Save Argos Legend Leo Cahill

[ArgoGabe22]

Former Toronto Argonauts coach and GM Leo Cahill is gravely ill and in need of financial help with medical expenses. The Atlanta hospital that has been treating him is discharging him today to a facility that will be unable to meet his medical needs. We are trying to raise $25,000 to pay for his medical expenses and extend his life. When he gets the proper care he does well...this discharge would surely mean his passing. Leo also served in Korea on the front lines and the VA is not helping with his care! Anything you can give would be greatly appreciated. For those of you who do not know our beloved father and grandfather...Leo was the popular coach and GM of the Toronto Argonauts in the 70's and was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. The picture is of him and Joe Theisman with the Argos. Please help if you can. He is our hero and he deserves better than this. If you can only offer prayers that would be just as important. Thank you and God bless.


Help spread the wordhttps://www.gofundme.com/save-argos-legend-coach-leo-cahill

[Wobbler]

I'm sorry to hear that he's in bad shape again.

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/05/10/the-toughest-fight-of-leo-cahills-life

[1971GreyCup]

Nice to see donations from the Raptors, Leafs and MLSE so far. I recognize one Argos Alumni that played for Leo too.

So far almost $10,000 (raised) in 12 hours. Thanks Steve Simmons for pointing out this initiative.

[ArgoGabe22]

Cynamon also donated

[1971GreyCup]

Toronto Argos Tweeted: "On behalf of the entire organization and its fans, we have made a private donation directly to Leo Cahill's family. Keep fighting, Leo!"

[Will]

Toronto Argos Tweeted: "On behalf of the entire organization and its fans, we have made a private donation directly to Leo Cahill's family. Keep fighting, Leo!"

I saw a few people question whether they needed to tweet that. In my opinion, they needed to at least put it out there that they did this so people wouldn't ask questions later.

[AngeloV]

I saw a few people question whether they needed to tweet that. In my opinion, they needed to at least put it out there that they did this so people wouldn't ask questions later.

Also brings further awareness. Only a moron would complain about that. They really can do no right in the eyes of some.

[jerrym]

I saw a few people question whether they needed to tweet that. In my opinion, they needed to at least put it out there that they did this so people wouldn't ask questions later.

Also brings further awareness. Only a moron would complain about that. They really can do no right in the eyes of some.

I agree totally, especially when Leo has meant so much in Argos history. The Argos don't want others questioning their support of their brethren when they are so dependent on a small but loyal fan base.

[Will]

Also brings further awareness. Only a moron would complain about that. They really can do no right in the eyes of some.

The person is not an Argo fan.

[Argo57]

Also brings further awareness. Only a moron would complain about that. They really can do no right in the eyes of some.

Agreed, welcome to today's society.

[Neely2005]

Also brings further awareness. Only a moron would complain about that. They really can do no right in the eyes of some.

Agreed. A large portion of society today seems to be looking for a reason to complain or a reason to be offended.

[1971GreyCup]

Well on their way to 50% funds raised! I am sure the Argos direct donation was substantial. Its heartwarming to see this grassroots support to a very important public figure.

[jerrym]

Well on their way to 50% funds raised! I am sure the Argos direct donation was substantial. Its heartwarming to see this grassroots support to a very important public figure.

Great to see the fund growing so rapidly.

[ArgoRavi]

The person is not an Argo fan.

Arash Madani? Sounds like something he might raise.

[Bleeds Double Blue]

Agreed. A large portion of society today seems to be looking for a reason to complain or a reason to be offended. Sorry Neely but I find that statement quite offensive. Now who should I call to file a complaint?

[Neely2005]

Sorry Neely but I find that statement quite offensive. Now who should I call to file a complaint?

Lol, I would suggest:

http://www.straight.com/files/v3/images/16/02/justintrudeautorontopride.jpg

[Will]

Arash Madani? Sounds like something he might raise.

Not someone in journalism. Just a fan of another team.

