Move over Canada Day! A new roommate has invaded the precious space you occupy on the 2009 calendar, and its name is the CFL. But this is no “odd couple”; the decision-makers at CFL headquarters have scheduled the opening day of CFL action on the same day that Canada celebrates the union of its original provinces.
What may seem like a conflict of interest on the surface (the tough decision for fans to either go up to the cottages where TVs are few and far between, stay home and watch the games on TV, or make the trip to Ivor Wynne Stadium or McMahon Stadium and watch the games live), is actually a shared sub-stratum of philosophy. Before I go on, we of the CFL urge you to strongly consider options 2 and 3, and specifically 3, where the cheers and/or boos of the fans make the in-game experience memorable for us players.
Anyway, allow me to quickly explore the parallel of the Canada Day-CFL relationship.
Canada Day, or Dominion Day as it was referred to in its early years, marks the combining of the British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada (Ontario and Quebec), into a federation of four provinces on July 1, 1867. Distinctly different parts of the country decided to come together, form one solitary union, and stand together in times of triumph and adversity.
In the CFL, eight teams started training camp three weeks ago, combining athletes from all parts of the world, some young, some old, and some real old, to form the teams that will compete for the 97th Grey Cup in Calgary. As with the federation of the four provinces, each CFL team will be called to stand together in times of triumph and adversity, which inevitably comes with an eighteen game season.
Specifically in Toronto, the 2008 season produced very few triumphs and far too much adversity, which led to massive turnovers in both the coaching staff and in personnel. Often times, the word turnover carries a negative connotation, but the feeling around Argo-land is that turnover is good, and was necessary.
Our new leader is Bart Andrus and his coaching staff resembles a who’s who list of NFL Europe coaching celebrities. With the exception of Special Teams/Running Backs Coach Steve Buratto, this group is light on CFL experience, but heavy on teaching the fundamentals of the sport, which have “universal remote-type” usefulness in any league.
Aside from the rule differences, which can be difficult to remember for even the most experienced CFL player, they’ve adjusted well to three-down football and I’m excited to see how they game-plan for teams and respond to the different scenarios that arise during each game.
I’ve played for Coach Andrus in NFL Europe with the Amsterdam Admirals in 2004, and I remember him being a detailed and efficient coach with a demeanor that resembled the X-axis (meaning he never changed). He didn’t rise and fall with the emotions of a game; rather he was always at an even keel. Playing for Bart in Amsterdam was actually the genesis of my pro career, where I learned how to be a professional and work everyday at my craft to be the best player my abilities allowed me to be.
Another guy that played for Bart in Amsterdam is cornerback Jordan “JY” Younger who returned to the Argonauts this off-season after a year in Edmonton. He, along with All-Star Rob Murphy, Zeke Moreno, and Dominic Picard, headline a group of fresh faces joining the Double Blue in 2009. Few teams experienced the type of personnel turnover that we did this year. We said goodbye to great players and more importantly, great men, who led the Double Blue to Grey Cup Championships in the past, and welcomed in with open arms, the men who will help lead us to our next Grey Cup Championship, which will be number 16 in club history for anyone who may have lost count.
Now that training camp and the pre-season are over, the Argos decision-makers have formed the “federation” of 52 men that comprise the active and practice roster. We’ve begun preparations for the first of eighteen regular season games that hopefully will put us in position to make a run in the playoffs.
However, we as athletes are taught to never look too far ahead. Conversely, the mental trick is to play eighteen one-game seasons, give everything you have for that one season, and worry about the next one when you get to it. Enthusiasm is everywhere with the potential and expectation for great things to happen on the field this year. The only catch is that seven other teams are feeling the exact same way and potential is just a fancy word for “you haven’t done anything yet!”
So as the 142nd celebration of Canada Day approaches, it will be joined by the official unveiling of the 2009 CFL regular season. The fast-paced, high-scoring, and hard-hitting action that CFL fans have come to know and love, will kickoff with the Hamilton Tiger-cats hosting us, their QEW rivals, the Toronto Argonauts.
With major trades and free agent acquisitions, this season figures to be a competitive one all around, and every team is in the race to play at McMahon Stadium on November 29th. So in the spirit of Canada Day; let the fireworks displays begin!