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Argonauts and Maple Leafs celebrate with the Ikea Monkey

Unless you’ve been living under a rock during the last week (also know as wandering around New Jersey at all hours of the day trying to locate where the lockout talks are taking place) you’ll be familiar with the latest media sensation “the Ikea Monkey”, who was discovered right here in Toronto.

This resulted in the social media world going into overdrive, placing Darwin (yep, that’s his name) in as many ridiculous places as possible, with varying degrees of success.  (To be honest, I didn’t actually find any of them even mildly amusing but then again, I am a miserable git.)

These attempts to amuse the general public included the local sports teams.  For example, here’s the Argonauts take:

Solid effort all around.  The team only recently won the 100th Grey Cup so it’s topical and you can totally imagine that cheeky rascal climbing into the cup.

Unfortunately, the Maple Leafs also tried to get in on the action, but as usual they got it totally wrong:

Seriously, how ridiculous is that?  At least try to come up with a realistic scenario.  For a start, the “Ikea Monkey” is only a recent occurrence, but it’s a black and white photo!  The latest it could have been taken was in 1967, the last time the Leafs actually won the Stanley Cup.

And even if it was a genuine photo, are you really telling me that’s the same bloody monkey that was running around Ikea last weekend?  Referred to as the rhesus macaque, this particular species has a lifespan of 25 years, making it impossible for the monkey in the picture to be the same one!

But of course the Leafs would have known this if they’d actually taken the time to do a little research.  No wonder the team has had little success on the ice in recent years.  It’s all in the detail guys.

Photo credits: @torontoargos & @MapleLeafs


Toronto Marlies hold ‘meet and great’ for season ticket holders

Okay, I get it.  When you play in the more popular/financially lucrative sports leagues, you don’t have to put as much time and effort in to establishing support from the general public.

In terms of Toronto, this applies to bigger teams such as the Maple Leafs, Blue Jays and, don’t laugh, the Raptors.  On the flip side, if someone happens to follow one of the so-called lesser teams, it can prove to be quite a rewarding experience.

For example, as well as appearing at Shoeless Joes on King Street West, the Argonauts players and cheerleaders meet fans on the field after every home games.  This interaction with young children, horny teenagers and adults who really should know better, is an invaluable way to help grow the fanbase.

Another team that provides a similar service for people is the Toronto Marlies.  And with the NHL still involved in a bitter lockout, this is the perfect time for the Marlies to take advantage of the situation in a market that has an insatiable appetite for hockey.

While I appreciate fan interaction is pretty much in the job description for professional athletes on less high-profile teams, it’s still pretty cool to see the Marlies players taking the time to meet the public.

Here’s Mike Zigomanis patiently signing autographs after a recent home game:

The team also held a ‘meet and greet’ event on Monday, which was a great way for season ticket holders to get up close and personal with their favourite players:

Unfortunately, Jerry D’Amigo may have taken the ‘up close and personal’ aspect a little bit too literally:

Is that an attempt at a smouldering look?  Whatever it is, D’Amigo better get in some practice in case he one day establishes himself at the NHL level and wants to take advantage of the groupies.

Overall, the importance of the Marlies on Toronto’s sporting scene cannot be underestimated.  In many ways, the Leafs need the Marlies more than ever to help spread the feel-good vibe at a time when hockey fans are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the game.

Photo credits: @TorontoMarlies


Argonauts Mike Bradwell attends Hugo Boss event & P.K. Subban harasses Phil Kessel

Hugo Boss opened a new store in Yorkville last night and as you’d expect, the event was littered with people from all walks of life, including several professional athletes.

It was no surprise to see Argonauts receiver Mike Bradwell there, especially as he does modelling work on the side.  Here he is posing for a photo with P.K. Subban and someone who I can only assume is Ralph Lauren or Tommy Hilfiger or someone of that ilk*. 

(*Why else would you voluntarily allow yourself to be pictured with an old guy who has white hair and a pot belly if it wasn’t Father Christmas?)

Really though, I’m more interested by the imposter on the far right.  Seriously, what is Phil Kessel doing there?!?!  You wouldn’t normally expect to see him at events like this.  And I don’t mean because he’s renowned for being shy.

Let’s be honest, while he’s a pretty damn good hockey player, you don’t really associate him with words such as ‘fashion’ and ‘style’.

Fortunately P.K. Subban filmed some footage of last night’s opening, possibly inspired by his current stint on Sportsnet.  Subban really seems to have embraced his new role in the media, right down to harrassing Kessel, something which I think we can all get on board with:

Dec 10, 2012 | Phil kessel caught on #subbycam #hugoboss store opening in yorkville! by PKSubban on Keek.com

Photo credit: @bwelltweets


Toronto Rock training camp opens

With the Argonauts Grey Cup win now firmly in the rear-view mirror, Toronto sports fans are no doubt wondering who they can cheer for during the coming months.  More specifically, is there anyone worth cheering for?

