Sad news as former Argo great Dave Mann died.

[1argoholic]

I just read on the Argonaut site. I still remember him being a killer athlete in the days when I just started watching the Argos as a young kid. Sad stuff.

[paulwoods13]

I never really saw him play much, but he was said to be one of the greatest all-around athletes in CFL history. RIP, Dave.

[argotom]

Mr. Mann lived lately in the same building as my dad before he was recently hospitalized.
I spoke often with him, a great gentleman.

[argolio]

Nice tribute argotom. That's the impression I got the few times I saw him interviewed.

[Rich]

A great man who will be missed. The Argonauts certainly get epic careers out of their punters. 4 guys have handled the punting in 45 of the past 54 years, which is quite amazing: Mann (12), Andrusyshyn (10), Ilesic (11), Prefontaine (12), and I think all of them were league punting leaders at some point.

[1argoholic]

On a sidenote we bought a beautiful painting on an old wooden dingy and the artist is originally from Toronto. When she found out that I was a huge Argo fan she told me about dating The Big Z back in the day. She has plenty of great memories of hanging around the Argonaut team back then. We have indeed been lucky in that area of the game. Pre should never have had those few years in Edmonton.

[D-Gap-Willie]

Dave Mann was arguably the best all-around athlete ever to play for the double blue, and perhaps one of the finest human beings. Most remember him for his punting and kicking, but many don't remember him as a receiver, defensive back, halfback kick returner and linebacker -- but most, I remember his consistency -- I don't rememer a bad game.

Highlights, so many - 2 years leading the league in receiving ( while playing DB and punting) - the famous 102 yard punt -- the 132 yard punt return, which Boyd Carter started and then lateralled to Dave -- and so many more.

He was always giving of himself and generous to a fault -- a truly wonderful human being!

We will all miss him, but never forget

[1argoholic]

Great post and name D-Gap

[jerrym]

Dave Mann was my favourite Argo during their woeful years of the 1950s and 1960s. He came to the Argos after three years with the Chicago Cardinals (later the St. Louis and Phoenix Cardinals - it ironic for me that the Argos for all their problems with attendance have outlived several NFL franchises). Dave led the league in receiving in 1960 and 1961 as well as leading the Argos in punting six times. He also kicked field goals and played defensive back. I remember numerous times when a Dave Mann catch or punt rescued the Argos even though much of the rest of the team seemed to have given up. However, he was much more than that. He was the definition of class on and off the field. Dave opened the Underground Restaurant which "had a gastronomic gravitational pull on celebrities in its heyday in Toronto, with a menu featuring fried chicken, barbeque ribs, pigs’ feet, collard greens and other staples from the southern United States. Soul food. All the black performers who came to town came there" (Sean Fitzgerald). Perry Lefko has a great article on encountering Dave during his time as a golf instructor where he summarizes Dave's character with "Dave had sparkling eyes and the sunniest disposition. If you couldn't feel good in his company it was your fault, not his".

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/05/23/toronto-argonauts-legend-dave-mann-dies/ (Sean Fitzgerald)

http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/2012/05/23/lefko_argos_mann_remembered/

[Ballstothewall]

i hate to admit it, but Steve Simmon wrote a great story on him

[ArgoRavi]

i hate to admit it, but Steve Simmon wrote a great story on him

He did but Simmons always has to remind us when he writes such stories that that was at a time when Torontonians cared about the Argos unlike now.