[1971GreyCup]

Nice article in the G&M.
https://sec.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/fans-former-opponents-give-thousands-to-pay-leo-cahills-medical-bills/article34336171/?service=amp

Fans, former opponents give thousands to pay Leo Cahill’s medical bills
DAVID SHOALTS
TORONTO - The Globe and Mail
Last updated Friday, Mar. 17, 2017 10:17AM EDT

Leo Cahill was one of the most likeable characters in the CFL. (JOHN WOOD/For The Globe and Mail)
Leo The Lip may have angered more than his share of CFL fans, opposing players and coaches during his glory days but they proved to be a generous bunch when adversity struck the former Toronto Argonauts head coach and general manager.

Leo Cahill, 88, is still fighting for his life after abdominal surgery last month in Atlanta, where he lives with his son Terry. Almost $13,000 was raised by Friday morning, a day after a GoFundMe campaign was started to pay for his medical expenses. The donors are a high-profile group that includes Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri, former Argos owner David Cynamon, former CFL players Leo Ezerins, Roland Mangold, sports executives and even media people.


The campaign was started by Tampa sports radio host J.P. Peterson, whose connection with Cahill is not known. Peterson could not be reached for comment. The campaign at gofundme.com says Cahill “is gravely ill and in need of financial help with medical expenses. The Atlanta hospital that has been treating him is discharging him [Wednesday] to a facility that will be unable to meet his medical needs. We are trying to raise $25,000 to pay for his medical expenses and extend his life. When he gets the proper care he does well. This discharge would surely mean his passing.”

Cahill’s complicated personality, a rare blend of humour, pugnacity, verbosity, generosity and an enormous ego, is undoubtedly behind the quick response to his plight. While he could enrage opponents and sometimes his own employers and players with his outbursts during two turns as head coach of the Argos, from 1967-72 and 1977-78, and one as GM from 1986-88, Cahill was one of the most likeable characters in the league.

The Argo teams Cahill helped put together in the late 1960s and early 1970s ended the team’s long run of losing but were never able to win the Grey Cup. They were also known for the number of colourful characters on the roster, most of them recruited by Cahill, who quickly became famous across Canada for his equally colourful outbursts.

After the Argos beat the Ottawa Rough Riders 22-14 in the two-game, total-point Eastern final in 1969, Cahill declared, “It will take an act of God to beat us [in the series].” And so it did, as sub-freezing temperatures hit Ottawa before the second game. The enraged Rough Riders were already motivated by Cahill’s remark but they also were smart enough to wear broomball shoes on the icy field and walloped the slip-sliding Argos, who wore their regular football spikes, 32-3. The Riders won the series 46-25 and advanced to the Grey Cup game.

The closest Cahill and the Argos came to winning the team’s first Grey Cup since 1952 was a 14-11 loss to the Calgary Stampeders in 1971 in Vancouver, a game famous for Argo running back Leon McQuay’s late-game fumble. A year later, Cahill was fired and came up with the memorable line, “Leon slipped and I fell.”

A couple of years ago, Cahill admitted to the CFL blog 3 Down Football that most of his outbursts were simply for the purpose of selling tickets. “I got a lot of criticism for things I said and did,” he said. “Most of the things I said was to get into the newspaper and get interest for the football team and have people talking about us and thinking about us.”

Jamie Dykstra, senior director, media and communications for the Argonauts, said Thursday the team is aware of the crowd-funding campaign and made a private donation directly to Cahill’s family. The Argos also posted a notice about the campaign on its Twitter account, as did the CFL Alumni Association.

[ArgoGabe22]

Not sure if this is a thread for humour

[1971GreyCup]

Argo Bobby Taylor with a very generous donation! There is a name from the past.

