ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
TORONTO — The Argos held their annual Season Preview teleconference Wednesday afternoon for local and national media. Representing the Double Blue on the call was club President & CEO, Bob Nicholson, General Manager/VP, Football Operations, Adam Rita and Head Coach, Jim Barker.
The three addressed the media and answered questions regarding the overall state of the franchise both on and off the field, tackling such topics as roster depth, player personnel, season tickets, stadium concerns and more.
Here are some of the highlights:
New Set of Eyes and Ears
Shortly after the call began, Adam Rita announced that a new member has been added to the Argos’ Football Operation Staff in the way of Mike Hagen. A veteran football mind with over 27 years of scouting and managing experience, Hagen joins the club as the new Director, Player Personnel and will take on many of the duties previously held by former Assistant GM Greg Mohns.
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More New Faces
With rookie camp less than a week away, the club announced the addition of two players – one on each side of the ball. Former Miami Hurricane Ken Dorsey will compete at the QB position and brings no shortage of college accolades with him after securing back-to-back BCS National Championship appearances before spending time in the NFL.
The signing of Dorsey coincides with the signing of former Calgary Stampeder DB Dwaine Carpenter. Barker spoke highly of Carpenter’s arrival at Argos’ training camp, reiterating how important it is to have players around that are familiar with his philosophies.
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Competition at a Premium
Coach Barker addressed both the increased depth and learning curve that will face the current quarterbacks and running backs on the Argos’ roster. Barker conveyed that in a perfect world, a team can go into the season with an undisputed starting quarterback and this team is no different. With five QB’s coming to camp, he said that the club’s upcoming rookie camp (beginning next Tuesday) could go a long way in deciding who has the inside track on the starting job and how far their development has gone this off-season.
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Familiar Faces
Despite a lot of turnover, Barker says that one of the more comforting parts of bringing in new bodies to his new team is bringing some in from his own team. After discussing his excitement in bringing in former Stampeders WR Jermaine Copeland and LB Dwaine Carpenter, Barker discussed the advantages one has when he knows more than what a player can bring just by watching them on the field (they have to be a good locker room guy too).
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Home Sweet Home
“I am pleased to say that we have an agreement in principal with Rogers Centre on a three-year lease.”, stated Nicholson. “I think it puts behind us some of the issues about the options that have come up in recent years and even the investigation late last year with the BMO field option. Rogers Centre is a place that David Braley believes in and that is important in this deal. We believe it offers the best amenities in the CFL for both the players and the fans”.
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Grey Cup Centennial
In what has been speculated over quite some time now, Nicholson confirmed that Toronto was indeed one of the cities in the running for the 100th Grey Cup to be held in 2012 but did not say when a formal announcement would be made from the Canadian Football league.
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Box Office Update
Nicholson did admit that back-to-back non-playoff seasons has led to a slight decrease in season ticket sales and the focus remains on promoting the club’s three and six-game flex packs as well as group sales – which were a successful revenue generator last year and seem to be once again this year.
He also discussed the Argos’ new ticket pricing structure saying, “…we spent a lot of time walking the building, trying to rationalize all of the different sections and how they were priced and build a base that we can defend and continue to grow. We also introduced a new entry level price – our Blue level – which is $161 for the season.”