Argos chase ghosts quickly
By Rex MacLeod Toronto Star
One fan, who might have been dipping his nose in the same product, said the trouble with the Tiger-Cats was their Labatt defence.
"They gave away 50 last week and 50 more this week. They should be wearing Labatt labels."
This was after the Argonauts had thrashed the Tiger-Cats, 50-16. As early as the end of the first quarter--you could hear the eerie commotion of the departing ghosts, those that used to haunt the Argos in Ivor Wynne Stadium.
Argos, with a little help from their ectoplasmic tormentors, used to beat themselves in this ball park -- fumbles, interceptions, blocked kicks, brainstorms that backfired -- you name it.
They were confident
Yesterday, they were so confident, so well-prepared and so seemingly contemptuous of the Tiger-Cats that you would guess mistakes were beneath them. No wonder the gosts slunk away early. Even the spirit world is disgusted with the Argos win in Ivor Wynne.
The Tiger-Cats were walloped a week ago in Edmonton, 50-21, so naturally the heavy thinkers assume that Bud Riley will be fired as coach. Coaches have been given the bounce on less provocation.
Yesterday, fans, if that is the right word to identify them, were yelling up to Tiger-Cat owner Harold Ballard, in his aerie above the pressbox, to "fire Bud." They were chanting it for most of the fourth quarter. Even Riley, up to his arm pits in misery the way the game was going, heard it.
Ballard got the message. He isn't deaf.
His reaction?
"The ArgodomeArgodomeArgodomeArgodomeArgodomeArgodomeAr godomes," he replied, wearing his high-candlepower grin. Just a bunch of mischief makers was his reaction.
He said he wasn't thinking of any changes in command at the present time, but he has been known to change his mind before.
None Available
You can't jump out of the boat without a life preserver," he said, meaning that there aren't any other suitable coaches available, even if he was thinking about dropping Riley.
It might have not made any difference -- Argos were so sharp -- but this was probably the poorest games Tiger-Cats' quarterback Tom Clements has played. Definitely the poorest for a high-stakes game.
Argos had a good read on him most of the time -- they consistently anticipated what he was going to do -- but Clements, normally a skilled innovator, was caught without his ad libs. He completed 16 of 31 passes but, in those situations that coaches describe as critical, his passes were nowhere near the designated receiver.
There were times when you had to question his judgment. In the third quarter, gambling on third down and fiv e yards to go, he threw a pass intended for Rocky DiPietro, who was surrounded by Argos. Naturally, the pass was knocked down.
Clemenets didn't show after the game to explain what happened and you can hardly blame him.
"He (Clements) wasn't sharp," Riley said. "He didn't throw the ball well, but the Argos were ready for us. Once they got ahead they teed off and we're not a catch-up ball club."
Okay, so the Tiger-Cat offence was lousy. What about a defence that gives up 100 points in two games?
"They knew what we were doing all the time," said linebacker Ben Zambiasi. "They exploited something on the outside linebackers."
Zambiasi was "exploited" on a touchdown by Emanuel Tolbert, his second one, in an incredible one when it looked as if Holloway and Tolbert were having a private game of catch while the Tiger-Cats were concentrating on Terry Greer. Tolbert covered 146 yards on two touchdown plays. He caught the second one, barely out of Zambiasi's reach.
"I thought I had it," Zambiasi said. "Condredge put it in there nicely. I should have stayed on my feet instead of diving for the ball at the last second. That kind of got out of hand in the first quarter."
John Priestner, another Ticat linebacker, was a little surprised to be hit with 50 points for the second week in a row.
"Warren Moon (Edmonton quarterback) was unstoppable last week. Condredge and his gang were toally amazing today. What can I say? They did absoultely everything we worked on them for all week. Every defence has a weakness and they took advantage of it. They seemed to know what we were trying to do."
Could defensive back Terry Lehne have leaked a few secrets? Argos picked him up on waivers last week from the Tiger-Cats. He played for the Argos yesterday.
"Terry might have helped them with a little information on defence," Priestner said. "We didn't change that much. We put in only one or two wrinkles."
Some of the Tiger-Cats blamed injuries for the debacle. Others said it wouldn't have made any difference, the way Argos played in the first quarter.
For the record, the Tiger-Cats were without defensive linemen Mike Barker and Claude Mathews, centre Henry Wasczuk and defensive back Felix Wright.
Ballard, in a halftime ceremony, was made an honorary citizen of Hamilton by Mayor Bob Morrow in recognition, among other accomplishments for bouncing the Moscow Circus out of Maple Leaf Gardens.
"I didn't do anything any red blooded Canadian wouldn't have done," beamed Ballard.
He said it was a proud moment. He would have traded it in, though and tossed in a few gratuities to reverse yesterday's score.
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