Colossal Retardation
September 3, 2008
by Jon Dwyer… Hamilton Ti-Cats head coach Charlie Taaffe’s decision to allow Jeff Piercy determine the fate of Monday nights Labour Day classic, leaving Jesse Lumsden idle on the other side of the offensive-line, was nothing short of colossal retardation. In a city where the combined IQ of the fan base is most likely a negative number I suppose I shouldn’t be terribly shocked, but as a McMaster University alumni its painful to see my surrogate team leave such a talented player (a former MAC Marauders running back) helpless. The guy is an immovable force, plain and simple…at 3rd down & 8 Taaffe might of well have asked Mike Weir to run the ball.
Why do coaches occasionally defy logic? With a coaching career that spans nearly four decades, Taaffe is the Shake-&-Bake of seasoned coaches. Yet, his decision to ignore the talents of a franchise player like Lumsden, who trained his entire career for moments such as these, is emblematic of his fall from grace in the NCAAF and perhaps the reason why he landed in the CFL. After coaching South Carolina’s military college “The Citadel” to an 11-2 record, the best in the schools history, Taaffe was suspended for the entirety of the 1996 season after being charged with drunk driving for the second time. The following year he ended up with the Montreal Allouettes where he temporarily proved himself regaining a position in the NCAAF until midway through the 2006 season when Taaffe was momentarily rejoiced by dimwitted Hamilton fans as the one to take them to the promise land…most likely because they made the punch and he likes to drink it.
I guess his drunken ass was sent to Montreal because New Brunswick doesn’t have a team…zinggg!
When franchise players aren’t utilized the psychological impact cannot only strain the relationship with the coach, but other members on the roster as well. The tricky thing with people who are very good at something is the level of expectation i.e. baggage, that accompanies them; when expectations are let down in a situation where one has repeatedly performed, they tend to rebel against those who’ve held them back. Not knowing Lumsden all that well though acquaintances with a lot of guys who played with him at MAC, he’s the kind of guy who would never compromise the team or his own integrity by having a blow up with the coach. A true sportsmen like his father before him (former CFL fullback and TSN analyst Neil Lumsden), Jesse is a Canadian athlete in that his conduct is inline with that of an NHL player, rather then the pageantry of so many pro-football players.
But patience is a virtue that wears thin…and its not like he has a huge salary to comfort him from his team’s mediocrity like Mats Sundin.
Regardless of the outcome in this specific situation Taaffe would have been scrutinized even if Jeff Piercy levitated across the field, slapped a cheerleaders ass and ran the ball in for the game-winning touchdown. Hamilton is virtually a talent-less team and after three shitty seasons you’d think the availability of a healthy, era defining running back would be a no brainer; a simple 43-yard field goal or give it to the team MVP…
I guess not.
Then why did Taaffe go against the grain and disregard the obvious choice(s)?
There is an objective nature all teams seek when coaches are hired, its obvious they not brought in for their reputation of being fickle individuals who cant make hard decisions; sport thrives on the ingenuity of the leader. However, there has to be a leader both on and off the field. Ultimately, all Taaffe’s decision did was eliminate the presence of leaders. I guarantee every player on that field thought either one of two things; Nick Setta should be kicking a field goal right now to put us into overtime, or, Jesse Lumsden needs that ball to get us a first down. When the play was called and everyone realized that none of the aforementioned was going to happen…they were a group of men left to their own devices…
And that’s a big problem in professional sports.
Anyways, who gives a shit…it’s the Ti-Cats.
ARRRRRRRRRR-GOOOOOOOOOOOOOSS
GO BOATMEN!
The Cito Regime and the Wilson Puppetry
August 26, 2008
by Jon Dwyer… Baseball served the city of Toronto well this past weekend. Gone were the ominous incantations summoning the spirit of the 92’ and 93’ Jays, present was Cito and the Samuel L. Jackson of Baseball, Vernon Wells; who I assume also has a wallet that reads “Bad Motherfucker” –see Pulp Fiction.
