Pre-Season Game Thread - Argos Vs Als. and 30,000+ students

[Mulder]

Depth Chart is here

http://cfl.uploads.mrx.ca/league/pdf/en/depth/2012/2012_Preseason_Game_2_vs_MTL064030.pdf

Our Coach says the final roster will pretty much be set by Wednesday. Even though he has the rest of the week to evaluate players.

Finally, Guess the pre-season game attendance. I'm pegging it around 38,000.



No Barnes, Durie, Foley or Pottinger.

[Will]

ArgosLandry ‏<s>@</s>ArgosLandry (https://twitter.com/#!/ArgosLandry) Quarterback rotation for Montreal game: 1Q - Ray. 2Q - Jackson. 3Q - Harris. 4Q - Santos. <s>#</s>ARGOS (https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23ARGOS) <s>#</s>CFL (https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23CFL)

Huntley has a foot blister and will not play.

[argonaut11xx]

Does anyone know what the Al's plan to do in terms of personel for this game?

I'd really like to see the first quarter with our starters vs the Al's starters for the most part, it would be a very interesting guage of where this Argo team stands.
Ray(and the O line) vs the Al's 1st string D especially.

[Will]

The depth chart posted basically rules that out argonaut11xx. Ray will not have Mann, Durie or Barnes once again and those were expected to be his top receivers this year. All this means though is that it is time for someone like Inman, Parker or Chandler Williams to step up. Also, the defense is missing Foley, Huntley and McCullough among others all expected starters. I am interested to see Ejiro Kuale line up at DE like the depth chart says he will.

Calvillo is playing tomorrow that I know, but the Alouettes have not yet posted their depth chart on their website so we don't know who will be up against.

[argonaut11xx]

I understand our injury situation....but my biggest concern is our O-line..i'd like to see them under fire from the best the Al's got on D...

I am confident Ricky Ray can make it work (no matter who is catching the ball), as long as he isnt running scared due to lack of protection...

Im very excited to see the crowd tomorrow...i'd love it to be close to 40K..but who knows...after the game i'd be very curious about the revenue situation... big crowd, ton's of freebee's...but was was the real bottom line?

[Invader]

The revenue should be up from last season's exhibition game when the announced crowd was 12,851 vs Hamilton. The Argos have sold more seasons tickets, so probably 14,000 seats have already paid for, plus they likely get increased revenue from concessions (assuming the Argos get a stake in concessions, even if only a small one.) Under previous Argo contracts with Rogers Centre, the team got a break on the rental cost when attendance reached a certain level.

The biggest boost should be in merchandise sales with up to 30,000 new fans in attendance...who will all be needing a new Argo jersey, t-shirt or ball cap.

[T-Bone]

DOME TO BE CLOSED FOR PRESEASON GAME (http://www.argonauts.ca/article/dome-to-be-closed-for-preseason-game)


Attention all Argonauts fans. Due to the forecast of dangerously high temperatures, we are announcing that the dome roof of Rogers Centre will be closed during tomorrow’s preseason game for safety reasons. Over 30,000 students are confirmed to be in attendance tomorrow as the Argos close their preseason schedule with a 12:00pm tilt against the Montreal Allouettes. Make sure you follow along with us on social media as we will have live updates on both Facebook and Twiiter all game long. For Twitter make sure to use the hashtag #ArgosLive to be part of the conversation.

[1argoholic]

Well you have to want it as comfortable for the little ones as possible. Too bad we have all of these injuries at receiver when it's cridical that Ricky gets reps with these guys.

[ArgoRavi]

The depth chart posted basically rules that out argonaut11xx. Ray will not have Mann, Durie or Barnes once again and those were expected to be his top receivers this year. All this means though is that it is time for someone like Inman, Parker or Chandler Williams to step up. Also, the defense is missing Foley, Huntley and McCullough among others all expected starters. I am interested to see Ejiro Kuale line up at DE like the depth chart says he will.

Calvillo is playing tomorrow that I know, but the Alouettes have not yet posted their depth chart on their website so we don't know who will be up against.

Herb Zurkowsky did mention in the Gazette that the Als were hoping to give their two Canadian QBs work in the fourth quarter tomorrow.

