83 Argo GC D

[Tobin Rote]

My recollection is the defensive line had Jim Corrigall and Wayne Smith at end, Ecomet Burley, Bruce Smith and Granny Liggins rotating through at tackle.

Ray Nettles was a ferocious, nasty middle linebacker, with Ron Foxx and Gord Knowlton/Rick Sowieta outside.

Secondary had a lot of ballhawks: Eric Harris and Jim Marshall at CB, Ike Thomas and "Peanut" Thomas (not sure -- that might have been the same guy, actually) at HB and Paul Bennett as a fantastic rookie safety.

Thank you Paul... and now that I see the names... that was one hell of a defensive unit for sure. Has there ever been a pair of Canadian defensive ends on one team that was better than Corrigal and Smith? Nettles was a beast... and I especially liked two of the younger NCAA grads on that defense... Eric Harris and Ecomet Burley. Paul Bennett has a major impact as a rookie as well. Good times!

I seem to recall Lorne Richardson playing quite a bit in that defensive backfield as well.

[paulwoods13]

Thank you Paul... and now that I see the names... that was one hell of a defensive unit for sure. Has there ever been a pair of Canadian defensive ends on one team that was better than Corrigal and Smith? Nettles was a beast... and I especially liked two of the younger NCAA grads on that defense... Eric Harris and Ecomet Burley. Paul Bennett has a major impact as a rookie as well. Good times!

I seem to recall Lorne Richardson playing quite a bit in that defensive backfield as well.

Yes, as you and OV both pointed out, Richardson was in there as well. I had forgotten about him. I think he played halfback and Bennett played safety, but not sure about that. There were two Thomases in the secondary, as I thought. "Peanut" must have been Dave (not to be confused with John Candy's running mate Dave Thomas). He played two games late that season as well as the playoff game. Ike Thomas played 11 games and the playoff game. I believe "Peanut" replaced Ike in the regular season, not sure how both guys managed to suit up for the playoff game alongside Marshall and Harris -- an import must have come out somewhere else that day.

[paulwoods13]

Who was the Argo GM that brought Holloway to Toronto in return for fine Canadian O-lineman Kevin Powell during the 81 offseason? Willie Wood wasn’t both HC and GM was he?

Tommy Hudspeth was the GM, but it was Willie who made the deal. Willie was the de facto head of football ops. Hudspeth's job was mostly contract negots.

[Will]

Yes, as you and OV both pointed out, Richardson was in there as well. I had forgotten about him. I think he played halfback and Bennett played safety, but not sure about that. There were two Thomases in the secondary, as I thought. "Peanut" must have been Dave (not to be confused with John Candy's running mate Dave Thomas). He played two games late that season as well as the playoff game. Ike Thomas played 11 games and the playoff game. I believe "Peanut" replaced Ike in the regular season, not sure how both guys managed to suit up for the playoff game alongside Marshall and Harris -- an import must have come out somewhere else that day.

The Star reported the day of the game that Leo Cahill was intending to use "Peanut" as a wide receiver.

The article (nor that day's sport section) did not list projected defensive starters beyond a d-line of Wayne Smith, Ecomet Burley, Granville Liggins and Jim Corrigall

[OV Argo]

Yes, as you and OV both pointed out, Richardson was in there as well. I had forgotten about him. I think he played halfback and Bennett played safety, but not sure about that. There were two Thomases in the secondary, as I thought. "Peanut" must have been Dave (not to be confused with John Candy's running mate Dave Thomas). He played two games late that season as well as the playoff game. Ike Thomas played 11 games and the playoff game. I believe "Peanut" replaced Ike in the regular season, not sure how both guys managed to suit up for the playoff game alongside Marshall and Harris -- an import must have come out somewhere else that day.

Maybe that hoser Dave Thomas dressed as an extra DB for that game; very hard to believe they would have sat down either of Richardson (4 straight seasons all-CFL before he came to the Argos) or Paul Bennett (all-CFL as a rookie that 77 season) for an inexperienced import; or, maybe one of the starting DB was injured and unable to go that play-off game ?

BTW - are there copies of games from that 77 season , and especially the play-off loss to Ottawa, out there ?; as I've pointed out before, my old Argo memories are not the greatest; I may have attended that game in Ottawa, or at least I would have wanted to and was too broke or too buzzed to get it together for tickets to that game ??? ;o)

77 Ottawa team was coming off a GC win in 76; still had Clements & Holloway at QB; Tony Gabriel as a force at TE/slot; and their offence also featured a rookie big, bruising fullback - Mike Murphy (Ottawa GGs) who put up 861 rushing yards + 483 receiving yards (over 1300 yards from scrimmage from a rookie fullback ? ! - those were the days when a fullback was often a force in a CFL offence)

[SkalbaniasGhost]

BTW - are there copies of games from that 77 season , and especially the play-off loss to Ottawa, out there ?; as I've pointed out before, my old Argo memories are not the greatest; I may have attended that game in Ottawa, or at least I would have wanted to and was too broke or too buzzed to get it together for tickets to that game ??? ;o)

Montreal vs Argos at the Big O
Tuesday Night Football
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSjpmhcSSL0

Two of the other games (BC,Edmonton) keep getting pulled down on Youtube for Copyright violations.
The league office fails again.

[Will]

Are we certain that it is the league issuing the copyright claims?

I know that Newton Minnowowski's 1st channel got taken down, but I always thought it was the NHL, MLB and NFL giving him trouble as opposed to the CFL.