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SIMMONS: The Argonauts can clinch first place in the East on Friday. But does anyone care?

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That is the week of the large recreation, and hardly anybody appears to know or care.

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That is life, sadly, for the wayward and first-place Toronto Argonauts, a workforce at a time of large contradictions and confusion in a Canadian Soccer League that wants them to succeed, not essentially within the standings.

The Argos are in first place, and even Invoice Parcells, who has at all times claimed that you’re what your file says you might be, may argue the purpose right here. They don’t look very similar to a first-place workforce. They don’t really feel like a first-place workforce. Sincere, they don’t play like a first-place workforce — and in the event that they beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at house on Friday evening, they are going to clinch first within the East for the primary time since Doug Flutie performed quarterback right here and the late Don Matthews coached.

That’s the soccer stuff.

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That ought to be one thing value celebrating if it wasn’t surrounded by so many questions that haven’t any solutions. Ryan Dinwiddie is the first-year head coach of the Argos. Most individuals wouldn’t acknowledge him if he walked bare down Yonge St. All season lengthy, he has been falling out of timber head-first and touchdown on his toes. The Argos are 8-4 on this shortened CFL season, which appears to be like nice on the rookie coach, till you watch the video games and see how he struggles with clock administration and understanding the principles. All of that has occurred with the achieved Chris Jones on the sidelines not removed from him. Jones most likely ought to be teaching this workforce.

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However that’s one other story in an extended tributary of tales surrounding the historical past, the longer term, and the inevitability of the Argos. The Argos can’t die, and so they wrestle to maintain. That doesn’t appear to vary 12 months after 12 months.

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This workforce is owned by Maple Leaf Sports activities & Leisure, together with the Leafs, Raptors and Toronto FC. Largely, they’re handled like a stepchild who was inherited however by no means actually cared for. There isn’t any promotion to talk of, little promoting, little promoting of a workforce that misplaced the general public years in the past. MLSE shrugs, does nothing, spends nothing and goes about its day-to-day enterprise of getting cash.

Too many individuals I do know tried to purchase Argos tickets, some for the season, some for particular person video games, and located issue in making an attempt to do was ought to be so easy. It was virtually like there have been inside roadblocks to promoting seats. And if it wasn’t intentional, it was incompetence.

Ryan Dinwidie (white shirt) is the Toronto Argonauts’ head coach, but maybe highly experienced defensive consultant Chris Jones should be the man at the helm. JACK BOLAND/TORONTO SUN
Ryan Dinwidie (white shirt) is the Toronto Argonauts’ head coach, however perhaps extremely skilled defensive guide Chris Jones ought to be the person on the helm. JACK BOLAND/TORONTO SUN

The COVID-19 restrictions are over at stadiums and ballparks in Ontario, nevertheless it doesn’t seem that approach at Argo video games the place, I need to confide, I personal a pair of season tickets. The stadium is often lower than half-filled. The followers are too previous and too white. The plan, when transferring open air to BMO Area, was to reinvigorate the market and create the sort of ambiance we see now in Hamilton or in Ottawa. Make it the cool place to be, the best way soccer on this metropolis has turn into the cool place to be. That buzz by no means occurred.

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At instances, it virtually appears as if MLSE is pushing the Argos towards some sort of extinction, which by itself can be an inside contradiction. Dale Lastman, Larry Tanenbaum’s right-hand man and board member of MLSE, is chairman of the board of the CFL. That might, you may suppose, propel the Argos greater up the precedence chain in that company world, however when XFL merger talks had been happening within the low season, the Argos appeared the workforce most all for altering their circumstance.

Now, with out the alleged merger, there’s no exterior proof of MLSE doing something to develop the Argos model besides hiring the beloved Pinball Clemons as normal supervisor and the one face of the franchise anybody acknowledges.

I requested an insider yesterday concerning the construction of the Argonauts. He put it this manner: The president of the workforce, Invoice Manning, who made his popularity in soccer and now has to take care of the mess that’s Toronto FC, pays little consideration to the Argos. The GM has a title, however no actual soccer duties. His assistant, long-time CFL scout John Murphy, finds the gamers, however doesn’t essentially seek the advice of with the coach on any signing. There are numerous dots right here, simply none of them essentially linked.

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In a metropolis starved for championships, the Argos have received no scarcity of Gray Cups. They received in 2017 and in 2012 and, earlier than that, in 2004. In complete, they’ve received seven Gray Cups because the Maple Leafs final received the Stanley Cup.

The Raptors have one championship. TFC has one championship. The Argos win and we shrug our shoulders and return to complaining about why Nick Ritchie isn’t scoring.

You can’t help but root for Argonauts quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson. THE CANADIAN PRESS
You possibly can’t assist however root for Argonauts quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson. THE CANADIAN PRESS 

If this was a soccer city and coach Dinwiddie blew clock administration, the best way he did within the house recreation in opposition to B.C., the best way he challenged a name that may’t be challenged the next recreation, that’s all we’d hear about.

If this was a soccer city, when the slightly endearing McLeod Bethel-Thompson, a big-hearted quarterback you possibly can’t assist however cheer for, missed open receivers the best way he has completed not too long ago, you’ll hear about it on daily basis.

As an alternative, we hear nothing. Soccer silence. In what ought to be a soccer city. The previous rivals, the Argos and Ticats, play on Friday evening with first place on the road. There are nonetheless those that care deeply about this legendary workforce and comply with them carefully. There’s simply not sufficient of them.

And on this week of clocks being turned again, greater than anything, that’s what the slightly invisible Argonauts require.

ssimmons@postmedia.com

twitter.com/simmonssteve

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