[ArgoRavi]

Well you have to want it as comfortable for the little ones as possible. Too bad we have all of these injuries at receiver when it's cridical that Ricky gets reps with these guys.

There is going to be a humidex into the 40s tomorrow so closing the roof for a noon game makes a lot of sense for the players as well.

[Mulder]

Neverest is doing the anthem. Ohh no. #NBA ALLSTAR GAME REPEAT

[mchesher03]

Kuale at DE? This is new (to me at least)

is this a permanent move? the guy is a beast and has been quite under utilized in his argos career to-date. Anyway to get him an Pottinger both on the field is a good move IMO

couldn't get the time off today but will be monitoring from the cube at work today. let's go blue

[ArgoGabe22]

Kuale at DE? This is new (to me at least)

Kuale signed with the Argos as a DE when he wore #95 but did more on offence as a TE than he did as a DE.

[matthew]

Roof closed, not going now.

[Mulder]

Ray first pass is intercepted. Ulgh.

[Mulder]

TD Montreal.

[Mulder]

INT Montreal. Ulgh.....

[Ticats85]

Great idea with all the kids at the game, but Im listening on a montreal station and the way they are playing so far have they turned off 30 000 kids from Argo football? I know it's pre-season but damn give the kids something to get excited about

[mchesher03]

Kuale signed with the Argos as a DE when he wore #95 but did more on offence as a TE than he did as a DE.

Ejiro Kuale has lined up at TE? Am I confused here - I've only noticed him wearing #5 and lining up as a backup LB (and starting a few late last year)

sorry if I'm confused here

[argonaut11xx]

Argo field goal...YAY...

[argonaut11xx]

How bad is the O-Line?...first quarter SOUNDED terrible...

I still SO pissed about NO media coverage in Toronto...Rudge really blew this...

Kinda facinating listen to Montreal radio though...quite the "lead in" to a football game... listening to a bunch of "cat ladies" complaining about the no pet by-laws...hehe...

ARGO TOUCHDOWN....late second on a blocked punt...YAY again.....

[argonaut11xx]

Ok...Calvillio lighting up our defence i can understand....

But Adrian Macpherson, and Eric Deslauiers...are sounding like the second coming of the Warren Moon/Brian Kelly combo...geesh....

POOF...touchdown Alouettes.... 17-10

[1argoholic]

Didn't sound great. Good to have Ed Philion in the booth or Toronto or it's players would never get mentioned. What happened to Milanovich drilling home the point of NO turnovers. I think we'll be seeing some growing pains but hopefully we clean things up fairly quickly.

[argonaut11xx]

6 first downs, and around 100 yards total offence for the Argo's? in the first half?..

maybe it WAS a good idea to have ZERO local media coverage of this....

[mchesher03]

6 first downs, and around 100 yards total offence for the Argo's? in the first half?..

maybe it WAS a good idea to have ZERO local media coverage of this....

take it with a grain of salt here guys - still pre-season, let's just hope it is ironed out by June 30th in Edmonton.

[matthew]

Somebody on the team got a broken leg. My stream keeps cutting in and out?

[1argoholic]

This Montreal announcer is a total KNOB! He says "they finally Scrape the injured Argo off the field." Really nice you KNOB as he giggles. Piss me off. All clASS.

[marcwagz]

who scored the tying td

[matthew]

I didn't like that either but more importantly, who got injured, I missed that part?

[Mulder]

Announced 36,000 and change in attendance.

[marcwagz]

lol missed a 10 yard fg!

[marcwagz]

harris sounds really good how old is he

[Ticats85]

Glad to see they got the offense going with some points and entertaining football for the kids, hope they enjoy the experience and become Argo fans

[argonaut11xx]

Announced 36,000 and change in attendance.

so thats 6000 real fans on a tuesday at noon....is that good or lousy?...

Mulder...is it a REAL 36,000 or what?...

[Mulder]

so thats 6000 real fans on a tuesday at noon....is that good or lousy?...

Mulder...is it a REAL 36,000 or what?...

I'm not there. Have to check with Tbone after the game

[marcwagz]

argos win
2-0 pre season, good
now gets real

[1argoholic]

Never heard who got hurt. Harris is a keeper.

[Mulder]

Never heard who got hurt. Harris is a keeper.