With a surprising 14-3 vic against the Yankees Thursday evening and an 11-0 ass thrashing that, pending you’d not seen the jerseys and notable players, might have seemed like the Jays were matched against the Canadian Special Olympic team, we were sick! Though we didn’t post a “W” Friday night and while Sunday’s match ended in the 11th inning when Jed Lowrie destroyed Brandon League’s beleaguered fastball, statistically 50% of the time we were pennant contenders and the other 50% we were just plain contenders…either way we were good.
Not wanting to inundate you with statistics normally reserved by journalists to remind us that were normally not this good, I’d rather dwell on what this means for the Jays and the psychology of the city. The transition witnessed in the bullpen since the Jays fired John Gibbons June 21 is nothing short of a revolution. When revolutions occur within a state, certain indicators of change are measured by the degree in which the new leader changes existing structures. For example, if we lived in South America, say Venezuela in the late 1980/early 90’s, and Cito was Hugo Chaves (which he could be, Cito loves the Cubans), Populism would be the new “thing” for the Jays. Everyone would hit homers (or at least use a corked bat), occasionally be the DH, wealthier players would subsidize rookie salaries and those of outgoing players (i.e. Gregg Zaun) outfielders would share equal praise with infielders and Cito Gaston would be the scourge of the MLB.
Thankfully, the “Cito Revolution” has played out in the Toronto’s favour, with the old way of doing things succumbing to Gaston’s winning strategy. John Gibbons’ combative nature, inability to execute strategy and ultimate lack of respect from a majority of the roster is nowhere to be seen. Like a hybrid of Mohandas Gandhi and Hugo Chaves, Cito is stern yet patient, benevolent yet shrewd, all at once a shying media figure and yet a masterful dictator of they new direction being praised by the media. Much the same way Chaves overthrew Carlos Perez and Gandhi fought the oppression of the British Raj, Cito is fighting an uphill battle against a losing record and prospering NL East rivals. The structure created by Gibbons was more easily removable then initially thought and this past weekend serves as an indication that the Cito regime can and will prosper, however it may be too late to salvage this season.
So, what does that say for a city defined not by baseball, but another sport in dire need of a rebirth?
A lot really.
The incompetencies of both Paul Maurice and John Gibbons can be paralleled all day long, most notably the inability of either coach to command the respect of their former teams, elders and rookies alike. Obviously the removal of Gibbons has spurred the dormant talent of the Jays to start hitting the ball again, however I’m afraid the case will not be the same for the Leafs. “Roster,” originally a Dutch military term denoting the placement of troops, just doesn’t seem to fit with the Blue and White. Our leaders are false prophets in absence of real men; speaking of absence don’t get me started on our captain! Star players in the past have all gone the way of the 8-track and singing fat women.
For that very reason I wasn’t all that excited when “ole-wrinkly-balls” Cliff Fletcher, a man occasionally mistaken for Methuselah and a few other characters from the book of Genesis, named Ron Wilson as the new head coach. Assistant-coach in last years all-star game and proprietor of the most winning-est. record in San Jose Sharks franchise history, Wilson was drafted by the Leafs in 1975 and played a less-than mediocre 3 seasons with the Buds before heading to Europe. It is a step in the right direction for the Leafs to appoint a veteran player and coach who clearly has first–hand experience with a diverse group of players, but that wont mean shit this season.
In a sense Cito has it easy, his roster is stacked with some pretty good players, Wilson on the other hand will not only struggle with a short list of goodies and a long list of nobodies, he’ll soon come to find out that drafting and trading for quality players is not something the Leafs do well. Perhaps the first time n a few decades, the Leafs organization have noted the upcoming season as the beginning of a new era, in which the team may not post a lot of wins, but will set themselves up as contenders in the future.
Let me ask ya this, do you believe them? What else were they gonna say?
-“Hey, we were fucking garbage last year and were probably gonna be this year”
I thought not…cause’ that would have been honest for the Leafs.
GO JAYS!!!
Man, I’m such a Patriot!
