My Double Blue Room

[argofandave]

Yes, my helmet clock is broke again...but I will get it repaired. I think I bought my boat logo flag in 1986? I think Lester Brown was our primary RB...I imagine all my parphernailia pales in comparison to what you own Paul...thanks for the kind words.

I know exactly when and where I bought my Argo boat logo flag. It was at CNE Stadium during halftime of game 2 of the 2 game total point East Final against the Ticats. I was so happy that the Argos were going to play in the 1986 Grey Cup game that I just had to buy a flag...............

[paulwoods13]

I know exactly when and where I bought my Argo boat logo flag. It was at CNE Stadium during halftime of game 2 of the 2 game total point East Final against the Ticats. I was so happy that the Argos were going to play in the 1986 Grey Cup game that I just had to buy a flag...............

So it was your damn fault -- ya had to go and jinx things!

[gilthethrill]

I know exactly when and where I bought my Argo boat logo flag. It was at CNE Stadium during halftime of game 2 of the 2 game total point East Final against the Ticats. I was so happy that the Argos were going to play in the 1986 Grey Cup game that I just had to buy a flag...............

I bought mine before kickoff of the 1984 of game 2 of game 2 total ,again, against Hamilton..Felix Wright came away with 4 pics on that rainy afternoon...(sorry Paul)...I remember lying to my mom about how much it cost...

[argofandave]

So it was your damn fault -- ya had to go and jinx things!

I was there with my best friend at the time who was a Ticat fan. I did not show him my new flag.

[ArgoRavi]

Was Lester Brown still with the team in '86? I thought he only played the 1 year in '84 (IIRC scored 18 TD's). I remember the Argos finishing the '86 season with William Miller who had previous good seasons with the Bombers.

The Argos started the '86 season with Craig Ellis as their RB but, although he played quite well, he was replaced by Cedric Minter in mid-season after Minter returned from the Jets. Minter was then injured and that is when Miller took over IIRC.

[paulwoods13]

I bought mine before kickoff of the 1984 of game 2 of game 2 total ,again, against Hamilton..Felix Wright came away with 4 pics on that rainy afternoon...(sorry Paul)...I remember lying to my mom about how much it cost...

Not sure if you mean 1986 (two-game total points) or 1984 (one-game EF). If it's 1984, I came home from that game and slammed the front door so hard that the glass shattered. Grrr.

I was living out west in 1986 and had to watch the collapse from a 25-point lead on TV.

[gilthethrill]

Not sure if you mean 1986 (two-game total points) or 1984 (one-game EF). If it's 1984, I came home from that game and slammed the front door so hard that the glass shattered. Grrr.

I was living out west in 1986 and had to watch the collapse from a 25-point lead on TV.

I recall you posting about the front door incident...I like that...I meant 1984..that was a 2 game total point total was it not? Joe Barnes final game in Double Blue, I think he had a blowout with OB about the offensive play calling. I honestly have zero recall of 1986 playoff collapse..

[AngeloV]

I recall you posting about the front door incident...I like that...I meant 1984..that was a 2 game total point total was it not? Joe Barnes final game in Double Blue, I think he had a blowout with OB about the offensive play calling. I honestly have zero recall of 1986 playoff collapse..

Paul is correct. 1984 was not a 2 game total point series. It is however the game in which Obie jumped the shark as a head coach. I'll never forget the last play of regulation time in that game. It was tied and the Argos were on the 41 yard line. Rather than let Ilesic try a 48 yard FG, he tried to punt for a single.

[ArgoRavi]

Paul is correct. 1984 was not a 2 game total point series. It is however the game in which Obie jumped the shark as a head coach. I'll never forget the last play of regulation time in that game. It was tied and the Argos were on the 41 yard line. Rather than let Ilesic try a 48 yard FG, he tried to punt for a single.

Which is probably a big reason why Paul slammed his door. Ilesic could be erratic on field goals but he was the type of kicker who would be more likely to succeed from 48 and miss from 24. I remember I was ticked off after that game as well. The '84 Grey Cup would have been much more exciting with the Argos against Winnipeg than it ended being with the Bombers shellacking Hamilton 47-17. That is much like last year where I am convinced that we would have had a classic Grey Cup with the Argos in it as opposed to what we ended up with.

gilthethrill, if you managed to wipe that '86 East Final out of your memory bank, kudos to you. The Argos led the two-game total point series by 26 in the second quarter but ended up blowing it with Hamilton winning 59-56. In '84, Hamilton beat Toronto 14-13 in OT. You are correct that Felix Wright had four INTs in that game including one early in the game with the Argos threatening to take a two TD lead. That seemed to turn the game around.

[Will]

If O'Billovich jumped the shark as Argo head coach in 1984 then he was certainly given a long period of decline.