I heard it was Djems Kouame. Radio guy says it looked like a broken leg.

[1argoholic]

Man does that pick look great and very different. People of all races dressed in all colours. Hopefully many come back dressed in double blue. This should become a yearly event. Good on the Argos. That pic is the GTA in a nutshell. We must draw fans from all communities.

[Downtownfan]

was at the game today: it was pretty loud, and the kids were generally into it. it was the most diverse crowd I have ever seen at a sporting event in Toronto, and a reflection of where our city is now and will be even more so in the future. The Argos were smart to do this-- I think all those kids had a great time. My first Argo experience was going as a kid as part of a Cub troop back in the late 1970s, and it stuck, so hopefully some of these kids come back.

But I will say that beyond the kids, there were not a lot of "regular fans" in the stands. Without the promotion, who knows what the number would have been? Then again, without the promotion, the game would not have been at noon. Overall, I think it was a good investment in the future. There was some real buzz with the kids.

[ArgoRavi]

I noticed that Armando Armstead had two sacks today after Summers had two last week. It will be interesting to see what the d-line looks like come June 30th. I also noticed that Ricky Santos went 2-2 in passing, that Jarious Jackson seemed to have a better outing today (at least from the stats) and that Canadian QB Kyle Quinlan threw for 45 yards for the Als.

[CptArcher]

Man does that pick look great and very different. People of all races dressed in all colours. Hopefully many come back dressed in double blue. This should become a yearly event. Good on the Argos. That pic is the GTA in a nutshell. We must draw fans from all communities.
I'm a bit confused by your blunt assertion that fans should be valued differently depending on their race. I am of the opinion that the colour of one's skin does not matter, or define their personhood. The only colour that matters at Argos is Double Blue.

For Goodness' sake, it's a football game, not an anthropology museum.

[Deerkeeper]

so thats 6000 real fans on a tuesday at noon....is that good or lousy?...

Mulder...is it a REAL 36,000 or what?...

Don't forget that most of the rest of the real fans have jobs to go to. I know I did.

[T-Bone]

I'm a bit confused by your blunt assertion that fans should be valued differently depending on their race. I am of the opinion that the colour of one's skin does not matter, or define their personhood. The only colour that matters at Argos is Double Blue.

For Goodness' sake, it's a football game, not an anthropology museum.
I don't see anything wrong with 1argoholics post. I think you should read it again before implying it's racist.

[1argoholic]

Cpt you rip everyone of my posts. I'd like to meet you face to face and tell you exactly what I think. You've got to be kidding me? I don't hate kids, people and I'm no racist. I grew up in a very ethnic home with grandparents who spoke zero English. You need to think about football posts and get off my ass. That's four posts in the last week that you've been a knob about. Your either a knob or someone I know like Flutie who's trying stir up sh!t.
I've been saying on this and other sites that the Argos should have different ethnic theme game days to attract fans from all of Toronto's ethnic backgrounds. I love ethnic diversity which brings so many great things to Canada. I've done landscape jobs for great people from all over the world. We cook ethnice foods from dozens and dozens of various countries. This is where typing on a bs computer pisses me off. A nice face to face chat would be welcome.

[argonaut11xx]

I don't see anything wrong with 1argoholics post. I think you should read it again before implying it's racist.

Tbone...this is a first..we agree 100%...that post by 1argoholic was fine..i re-read it a few times after the Cpt's re-tort, and thought i may have missed something.

Anyways, im the Anti-Obama - far right wing - guy on this site.....hehe....1Argoholic is one of them hippie folk.... but we are all pal's when wearing the double blue....(just like Archie Bunker, and Sammy Davis jr)

YAY..i finally got to Agree with Tbone

[argolio]

Miscellaneous observations:

Looked like 30K+, though about half the kids left in the third quarter (back to school I assume).

Unfortunate day for Kouame. Always sad to see a guy go out with what looks like a long-term injury.

Though I think Riggs has won a spot, Kackert was all effort today on offense and special teams, so he could still make the team.

Despite his KO return fumble (should have switched the ball to his other arm), Quincy Hurst continues to impress. The receivers in general were good, so there will be some tough decisions there.

The other position with a lot of tough decisions is the secondary. I could see a familiar name or two not making the team.

