Argo passion (and a challenge to you)

[Mike Hogan]

I meant to reply to this a while back, but it's been busy of late...so here goes.

Argonaut11xx asked this question on the thread featuring the John Murphy story.

"Thanks for yet another great story Mike, Mind if i ask you to share with us how /when /why your passion for the Argonauts started? (me thinks it would be another great read)"

I'll answer if I get ten stories on this thread from people explaining how/when/why they're so passionate about the Argos. It's a great question, because in seasons like this one sometimes that passion gets challenged, even though we all know it's still there.

Ten contributions then I'll chime in...deal?

Hope you're all able to come out Saturday. We spend the winter dreaming about game days, and it's a hell of a long wait until June.

[ArgoZ]

Oct 27, 1991. 28 years ago this Saturday was my first CFL game between the Argonauts and Tiger-Cats at Ivor Wynne Stadium. The Argos were down 20-0 at the half but scored 39 second half points to win by 5. Watching Pinball’s juke moves for the first time was a fond memory. The double blue uniforms. I was hooked.

[1971GreyCup]

Incredibly, my passion for the Argos started before I was born. I’d argue it is in my DNA.


My grandfather was a WWI veteran that returned form the war and started attending Grey Cups shortly thereafter.


He had a son in 1925, my father, that joined him at Argos game, as long as he could remember. My father was a WWII veteran who returned and went to the University of Toronto on a GI bill. He and Mom’s dates often included Argos games at Varsity Stadium. Mom was the one who snuck the flask in.


Family lore has it that in the early 50s my grandfather had a heart attack listening to the Argos game (Which I can now understand). His MD, who lived just around the corner, grabbed his bag, and walked over. Before my grandfather would be examined he insisted on bringing the MD up to speed on the Argos offensive plays he missed his way over.


I’m a baby boomer and was born in the late 50s. My early youth memories were the Argos season tickets we owned when my father and his father attended those games in the lean years. In 1969, my grandfather started to go downhill and couldn’t attend the games. I filled in for my grandfather and Dad & I attended games together up to, and including, the 1982 Grey Cup.


My father started to go downhill in 1983. It was a highlight for me to watch the 1983 Grey Cup with him in his hospital room. I was thrilled the Argos finally won it again for him and so was he! He passed away a few weeks later.


When my son was born the passion was rekindled in me and together we’ve had this common passion to this day.

[shayman]

I ran the Warriors band at Waterloo when I was a student in the late 1970s. Just a bunch of goofballs blowing off steam in a tough academic program. Despite many years of frustrating football, we had a great time in the band supporting our team through thick and (a lot of) thin. (Losing 72-0 to Western, but having our band outnumber and outplay the Western band in London was a personal highlight.)

I always wanted to do that again. Supporting football with friends was fun. And the CFL seemed like the perfect league. (and as a kid, I always knew the CFL was special because the Grey Cup game was the one time a year you were allowed to eat your dinner while watching the TV.)

A league full of regular people rather than multimillionaires. A league where I can cheer for my city when it plays against other Canadian cities and where we can pretend that proves something about which city is better. A league where my grandfather's great friend Jojo Stirrett, who sold him the property in 1949 on lake huron where our family cottage now sits, turned out to have played for the 1922 Grey Cup Champion Toronto Argonauts.

And a league where the Argos responded to a cold call in 1994 by saying "A band? Um ... Sure, that's a great idea so long as it doesn't cost us anything. Go for it." I'll be forever grateful.

[Mike Hogan]

Three spectacular stories! Keep 'em coming!!!!!

[Will]

Having been born in 1987, it hasn't always been easy being an Argos fan in Toronto especially when you can struggle to identify ten of your classmates as being interested in the Canadian Football League but I digress.

My fandom for the Toronto Argonauts started in the early 1990's and it family was the significant factor. My parents are both from Montreal and moved to Ontario in the late 1970's when the Parti Quebecois took over and the separatism issue started to become more prevalent. Their passion for Montreal sports teams didn't really go away though. My father grew up as an Ottawa Rough Rider fan in the 1960's because of Russ Jackson. He claims he was able to go to the 1969 Grey Cup at the Autostade (Jackson's last game) by himself at age 13. This was in spite of there being threats from the FLQ. His father (my grandfather) was born in Saskatchewan and always had a spot in his heart for the Huskies (his alma mater) and the Alouettes. They were season ticket holders at Olympic Stadium when it first opened and when the Als used to get close to 70,000 fans in some instances. They both moved to Toronto at around the same time and they would still go to games at Exhibition Stadium. My dad told me that he and my grandfather were supposed to attend the season opener between the Toronto Argonauts and the Montreal Alouettes. But, somehow by the time the game was supposed to occur the opponent had become the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as the Alouettes had folded. Although, the Als didn't exist from 1987 to 1995, he didn't really let that allow his passion for the CFL to go away.

