TORONTO (Nov. 18) — The team upon which I threw in the towel near the end of September tossed it right back at me — full of the blood, sweat and snot required to overcome crippling adversity and win the Canadian Football League championship. When the Toronto Argonauts mismanaged the final moments against Hamilton on Sep. 20 and lost at home by a field goal, the club was plummeting toward the East Division basement. Then, out of absolutely nowhere, the Argonauts began to cook with the recipe that prevails virtually every year in the CFL. The Boatmen played their best football of the season when it mattered. As it always does starting in late–September.
A 37–31 triumph over Montreal at BMO Field was followed by a 14–11 slog at Winnipeg (the two best teams in the league). A no–doubter at home to Ottawa, in which the Argos bolted to a 28–0 lead in the second quarter, clinched a playoff spot. The season ended with a meaningless loss at Edmonton… but not–so meaningless in hindsight. Journeyman quarterback Nick Arbuckle came on to relieve starter Cameron Dukes and performed very well. He was named the CFL’s offensive player of the week (starter Chad Kelly was rested). Providing him valuable confidence, if needed, down the road. Arbuckle watched as Kelly and the defense rang up 58 points against Ottawa in the East semifinal; then three quarters of the Division title game, in Montreal. When, suddenly, he was called upon to sub for Kelly, who broke his leg on a tackle with 0:36 left in the period, that confidence from Edmonton paid off.
Arbuckle nursed the visitors to an improbable, 30–28 victory and a berth in the 111th Grey Cup.
How, then, in the wild and wacky CFL, could Arbuckle not author a second improbable story, being named Most Valuable Player on Sunday night as the Argos pulled away in the fourth quarter from the heavily favored Winnipeg Blue Bombers and breezed to a 41–24 victory for their second Grey Cup title in three years. Both guided by coach Ryan Dinwiddie, whose head I wanted on a platter several times during the season. As I wrote last week, however, Dinwiddie’s show of raw emotion when Kelly got hurt fueled his players to scrap against the favored Alouettes in the final 15 minutes. His ball–hawking defense then took over after Arbuckle had managed the Grey Cup game superbly. Interception returns by Rob Priester (61 yards for a touchdown) and Wynton McManis (who slipped at the Winnipeg two) added an exclamation mark to the latest conquest by Toronto’s best sports team.
The Argos were able to control future Hall–of–Famer Zach Collaros in their encounters this season. Collaros was ineffective while healthy on Sunday… then unavoidably disastrous after slicing open his throwing hand in the fourth quarter. He returned wearing a receiver’s glove but quickly yielded the scoring interception to Priester.
And, the lock–down pick by McManis.
Rout on. Game over.
The Argos have won their past eight trips to the CFL championship: 1991–96–97–2004–12–17–22–24. No club has won the Grey Cup as often in the past 35 years. That from a team that failed to appear in the Cup match for an astounding 19 years (1953–71) in a nine–team league. But, times clearly have changed for the Double Blue.
As always seems to happen when the Argos come on strongly at the end of the season, the veteran defenders began to smell money. McManis, Folarin Orimolade, DeShaun Amos, Jake Ceresna, interception machine Benjie Franklin. It remains undeniable: defense wins championships. Not without help from a quarterback… and Arbuckle exceeded all expectation at B.C. Place. A razor–close, 17–16 game in Toronto’s favor erupted into a landslide with the Priester interception return and a touchdown after the McManis pick. Toronto struck for a Grey Cup–record 24 points in the fourth quarter. Turns out the Argos accumulated 129 points in their three playoff games, an average of 43 per match. More than enough to win a title. Even minus your No. 1 quarterback.
It must again be pointed out that the Argos are the antithesis of the Core–4 Maple Leafs, who are also the heroes of November each year. The truly great players embrace high–leverage circumstances. The pretenders wither.
EMAIL: HOWARDLBERGER@GMAIL.COM