I think its safe to say Armond Armstead has made the team, probably as a starter.

Kuale looks like he's stepped it up a level from last year.

The biggest worry appears to be the o-line. Their development will probably determine how good a year we'll have.

[argonaut11xx]

The biggest worry appears to be the o-line. Their development will probably determine how good a year we'll have.

This was my biggest fear....it even SOUNDED like they played horrible against the Al's 1st team defence...i'd suggest this was part of the reason it seemed like Ricky Ray struggled.

[tc23]

I was at the game, the full crowd looked awesome ! now if we could get close to this for regular season games that would be awesomer !!

[ArgoZ]

I'm a bit confused by your blunt assertion that fans should be valued differently depending on their race. I am of the opinion that the colour of one's skin does not matter, or define their personhood. The only colour that matters at Argos is Double Blue.

For Goodness' sake, it's a football game, not an anthropology museum.

What the F are you talking about? LOL. I guess people can find fault in anything.

[doubleblue]

harris sounds really good how old is he

This Harris kid is best good looking young QB I have seen in an Argo camp in quite awhile. He has that God given talent of being able to "see" the field, can scramble and has an accurate arm. He is 26 and he is not a raw rookie having been in Jacksonville's camp in 2010 and played in the UFL last year. But coming out of Div II that experience probably helped him learn the pro game.
New players I liked after watching the two ex games. DT Armstead, has good size and speed. Will put pressure on the QB from Tackle or End. DB's Ball and Carroll. Ball is a big aggresive guy who might eventually be able to play OLB. Another guy who I hadn't heard much about before today was Horne. He got a lot of time at CB and OLB and didn't look out of place.
WR Hubbard has some speed and seems to know how to get open although he isn't very big. The Canadian kid Hurst is small but has a great set of wheels, could be a factor down the road if he can take the pounding at this level.
Not overly entralled with the OL. Coach sounds like he is committed to an all Canadian group, but IMO guys like Keeping, Parenteau, Jones and St. Pierre are all boarderline starters at best. Wayne Smith and Gagne-Marcoux don't make me forget about Rob Murphy either, but maybe Barker knows from his NFL contacts that Holmes and Reinders will be here eventually.
Milanovich starting using the double tight end formation a lot after Ricky Ray's poor start. That seemed to help the running game, but the first unit couldn't open up anything for Boyd against Montreal's A team.
When Ray gets Barnes and Durie back to go with the other starters, this team is going to put some points on the board. Still like the idea of keeping Kackert in the lineup somewhere. Rotate him with Owens and Durie and Boyd. The guy has speed and moves and seems to be as hard to tackle as a greased pig.
I like the pressure defense that Jones brings to the table. That's the only way to play defense in the CFL IMO. Don Mathews defense.
We're a few players away from the top teams in the league but this team is going to show us some excitement.

[ArgoZ]

Atmosphere was great today, honestly liked around 35K.
Argos still have some major issues with their Oline and Dline hasn't looked great either.
Harris looks like the real deal, plays with great poise and goes through his reads (not a typical rookie that only goes to his first or check off read).

I think a lot of us are impressed with the poise he shows. Doesn't panic and just finds the open man. I'm not going to say he will be a star after some pre-season play, but you can't help but be excited when he plays like Tom Brady. One of these days he's gonna get clocked, but that happens to the best. I suspect Harris had some very good coaching and was brought up in a structured NFL type system in college. To pick up and read CFL defenses in only two games proves how smart he is.

[1argoholic]

Just wait a minute Argonaut11xx. I'm NO HIPPY just an old punk with attitude. haha.

Ok back to football, anymore on the injury? I'm thrilled that we may have found our own young future star CFL qb.

[ArgoZ]

Just wait a minute Argonaut11xx. I'm NO HIPPY just an old punk with attitude. haha.

Ok back to football, anymore on the injury? I'm thrilled that we may have found our own young future star CFL qb.

Wouldn`t it be awesome to buy an Argo #7 jersey again? We can dream.

[argonaut11xx]

Just wait a minute Argonaut11xx. I'm NO HIPPY just an old punk with attitude. haha.

Ok back to football, anymore on the injury? I'm thrilled that we may have found our own young future star CFL qb.

