Well, that was fun.
The Toronto Argonauts and B.C. Lions traded punches in what turned out to be a typical CFL game, lead changes, big plays, weird moments, and all done with a high level of entertainment.
THE MAC ATTACK
McLeod Bethel-Thompson’s second CFL start was in many ways much like his first. The offence struggled in the first half, then looked much crisper and was much more successful after the intermission.
The Argos failed to reach the end zone in the first 30 minutes against the Lions, then posted touchdowns in both the third and fourth quarters en route to a 24-23 win.
M B-T has posted much better second-half number in each of his two games. His combined second-half stats are 26/39, 67%, 348 yards and five touchdowns with zero interceptions.
FAMILIAR FACE ON THE SIDELINES
The low point of the Argos season came early. Not only did they lose their home opener 41-7 to Calgary, but quarterback Ricky Ray suffered a neck injury in the game. He was taken off the field on a cart and has kept a low profile since.
Ray returned to the sidelines for the B.C. game. For those who have wondered about the future Hall-of-Famer, he’s had the neck brace off over a week now and is at the facility every day.
While he hasn’t been on the field, he has been at BMO Field for every home game, watching from the locker room.
Hey, Ricky 👋🏽 pic.twitter.com/4Nd7bMPM1X
— Toronto Argonauts (@TorontoArgos) August 18, 2018
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
The atmosphere at BMO Field on Saturday was awesome. While admittedly there weren’t a ton of big plays to cheer in the first half, there was ample opportunity to bring the noise in the second half, and that’s exactly what happened, it was exceptionally loud down the stretch.
We’ve all heard the lame jokes and criticism about Argo crowd size in the past, but Saturday was an example of how you don’t need 50,000 in the stands to have fun. There were over 18,000 there, which in the grand scheme of things is a good start.
The ownership group has said it’s looking to make small, continuous steps to fill the stadium. Season ticket sales are up this year, and getting two or three crowds like Saturday’s this season will help in the long run.
Fans who went to the party had a great time. Even Lions fans who attended the game had to be entertained, though they wish the final score was different.
Next up at BMO Field is Hamilton in a rematch of the Labour Day Classic. There’s little doubt that Ticats fans will travel well for the game, so the challenge is to make sure Argos fans show up in similar numbers as Saturday’s game.
While there’s no Ex as an added bonus at the next home date, there’s also zero question the CFL contest was far more entertaining than playing whack-a-mole after it was done. While the Ex is a fantastic event and a huge part of Toronto’s history, it’s not needed to have fun on the CNE grounds. Argo fans prove that on a regular basis.
It’s continuing to spread that word, and allowing people to experience Argo football live that will only add to number of fans who show up on a regular basis. If you had fun Saturday at the game, it would be fantastic to see you back for the Hamilton game.
BLATANT PLUG ALERT!
Tickets for the Argos vs Ticats game on Saturday, September 8, 1:00 pm, are available at Argonauts.ca, or by calling the Argos ticket department at (416) 341-ARGO, that’s (416) 341-2746.
Read that paragraph again using Pinball Clemons’ voice. It’s much more effective that way.
ARGOS FANS ARE HIP
There are few Canadian bands that reach the level of the Tragically Hip in terms of popularity, and much of the band’s music explored, and celebrated Canadiana.
Lead guitarist Rob Baker of the Hip was in attendance at the Argo game Saturday, which shouldn’t be a huge surprise. He’s a huge fan of Canadian football.
All the cool kids go to #Argos games, so do The Hip ones. #CFL pic.twitter.com/WDM8EcQ1a7
— Mike Hogan (@MikeHoganArgos) August 19, 2018
Baker was a cornerback in high school, playing for the Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute Blues, a teammate of Hip bassist and Blues linebacker Gord Sinclair, as well as the author of this article, who toiled at defensive halfback on that team.
Hip guitarist Paul Langlois would join the Blues as a DB a year later. His dad “Tic” was a long-time coach there.
It’s not unusual to see the trio at three-down football games, but mostly at the OUA level. During an interview on Krown Countdown-U radio last year (heard on the TSN radio network), Baker said going to Queen’s games is his favourite thing in the world to do.
He’s a fixture at Richardson Stadium, donning a gold Gaels jersey and sitting in his season-ticket seats in the front row behind the home team’s bench.
Seeing him at the Argos game Saturday was fantastic.
THE NEW GUYS
Three Argonauts made their CFL debuts on Saturday.
Nelkas Kwemo, was the Argos second-round draft pick this year and finally got into the lineup, playing on special teams. He’s from Queen’s, so Rob Baker picked the right game to go to. Kwemo would have recorded a tackle on the opening kickoff, his first CFL play, but Cam Walker got to Jeremiah Johnson just before the first-game player would have knocked the returner out of bounds.
Mario Alford started at receiver and made an impact. A state high-school champion in the 100-metres in Georgia, Alford brings speed to the lineup, and a lot of it.
He’d finish with four catches for 47 yards, and he was also on kickoff return with Martese Jackson – providing an incredibly speedy duo – but there was one play that may show what the future may have in store for Alford.
Early in the second quarter the Argos faced a second-and-one from their own 53 yard line. The ball was on the right hash mark and Alford lined up as the ‘Z’ receiver, the wide receiver on the wide side of the field, to the left of M B-T.
Alford wasn’t in motion. From a standing start he’d intentionally get off the line slowly, then turn on the burners. He had cornerback Winston Rose beaten, but the ball was underthrown to the B.C. 20.
Bethel-Thompson’s reaction was one of disbelief. Probably a mixture of him not believing he underthrew an open receiver, combined with a little bit of disbelief that Alford was so far downfield so quickly.
This may also have been just a sign of two athletes who are still learning about one another. The QB has been working with the starting group in practice for two-and-a-half weeks, while Alford was inserted with the ‘ones’ this week.
As they become more familiar with one another, the odds increase that at some point they’ll connect for a long touchdown pass.
Marcus Roberson Jr. also started, lining up at the very difficult boundary corner spot. Cassius Vaughn moved from his usual SAM linebacker spot to the boundary halfback position, lining up next to Roberson.
The newcomer signed with Toronto in mid-July and is still getting used to the nuances of the Canadian game. He and Vaughn were in constant communication during practice this week, the veteran making sure the newbie was making the right reads and the correct switches.
He sure passed the eye test. Argonauts.ca will let you know how he did on film later this week.