August 11, 2008
by Jon Dwyer…
Baseball will bid a not-so-fond farewell to the Olympics once the 08/08/08 Olympics close out later this summer. I think the sheer fact the I.O.C. waited to launch the games on a date that has little to no positive historical relevance is reflective of the brainiacs running the show (on August 8, 1922 fascism had its first real breakthrough in Italy, the Ku Klux Clan held its first national march in Washington DC and the Russians admitted they possessed a Hydrogen bomb in 53’…way to remind us of the happy moments Olympic committee!)
Perhaps it’s fitting that the Olympics be phased-out the year the summer games are played in China. In baseballs inaugural season as an official Olympic sport, Cuba made the Chinese look like the 38’ Phillies (they went 45/105), winning the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona games. The following three tournament showings for Olympic baseball weren’t much better. Although the US won in 2000, Cuba again dominated in 1996 and 2004 (baseball is clearly rife with communists, Joseph McCarthy is rolling in his grave).
While Canada had a slow start, which to be honest was expected, last time around the boys in red and white hit the field with an impressive showing, placing just out of medal contention thanks to the very capable Japanese team. Australia took the back seat to this year’s incumbent, Cuba.
(Australia has a baseball team?)
So, what can we expect from Canada in this, the last year planet Earth will witness Olympic baseball? (Thankfully, Mars and Jupiter will still feature the boys of summer)
I suppose the best way to assess our capability is to assess our assets…
2008 BASEBALL CANADA OLYMPIC TEAM ROSTER
35 Chris Begg Uxbridge ON 12-Sep-79 28 R R 6′4″ 195 RHP San Francisco Giants (AAA)
22 Tim Burton Ottawa ON 30-Jul-83 24 L R 6′3″ 195 RHP Cleveland Indians (AA)
11 Stubby Clapp Windsor ON 24-Feb-73 35 L R 5′8″ 175 2B Former Cardinals (MLB)
37 Rheal Cormier Moncton NB 23-Apr-67 41 L L 5′10″ 197 LHP Former Phillies (MLB)
28 David Corrente Chatham ON 13-Oct-83 24 R R 6′2″ 210 C Toronto Blue Jays (A)
23 David Davidson St. Catherines ON 23-Apr-84 24 L L 6′1″ 200 LHP Pittsburgh Pirates (AA)
17 Emerson Frostad Calgary AB 13-Jan-83 25 L R 6′1″ 220 1B / C Texas Rangers (AA)
15 Emmanuel Garcia Montreal QC 4-Mar-86 22 L R 6′2″ 185 SS New York Mets (AA)
31 Steve Green Greenfield Park QC 26-Jan-78 30 R R 6′2″ 195 RHP Philadelphia Phillies (AAA)
25 Mike Johnson Edmonton AB 03-Oct-75 32 L R 6′2″ 200 RHP Former Expos (MLB)
14 Brett Lawrie Langley BC 18-Jan-90 18 R R 6′0″ 200 C/INF/OF Milwaukee Brewers (A)
27 Jonathan Lockwood Toronto ON 12-Dec-81 26 R R 6′2″ 195 RHP Former Mariners (A)
32 Brooks McNiven Vancouver BC 19-Jun-81 27 R R 6′5″ 190 RHP San Francisco Giants (AA)
19 Ryan Radmanovich Calgary AB 9-Aug-71 36 L R 6′2″ 200 OF Former Mariners (MLB)
34 Chris Reitsma Calgary AB 31-Dec-77 30 R R 6′5″ 240 RHP Former Braves (MLB)
38 Scott Richmond Langley BC 30-Aug-79 28 R R 6′5″ 220 RHP Toronto Blue Jays (AAA)
30 Chris Robinson Dorchester ON 12-May-84 24 R R 6′0″ 215 C Chicago Cubs (AA)
4 Matt Rogelstad New Westminster BC 13-Sep-82 25 L R 6′3″ 190 INF Washington Nationals (AA)
20 Mike Saunders Victoria BC 19-Nov-86 21 L R 6′4″ 215 OF Seattle Mariners (AAA)
7 Adam Stern London ON 12-Feb-80 28 L R 5′11″ 185 OF Former Red Sox (MLB)
42 Robert Swindle Vancouver BC 7-Jul-83 25 L L 6′3″ 200 LHP Philadelphia Phillies (AAA)
40 Scott Thorman Cambridge ON 6-Jan-82 26 L R 6′3″ 235 1B Atlanta Braves (AAA)
29 Jimmy VanOstrand Richmond BC 7-Aug-84 23 R R 6′4″ 225 1B / OF Houston Astros (A)
33 Nick Weglarz Stevensville ON 16-Dec-87 20 L L 6′3″ 245 OF Cleveland Indians (A)
The six guys who have proper MLB experience are “no-names,” and that’s paying them the best of compliments. No Jason Bay, Eric Bedard, Justin Morneau and more realistically, no Scott Richmond. The Jays official website noted Richmond’s “rocky start today” in the Jays 4-0 loss Sunday afternoon to left-hander Cliff Lee and the Cleveland Indians, who sit last place in the AL Central with a crumbling roster. Perhaps the Jays should have taken a breather on putting Richmond in as a starter…it wouldn’t have cost a dime to let the 29 year old first-time Major League pitcher gain a little more big-game confidence at the Olympics.