OLD punk...hahaha..isnt it after your BEDTIME?...(and whats that BRIGHT LAZER coming from the sky, is BC under attack from aliens?)

I do agree this Harris kid seems to have grasped the CFL game rather quickly, showing lots of poise, etc.
Sometimes a QB just shows up and "gets it", look at Holloway, Clements,Theisman and even Printers more recently, they got the game in the rookie season, and had great careers (except maybe Printers who's ego got the most of him) You dont always have to "develope" a QB, its very possible to just FIND one.

[argonaut11xx]

Wouldn`t it be awesome to buy an Argo #7 jersey again? We can dream.

i just ordered my new style argo's #7 Jersey...but i got to have "Holloway" stitched on the back...he is still the #1 of all the great #7's

[1argoholic]

You actually have a bright lazer where you are? haha. Thought you'd be out getting a skinny non fat sugar free vanilla chai latte with faux chocolate sprinkles in your custom to go cup at Starbucks. hahaha. I had to call my wife to ask her. I drink my coffee at home, black. haha.

[CptArcher]

What the F are you talking about? LOL. I guess people can find fault in anything.
When I go to an Argos game, I want to see a lot of bums in the seats, and I don't care what colour they are.

[argonaut11xx]

You actually have a bright lazer where you are? haha. Thought you'd be out getting a skinny non fat sugar free vanilla chai latte with faux chocolate sprinkles in your custom to go cup at Starbucks. hahaha. I had to call my wife to ask her. I drink my coffee at home, black. haha.

WTF???..are you talking in code?..whats a latte frappe, some guy on the Italian soccer team????

I started my day listening to a bunch of FRENCHY's on the radio, cause i needed my Argo Fix, so that in turn lead to many more BREAKFAST beers than was originally planed, THEN..the Layton Loving Toronto Star PISSED ME OFF BIGTIME...and now your comparing me to an Italian SOCCER player name Frappe Latte???

ARRGHH..i though i was making progress by agreeing with Tbone earlier...guess not...hahahahaha

Turns out he LAZER was just the sun..havent seen the fuckin thing in weeks, thought we were under attack by Aliens..(the outerspace kind)

hehe...

[Stevoman]

Nice to see another win. I was mostly hoping for an entertaining game so that the students in attendance would find it exciting and want to come back with their family in tow. I think it's great that the Argos did this and the anti-bullying message was important too. Impressive outing by Harris. Now its on to the final roster and a full week to prepare for the Eskimos. I'm happy to get Edmonton on the road in week one and let Ray get past going back to his old stadium and all of those feelings that come with it out of the way early. Now, I'm just hoping for a win in that game so, unlike 1993 with Tracy Ham, the Argos start off right in a hyped up match up.

[ArgoZ]

When I go to an Argos game, I want to see a lot of bums in the seats, and I don't care what colour they are.

I understand, however that was not the point Argoholic was trying to make. One of the struggles the Argos have is that they play in one of the most multicultural cities in the world. That may be great for population numbers, but millions of these people don't give a crap about American football. It's purely a North American sport, not played in any of the countries that our people come from. The first step is getting these people to a game that they may never intend to go to, at least give them a chance to like the sport. We have to convert these people before T.O. gets a professional cricket team and we lose more fans, LOL.

[ArgoGabe22]

Wouldn`t it be awesome to buy an Argo #7 jersey again? We can dream.

I have an Eric Crouch jersey if you want it?

[ArgoGabe22]

When I go to an Argos game, I want to see a lot of bums in the seats, and I don't care what colour they are.

Hey man are you calling me a bum? I do wear old Rocket and Gaines jerseys from 1991 so I may look like one from a distance. I kid.

[Wobbler]

When I go to an Argos game, I want to see a lot of bums in the seats, and I don't care what colour they are.
After implying that a fellow poster is a racist, I think a better explanation is warranted. "I misread the original post" is a totally acceptable answer, BTW!

[Will]

I noticed a lot of difficulty on the right side of the offensive line. I believe it was Parenteau at RG, but I don't remember who was playing RT though I assume it was Van Zeyl. It is noteworthy that I felt that Ray received sufficient protection on several throws, but he was simply off the mark.