My maternal grandfather was an interesting case. Born in Montreal, he absolutely refused to cheer for any Montreal sports teams and that includes the Canadiens. He was a Blackhawks fan and my mother said that one time he took her to the Forum and cheered for the Atlanta Flames. His CFL loyalty was with the Ottawa Rough Riders and he had season ticket holders for a time at Lansdowne Park as my great-grandparents lived across the street on Echo Drive. Conversely, my grandmother was an Alouettes fan. He passed away in 2007, but was still watching CFL in spite of the Rough Riders and Renegades folding.

I assume I started attending Argo games with my mother, father and grandfather in the early 1990's. Due to boating/cottage season we'd only attend games in the fall probably (or weekday games), and the funny thing is my father seems to claim that I didn't enjoy football at first and that I wanted "to go home." I don't really remember any games from 1991, but I do think I was there for some of them. The first Argo game I remember was the game where Calgary shut them out in 1992.

I was into football throughout the 1990's and early 2000's, but not to the same extent as I am now. But, then 2004 happened and we did what we usually did, started to go to games in the fall, but noticed the attendance increase and that the atmosphere had changed at SkyDome. So we decided to get season tickets for the 2005 season.

So to summarize, the CFL was introduced to me through family, but what cemented my fandom for good was:
i. Discovering 13thman.com in 2004 and by extension this site.
ii. The Argos winning the 2004 Grey Cup championship which was the significant factor in my family finally becoming season ticket holders.
iii. I just love football!

[Antwon]

I was 12 in 1980 and basically a Ti-Cat fan because of my parents(lived in Burlington). I think I’d been to one or two games by then and was playing football. The TV always had a football game on and I remember watching an Ottawa-Toronto game in 1980. And something about the Ottawa QB caught my attention. He scrambled around, great arm and tough as hell. Condredge Holloway. I remember Jim Corrigall hammering him and I think knocking him out of the game. Well that off season Holloway came to the hapless Argos and I told my dad they were my team! And they still are through good and bad.

[ArgoGabe22]

2004 Argos vs BC Lions. Brother suggested we go check the CFL out since were big sports fans. Had a real hate for football but fell in love on first sight. As a recent ex-Westerner at the time with a hate for Toronto, I was cheering for the Lions all the way to the Cup. Argos came to my school with the cup, and then our school attended practice in ‘05. I then followed my hometown Stamps more closely than the local Argos for a bit and then it just made sense to follow the Argos. Even if I moved out back West to Calgary, I would definitely identify as an Argos fan. I’m all in.

[gilthethrill]

A simple birthday gift from my mom when I turned 14. A Terry Metcalfe jersey from the Simpson Sears catalogue. I had not yet begun to watch football, but this Double Blue jersey captivated me for some reason.

The only reason my mom chose this jersey was because it was blue, my favourite colour. To this day I am thankful she didn't pick that black and gold jersey that was on the same page. I shudder at the thought of that.😁

[argofandave]

I became a CFL fan because my father was a CFL fan. He was born near Ottawa and was an Ottawa Rough Riders fan. I was born in Oakville in 1958 and became an Argos fan but I don't remember exactly when. The first game that I can remember watching on TV was the 1968 Grey Cup game. The first Argo game that I attended was in 1976 but the first CFL game that I attended was in Hamilton in 1972. My father never took me to a CFL game but he did take me to a few Queen's at U of Toronto games in the early 1970's since he was a Queen's grad and that also made me a fan of Canadian university football. The CFL was so popular when I was in high school (1972-77), that it was hard not to be a fan of the league.

[paulwoods13]

I didn't follow any sports for the first 10 or so years of my life, then got interested in baseball, football and hockey around the same time. My dad was a big Argo fan (he was born and raised in Guelph; my mom grew up in Mount Dennis), so Argo games were often on our black-and-white TV in the late 1960s. I got very excited about how cool some of the Argos were -- some of them like Mel Profit and Bobby Taylor even had long hair, unlike every other adult apart from the musicians I was also enamoured with.

I fell away from the team (and sports in general) in high school. In my first year of university, I devoured the sports pages of the Globe and Mail (including the legendary columnist Scott Young) and for some reason I decided just as the 1976 season was coming to an end that I was going to go all in with the Argos and make them my particular sporting passion. I started clipping stories and gluing them into scrapbooks (the latter activity ending in 1978, the former continuing to this day). I subscribed to the monthly (ad-packed) Argo News. I bought a couple of Leo's Back t-shirts. I fell completely in love with the Double Blue colour scheme and the uniform design that was in effect from 1977 to 1980. The rest is history.