Dude would have been a bit more effective against the slightly less-talented Olympic batsmen then he has in the MLB with the offence-challenged Blue Jays.
I can wax intellectual about Canadian baseball prospects this summer (or the lack thereof), but perhaps its just better to give the lads the benefit of the doubt. We play our first game August 13 against China. The following day we face Cuba in what will most likely be the most difficult game of the tournament, then we’re on to South Korea, the U.S., Japan, the Netherlands and finally Chinese Taipei.
The top four teams enter the “knockout stage” whereby the first place team plays the fourth and so on, determining the gold and bronze game matches according to win/loss. Since the Aussies are a no-show this year I think we stand a decent chance of posting a few “W’s” and a good crack at a medal.
Canada needs all the help they can get, so please, refer all comments to the fact I cited ineligible MLB players like Morneau and Bedard for the Canadian roster, saving your well thought out cynicism for my ignorance rather then the national team.
Man, I’m such a Patriot!
GO CANADA
Can Norman fight the stormin’ at Royal Birkdale?
July 20, 2008
by Jon Dwyer…
Being an Irishman I’m not very fond of the whole British Open thing. I think there should be a Scottish Open and beyond that Scottish autonomy from the oppressive talons of the English Monarch (fuckers). I also think a Welsh Open would be pretty sweet. John Daly (won the British Open in 1995, awesome) would host the inaugural event…be wasted, sleep with a few prostitutes (or, as the English call them “women of ill repute”) and do an 8-ball or two to his face (all on the first tee).
Now that’s what I call an Open!
I think its fitting that this year a member of another colony is leading the race as we enter the final round of the 137th British Open. At 53 Greg Norman is the oldest poll leader in Open history and this is the first time he’s led after 54 holes going into the final round (At the Open).
The problem is, “The Shark” couldn’t close the deal if they let him play best ball! Okay, that’s not all true; he won The Open in 1986 and 93’ but the man has the consistency of a runny egg. Dude fucked up the Masters, the US Open and the PGA championship more times then I can count (my struggles with numeracy are just plain sad). Word around the camp fire is, after suffering a devastating loss in the 1996 Masters to none other then Nick Faldo, in which he blew a six stroke lead in the final round, Norman was never the same.
Born in Queensland, Australia, the home of red-neck racists and unhygienic women (I lived there last year), Norman kicked a lot of ass in his early career, but the advent of metal drivers lessened his viability as a top-notch player as he no longer dominates the long-drive category. After the collapse of his game in the 90’s Norman sought out swing guru Butch Harmon. Butch (great name) helped The Shark slow things down and hone his natural ability to hit long, straight drives and then follow it up with a competitive short game. However, it hasn’t yielded any positive results…until now.
Norman is a tremendous businessman and a true ladies man, though it remains to be seen if Norman can knock his fucking head out if his ass and pull it through today. (As a side note, his daughter is a serious “mans lady”…having dated golfer Sergio Garcia amongst a list of other notables)
Ladies and Gentlemen, its Sunday, I’m hung over as fuck and the only thing to do is drink myself out of it while cheering for The Shark…win or lose, I’ll still love him.
