Bruins/Argos Connection

[ArgoGabe22]

With the Toronto Maple Leafs set to face the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, we go back to 1978.......

Leafs owner Harold Ballard tried to get a second CFL team in Toronto in the early 70s, but his bid was blocked. He tried to buy the Argos in ’74, but his former Leafs ownership partner John Bassett wouldn’t sell. Eventually, Ballard bought the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in early 1978.

As disrespectful as it may seem, he had the Ticats logo painted at centre ice for Maple Leaf games. Thus showing a disregard to the football team that represented Toronto, the Argonauts. One evening Don Cherry’s Boston Bruins were in town and decided to show up the Leafs owner by draping two Argos flags on the boards in front of their bench during the anthem.

With the Double Blue now a part of the Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment family there is no need for the team that sports the same colours as their QEW rivalry to show support for Toronto’s football team. For one night in the late 70’s the boys from Boston had the Argos back and will be remembered for doing so.


Taken from Facebook - Double Blue Daily. There is an image of this but this site is terrible for posting images.

[Argo57]

With the Toronto Maple Leafs set to face the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, we go back to 1978.......

Leafs owner Harold Ballard tried to get a second CFL team in Toronto in the early 70s, but his bid was blocked. He tried to buy the Argos in ’74, but his former Leafs ownership partner John Bassett wouldn’t sell. Eventually, Ballard bought the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in early 1978.

As disrespectful as it may seem, he had the Ticats logo painted at centre ice for Maple Leaf games. Thus showing a disregard to the football team that represented Toronto, the Argonauts. One evening Don Cherry’s Boston Bruins were in town and decided to show up the Leafs owner by draping two Argos flags on the boards in front of their bench during the anthem.

With the Double Blue now a part of the Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment family there is no need for the team that sports the same colours as their QEW rivalry to show support for Toronto’s football team. For one night in the late 70’s the boys from Boston had the Argos back and will be remembered for doing so.


Taken from Facebook - Double Blue Daily. There is an image of this but this site is terrible for posting images.

Ballard was a total imbecile who dragged the Maple Leaf franchise through the mud.

[OV Argo]

Ballard was a total imbecile who dragged the Maple Leaf franchise through the mud.

The CFL has sure allowed some total gong-show and clown-act owners in the past. You don't hand a storied, historic football team to some clown cause he says he has some ca$h for it. Part of the reason IMO the league has not been able to progress - like getting to a 10th team

[Argo57]

The CFL has sure allowed some total gong-show and clown-act owners in the past. You don't hand a storied, historic football team to some clown cause he says he has some ca$h for it. Part of the reason IMO the league has not been able to progress - like getting to a 10th team

There certainly has been some questionable CFL ownership over the years for sure OV.

[ArgoGabe22]

<a href="https://ibb.co/fdHyrjK"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/23dCcGL/IMG-4328.jpg" alt="IMG-4328" border="0"></a>

[paulwoods13]

The CFL has sure allowed some total gong-show and clown-act owners in the past. You don't hand a storied, historic football team to some clown cause he says he has some ca$h for it. Part of the reason IMO the league has not been able to progress - like getting to a 10th team

No question there have been some terrible owners. But beggars can't be choosers. There's no evidence I'm aware of that any better options existed at the time than Harold Ballard, Nelson Skalbania, Murray Pezim, Larry Ryckman, Bruce McNall, Lonie and Bernie Glieberman, Horn Chen, Sherwood Schwarz, etc. Would it have been preferable to allow those franchises to fold?

[Antwon]

Great post forgot about this. I'm a lifelong Argo fan and a Habs fan. Absolutely hate the Bruins....but like that photo!!
As for owners, all the leagues have had suspect owners.

[OV Argo]

No question there have been some terrible owners. But beggars can't be choosers. There's no evidence I'm aware of that any better options existed at the time than Harold Ballard, Nelson Skalbania, Murray Pezim, Larry Ryckman, Bruce McNall, Lonie and Bernie Glieberman, Horn Chen, Sherwood Schwarz, etc. Would it have been preferable to allow those franchises to fold?

Maybe; I basically heard the same story though with the BC and Montreal franchises - just nobody wanted anything to do with those teams to take them over from Braley & Bobby Wetandall; yet - a couple of ultra rich owners (who both seem like smart business guys) did step-up to buy those 2 teams = there was no evidence at the time they were out there.