I now own what I am 100% certain is the world's largest (and most insane) collection of newspaper stories about the Argos and CFL, stretching back more than four decades: mostly uncatalogued clippings and pages and sections that fill dozens and dozens of banker's boxes. Also hundreds of Argo games (and playoff and Grey Cup games) recorded originally on VHS, now digitized. Even a few dozen audio cassettes of Argos stuff, mostly players and coaches appearing on CFRB's Sportsline, which was the sole hour of sports-talk radio that existed here in the early 1980s.

To be honest I pay a lot less attention to the rest of the league than I used to, but my passion for the Argos has never waned -- not even in the lousy seasons, not even when the colours were wrong. I'm here to stay.

[GregR]

Late 60's / early 70's as a kid I remember listening to Argo games on my transistor radio, while throwing a football to myself and making amazing plays in the back yard. The odd game my father took me to Exhibition Stadium. And of course collecting football cards - Jim Corrigal, Joe Theisman, Bill Symons and all the greats of my youth. And then the memories that will stay forever like Leon McQuay fumbling the football in the Grey Cup - it crushed me.

[Argo57]

My father is a lifelong Argonaut fan who passed it along to me and my brother.
He took us to our first game in the mid 1970’s and TBH I had no idea way at was going on.
Enjoyed the likes of Leo Cahill, Jim Corrigall, Granny Liggins, Terry Metcalf Paul Bennett and Bruce Clark.
Although the Argonauts were largely inept during this period I was hooked.
In 1981 I went to several games with friends from high school and watched Holloway, Gaddis and Greer at receiver and again although they weren’t good at all we always had hope that one of these years they could actually win.
My father got season seats for the 1982 season and what a magical ride 82 and 83 turned out to be.
Admittedly I was obsessed with all things Argonaut including daily jaunts to the Toronto Sun newspaper box to read up on the team.
My moods were decidedly better for the week following a win and miserable following a loss, I still remember most of those rosters as the rosters tended to be more stable back in those days.
Above all these games were all about quality time with my father (who is now 83 and threatens to boycott the team after every loss but miraculously manages to watch every game).
As I have previously posted many times I have passed along my passion for CFL football onto my 16 year old son who by some genetic mutation decided that Hamilton is his team😡.
Kidding aside I’m enjoying going to Argonaut (and several Ticat) games with him while it is still cool to be with his old man👍
Shout out to the members of this site who have become great friends that we now enjoy sitting with during home games, sucks that we are heading into a long off season.

[OV Argo]

Born & raised in Ottawa - never been explained to me how i became a big Argo fan - growing up with big CFL & Ottawa Rough Rider fans in the family (my Uncle Ed was from Hamilton - played for the Hamilton Tigers i think - before they merged to become the Ticats and ended up in Ottawa to play a couple of seasons for the Rough Riders; ended up marrying my Moms sister and raised a family here and went on to become the first ever HC of the Carleton Ravens football program); maybe adopted the Argos as my football team cause my dad was a Leafs fan, so i picked Toronto É

Anyhow - told this story here before - Dick Shatto was my 1st football hero as a young lad, and so one of my parents wrote a letter to the Argos & Dick explaining this - then not long after, one weekend day - my Mom answered the phone and the voice on the other end said: hi, this is Dick Shatto, can i speak to Mike; my Mom says she nearly dropped the phone in shock, but explained i was not home; subsequently, after that weekend Ottawa vs. Argo game that my Dad took me to, circa early to mid 60s (vaguely recall being razzed by Ottawa fans for wearing some Argo gear), we received a letter from Dick Shatto - thanking me for being a fan and saying a TD he scored that game was for me ... what a thrill for a young sports fan - sure wish we had saved that letter as a souvenir, but alas no; how many big sports stars these days would take the time and care to reply that way to a young fan.

Thanks Dick Shatto - my first of many Argo heroes (go Pinball - another - now to restore Argo glory); Argos forever ... pull together !!!

[Al&Kat]

started for me because of my Dad who loved the CFL, and watching games with him on TV (CBC and CTV)
Then high school in the 70's and my younger brother playing QB and choosing to wear #2 for Tom Clements
of the Riders. Argos signing Russ Jackson as head coach and me meeting Russ at a luncheon my Dad took me to.
University in 78 to 82 and being able to pay myself and go to games at the Ex. Best memory there for me will always be
at a game in the late 70's when Gill Fenerty was unstoppable and ran for something like 200 yards even though
everybody in the place that night knew he was getting the ball, over and over again.
Then the move to SkyDome which was like a Fantasy place to me, and the intro to Canada of the Pinner.
I had to take the plunge to become a STH at that point.
The forgettable 1994 Argo team but with a local guy from Lindsay Carl Coulter on the team, who worked for our little town
in the off-season in our rec dept. Carl got me into the Players family lounge before a game, got to explore parts of the
SkyDome I had never been in.
Staying at the SkyDome hotel the night before a game, then riding in the elevator with some BC Lions players
on their way down to the hotel workout room...
The see-you-on-the-field events post-game, walking on the SkyDome turf.
so many great memories, will always be there for you Argos.