Okay, not really. If he loses I’m probably gonna throw a beer at the TV and piss on the “Greg Norman Is God” effigy I built in the closet.
And hey, if Norman loses maybe my boy Padraig Harrington (the incumbent) can pull off an upset and mount a surge thereby creating what could possibly be the happiest day of my life…come on Paddy!
Be thirsty my friends, be thirsty!
The Incredible History of the Most Powerful Team in Hockey: Part 1
July 13, 2008
by Jon Dwyer…
Not since Red Kelly and Frank Mahovlich won their fourth Stanley Cup rings have the Toronto Maple Leafs posted a decent postseason record capable of capturing another Stanley Cup victory. The date “1967” is seared into the subconscious of every Leafs fan; that year Red Kelly retired, Dave Keon won the Conn Smythe trophy and the Leafs stood for one last time as the victors in a hard fought battle against the Montreal Canadiens. The following year Toronto lost to the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, Frank Mahovlich was traded to Detroit and perhaps most disappointing of all coach Punch Imlach was fired by owner Stafford Smythe, causing defenseman Tim Horton to exclaim “if the team doesn’t want Imlach, I guess it doesn’t want me”. The loss of Horton and Imlach signifies the end of the last era in which so many NHL all-stars donned the blue and white simultaneously.
Say what you will about Sittler, Salming, Clark, Gilmour and Sundin but the fact remains that from 1962-1967 ‘the Buds’ brought home four cup victories as the result of an all-star lineup featuring Hall of Famers Andy Bathgate, Johnny Bower, Tim Horton, Red Kelly, Dave Keon and Frank Mahovlich.
The fanaticism with which Toronto’s record is regaled by fans who were actually around for the last successful Stanley Cup bid seems infinitely overshadowed by the mythology of “the Leafs Curse” and the reality that since the death of Stafford Smythe in 1971 (son of World War One veteran and father of the Maple Leafs and builder of Maple Leafs Gardens, Conn Smythe) the Leafs have sullied every opportunity at redemption. The decades following Smythe’s passing saw the deconstruction of the Leafs dynasty at the hands of Harold Ballard and the beginning of the Leafs descension into a dark age that would amaze even Petrarch.
A changing of the guard occurred when Supermarket mega-lord Steve Stavro manned the helm after Ballard’s death in 1989. Stavro successfully picked up former Calgary Flames GM Cliff Fletcher (Current interim GM) who successfully turned the team around. Fletcher’s acquisitions undoubtedly led to Leafs success in the 1992-93 season during which Toronto nearly defeated Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angles Kings to once again meet the Montreal Canadiens in the finals; not wanting to dwell on further sadness I’ll concede that victory to the Kings and later the Canadiens (which coincidentally was the last year Montreal won the Cup and seemingly the beginning of their own era of descension and disappointment). In 2003 Stavro sold a majority of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) shares to the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, a move which only serves to reinforce the distinction with which Toronto has emerged as the big-business, all non-sense team that maintains the highest profit margins the league round with an incessantly mediocre roster.
The absence of what is believed to be the most effective winning NHL pedagogy can be traced neatly to the mystery of Bill Barilko’s death and more importantly the unscrupulous tactics of Harold Ballard and Stafford Smythe in the 1960’s and early 70’s.
William “Bashin’ Bill” Barilko played 5 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and while he wasn’t known as a goal scorer, registering a meager 26 goals career total (5 of which were in the playoffs), his number 21 jersey will forever maintain its infamy for two very important reasons; Barilko’s game winning overtime goal to clinch the Stanley Cup in 1951 against the Montreal Canadiens and his mysterious disappearance four months later in August of that year.
A point of interest, the 1951 Stanley Cup finals was the only series in history whereby every game was decided in overtime play (Toronto won in 5 games).