Kackert made the decision between him and Riggs much more difficult. Kackert stuck out much more as a receiver, and assuming his fumbling problems are settled might have the edge due to his contributions on specialty teams. I don't think much was accomplished amongst the wide receiver; I would've liked to have seen more out of Inman.

The defense is going to be frustrating to watch at times I feel, and great to watch the next. We'll have to get used to some growing pains over the first few weeks of the season I think, but I think there is potential here. The thing that impressed me the most over the two pre-season games is the solid tackling; there haven't been any plays where I was left "scratching my head" or "pounding my fists" saying that that guy should have had that guy and so forth.

[CptArcher]

After implying that a fellow poster is a racist, I think a better explanation is warranted. "I misread the original post" is a totally acceptable answer, BTW!
What do you call someone who bases your value off your skin colour?

[Wobbler]

What do you call someone who bases your value off your skin colour?
I think I'd call that person a racist. But are you sure that's what 1argoholic was saying? I think you were mistaken.

[ArgoRavi]

This Harris kid is best good looking young QB I have seen in an Argo camp in quite awhile. He has that God given talent of being able to "see" the field, can scramble and has an accurate arm. He is 26 and he is not a raw rookie having been in Jacksonville's camp in 2010 and played in the UFL last year. But coming out of Div II that experience probably helped him learn the pro game.

Andrew Bucholtz wrote an interesting column the other day about where CFL starting QBs come from: http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/cfl-55-yard-line/where-cfl-quarterbacks-come-194702989.html

While none currently come from Div II schools, none come from the major NCAA programs so it seems like it comes down to finding those "diamonds in the rough" and perhaps the Argos have found one in Harris although it is still too early to know for sure.


New players I liked after watching the two ex games. DT Armstead, has good size and speed. Will put pressure on the QB from Tackle or End. DB's Ball and Carroll. Ball is a big aggresive guy who might eventually be able to play OLB. Another guy who I hadn't heard much about before today was Horne. He got a lot of time at CB and OLB and didn't look out of place.
WR Hubbard has some speed and seems to know how to get open although he isn't very big. The Canadian kid Hurst is small but has a great set of wheels, could be a factor down the road if he can take the pounding at this level.
Not overly entralled with the OL. Coach sounds like he is committed to an all Canadian group, but IMO guys like Keeping, Parenteau, Jones and St. Pierre are all boarderline starters at best. Wayne Smith and Gagne-Marcoux don't make me forget about Rob Murphy either, but maybe Barker knows from his NFL contacts that Holmes and Reinders will be here eventually.
Milanovich starting using the double tight end formation a lot after Ricky Ray's poor start. That seemed to help the running game, but the first unit couldn't open up anything for Boyd against Montreal's A team.
When Ray gets Barnes and Durie back to go with the other starters, this team is going to put some points on the board. Still like the idea of keeping Kackert in the lineup somewhere. Rotate him with Owens and Durie and Boyd. The guy has speed and moves and seems to be as hard to tackle as a greased pig.
I like the pressure defense that Jones brings to the table. That's the only way to play defense in the CFL IMO. Don Mathews defense.
We're a few players away from the top teams in the league but this team is going to show us some excitement.

I really don't think that the likes of Holmes or Reinders would be ready to step in and start on the o-line if they suddenly became available, especially after missing camp. I have said quite often on here that I feel better about this o-line than most seem to. I think what the line needs more than anything at this point is to play together and get to know each other's tendencies. The o-line, as much as any area of a team, needs to play consistently together and be a team in and of itself and that only comes with time.

Regarding your comment about the defence, Rich Stubler's system served this team well for years so I really can't complain much about that "bend but don't break" defence but I have always preferred the high risk, high reward type defence of a Don Matthews and I think that Chris Jones' defence will be a nice change for Argo fans. I think that the Argo braintrust has found a number of good, young players and, while they may make a number of mistakes as they learn how to play in this league over the first half of the season, I think that this team will be a fun team to watch and hopefully can contend over the second half of the season once they gel.

[argolio]

What do you call someone who bases your value off your skin colour?Ted? .

