JASON COLERO
Toronto Argonauts Manager, Community Relations
Jason Colero started as a water boy and now, 25 years later, he’s the heart and soul of Argos’ community outreach programs. The friendly and energetic Manager of Community Relations now educates youth through a myriad of programs he leads throughout the GTA.
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Oskee-Wee-Wee! AAAAAARRRRGOOOOS! Those are the familiar battle cries we all hear on the football field and, in the off-season, just before the gliding sound of ice meeting metal. We feel the cold brisk air and echo of the chants throughout the forum as the players suit up. I’m not talking about an Eastern Final game between the Ticats and Argos, but rather the rivalry that continues off the field and into the arena for a charity hockey game.
Whether it’s on the field, in an arena or on the basketball court, the players that don the uniforms exhibit a great level of competition when they face each other. Even players that were fortunate enough to wear both uniforms such as Larry Jusdanis, Hank Ilesic, Mike O’Shea, Mike Morreale, Jerome Davis and more recently, Arland Bruce and Jason Shivers, have learned to despise the other team’s jersey. ‘Despise’ might be a harsh word but one only needs to attend the Labour Day Classic or any game between the two foes to see just how these teams can clash.
I can still recall a heated hockey game between the Tabbies and Argos in a small town north-east of Toronto called Bancroft, Ontario. Both teams – surprisingly – rode a bus for more than three hours together, and both teams shared stories of the past season. On the bus, you would never think that the players on these two teams were part of one of the biggest rivalries in North America. However, as soon as they arrived at the small arena where over 1,000 people waited, they went into different locker rooms and the game was on. There were no memorable incidents, insofar as there were no players ejected in that game, but the thrill of the rivalry was palpable.
Not one player was ejected back in 1993 when, during the “Steven Zammit Memorial Cup”, both teams played with celebrities. But again, the excitement of Steeltown vs. Hogtown was clear. In the end, the edge went to the Argos as they were the recipients of the talents of Team Canada hockey legend, Paul Henderson. Soon after, the fun-loving rivalry continued off the ice and moved onto the basketball court at Sheridan College’s Oakville, Ontario campus. There, the Courtside Boatmen were defeated by the Tiger-Cats.
Not all games, however, go without incident. In the 1990s, the Argos and Ticats took to the ice and a mini bench-clearing brawl ensued. All differences were resolved during the players’ time in the penalty box and the game ended with both teams finishing in more of a chuckle than a shouting match. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed but it showed that the competitive fires burn brightly when players from these two teams meet in any sport.
Why talk about these games with just over a week until both teams play in the most anticipated Labour Day game since 2004? Simple, the players from these teams realize that their rivalry is so big that it can be used to help the common good. This rivalry can make a difference in the lives of many through every charity basketball and hockey game that they play.
The success of these charitable events isn’t possible without the ‘Oskee-Wee-Wees’ and ‘AAAARRRRRGGGOOOS’. I salute you, the fans, for your passion both on and off the field. Maybe, at some point, we’ll all have a nice ceasefire where we can all make that difference together – but not before September 6th.
AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS!!!!!!
Make your passion your Life and No one can take that away.
Jason
I couldn’t include all of my memories from these legendary rivalry games so I’m going to post them on my personal blog, click here to visit it. You can also e-mail me at jcolero@argonauts.ca.