As his name aptly points out, “Bashin’ Bill” was known for his physical presence on the ice. -“He always managed to get a piece of you as he went by and he left many a bump on plenty of players.” - Former Canadiens great Maurice “Rocket” Richard is one of many players who spoke of Barilko’s uncanny ability to dominate the game along the boards and on open ice; even the Rocket couldn’t escape him.
Not long after winning the Cup Bill and a friend, Henry Hudson (Barilko’s dentist), embarked on fishing trip to Seal River, Quebec in Hudson’s float plane. After 2 days of fishing the couple set off for home with 120 pounds of catch in their pontoons, stopping to refuel along the Quebec/Ontario border, they again lifted the single engine plane to the skies despite ominous warnings that a brewing storm was best avoided. That was the last time either of the two men were seen alive.
Mark this date (August 26, 1951) as the beginning of “The Leafs Curse”.
It wasn’t until June 2, 1962 that Barilko and Hudson were found in the forests just outside Cochrane, Ontario. During his 11 year absence every major Canadian paper featured the story of his disappearance, search parties scoured over 500, 000 square kilometers of dense northern Ontario forest, stories began to surface that Barilko, the son of Russian descended parents, had defected to the USSR to join the ranks of the Soviet hockey squad.
Above all else, during his absence the Leafs just couldn’t seem to win.
Toronto had been the most successful NHL franchise during the 1940’s, winning 4 cups in 5 years; the loss of Barilko seemed to take the wind out of their sails, failing to win another Cup until “the year he was discovered”, to quote the Tragically Hip’s song “Fifty Mission Cap”
FYI…The “fifty mission cap” was an actual hat given to fighter pilots who successfully flew 50 bomber missions in World War 2. Tragically Hip singer Gord Downie came across a Bill Barilko hockey card in the early 1990’s and the song, about Barilko’s death and the impending Leafs curse, was born (attached is a picture of the card). I suppose Downie used the term ironically as Barilko’s plane went down. He may also have researched the history of “the cap”, as he says in the song “I worked it in to look like that”, which could be a reference to the fact that when the hats given out to successful pilots they were often “worked in” so that each pilot could adapt an individual look for his hat…or maybe he was just gloating about working in the 50 mission quote…he’s weird like that.
In May of 1962 Punch Imlach led a new crew of blue and white warriors to a Cup victory against the Chicago Blackhawks declaring the end of the “Leafs Jinx”, just a few months before the discovery of Bill Barilko’s body.
Part 2 is coming this Friday… don’t miss it!!
Vimy
July 4, 2008
by Jon Dwyer…
We should be proud to be leafs fans because were all proud of Conn Smythe…
Time has been the fateful enemy of the Toronto Maple Leafs; its progression has served to display our poor decisions. But, we have to find solace in our roots! Do yourselves a favour and seek out Pierre Berton’s “Vimy”
As a leafs fan, here’s why…
(Discussing how gangster the Canadian military was (still is)…revolutionary for staging trench wars against the Germans (WW1) when it was vogue to march steadfast with your bayonet-attached-single
Vimy pg 123-24
- “The value of the raids as a training ground for other branches of the service was becoming obvious. That same February morning, the Canadian Black Watch of Montreal decided to take a signaler and an artillery observer with them on an attack against the German trenches. The signaler, who volunteered, was a tough little private from Brantford named Harry Coutts. The artillery observer was lieutenant Conn Smythe who would one day build the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto and become one of the best-known figures in Canadian hockey.
The Germans and the Black Watch faced each other from the rims of the craters that lay in front of their forward trenches. For several days the Montrealers had pounded the enemy with that all purpose piece of trench artillery, the Stokes mortar, which could be fired from behind the security of the parapet, its range corrected by the use of a simple periscope. At 9”13 AM., nineteen rifle grenadiers stationed in the forward craters opened up with a barrage of Mills bombs. Two minutes later, the artillery barrage began, and fifty members of the battalion headed across No Mans Land with Coutts and Smyth right behind them. Coutts carried a phone, stringing wire as he went, so that Smyth could report the effect of the fire close at hand rather than from an observer post father back.