[paulwoods13]

My game observations (I didn't get there until late first quarter so missed most of Ricky Ray and the starting offence):

O-line: lots of different groupings. Keeping, Parenteau and St. Pierre all played centre at times. It looked to me as if the starting five were Smith, Parenteau, Keeping, Eppele and VZ but I missed at least a couple of series. Gagne-Marcoux did not play until late third quarter, or maybe the fourth. I watched the interior of the o-line a lot and for the most part the two guys I focused most closely on (Keeping and Parenteau) looked pretty sharp.

D-line: OV will be happy to hear that Alexandre saw a fair bit of action, and through my binocs he looked very solid. They seemed to play a lot of 3-4 -- might have been a function of Foley's absence but usually the fourth "d-lineman" was either Kuale or Tristan Black, and both guys are primarily LBs. We could use another NIP DE to back up Rickey. Zander Robinson didn't play much and I would guess he's more on the bubble than Alexandre at this point, altho Robinson likely is a better contributor on special teams. Armstead looked very, very strong.

LB: It was hard to make much of a rating since so many of the LBs and DBs seemed interchangeable, and without a lineup card I did not know if certain guys were listed as one or the other. Isaac missed one easy-to-make tackle that led to a big gain. Kuale looked good. Cannon wasn't very noticeable.

DB: They seemed to struggle against Mtl's first-string receivers. A few guys made some decent plays and there were some fairly obvious breakdowns, but there were so many guys rotating through it was hard to keep a close watch (and I was focused more on the d-line anyway). No one really stood out, in my mind. Pacino Horne's blocked punt was big but he also seemed to get burned at least once.

RB: Kackert and Riggs were both impressive. Listening to Milanovich on All Access, it sounded to me as if the backup job was Riggs' to lose, but Kackert was given a great opportunity to change that, and he took advantage of it. To my mind we need to find a way to keep both around.

WR: So many new guys, so many guys who won't be here when the vets get healthy. None of them really stuck out for me, but again I was concentrating more on the o-line. Too bad about Kouame.

QB: Harris has to be kept, I would say. Two consecutive impressive performances, albeit both against second- and third-stringers, but he looks poised and intelligent out there. Santos did nothing to get my attention but I would imagine all four guys will be kept, at least for a few more weeks.

Coaches: I noticed Milanovich really stays out of Jones' way. It's almost like having two head coaches, one for the O and one for the D.

[argomANIA]

The Argos have also extended an offer to all the students in attendance that they can come back to any home game in July and August for free with a paying adult. I think that was a very smart move.

I was really impressed how well the kids behaved. They cheered and got excited by big plays. They didn't get out of their seats a million and one times like some of the adults that come to the games. They sat there and watched.

I thought it was a big success.

[Will]

The funniest event of the game was when the Als completed a long catch-and-run. The Alouette was tackled at the 10-yardline or so and the crowd went nuts. Not a positive play by any stretch, but the kids were so excited that the Argo made the effort to catch the Als' player before he scored.

[shayman]

I heard a few complaints about kids cheering at the wrong time. Reminds me of a symphony conductor once - someone asked him if he hated it when people applauded between movements of a piece, because tradition says that you don't do that. He replied, "I love it, it tells me that there are new people in the audience!"

I like to think of it that way. People who cheer loudly for the Argos at some supposedly inappropriate time should be welcomed. New fans! Just what we need! Thanks for coming!

[294life]

congrats on the win and the crowd. see ya at our house july 27th.

[ArgoFan1]

And to make matters worse... the new on-field guy who seems to be teaming up with last years's host, was talking on the jumbotron to all the kids before the game and he told them that when the Argos had the ball, that they should bang their thunder sticks together and make as much noise as they could !!!! This is great. Our own game hosts have no clue about the game.

[1argoholic]

Cpt Archer it's nice to hide behind your computer and twist posts anyway you see fit and call folks racist. I'm not allowed to post threats or swear so I won't. Some might thing it's funny but I'm not one. I'll gladly meet with you in Toronto in Nov and we'll see how much you have to say face to face and settle your issues.

[argolio]

The funniest event of the game was when the Als completed a long catch-and-run. The Alouette was tackled at the 10-yardline or so and the crowd went nuts. Not a positive play by any stretch, but the kids were so excited that the Argo made the effort to catch the Als' player before he scored.I'm glad you brought that up. Great reaction by those kids!