No franchise should have folded - the BOGoofs should get that it's ultra important for no teams to fold in a 9 team league - so the league runs the team with a commitment to temporary financial support from all other teams; while a detailed, smart search for new owner(s) is going on - and you don't try to gouge the new owner with some greedy, trumped up / ludicrous "franchise fee"; instead you bend over backwards to welcome a new, smart owner, and you don't sell to clown acts like the Gliber-goofs or Horn Chen (note - Americans who have no clue about or respect for Canadian football). Engaging a combo community / business investor ownership group as a possibilty - nah, that could never work, so let's try and gouge some buck$ out of Horn Chen instead.

[paulwoods13]

Maybe; I basically heard the same story though with the BC and Montreal franchises - just nobody wanted anything to do with those teams to take them over from Braley & Bobby Wetandall; yet - a couple of ultra rich owners (who both seem like smart business guys) did step-up to buy those 2 teams = there was no evidence at the time they were out there.

No franchise should have folded - the BOGoofs should get that it's ultra important for no teams to fold in a 9 team league - so the league runs the team with a commitment to temporary financial support from all other teams; while a detailed, smart search for new owner(s) is going on - and you don't try to gouge the new owner with some greedy, trumped up / ludicrous "franchise fee"; instead you bend over backwards to welcome a new, smart owner, and you don't sell to clown acts like the Gliber-goofs or Horn Chen (note - Americans who have no clue about or respect for Canadian football). Engaging a combo community / business investor ownership group as a possibilty - nah, that could never work, so let's try and gouge some buck$ out of Horn Chen instead.

Over the years, every franchise apart from Edmonton and Winnipeg has been on ultra-shaky ground at one time or another. Montreal in the early 1980s, again in 1986-87, and at least twice since 1996. Ottawa was bankrupt in 1991, and went out of business in 1996 and again in 2006. Hamilton was on the verge of folding in 1994 or thereabouts, and bankrupt in 2003 (and was on very shaky ground in the late 1980s and early 1990s). Toronto was bankrupt in 2003. Saskatchewan needed telethons to stay afloat in the late 1980s. Calgary needed a desperate "Save Our Stamps" campaign to stop from going under in 1985, and then ran into trouble again when Ryckman ran out of money a few years later. B.C. came close to going out of business around 1990 and was "saved" by Murray Pezim -- until he turned the keys over to the league two years later. Surely you are not suggesting that in each of those cases, the league could have afforded to cover the costs of the bereft franchise while waiting for a wealthy, smart non-goof to fall from the sky? If the league was swimming in that kind of money, surely it wouldn't have had 77% of its franchises on death's door at one time or another?

[OV Argo]

Over the years, every franchise apart from Edmonton and Winnipeg has been on ultra-shaky ground at one time or another. Montreal in the early 1980s, again in 1986-87, and at least twice since 1996. Ottawa was bankrupt in 1991, and went out of business in 1996 and again in 2006. Hamilton was on the verge of folding in 1994 or thereabouts, and bankrupt in 2003 (and was on very shaky ground in the late 1980s and early 1990s). Toronto was bankrupt in 2003. Saskatchewan needed telethons to stay afloat in the late 1980s. Calgary needed a desperate "Save Our Stamps" campaign to stop from going under in 1985, and then ran into trouble again when Ryckman ran out of money a few years later. B.C. came close to going out of business around 1990 and was "saved" by Murray Pezim -- until he turned the keys over to the league two years later. Surely you are not suggesting that in each of those cases, the league could have afforded to cover the costs of the bereft franchise while waiting for a wealthy, smart non-goof to fall from the sky? If the league was swimming in that kind of money, surely it wouldn't have had 77% of its franchises on death's door at one time or another?

And yet, the community ownership group in Winnipeg has been a very successful franchise - posting a big profit this past season; playing in 4 straight GCs, having league best attendance in a nice newer stadium.

I doubt anybody involved in running the league in the past would have tried diligently to apply that community model to any of the struggling franchises over taking whatever buck$ they could gouge out of new sugar daddy - regardless if it was a clueless clown of a bizness man who should not be involved with the CFL and Canadian football. Simple & easy seems to be the main m.o. of the CFL BOGoofs a lot of the time.

[AngeloV]

No question there have been some terrible owners. But beggars can't be choosers. There's no evidence I'm aware of that any better options existed at the time than Harold Ballard, Nelson Skalbania, Murray Pezim, Larry Ryckman, Bruce McNall, Lonie and Bernie Glieberman, Horn Chen, Sherwood Schwarz, etc. Would it have been preferable to allow those franchises to fold?

This is true. Not like the league turned down better ownership to allow these people to buy in. It was either let them buy in. take over control of the team, or fold the team.

