ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
In a three-part series, Argonauts.ca takes a look at some of the ups and downs of the last decade of Argos football. From a Grey Cup championship to record-setting performances, the 2000’s seemed to have it all.
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2004
The 2004 season gets its own feature as it is perhaps one of the most important years in the franchise’s history. David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski literally built the front office of the ’04 Argos from scratch after purchasing them in late 2003. Their first move was the hiring of then-TSN president Keith Pelley who was appointed President and CEO. Pelly’s knowledge combined with GM Adam Rita and Greg Mohns’ ability to scout put together the most solid Argos squad in almost ten years both on and off the field. The Toronto Argonauts were back – back in the hunt for a Grey Cup and back as a prominent sports presence in the City of Toronto. Ticket sales improved dramatically and the once forgotten franchise was back in the forefront in the minds of many Torontonians.
Click here to check out the Decade In Review photo gallery.
On the field, Damon Allen was back at the helm for another year and the Argos landed the off-season’s most sought after free agent in scatback John Avery. Mohns and Rita would assemble a solid corps of new talent from south of the border that included the likes of WR Robert Baker, WR R. Jay Soward, DE Jonathan Brown and CB Jordan Younger. Veterans Tony Miles and Andre Talbot helped solidify O-Coordinator Kent Austin’s offence while stalwarts LB Kevin Eiben, LB Mike O’Shea and DE Eric England manned the defence.
The Argos started the year off strong with a convincing win at home over the Saskatchewan Roughriders but the team experienced what many believed could have been a season-ending setback when QB Damon Allen suffered a leg injury in Montreal. The Argos’ leader would miss the majority of the season’s second half and it would be up to backup QB Michael Bishop to hold the fort until Allen returned. The Argos went 4-3-1 under Bishop’s guidance and the club added two import receivers along the way. One was a legend south of the border who was brought in to provide leadership and toughness to a rather young receiving corps in Andre Rison and the other, a former Winnipeg Blue Bomber named Arland Bruce lll. Bruce’s impact was felt almost immediately and eventually became the club’s most dangerous offensive weapon.
It was the defence however, that would carry the Argos into the playoffs, boasting one of the nation’s top secondaries. The Argos would trounce the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 30-7 in the East Semi-Final led by a 116-yard interception return touchdown (CFL post-season record) but enter the East Final once again as heavy underdogs to the Montreal Alouettes. Led by Bruce’s 198 all-purpose yards, the Argos shocked the Alouettes 26-18 and earned their first Grey Cup berth since 1997.
Once again underdogs, the Argos entered a Grey Cup battle in the nation’s capital with the B.C. Lions. Led by a heroic performance by game MVP Damon Allen, the Boatmen would once again stun the Canadian sports landscape, handing Wally Buono and the Lions a 27-19 loss and capturing the 2004 Grey Cup and Pinball’s first Grey Cup as head coach. This victory was the 15th in club history, and one of its most memorable.
Stay linked to Argonauts.ca for Part 3 of Decade In Review.