The first Salvo looked too high. Smythe called back on the phone: “Drop two hundred.” Immediately he saw white puffs of smoke among the attacking Black Watch. “My God,” he thought, “I’m killing my own men.”
Smythe had no wish to return to his own lines if that were true and so, drawing his revolver, he ran down among the raiders, peppering away at the Germans up ahead – a wiry bantam cock of a man, determined to expiate his error and sell his own life dearly.
At that point he discovered to his relief that the puffs of white were caused not by his telephoned correction at all but by German stick bombs busting around him. He jumped into the nearest enemy trench, banged away, hit two of the enemy, ducked around the traverse, and ran straight into the traverse, and ran straight into a huge German standing behind the parapet, his rifle aimed at the advancing Canadians. Smythe jammed his pistol into the German’s belly, fired, and had the satisfaction of seeing the man slide to the ground, cursing him. Now, with Lieutenant Gillingwater, the leader of the Canadians, wounded and out of action, Smythe lead a fighting withdrawal back to the Canadian trenches. He didn’t use his revolver again until he reached the relative safety of his own lines. Then, in an act of defiance, he turned about, leveled his revolver at the enemy trenches, and squeezed the trigger. To his horror it gave only a click. A chill rippled down his backbone as he realiz
ed that he hadn’t fired a shot since he’d his the big German in the enemy trench. If he had got off just one more bullet in the wild dash before that fateful meeting, that click would have meant his own death and he, not the German, would have slid into the mud uttering one final curse.
From raids like this one the gunners gained practical experience in forward observation and telephone communication. Conn Smythe earned a Military Cross. And, because of a single bullet, Toronto eventually gained a new National Hockey League hockey team and an arena to go with it.” -
Gents, hope may not lie on the horizon, but we come from bravery and balls; nuff said!
Lets keep the passion of the Blue And White for Mr. Smythe…regardless of our hatred for the current management (and their incredibly lackluster performance)
tosports.ca soldier at arms,
Jon Dwyer
Get this man Beer, cause’ he’s about to sing!
June 30, 2008
by Jon Dwyer…
What creates this kind of intimidation factor and general comradery amongst the likes of American Football and Soccer (Football) fans?
It’s the fucking songs!!!
Boys, we need songs!
Okay, I can hear the cries already,
-“There are no songs in NFL stadiums, and we’re quite happy about that”-
That’s true, but there is public drinking and tailgate BBQ’s! Drinking in public is outlawed in the City of Toronto (or so the drunk-tank attendant keeps telling me), so we need to take another approach. There is no way in the name of God (Jesus, Ala, you name him) that the City of Toronto, with its protestant ethic ingrained so deeply in public policies, that public drinking will ever become a legal reality. So, we’ll just have to carry on buying $11 beers in the Rogers Centre at Argos games and during the 6 Bills games were all nearly wetting ourselves in anticipation of.
But it’s not all lost on us; lets get some songs going boys!
Manchester United, my favourite Premiership squad, are known for their creative chants and taunts that rally not only the crowd, but the gents on the pitch as well (worked like a charm this year as the Red Devils took not only the Premiership title but the Champions League as well). Celtic and Liverpool supporters will “Never Walk Alone” while the Jordies in Newcastle possess a magical ability to express their devotion “to da lads” with a dialect yet to be deciphered by the most cunning linguist.
Sitting at my desk struggling with the idea of writing an Argos fight song, I hadn’t a bloody clue what to write. My creative poetic ability (at the moment) spans somewhere between Notorious BIG lyrics and something Bob Dylan said this morning; iPods will eventually rule us all. So, citing a lack of intelligence on my behalf I respectfully submit to the fans out there…
HIT US UP!!!
Write in a short fight song below that you think will rally Argos fans.
The following is a copy of the existing Argos fight song, honestly its garbage, can you do a better job?
Go Toronto Argos go go go
Pull together fight the foe foe foe
Scoring touchdowns for the blue on blue
The Argos will win for you
Full of Fight and Courage you cant stop
They’ll pile up points until they reach the top
Pull together till’ the grey cups won
Go Agros, Go Go Go
Come on people…
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