[AngeloV]

And yet, the community ownership group in Winnipeg has been a very successful franchise - posting a big profit this past season; playing in 4 straight GCs, having league best attendance in a nice newer stadium.

I doubt anybody involved in running the league in the past would have tried diligently to apply that community model to any of the struggling franchises over taking whatever buck$ they could gouge out of new sugar daddy - regardless if it was a clueless clown of a bizness man who should not be involved with the CFL and Canadian football. Simple & easy seems to be the main m.o. of the CFL BOGoofs a lot of the time.

Ti-Cats tried community ownership in the late 80's or early 90's and it was almost the end of the franchise. Just because it worked out west for many years in 3 communities, doesn't mean it would in any other markets.

[paulwoods13]

Ti-Cats tried community ownership in the late 80's or early 90's and it was almost the end of the franchise. Just because it worked out west for many years in 3 communities, doesn't mean it would in any other markets.

Also worth noting that community ownership appears to have run its course in Edmonton. The one-time flagship franchise of the league has drawn tinier crowds than Toronto the past couple of years (for some games, at least -- one I attended in 2022 might have had 5,000 there).

[paulwoods13]

And yet, the community ownership group in Winnipeg has been a very successful franchise - posting a big profit this past season; playing in 4 straight GCs, having league best attendance in a nice newer stadium.

I doubt anybody involved in running the league in the past would have tried diligently to apply that community model to any of the struggling franchises over taking whatever buck$ they could gouge out of new sugar daddy - regardless if it was a clueless clown of a bizness man who should not be involved with the CFL and Canadian football. Simple & easy seems to be the main m.o. of the CFL BOGoofs a lot of the time.

Winnipeg is very successful in the 2020s, ergo all Mtl-Ott-Ham-Tor-Sask-Cal-BC needed to do when they ran into trouble between 20 and 40 years ago was do what Wpg's doing now. How could no one have foreseen that?

[OV Argo]

Winnipeg is very successful in the 2020s, ergo all Mtl-Ott-Ham-Tor-Sask-Cal-BC needed to do when they ran into trouble between 20 and 40 years ago was do what Wpg's doing now. How could no one have foreseen that?

No doubt, the brainiacs / BOG types running the CFL looked at all options - LOL - Bernie & Lonnie, quick, can u give us a cheque, and f*** the fans and city.

[ArgoRavi]

Ti-Cats tried community ownership in the late 80's or early 90's and it was almost the end of the franchise. Just because it worked out west for many years in 3 communities, doesn't mean it would in any other markets.

Ottawa tried something like that in 1987-88 - it was called a "limited partnership," I believe - and it was a disaster too.

[AngeloV]

Ottawa tried something like that in 1987-88 - it was called a "limited partnership," I believe - and it was a disaster too.

Was the hat with Joanne Polack running things or before?

[paulwoods13]

Was the hat with Joanne Polack running things or before?

She was GM from 1989 through 1991. She was with the club 1987-88 in a PR capacity.

[Mocha]

This is true. Not like the league turned down better ownership to allow these people to buy in. It was either let them buy in. take over control of the team, or fold the team.

A positive in recent years is that league is no longer just passively waiting for ownership to show up but is actively seeking it with the aid of specialists. So far so good with BC and Montréal. Hopefully that continues with Edmonton.

[AngeloV]

A positive in recent years is that league is no longer just passively waiting for ownership to show up but is actively seeking it with the aid of specialists. So far so good with BC and Montréal. Hopefully that continues with Edmonton.

I agree

[Mike Hogan]

Tim Cherry told me the story a few years back, he was one of the stick boys on the team. There was a pretty strong Kingston contingent on the bench that night. His dad Don Cherry was the coach, Wayne Cashman was a player on the team as was Rick Smith - he's in the above picture, fifth from the left with the "D" over his head. Rick posted a +/- of +68 the season before the pic was taken. The other stick boy, whose face is blurred in the pic, is Jim Pratt, a guy I went to high school with at KCVI. Tim and Jim were sent by trainer "Frosty" Forristall to go down Yonge St and find an Argo flag, obviously easier to find back in the day. They brought them back to the Gardens and the guys on the team thought it was hilarious. I've read it was Grapes, Harry Sinden (who played for a few years and coached for the Bruins farm team in Kingston in the 60s) and scout Bob Tindall who came up with the flag idea. It's a pretty cool story.

[ArgoRavi]

Was the hat with Joanne Polack running things or before?

I think that Polak came in towards the latter part of that limited partnership. They had taken over the team when Allan Waters sold it, after owning it for a decade or so. Waters owned CHUM radio station in Toronto.