The Raptors have endured a miserable start to their campaign and aren’t showing any signs of turning it around anytime soon.  The NHL lockout is still ongoing, but let’s be honest, the Leafs cause more lows than highs these days anyway for the fine people of Toronto.

Well don’t worry, because hope is just around the corner.  If you want to support a team that regularly challenges for honours, then look no further than the Toronto Rock, who this week started training for the upcoming season:

(If that’s what they call intense, I’d love to see them when they’re relaxed.)

Like the Argonauts, the Rock are one of the more accessible professional sports teams in Toronto.  In fact, lacrosse fans are welcome to go down and watch training camp at the Rock Athletic Centre, which is located at 1132 Invicta Drive in Oakville.

Who knows, you may even get the chance to join in with the players, just like this season ticket holder did yesterday:

And if you still need convincing that you should check out the Rock this season, then there’s always the cheerleaders, seen here with forward Garrett Billings modelling some, errr, pizza:

toronto rock cheerleaders & garrett billings toronto

What more could you ask for: Sport, women and food!

Photo credits: @TorontoRockLax


The Blue Toro midweek Mailbag: Who will win a Toronto sports championship next?

Yes, Yes, I know it’s been a while.  As such, I now present an impromptu midweek edition of the Blue Toro mailbag.

Q. In light of the Argonauts Grey Cup run, which Toronto team will win a championship next?  And don’t say the Rock because we all know that doesn’t count.

Danielle - Brampton

A.  Wow, that’s a bit harsh isn’t it?  You do realise that in the history of the NLL, the Rock are joint top-all time with six championships, something Torontonians should be proud of.

However, while I personally am not prepared to downgrade the Rock’s achievements I appreciate there are lot of Toronto sports fans like Danielle out there, i.e. snobby, wannabe Americans.  As such, I will attempt to appease the masses.

I guess the easiest answer would be to pick the Blue Jays, especially with the moves they’ve made since the season ended.  However, we’ve seen the Jays splash the cash before (A.J. Burnett, B.J. Ryan, Vernon Wells, etc) and we all know how that turned out.

Also, despite upgrading the team, let’s not forget the new players helped contribute to the Marlins disastrous 2012 campaign.  Add to this various uncertainties such as Ricky Romero’s return to form and Jose Bautista’s full recovery from his wrist injury and suddenly a run at the World Series seems like a tougher proposition.  Not that the Jays don’t have a chance, but fans may need to show considerably more patience that Mike Wilner during ‘Jays Talk.’

The Leafs? I do actually think whenever the NHL starts playing again, the Leafs will finally end their league-leading playoff drought and make the post-season.  Why?  Well, first of all look at this chart:

If we accept that 90 points is normally enough to make the playoffs, the Leafs need to find another ten points from somewhere, which isn’t that many more.  Well, not if you can look at it in a positive light anyway.

With a relatively young roster and several prospects nearly ready to make the step up to the next level, I truly believe the Leafs aren’t that far away from being competitive on a regular basis.  This is where an experienced goaltender could help.

If the rumours of Roberto Luongo’s imminent signing are true, the Leafs will have that goaltender.  Whatever his limitations may be come playoff time, Luongo is a proven commodity during the regular season.  Just don’t expect a 14th Stanley Cup anytime soon.

It won’t be Toronto FC (I discuss them in slightly more detail later on in this column) and while the Raptors are verrrryyyy slooooowwwwly making progress, at this rate there will be an NBA franchise back in Vancouver before DeMar DeRozan and company are in position to challenge for a championship.

The Argonauts will be in the running for another Grey Cup as long as they have Ricky Ray under centre, but they won’t be able to use the element of surprise next year.

Plus, don’t downplay the effect on the franchise if the rumours of Eric Tillman replacing Jim Barker turn out to be true.  We all know what a great job Tillman did in Edmonton, destroying what was once seen as one of the model franchises in all of sports.  Besides, Barker is well liked by the players and it’s a dangerous game to mess around with a formula that worked so well this past season.

Soooooo, in answer to your question Danielle, I think the next Toronto team to win a championship will be…..(drum roll)…..the Rock.

Q. Steve Simmons commented at the weekend about how MLSE continues to make the same mistakes; in this case hiring Kevin Payne as President & GM of Toronto FC after the previous high-profile acquisitions of Bryan Colangelo and Brian Burke didn’t work out.  Is he right?

Steve - Halifax

A. I don’t want to live in a world where Steve Simmons is right.  (Although if the Mayan calendar turns out to be true, we might not have to.)

In any event, I don’t happen to agree that the appointment of Payne is a mistake.  This is a guy who helped D.C. United win an MLS record six championships.  And while the Colangelo and Burke acquisitions were quite rightly lauded at the time by the media and fans alike, the cold reality is they have only won one championship between them.

At this point, Toronto FC had to do something to restore the faith of their fanbase.  Last season marked the first time average attendances at BMO Field slipped below the 20,000 mark. Paul Mariner’s run-in with supporters pretty much epitomised the season and morale was at its absolute lowest.