[doubleblue]

The funniest event of the game was when the Als completed a long catch-and-run. The Alouette was tackled at the 10-yardline or so and the crowd went nuts. Not a positive play by any stretch, but the kids were so excited that the Argo made the effort to catch the Als' player before he scored.

The way I saw it was Desjardins was running away from the Argo DB's and looked to be heading for a TD. Then Payton an OLB ran him down, that was what I thought they were cheering about.

[ArgoZ]

The way I saw it was Desjardins was running away from the Argo DB's and looked to be heading for a TD. Then Payton an OLB ran him down, that was what I thought they were cheering about.

How come none of these kids got randomly selected to give comments in the Star? I'm willing to bet they had a good time as they were actually watching the game.

[ArgoZ]

I have an Eric Crouch jersey if you want it?

LOL, good one. You jumped the gun a little on that jersey. I think Crouch also had a decent pre-season, with some nice runs if I recall. I'm not ready to order my Harris jersey just yet.

[bluto]

Man does that pick look great and very different. People of all races dressed in all colours. Hopefully many come back dressed in double blue. This should become a yearly event. Good on the Argos. That pic is the GTA in a nutshell. We must draw fans from all communities.


When I go to an Argos game, I want to see a lot of bums in the seats, and I don't care what colour they are.


I understand, however that was not the point Argoholic was trying to make. One of the struggles the Argos have is that they play in one of the most multicultural cities in the world. That may be great for population numbers, but millions of these people don't give a crap about American football. It's purely a North American sport, not played in any of the countries that our people come from. The first step is getting these people to a game that they may never intend to go to, at least give them a chance to like the sport. We have to convert these people before T.O. gets a professional cricket team and we lose more fans, LOL.

For me, ArgoZ made the appropriate response here...

-1argoholic made a post that espoused the value of having many different cultures represented in our gameday fanbase
-CptArcher questioned why it would matter what culture the person at the game is as long as he/she is there
-ArgoZ referenced the challenge of getting our new-canadian population here in Toronto to a football game that isn't part of their culture

misunderstandings and overreactions all around.

[jerrym]

I agree with Bluto. Bryan Chiu is an example of how important paying attention to different ethnic groups can be. The BC Lions readily admit that not drafting Chiu, a hometown Chinese Canadian, was a big mistake, not just because he twice won the Outstanding Lineman, but because he would have given the Lions greater ability to attract Chinese Vancouverites (who make up 25% of the metropolitan population but have relatively low attendance at Lions games). This would also have helped increase the number of Chinese playing locally. On the other hand, the presence of several South Asian players on the Lions over the years has helped build a South Asian fan base for the Lions. Drafting good local players (not simply drafting them because of their ethnic identity) including ones of different ethnic backgrounds can help foster a connection with the team. Similarly, introducing potential young new fans of different ethnic backgrounds to the sport is smart. Furthermore, the fact that there is often a lack of ethnic role models who play football within some communities makes the recruiting of these potential fans even more difficult. They would not likely pay much attention to the CFL because their parents and cultural group have no historical connection with the sport. Since the free tickets for students were offered to everyone regardless of race and the student population at the game simply reflected the current student population of Toronto, I think this was one of the best marketing strategies the Argos have ever had.

[T-Bone]

The Argos have also extended an offer to all the students in attendance that they can come back to any home game in July and August for free with a paying adult. I think that was a very smart move.
I thought that was a great idea as well. I saw they announced it several times at the game but I hope they mentioned it to the schools so the teachers passed on the message. They should put something about it on their website but I haven't seen anything.


I heard a few complaints about kids cheering at the wrong time. Reminds me of a symphony conductor once - someone asked him if he hated it when people applauded between movements of a piece, because tradition says that you don't do that. He replied, "I love it, it tells me that there are new people in the audience!"

I like to think of it that way. People who cheer loudly for the Argos at some supposedly inappropriate time should be welcomed. New fans! Just what we need! Thanks for coming!
Interesting way to look at it and I agree. Over time they will learn the etiquette.

[1argoholic]

This bunch of posts states how important it is to look at the various cultures that make up the fabric of the GTA and attempt to get them interested in CFL and Argonaut football. Now I'll sit and wait for just my comment to to ripped yet again by Cpt.

I can tell everyone on here that if this crap continues I'll be banned from this site for multiple foum rule issues.