[1971GreyCup]

I got a nice note back from JP Peterson. "thanks Bill that's such a blessing! The fans have been so amazing.His granddaughter is reading the well wishes to him huge smiles"

[argos1873]

Glad to see people coming to the aid of Leo financially. The last thing he needs to worry about after surgery is finances, especially at his age. Having had major abdominal surgery twice I know how difficult it is to recover from. I had one 2 years ago at age 40, and I'm still not fully recovered, but I bet even at 88, Leo is tougher than me. Thoughts and prayers to Leo on his recovery.

[Will]

Zenon Andrushyshyn also donated.

[Argo57]

Always loved Cahill, quite a character who gave Argonaut fans many years of entertainment.
If possible pay it forward.

[1971GreyCup]

Update $20,000!

JP Peterson wrote today: Thanks so much to all the fans who have donated to Leo's care the response has been overwhelming. The family cannot thank you enough. His Granddaughter Rebecca Rose has been reading him your comments and it has truly lifted his spirits. You all are such a blessing.
Since Leo worked so long in Canada they are telling us he is not eligible for medicare or VA benefits even though he fought on the front lines of Korea! So it is up to us to pay for his very expensive care. Some have asked about my connection...Rebecca and I are very close and she asked me to reach out to fans through social media.

At this time we are trying to find a facility that will take him but all of the better and most equipped facilities have a long waiting list so we will keep searching for answers. If anyone has any ideas please post them here.

Thanks again and God Bless all of you who have given.

[ArgoGabe22]

I hate to bring attention to the donors but it's nice seeing former players, former employees, owners (Cynamon & Sokolowski), MLSE executives like Masai Ujiri (Brendan Shanahan?) and ex-executives like Alex Antholopolous all come together to help out. Shows how strong the CFL community is.

[AngeloV]

I hate to bring attention to the donors but it's nice seeing former players, former employees, owners (Cynamon & Sokolowski), MLSE executives like Masai Ujiri (Brendan Shanahan?) and ex-executives like Alex Antholopolous all come together to help out. Shows how strong the CFL community is.

Agree with this 100%. Ujiri especially went above and beyond considering he has nothing to do with the Argos, and really never has.

[1971GreyCup]

Argos CFL Board rep., Dale Lastman stepped up very early. A number of Argos players that played for Leo including Dave Cranmer gave too.

[Argo57]

Leo Cahill now knows that he still matters and is fondly remembered by a great number of people.........priceless!

[1971GreyCup]

Over $22,000! Bob Bratina with a donation.

[1971GreyCup]

Love reading the names from the past. Zeke O'Connor just gave.

William Francis "Zeke" O'Connor, Jr. (born May 2, 1926) is a retired American football end who played five seasons in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and Canadian Football League (CFL) in the late 1940s and early 1950s. After retiring, O'Connor went into business and devoted himself to helping Nepalese Sherpas.

O'Connor grew up in a large Catholic family in New York City and went to college at the University of Notre Dame. After starting for Notre Dame's football team as a freshman in 1944, he spent two years in the U.S. Navy during World War II and played for a service team at Naval Station Great Lakes that was coached by Paul Brown. O'Connor returned to Notre Dame in 1946 and graduated in 1947, but he did not play in his senior year because of a knee injury.

O'Connor signed in 1948 with the Buffalo Bills of the AAFC, where he played for one year. He was then traded to the Cleveland Browns, another AAFC team coached by Brown. The Browns won the AAFC championship in 1949, but O'Connor was cut early the next year and played one season for the minor-league Jersey City Giants. He next had a one-year stint with the New York Yanks of the National Football League before his playing career in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts. A late-game touchdown catch by O'Connor helped the Argonauts win the Grey Cup in 1952.

[DanoT]

I grew up in Hamilton and have lived most of my life in B.C. so I have never been an Argo fan, but I loved Leo the Lip and his hilarious and sometimes outrageous one liners. Leo Cahill was the best, most colourful of colour commentators on CFL TV broadcasts ever.

Get well Leo.

[1971GreyCup]

The Slaight Family of Toronto (from Standard Radio & big Pinball Foundation Supporters) donates $5,000 to take the total to almost $30,000 USD.

