An avid Argos supporter and season ticket holder, Don Landry has covered almost every type of news from sports to music to talk radio in his 25 years of broadcasting and has conducted over 10,000 interviews with the likes of Prime Ministers, Premiers, sports legends, showbiz stars, power brokers and many more. Follow Don on Twitter @argoslandry or visit his website at donlandry.com.
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DON LANDRY
Argonauts.ca Columnist
MISSISSAUGA — As the Argos were putting the finishing touches on their Canada Day win over the Calgary Stampeders, I fired out this message on twitter:
“That was a hell of a first sail of the season, Argos.”
Little did I know that many of their ensuing jaunts would be downright hellacious. Who saw THAT coming? A brisk jog up the CFL staircase the year before had brought them to a 9 and 9 record, a berth in the East Final, a Coach Of The Year Award for Jim Barker, and a whole, if you’ll excuse the pun, boatload of optimism for the 2011 season.
This year, a 6 and 12 record, no berth at all in the playoffs and widespread speculation as to whether that same celebrated coach will step solely into the general manager’s office this off-season. There weren’t that many questions following the 2010 season, were there? Now, more than enough to keep the upcoming few weeks very, very busy.
A DISAPPOINTED VET
“I believe that there need to be some serious changes in certain areas,”offered veteran kicker Noel Prefontaine. As he spoke, I felt I could detect a bit of underlying frustration and disappointment in his voice. No surprise there. Didn’t sense, nor would I expect to, much glee about the year from any of the Argos as they cleaned out lockers and man-hugged in the parking lot. The previous night’s win over Hamilton and ending the year with two victories in a row likely did help take at least some of the sting out of a frustrating season.
“Ultimately, it’s my opinion,” said Prefontaine. “This is not (necessarily) the same opinion that somebody in the front office might share, it’s not the same opinion that one of my coaches or even teammates might share.” Because of that, Prefontaine decided not to go into specifics. “I think what we do and how we deal with our issues should be done in house,” he continued.
“I don’t think it can be blamed on one particular thing. I think it’s an accumulation of some issues that need to be tended to. We had a lack of consistency as to how we played as a team.”
THAT NIGHT IN EDMONTON: A SIGN?
It’s been said before, with some credence, that the Argos suffered the balancing of the scales this season. In their turnaround year in 2010, a lot of things went right. Some by design, some because of good fortune. This time around, they suffered more “yang,” as opposed to enjoying “yin,” you could say. Veteran cornerback Byron Parker believes there was an early omen.
“Turning point for us was that game in Edmonton,” said Parker. Then he paused and laughed. The kind of laugh you hear when someone is recalling a moment that kind of freaked them out. The Argos lost that game, 26 – 25, on July 29th. And fell to 1 and 4. You’ll remember the end of the 1st half, where the Argos stopped the Eskimos on the goal line as time expired, then began heading to the locker room. But, after an official’s review, a few more seconds were put on the clock and another play was run, with the Eskimos scoring a major and closing to within 2 points.
“We never recovered after that. I think that was the game that just let us know that this just wasn’t going to be the year, as funny as that sounds.
I just thought ‘wow, it’s gonna be a long year,’ and unfortunately it ended up being a long year.”
Will Parker be back for 2012? He’s merely one of a large number of veterans who could become free agents next February. He loves it in Toronto and doesn’t think money will come into play when he decides where he signs.
“Everyone wants to get paid what they’re worth, but how often does that happen? I love it here. This is my home. I would love to be back but circumstances have to be right.”
The right circumstances, for Parker, would be the return of coaches Mike O’Shea and Orlondo Steinauer, as well as veteran teammates Jordan Younger and some of the other core veterans who are also free agents. While he says it’s not about money, Parker does candidly say that he doesn’t want to be part of a rebuilding team; he wants championships.
“I need as many rings as I can get. If I’ve got 3 years left, I at least want 2 (Grey Cup rings). I’m trying not to be greedy, but I really want 3.
My ultimate goal now is to win championships – not necessarily the amount of money I can make.”
Parker needn’t worry about a rebuild. It’s clear that, with the Grey Cup in Toronto in 2012, the team will adhere to the aspirations you’d expect; to appear in, if not outright win, the big game on its own field. That means the Argos will attempt to elevate from the successes of last season, as well as the slight turnaround that seemed in evidence over the last few weeks of this season. With the 100th championship game on the horizon, a good dose of proven veterans will be necessary to try to ensure the team has a shot at appearing in the centrepiece of its own big party. When looking at veterans among the 15 Argos that can become free agents this off-season, wouldn’t the CFL’s all-time “pick 6” king seem like an integral piece? Parker has shown he still has the radar of a premium ball-hawker, while retaining at least some of the athletic ability that helped him once win an NCAA slam dunk contest.
