Two world-class coaches clash in Canada 150 celebration at BMO Field.
Coming off a win over the rival Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Sunday’s home opener, the Toronto Argonauts (1-0) led by Marc Trestman will take on the CFL’s ‘other cats’, the BC Lions (0-1) led by Wally Buono in a Friday night showdown.
To kick off Canada Day weekend, Friday night’s game will pay homage to the great nation we call home, with a special Canada 150 gameday celebration.
To honour Canada’s 150th anniversary, footballs and referee uniforms will each take on a special look, and players from both teams will don a t-shirt that pays tribute to a notable Canadian player during on-field warmups.
After a dominant showing in Week One, the Argos will look to continue the momentum established on both sides of the ball when they take the field Friday night. Marc Trestman tallied his 60th career win in the contest – his first in Double Blue – improving his winning percentage as a CFL head coach to .659 in 91 regular season games.
In the win, Ricky Ray threw for a career-high 506 passing yards, 124 of which came to newcomer S.J. Green, making his Argos debut. The ‘Dreaded Defence’ was firing on all cylinders as well, holding the Tiger-Cats offence to just 12 first downs and zero touchdowns in the contest.
The Lions, coming off of a tight Week One loss to the Edmonton Eskimos, will look to spoil the party and bounce back to .500 on Friday night. After coming from behind to tie up the contest, the Leos allowed a last-second field goal to fall to 0-1. On Friday night, BC will take the field under the leadership of the CFL’s all-time winningest coach, Wally Buono (266-146-3).
Historically, Trestman and Buono’s teams have squared off eight times in regular season action (2008-11) and emerged with identical 4-4 records.
The Budweiser King Club Patio in the North End Zone will open 90 minutes before kickoff with the following features:
- $6 Beers
- Food trucks serving hot food
- Live DJ
- Games
- Access to watch warm-up
- Enter at Gate 1
Due to Canada 150 celebration at Ontario Place, we will not be hosting a tailgate or Shipyard at Ontario Place this game.
Planning Your Visit to BMO Field
This week, lots 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be open and available for parking. The Enercare Centre’s underground garage, Gore Lot (East of Strachan Ave) and Ontario Place will also have parking spots available.
Important notes for Sunday’s game:
For banners or instruments needing approval, please visit Gate 3B Guest Services prior to entering the stadium (Please click HERE for a list of restricted items).
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