[ArgoGabe22]

Your turn, Hoagie.

[Mike Hogan]

Great stories all, and mine is similar to most of you in terms of how I started cheering for the Argos.

Simple. Their uniforms were blue. It was, and still is, my favourite colour. My favourite teams in my youngest days were the Argos, Rams, Sabres and Expos, with the latter being my biggest love.

My love affair with football started by going to Queen's games. To a kid, seeing 12,000 at a sporting event in Kingston was unique. The students were singing and dancing throughout the game, they had weird all-gold uniforms, and won a lot. I've always loved going to live football games.

When I got to high school I couldn't wait to play organized football for the first time. It opened my eyes to how the game really worked and improved my passion for the sport a thousand fold. In grade 10 I had my choice of numbers and picked 21 for Terry Metcalfe. We had blue and white uniforms...it fit.

I watched the Argos from afar, and as high-school turned to college the Holloway-Greer-Obie era was in full swing. It made me even more passionate.

But things changed when I moved here in '92. I loved going to games, it was...and still is...my favourite thing to do in Toronto. The Argos were the only Toronto team I genuinely loved, and it got frustrating when I'd try to talk Argos on the radio station when the calls weren't great, or there at all. I started doing the Football Sunday show on the Fan, and my first co-host was Leo Cahill, followed by some appearances by Granny Liggins, then it was Lance Chomyc, then Chris Schultz.

The longer I was in Toronto, the closer I was getting to the organization, and the more frustrated I was getting that media coverage wasn't what I thought the team and league deserved.

The more I tried to talk Argos on the air, the more people would try to talk me out of it. Attendance was getting worse and the media coverage was getting less and less. I thought about what to do, but the more intense my love affair with the organization became, the more determined I got to preach the gospel and let the professional chips fall where they may.

Getting named the play-by-play broadcaster in 2000 is something I never dreamed would happen. When I was in college, my goal was to become a sportscaster on a Toronto radio station, it was where the best in my former business ended up. But there were no all-sports radio stations back in the day, and I honestly never dreamt for a second that I'd ever get the chance to do Argo PxP...it honestly never entered my mind once.

It's a position I hold with pride, and I respect the chair every time I call a game. It's an honour I don't take lightly.

Still, even with the PxP title, there was always pushback at the radio stations, with perhaps the most confusing moment being when I was told by a boss to not have Ricky Ray on the station again because he found him too boring. I'm not making that up.

I wear with pride that I had one ownership group, and one management group try to get me off the air, or have my opinions reined in, simply because during a play-by-play broadcast Pete Martin and I would be critical, discussing why the team wasn't playing well. I've always been an honest Argo fan, and I hope my passion has showed over the broadcast, while at the same time being critical when the team deserved it. IMO constructive criticism is never a bad thing. It's also tough to be positive when the team is getting blown out.

Now I have a dream job. I still get to call the games, but also have a voice that's heard within the organizational walls. I see firsthand how hard people are working to right this ship both on the field and in the stands. The focus on attracting younger fans will continue, you may have noticed several hundred youth football players at the Ottawa game, while some of you saw video of me addressing a group of new Canadians, something I've done twice this year, and there have been many more of those groups who have come to games.

My passion is burning stronger than it ever has, and now you know why. I hope that all of you who have felt a deep love of this team continue to support us (yes, it still seems weird saying "us"), and continue to come to games. Help us cultivate the next generation of Argo fans. Our goal is to make sure people have fun when they go to the games, find it a cheap night out, and be entertained, not only by what's happening on the field, but in the stadium during breaks. You can ALWAYS send me a PM here and I will promise a response. I need your eyes and ears to help us improve our game-day experience, I'm kind of busy doing the PxP. LOL

We're going to turn this thing around and I hope you're a part of it. For the first time we sell out the current configuration. For the first time we open the upper deck on the east side. For the first time we sell out the entire stadium. For the next time we win a Grey Cup.

Pull together.

[gilthethrill]

I think I speak on behalf of all Argo fans when I say that the team could not have been more blessed to have you Hoagie in their employ. Better times ahead.

[paulwoods13]

I think I speak on behalf of all Argo fans when I say that the team could not have been more blessed to have you Hoagie in their employ. Better times ahead.

Hear, hear!

[shayman]

Hear, hear!

So say we all!