Leo's good friend Donald S. Cherry stepped up too and left a very kind note. Amazing

[1971GreyCup]

Wonderful story from George Gross Jr. "Hi Leo: I hope that the support from everyone will help you with everything you need medically to get well soon. I still tell the story of how you went after a taxi cab and got my sports bag back from the car's door handle and gave it to my dad to give back to me. It is hard to believe that that was over 50 years ago! Feel well and be strong. Sincerely, George Gross, Jr."

[doubleblue]

Love reading the names from the past. Zeke O'Connor just gave.

William Francis "Zeke" O'Connor, Jr. (born May 2, 1926) is a retired American football end who played five seasons in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and Canadian Football League (CFL) in the late 1940s and early 1950s. After retiring, O'Connor went into business and devoted himself to helping Nepalese Sherpas.

O'Connor grew up in a large Catholic family in New York City and went to college at the University of Notre Dame. After starting for Notre Dame's football team as a freshman in 1944, he spent two years in the U.S. Navy during World War II and played for a service team at Naval Station Great Lakes that was coached by Paul Brown. O'Connor returned to Notre Dame in 1946 and graduated in 1947, but he did not play in his senior year because of a knee injury.

O'Connor signed in 1948 with the Buffalo Bills of the AAFC, where he played for one year. He was then traded to the Cleveland Browns, another AAFC team coached by Brown. The Browns won the AAFC championship in 1949, but O'Connor was cut early the next year and played one season for the minor-league Jersey City Giants. He next had a one-year stint with the New York Yanks of the National Football League before his playing career in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts. A late-game touchdown catch by O'Connor helped the Argonauts win the Grey Cup in 1952.

I remember Zeke O'Connor. Not so much during his playing days, but as a commentator on the old CFRB Argo radio broadcasts. Funny how you remember things. I remember a clip of Zeke reporting from the sidelines pregame when the Chicago Cardinals played the Argos way back when. He said he was standing near the sidelines talking with Argo DE Dick Fouts when the Cardinals took the field running past them. Zeke said I'm 6"4 and Dick is 6"6 and these guys are making us look small. That must have been 1960 when the Argos had just signed former NFL star QB Tobin Rote. I believe Coach Lou Agase held Rote out of the game (probably for his own safety) and started rookie John Henry Jackson. Jackson couldn't move the team so Agase finally put in veteran backup QB and playing Coach Nobby Wirkowski. Nobby did move the team some until he got sacked and tore knee ligaments pretty well ending his playing career. Cookie Gilchrest left a few Cardinals seeing stars during that game running over and through them. Cookie never needed much blocking.

[doubleblue]

The Slaight Family of Toronto (from Standard Radio & big Pinball Foundation Supporters) donates $5,000 to take the total to almost $30,000 USD.

Leo's good friend Donald S. Cherry stepped up too and left a very kind note. Amazing

Great to see this. How a bunch of Argo fans could step up and help out Leo. He gave a lot to the Argos and Toronto in his time here.

[1971GreyCup]

Approaching $32,000!

Nice note and donation from CFL Alumni: "The CFL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION has been in contact with the Cahill Family. Leo is going to be provided the care and comfort he deserves in his fourth quarter in the game of life. We would like to acknowledge the ARGOS ALUMNI and the ARGOS FOOTBALL CLUB who have made a generous donations directly to the family."

[jerrym]

Approaching $32,000!

Nice note and donation from CFL Alumni: "The CFL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION has been in contact with the Cahill Family. Leo is going to be provided the care and comfort he deserves in his fourth quarter in the game of life. We would like to acknowledge the ARGOS ALUMNI and the ARGOS FOOTBALL CLUB who have made a generous donations directly to the family."

Great news! Many of my best memories as an Argo fan involved Leo, who ended the long streak of poor teams in the 50s and 60s.

[1971GreyCup]

Leo Cahill Fundraiser Update: $33,325 public donations, or +33% above goal.

