Argos Return Home With Newfound Swagger

DANIELE FRANCESCHI – Argos Admirals Insider

TORONTO – Confidence is mounting within the confines of the Toronto Argonauts’ locker room. 

Amidst a plethora of injuries and personnel changes, the Boatmen currently sit atop the CFL’s Eastern Division with a 2-4 record. 

In the aftermath of last week’s 31-5 victory over the Montreal Alouettes, the Argonauts seem poised for an emphatic mid-season turnaround.  Scott Milanovich’s championship culture is beginning to resurface with veterans such as Ricky Ray and Jeff Keeping leading by example.

“We just had to talk and be real with ourselves after those losses.  What it came down to was our execution.  We just didn’t execute enough plays out there,” commented Argonauts starting quarterback Ricky Ray on this week’s edition of TSN 1050 Radio’s Argos All Access.  “We were making it pretty difficult on ourselves.  A lot of communication goes on up front.  We have to be on the same page and Jeff Keeping does a good job of that.”

Trust and camaraderie are two intangible attributes that are vital to a team’s success.  In football terms, these two traits are often referred to as “swagger”.  When the game becomes fun, there is a unique identity that is associated with a team’s style of play. 

The foundational principles of any successful franchise typically include trust, integrity, respect, loyalty, pride, and nobility.  As all these ideological characteristics begin to take root, a unified bond is formed.  In many ways, operating a prosperous football team is no different than conducting business in a corporate setting. 

“I think there’s definitely similarities between a business model and a team,” remarked Argonauts second-year signal caller Mitchell Gale.  “It’s all about buying in, working together with people, trying to invest time and develop relationships.  When you’re 2-4 on the season, you can look at each other and have trust.  You know that you’re committed to the same goal.”

Chemistry is perhaps one of the most underrated aspects of professional sports.  It takes time for athletes to become acclimated with new surroundings and adjust to playing with different teammates. 

Visualize it as your first day of school.  There is a certain level of uncertainty and anxiety that accompanies you as the morning bell sounds, indicating the beginning of a new school year.  No matter how many times you walk through those school doors, that feeling of uneasiness fails to dissipate. 

Developing chemistry requires patience and dedication.  It is a process and no one understands that better than Argos future hall of fame pivot Ricky Ray.  

“Offensively, we have been pretty inconsistent this year, so we’re just trying to improve with the guys that we have in there.  We have some young guys that are kind of getting their feet wet,” said Ray.  “It takes time for everyone to get used to each other.  We have to figure out the things that those guys do well and try to put them in good situations.”

The Argonauts returned to the practice field at York University on Thursday morning as they officially conclude their first bye week of the 2014 season.  While many members of the Argos’ personnel jetted off to their respective home cities earlier this week, Ray elected to remain in Toronto and enjoyed some quality time with his family.  

“Hanging out with the family and taking it easy,” said Ray of his bye week plans.  “It’s good to get away from football for a little bit and not think about it.  We have a few more bye weeks this year with Ottawa back in the mix so it’s nice to have a refresher here early in the season.”

The Boatmen’s 11-day layoff will culminate with a cross-divisional showdown against former Argonauts special teams coordinator Mike O’Shea and his Winnipeg Blue Bombers.  The Double Blue will then conclude their mini two-game homestand with a tilt against the B.C. Lions where they will debut their new CFL Signature Look jersey’s on the field.

With back-to-back home games on the horizon, the Argonauts’ goal is the simple:  Take care of business on home turf and claim firm control of the CFL’s Eastern Division.

“We’ve been on the road and it’s nice to get back home in our own stadium and play some home games with our fans,” declared Ray.  “We need to get on a bit of a run here.  We’ve been pretty inconsistent the first part of the season.  We need to begin taking care of business at home and try to get these next two games.  We want to put ourselves in a position where we can take control of this Eastern Division.”