[Gill The Thrill]

Obie did a good from '86 to '88. The team went 35-18-1 during those 3 seasons, finished first 2 of those 3 seasons but only made the Grey Cup in the year they finished 2nd to Winnipeg in '87. They lost the final 2 Eastern Finals they hosted at the CNE inluding game 2 of that 1986 debacle. I actually remember leaving the radio (thank you blackout) and going to play ball hockey because I could tell the Argos had given Hamilton all the momentum before halftime of that 2nd game and would eventually lose by 17.

By the way Angelo, if you think the best thing for the early 80's Argos was Joe Barnes injury or bruised buttocks, then one could say the best thing for the Argos in Grey Cup '83 was for Holloway to be sick all week leading up to the game and to not play well in the first half. This lead to Barnes coming off the bench to lead them to victory. In hindsight, Barnes was right about Obie's offensive playcalling, I remember the front page of the Toronto Sun on the Monday following that 1984 EF loss showing Barnes in his civvies walking out of the Argo dressing room with the headline already announcing his departure, something along the lines of "so long Joe," or something like that.

[AngeloV]

Obie did a good from '86 to '88. The team went 35-18-1 during those 3 seasons, finished first 2 of those 3 seasons but only made the Grey Cup in the year they finished 2nd to Winnipeg in '87. They lost the final 2 Eastern Finals they hosted at the CNE inluding game 2 of that 1986 debacle. I actually remember leaving the radio (thank you blackout) and going to play ball hockey because I could tell the Argos had given Hamilton all the momentum before halftime of that 2nd game and would eventually lose by 17.

By the way Angelo, if you think the best thing for the early 80's Argos was Joe Barnes injury or bruised buttocks, then one could say the best thing for the Argos in Grey Cup '83 was for Holloway to be sick all week leading up to the game and to not play well in the first half. This lead to Barnes coming off the bench to lead them to victory. In hindsight, Barnes was right about Obie's offensive playcalling, I remember the front page of the Toronto Sun on the Monday following that 1984 EF loss showing Barnes in his civvies walking out of the Argo dressing room with the headline already announcing his departure, something along the lines of "so long Joe," or something like that.

And in the '88 Eastern final, Obie benched Darryl K. Smith and for some reason started Danny Barrett as his starting slotback. Despite his regular season success over the years you mention, he made a lot of curious decision regarding personnel.

As for Barnes, I highly doubt the Argos would have had the overall success they did from 82-84 if he continued to be the starter. Barnes was a great back-up, but nowhere near the QB that Holloway was.

[Gill The Thrill]

And in the '88 Eastern final, Obie benched Darryl K. Smith and for some reason started Danny Barrett as his starting slotback. Despite his regular season success over the years you mention, he made a lot of curious decision regarding personnel.

As for Barnes, I highly doubt the Argos would have had the overall success they did from 82-84 if he continued to be the starter. Barnes was a great back-up, but nowhere near the QB that Holloway was.

Was about to write that Renfroe started at QB, but re-read that you wrote he started at SB for DK Smith. For some reason Obie loved Danny Barrett and had his issues with Smith who was one of my favourites and one of the better receivers I've seen in an Argo uniform...(i'd rank him higher than Mookie Mitchell who may have had better numbers but gave up on the team when it was no longer stacked imo, to the point of not even visibly trying when Huard was coach. Even though the situation was bad, you should always be a pro and he was not imo)

I remember Barrett was horrible in the '87 opener vs Winnipeg despite playing a team that only had one day to prep to play the Argos because the original schedule had the Alouettes coming into town to start the season. The Alouettes announced their folding the day before the game and the league forced Winnipeg who probably originally had the bye in Week 1 to fly in and maintain the Argos home date. Anyways Barrett was pulled after the first half with the Argos down 21 at 34-13. Rookie John Congemi had to come in for the 2nd half and the Argos got close but lost 38-30.

I went to that game but stupidly threw away that ticket stub which would have been interesting to keep since the pre-printed stubs in those days still listed the Montreal Alouettes as the opponent.

Barnes was different from Holloway which is why they made a good tandem and Obie kept defences guessing by rotating them during a game from time to time as his way to throw off defences. Remember he was more than a capable starter
on some strong Alouette teams in the late 70's.

[Will]

The 1988 team would be discussed among the best Argo teams of all time had it gone all the way.

[Gill The Thrill]

The 1988 team would be discussed among the best Argo teams of all time had it gone all the way.

A year later, in 1989, the Edmonton Eskimos also pulled an "el choko" in the Division Final after going 16-2 in the regular season and losing 32-21 to the SaSkatchewan Roughrides, who like Winnipeg the previous year went 9-9 and won the Grey Cup.