Oct 12, 2015
Planes, Trains and Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts have played three 'home' games outside of the Rogers Centre this season and appear to have more games away from home ahead. As TSN's Mike Hogan writes, the Argos season has all the makings of a frustration comedy.
By Mike Hogan
It seemed like a simple trip. Neal Page wanted to go home to Chicago to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family, but a series of events led to a bizarre cross-country adventure with shower curtain ring salesman Del Griffith.
While the Toronto Argonauts 2015 season may not have all the comedic twists of the iconic John Hughes film ‘Planes. Trains and Automobiles’, the CFL team may feel as frustrated as Steve Martin’s character.
There is an obvious connection between movie and football team. Martin’s co-star in the comedy, John Candy, was a co-owner of the Argos in the early ‘90s. Even the big man would have to laugh at some of the things his former team has had to endure.
Take Tuesday’s game in Montreal for example. The team has been able to approach it with a sense of normalcy. A flight the day before, team meetings the afternoon before, then a good night’s sleep night at their usual hotel.
That said, it’s a Monday game following a Tuesday game the week before, hardly a normal CFL week. The unusual has become usual for the Double Blue.
Last week’s win in Ottawa was technically a home game, marking the third of four ‘home’ stadiums the team has called its own this season. It’s played an exhibition game at Varsity Stadium, the home opener in Fort McMurray, Alberta, last week’s game in Ottawa, and a whopping total of just three of their first 14 games at their usual Rogers Centre home.
As the players and staff sat on the plane awaiting take off early Sunday afternoon, there was discussion about what time the Blue Jays game would be played, and if a Jays win would force the Argos to play another game in Hamilton, yet another home game lost.
Last night’s win by their baseball brethren means next Saturday’s game against Calgary will almost certainly be moved to Tim Horton’s Field in Hamilton, making it the fifth stadium they’ll host a game in this season.
Unlike Neal Page, Argo head coach Scott Milanovich and his team won’t be at home this Thanksgiving afternoon, but at least they’re not in Fort McMurray.
“Fort Mac was almost unreal,” a chuckling Milanovich told TSN.ca. “We heard guys say they were going to play in the Yukon. We got to the hotel and there was not much around, but that was the start of what’s has become a good year for us. I have fond memories of that (trip) and I always will…now (laughs).”
Easy to laugh now, but it wasn’t then. The year has been little more than a series of head shakes and a “what next?” attitude. According to Milanovich, the toughest part of this season’s events occurred last Tuesday, when a huge game was moved into their opponent’s stadium.
“I think the hardest part was playing the home game in Ottawa,” confessed the coach. “I think the players were disappointed, it was such a big game relative of where we stand in the conference. The rallying cry I’ve been giving them all year is suck it up and do well early and you’ll have home games down the stretch when it means the most, so that one probably hurt the most.”
The Argos were able to survive the noise of the ‘home’ crowd on the final drive, beating the Redblacks 38-35 thanks to the heroics of Chad Owens, whose one-handed touchdown catch in dying seconds of the game proved to be the difference.
Defensive end Ricky Foley has found a tee shirt that sums up his feelings, it simply reads “Toronto vs Everybody”. It may be a bit of a reach, but the native of nearby Courtice, Ontario says it’s appropriate. The 11-year veteran admits he’s handled all of the distractions better than he would have in his earlier years.
“The younger version of me definitely would have been a hothead about it,” Foley disclosed to TSN.ca. “I realize now that I can’t show that. If I show that it’s going to rub off on the young guys, so having to keep my emotions in check with that kind of stuff and keep my frustrations in check every day, that’s been challenging, but it’s starting to come around and hopefully it pays off in the end.”
As for any more changes down the stretch?
“Honest to God and I’m not just saying this, but it really doesn’t matter anymore,” said an almost defiant Foley. “We’re to the point now where we have to do very unconventional things with meeting times, guys have to stay later or come in earlier, it’s pretty crazy.”
Foley may have summed it up best by saying, “If they announced tomorrow that we were playing in London, England I don’t think guys would care.”
Tuesday’s Thanksgiving game is in Montreal, not London. It’s an opportunity to all but clinch a berth in the post season, something that would impress even Neal Page and Del Griffith.