August 25, 2017

Hogan’s Quick Hits: Week 10

SJ Green (19), Tyler Holmes (57) and Malcom Williams (82) of the Toronto Argonauts during the game against the Montreal Alouettes at BMO Field in Toronto, ON, Saturday, August 19, 2017. (Photo: Johany Jutras)

Banged Up Boatmen

At the beginning of the season, the starting defensive unit included Cleyon Laing, Ken Bishop, Victor Butler, Josh Mitchell, Johnny Sears Jr, Jermaine Gabriel and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah.

When “A.K.” was injured in the first half Saturday against Montreal it meant seven of the Argos’ original twelve starters were out of the lineup with injuries. How did the team react? It shut out the Alouettes offence.

Somewhat lost in the Double Blue’s 38-6 win over the Als was the performance of the defence. It was easy to overlook the effort with the play of Ricky Ray and company on the other side of the ball, or even the Justin Tuggle touchdown on special teams, but the D was outstanding.

The Argos mid-game adjustment was top notch.  Some players lined up in multiple positions to account for the loss of their shut-down corner. That’s something that doesn’t come by accident.

Defensive coordinator Corey Chamblin spoke to Argonauts.ca on the second day of training camp about moving Gabriel from safety to the field corner, something they experimented with early on. The answer was prophetic in nature and applicable to Saturday’s situation.

“Each day personnel is going to be in a different (position),” said CC the DC. “By the time camp is over you’ll be dizzy, especially in the secondary. Those guys have to play more than one position.”

Those early training camp sessions and emphasis on versatility turned out to be invaluable to the Argos.

 

Ricky Ray’s Record

It’s an even more impressive record than it appears on the surface. Last week against Montreal, Ricky Ray broke the Argos all-time record for career TD passes by tossing number 99 to Declan Cross. He became the first to hit the century mark in Double Blue with a short strike to Armanti Edwards later in the game.

Ray now has the Argos record and the Edmonton Eskimos record in that category.

Think about that for a minute.

It’s the norm for great CFL quarterbacks not named Russ Jackson to move from team to team. Matt Dunigan and Damon Allen seemed to play for every team in the league, I mean who could forget the intensity of the great Birmingham Barracudas/Memphis Mad Dogs rivalry?

Even Ronnie Lancaster played for Ottawa before becoming the gold standard among passers while starring in Regina.

There are a couple of important things to consider when categorizing what No. 15 has done. Firstly, he has to have a high talent level. The list of quarterbacks to have thrown 100 touchdown passes for any team isn’t all that long when you consider the CFL has been around as long as it’s been.

Secondly, he has to be a physical freak. Have you watched a defensive player hit a QB when he’s got the chance? It’s not pretty. For a player like Ray – who has never been the most elusive player at that position – to sustain the number of body shots he’s taken over the years is a testament to how tough he is.

Thirdly, he has to be good enough that two separate franchises have kept him around long enough to set the club mark. It was a perfect storm that brought the native of Happy Camp, California to Toronto (yes, he’s a Happy Camper) and it paid off with a Grey Cup win in 2012.

It’s a record worth celebrating, though the man who accomplished the feat would be the last person to join the party.

 

The Bandwagon Boards at the Exhibition Stop

It started on the GO Train platform in Whitby. A fan in an Arland Bruce jersey was spotted hopping on the 11:17 headed west. As the train made more and more stops, more and more folks sporting Argo gear were seen climbing aboard.

As people deboarded at the Exhibition stop it was apparent that many were headed to the CNE, but an unusually high number were wearing their colours, and in this case, those colours were Double Blue.

To say it was nice to see would be an understatement of epic proportion. Too often it’s possible to walk around the 6ix and not see people donning the Argos logo, but perhaps the tide is beginning to turn.

Saturday’s crowd was bigger than what many expected. Far from a sellout, but a significant increase over what we’ve seen at times. People who went to the game with a rooting interest for the home side had a blast. Oh, and the people in attendance were loud. Very loud.

It felt like how it’s supposed to feel at BMO. Spectacular weather, a top-notch performance by the Boatmen, and the feeling of community that has not been apparent for ages, maybe since the Argos left the CNE in the first place.

After the game, there was a sense that the crowd wanted to linger. Many sat outside the CNE’s Food Building, many in small groups, still savouring the moment.

Those who filtered over to Williams Landing for a celebratory beverage were occasionally interrupted by the lilt of an “Arrrrrrrrr-goooossssss” chant coming from one of the groups gathered at the bar.

On Saturday the coolest place to be in Toronto was BMO Field. It was arguably the best experience in the new digs so far. The home opener a year ago was a great success, but that game featured a loss to a team that will remain nameless (and winless so far this season).

There was no quick fix here, management stressed that from the beginning. Saturday gave you a feeling that maybe, just maybe, this thing is heading in the right direction after all.

The next chance to fill the stadium a bit more is against Edmonton on Saturday, September 16 at 4:00 p.m. ET. Make sure you don’t forget to bring the noise.

 

Noise Pollution

S.J. Green has, for obvious reasons, quickly become a fan favourite in Toronto. The ridiculously high number of acrobatic catches has been a joy for Double Blue backers to watch and for the radio play-by-play voice to call.

The description of the one-handed snag in the season opener against Hamilton became one of TSN 1050’s top audio clips of the year and was featured in the station’s recent ‘Sound Wars’ competition. The call of the Saturday’s second TD grab by Green may have one upped it, at least in terms of volume.

Keith Bauer is the on-site engineer for TSN 1050 for Argo, Leaf and Raptor broadcasts. He works hockey games with the great Joe Bowen, known for his exuberance when the Leafs score a big goal.

Bauer looked at the Argos radio guy after the call and inferred that the equipment may have been in peril with the sharp increase in volume. He was asked if it was louder than a typical Bonsie call.

“Oh ya,” was the quick reply, followed by an approving chuckle.

The reason for the intensity of the description was simple, it was much like the catch in the opener. From the vantage point of the radio booth, there was no way the pass attempt would be completed, only to see Green make a ridiculous grab a second later.

At this point, it should not be even slightly surprising. He’s made a habit of making insanely great catches over the course of his career.