I just love reading the CFL names from the past as donations keep coming in. In many way, it brings back those halcyon days. It is nice to see that Ed Learn's post-CFL days were very successful.

Ed Learn
2 days ago

"All the best Leo. Thanks for all the help you gave to me as a player. Best coach I ever played for."

[gilthethrill]

Leo Cahill now knows that he still matters and is fondly remembered by a great number of people.........priceless!

When speaking about an opposing DB...."That guy is so short he has to stand on a brick to kick a duck in the ass"....May Mr Cahill enjoy many more years of quality life.

[ArgoRavi]

Leo Cahill Fundraiser Update: $33,325 public donations, or +33% above goal.

I just love reading the CFL names from the past as donations keep coming in. In many way, it brings back those halcyon days. It is nice to see that Ed Learn's post-CFL days were very successful.

Ed Learn
2 days ago

"All the best Leo. Thanks for all the help you gave to me as a player. Best coach I ever played for."

Yes, Learn has run a successful car dealership in St. Catharines for many years now. I see his name on many license plates around here but suspect that many don't know of his stellar pro football career.

[argolio]

Yes, Learn has run a successful car dealership in St. Catharines for many years now. I see his name on many license plates around here but suspect that many don't know of his stellar pro football career.Just checked his bio. Eight interceptions and All-East in his last season (1969) of a 12-year career. That's remarkable.

[Rich]

When speaking about an opposing DB...."That guy is so short he has to stand on a brick to kick a duck in the ass"....May Mr Cahill enjoy many more years of quality life.

I believe that quote was about the Argos own DB Jimmy Dye, who was a tenacious little player and a crowd favourite, wore #10 iirc.

[paulwoods13]

I just dug up and posted a 2001 documentary (TSN/Bradford Productions) on Leo. It had to be broken into two parts and there are a few seconds missing between them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoOx94o8Y5E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55xWU8pJ_y8

[Argo57]

Good job finding and posting this documentary Paul.
Some good insight into the relationship between Cahill and Sazio, Mosca's comments are interesting.
Didn't know he had signed wth the Lions before returning to Toronto for round 2 as HC.
The guy knew how to evaluate and bring in talent (Theismann, McQuay, and later Pless) and should be in the Hall of Fame.
Also enjoyed hearing the voices of Marsden, Shaky Hunt and Earl McRae, great days gone by.

[1971GreyCup]

It was nice to hear Argos fans still asking about Leo at the Town Hall. I chatted with JP Peterson in Atlanta afterwards and he reported:

"He's doing much better. Thanks to all the donations they got him out of that horrible rehab facility and home with a hospital bed with his family and a nurse caring for him. Such a blessing. He has good days and bad but he's in a much better situation. Thanks and God Bless"

I told him the love continues for Our Coach and the Argos fans are still asking about him.

He replied "I will let him know...that's awesome to hear."

[Argo57]

It was nice to hear Argos fans still asking about Leo at the Town Hall. I chatted with JP Peterson in Atlanta afterwards and he reported:

"He's doing much better. Thanks to all the donations they got him out of that horrible rehab facility and home with a hospital bed with his family and a nurse caring for him. Such a blessing. He has good days and bad but he's in a much better situation. Thanks and God Bless"

I told him the love continues for Our Coach and the Argos fans are still asking about him.

He replied "I will let him know...that's awesome to hear."

Great news, at least he knows we still remember and care about him.

[jerrym]

It was nice to hear Argos fans still asking about Leo at the Town Hall. I chatted with JP Peterson in Atlanta afterwards and he reported:

"He's doing much better. Thanks to all the donations they got him out of that horrible rehab facility and home with a hospital bed with his family and a nurse caring for him. Such a blessing. He has good days and bad but he's in a much better situation. Thanks and God Bless"

I told him the love continues for Our Coach and the Argos fans are still asking about him.

He replied "I will let him know...that's awesome to hear."

I'm glad to hear he's getting better. Many of my best memories of the Argo's involve his teams.