It’s a delicate question for Jim Barker and the rest of his front office crew this winter. While this season’s injury list showed the team is deep in defensive talent, are those fill-ins ready to step up and take over as emerging vets next year? Is Anthony Cannon ready to start? Nick Clement?
Jasper Simmons? If you believe a vet like Jordan Younger – a free agent this off-season – still has plenty in the tank, you’d assume they’ll want him back. He’s played everywhere in the secondary as well as at linebacker, of course.
“My heart’s in Toronto,” said Younger. “If they’ll have me, I’ll be here. I wanna play until the wheels fall off.”
He’s not taking anything for granted, though.
“There’s got to be some changes, if you say you want to win. It doesn’t necessarily have to be personnel-wise. It may be philosophical. We’ve got to find a way to get people we’ve got in the position to make plays on a consistent basis.”
IS JYLES THE MAN?
Consistency. That word seems a touchstone as to what the team needs in order to be back on course in 2012.
They’ll have some of that, assuming that contract negotiations with quarterback Steven Jyles are fruitful. Coach Barker believes he’s the real deal and judging by what some of the players say about him, they believe in him too. He’s well-liked and his abilities are well-respected. And Jyles wants to be here, too.
“Coach told me they were looking forward to working with me in the future,” began Jyles. “I definitely want to be here. We’ve started a good thing.”
It’s expected that Jyles will be a different quarterback, with a full training camp and pre-season under his belt. Whether the Argos go out and get some experienced back-up help is another thing.
Yet another thing would be whether Jyles will have a stable of c
lutch pass catchers to sling at. It’s too early to know if Maurice Mann helps solve that quandary. Plus, it’s not even known whether he’ll be an Argo as he’s another player who can opt for free agency this winter. However, the Argos gave up a premium defensive back in Dee Webb in order to get Mann, leading me to suspect they’ll do whatever they can to get him under contract again. That trade wasn’t made with a 2011 playoff push in mind. It was made with the 100th Grey Cup in mind.
In Andre Durie, it sure looks like the Argos have a guy who can make tough catches in traffic. His first touchdown in Thursday’s win over Hamilton was the kind of thing the Argos have been looking for and not getting enough of all season. With Ticats’ defensive back Marcell Young all over him, Durie found a way to fight him off and make a terrific reception.
He’s emerging as the kind of clutch slotback every team needs. And his background as a running back means he’ll be a great YAC receiver going forward.
“(The coaches) have done a great job of mentoring me into the position, teaching me the intricacies about it. It’s helped out a lot. I feel like I can make plays whenever I’m given the opportunity. That’s what I tell the coaches and my quarterback. I just look to stand behind my word and be consistent whenever they call my number.”
THE MAN IN CHARGE
Just who will be calling Durie’s number is a question. Head Coach Jim Barker stated on Friday that there will be coaching changes. What we don’t know, just yet, is whether he was talking about himself, or his staff.
Should Barker continue to hold two roles? Well, there’s the old saw about a coach of the year not becoming stupid over night. It’s applicable here.
This year was a disappointment, no doubt. But, the season didn’t spin totally out of control down the stretch. The club finished by winning two games against opponents that had much to play for. There’s something to be said for that. And it seems Barker is very aware of what mistakes cannot be repeated in 2012.
“There are specific things that went on that made this year more difficult than it should have been, than it was the year before. I know those now and they won’t happen again. I won’t put myself in the position, or the club in the position to have that happen.”
As is Barker’s habit, he would not go into detail. I wonder if one of those things was allowing a camera crew to access the team through training camp and the first half of the season. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate “The Extra Yard.” I really enjoyed it. It was excellent TV and worth a shot as a marketing tool. But, did it alter the day to day procedures and methods that seem to be so crucial to the pursuit of professional football consistency? I kind of doubt there’ll be another “Extra Yard” in 2012 for the Double Blue.
THE EXTRA POINT
Injuries forced the Argos to keep patching their offensive line this season. That necessity showed that, like the defence, the O-line has decent depth, too. Taylor Robertson and Rob Murphy were major losses to the injury list, and both are possible free agents. If they’re both fully recovered, they’d be integral parts of what the Argos hope will be a renaissance season in 2012. Ditto Dominic Picard. Except for the injury part. Picard played every single game of the season and that’s only partly why he’s the Argos’ nominee as Outstanding Offensive Lineman. He’s also damn good and a high priority re-sign for the Boatmen. Because good offensive linemen are tough to find. Double that for centres.