting to think that way of the olympics. Every 4 years some country spends money that they never are able to make back to provide for the freeloaders that are the IOC. I would love it if no country bid for the games. It would be interesting to see if the IOC would fund the games themselves.

Is the point of hosting the Olympics to make money? I don't think so. Cities (and their nations) compete to host in order to demonstrate wealth and power, and are willing to lose money (in the short term at least) and inconvenience their residents to do so. Much of the infrastructure expenditure is wasted, always, but that's inevitable; there's a reason that urban planners tend to prefer a steady budget rather than periodic cash avalanches.

I'm a fan of the Olympics, obviously, and I'd be quite happy if Toronto eventually hosts. Not so much because I think the city needs to burnish its already fine reputation, but because helping to support this institution is a privilege. The IOC is a pretty shady group, but the Olympic games are something humanity should be proud of.

[Invader]

The bigger issue comes next year with the Pan-Am games. I fear the Argos will be kicked out of the Dome between 2 weeks before, during & 2 weeks after the event. For the Jays, to prepare for the events & opening & closing ceremonies, and the Jays afterward. We'll know more when the Jays schedule comes out in September. But the Argos could be homeless the entire first 6 weeks of the season. Yikes!

Too bad MLSE didn't go along with their CEO Leiweke's original plan to relocate the Argos to BMO for 2015. Now that's been pushed back to 2017 because of a $10 million shortfall? The Argos braintrust really needs to get on the ball here.

[Gill The Thrill]

Let's get realistic here.
The way the Crap Jays have been playing of late, there is absolutely no chance of them making it.
Even if by chance a wild card position was had, all this means is they would go to Oakland or LA to lose the one game and your out.

I noticed those weekend October dates myself...but the league schedule has done the Argos and their fans no favours also. No home games for 4 straight games with 2 bye weeks, and then 4 straight...that's ridiculous. That leaves enough time for casual football fans in September to settle into their NFL fix on Sundays and forget that the Argos even exist with them playing 4 straight road games in 6 weeks from late August and September.

I don't know if the dome only gives them these dates, but WTF, 2 home dates in 6 days and then no home games for six weeks until October with possible conflicts.

PS- I think the Jays are playing like a team for the first time in years and don't wish them ill will. They've played like a team and are playing smart baseball this season as far as moving runners up and playing hit and run ball. Considering their injuries, they're doing well to be in the race as they're not just depending on one or two guys to hit homers as they've done the last 10 years. Unfortunately their pitching may not have the depth to even get to that 1 game wild card playoff but as a sports fan and particularly a fan of baseball since I was a kid, it would be nice to see a meaningful September MLB game in Toronto.

Let's stick to wishing TFC ill-will because of the arrogance of their stupid fans that think they're entitled to BMO field even though it was meant to be used and built to house Canadian Football as well... Blue Jay fans may be indifferent to the Argos and the CFL, but unlike many soccer fans they don't ridicule the Argos and the CFL imo.

[Gill The Thrill]

According to Curtis Rush in the Star, the Argos could be greatly inconvenienced in October if the Jays make the playoffs: http://www.thestar.com/sports/argos/..._playoffs.html

The article said the Argos were on the road the last time the Jays were in the playoffs but there was one conflict in 1993. I believe (pretty sure) that the Argos had a scheduled home game on the day they won the World Series on October 23, 1993 vs Calgary. (may have been on Sunday the 24th, which would have been Game 7, if necessary of '93 World Series) The Argos and Stamps game was moved to Monday night, October 25 and it was a real low point in a horrid '93 Argo season. They were trounced 51-7, or 55-7 by the Flutie led Stampeders. As a matter of fact Flutie demolished the Argos at the dome for 3 consecutive seasons. 30-0 in 1992, on a game when Rocket Ismail was ejected for stomping on a Calgary player's head on the sideline. The 1994 game vs the Stamps at home was the only sports event at the time because it was after MLB had locked out the players and cancelled the season, thus no Blue Jays game. The Argos got killed 52-3. Thank god Ryckman could not afford Fluties personal services contract and sold his rights to the Argos because he was killing the franchise on the field.

In 1992, I remember the ARgos were in Sacramento on the same night the Jays won the World Series and lost a closer game than all the Calgary games, 36-24.

[paulwoods13]

I don't know if the dome only gives them these dates, but WTF, 2 home dates in 6 days and then no home games for six weeks until October with possible conflicts.

It's been widely reported that Rogers offered the Argos 11 or 12 dates, in total, from which to schedule nine home games. The Argos have the lowest priority among RC renters -- below concert promoters and others. It's been reported that they originally had first choice of dates, but Harry Ornest sold that to the Blue Jays, and it's also been reported that a few years ago someone with the Argos missed a deadline and they lost second right of refusal on dates. So that's how we end up with two home games in an 11-week span, probably the worst schedule in the history of pro football.