Now?  I expect a major rebound in the team’s fortunes.  (Although can it technically be called a rebound if the team was never that good in the first place?)  With Payne’s undoubted abilities, new training facilities and academy, the return of key players from injury and invaluable experienced gained by some of the youngsters last season, things can only get better.

And not just because TFC set a franchise-low mark of 23 points in 2012.


Maple Leafs Jake Gardiner hoists the Grey Cup

If you’re a Maple Leafs player these days (or a fan for that matter), you’ve pretty much resigned yourself to the fact that you’re unlikely to ever get the chance to celebrate a Stanley Cup win.

As such, you can’t really blame defenceman Jake Gardiner, along with the Marlies Greg McKegg, for taking a rare opportunity to actually get their hands on some silverware:

Hey, if you’re a professional athlete, you want to know what it’s like to actually hoist a championship trophy at least once in your career, even if it has absolutely nothing to do with hockey.

Photo credit: @Jgardiner272


Blue Toro’s top pictures and stories of the week

Well, with the Argonauts winning the 100th Grey Cup, TFC hiring Kevin Payne as their President & GM and the Leafs becoming the first NHL team to be valued at $1 billion, it’s been another eventful seven days on the Toronto sports scene.  Here’s our top pictures and stories of the week:

1) Showing that even a lockout can’t stop them thriving off the ice, Forbes.com reported that the Maple Leafs were the first NHL team to be valued at $1 billion (US):

Ironically, a lot of the fans that question how this is possible, contribute by continuing to pay outrageous prices for tickets and merchandise.

In fact, Maple Leaf fans remind me of a needy boyfriend trying desperately to cling onto his flashy girlfriend by plying her with money.  And yet, like the Leafs, if you take away the bleach-blonde hair, fake tan and false breasts, there’s actually not really anything that special about them.

2) I was going to tell you all how sorry I felt for Justin Bieber after he was booed during the half-time show at the Grey Cup.  I mean he is just a kid at the end of the day.  However, then I saw this photo, taken while he was in Toronto:

Let’s just say I will now also be booing Bieber if I ever see him.  The guy really doesn’t help himself does he.

3) In fact, here’s Amir Johnson and Drake trying their darndest not to physically assault him:

4) The Raptors have been on a tear of late, losing six straight games.  Baring the brunt of the fans frustration is Andrea Bargnani, largely centring on his 2-19 shooting performance in the double-overtime defeat to the Spurs.

However, you try shooting the ball when some inconsiderate git has his hand right in front of your face:

5) I think it’s safe to say Steve Nash is getting frustrated with being stuck on the sidelines watching his Lakers teammates flounder along.  He’s even beginning to annoy and insult other people:

I don’t know who Nash is giving grief to, but I’m guessing it’s not Shaquille O’Neal.  (Think about it………..)

6) Sticking with the Lakers, Ricky Romero did what any good brother would do and took his sisters to watch the Lakers in action on Tuesday night:

The Lakers even went as far as to make Romero feel right at home, losing 79-77 to the Indian Pacers.  (Okay, fine. That was a bit of a cheap shot.  Romero’s a good guy.  I genuinely hope he can revert back to his form of previous seasons in 2013.)

7) Everyone has been dealing with the NHL lockout in different ways.  For example, P K Subban is using the time to be a hockey analyst for Sportsnet, while Joffrey Lupul is plying his trade in Russia.

However, I’m concerned that not everyone is coping as well.  Take Phil Kessel for example, who appears to be morphing into a combination of a train spotter and slightly overweight version of ‘Where’s Waldo’?:

8 ) This week provided a dream ending to the 100th Grey Cup festivities as the Argonauts emerged triumphant and took to the streets on Tuesday for a victory parade.  About the only downside to the proceedings was the appearance of Rob Ford:

I think the look on the dude’s face to the right sums it up perfectly.  Even Ford’s declaration that November 27th was to be known as ‘Argonauts day’ has to be treated with suspicion.  I’m guessing he’s just attempting to drum up support from the general public in light of his current legal issues.

9) Still on the Argonauts, and the CFL in general, it grinds my gears about how critical people are of the league. Yes, it’s not as big or as successful as the likes of the NFL, NBA and MLB, but keep in mind that it’s never likely to be, given that it is purely a Canadian game.

However, the CFL is doing just fine.  In fact, I’ll leave it to some Calgary Stampeders fans who attended the game at the Rogers Centre to sum the situation up:

10) And finally, even though it has absolutely nothing to do with sports, I feel compelled to add my nickel’s worth to the Toronto Sun’s reader’s choice awards.

What stood out most was how many awards Citytv won.  For the most part, I have no problem with this as I regularly half-watch the show while writing.  For example, Dina Pugliese, who was voted sexiest woman, is definitely on my ‘to do’ list.

However, Kevin Frankish as sexiest man? Really?!?!  Is this the best Toronto has to offer?  Even as a bloke, I can see that he’s nothing special.  Actually, if Frankish is capable of winning this award, I’m putting forward my early candidacy for next year’s ‘Sexiest Male’ award.

I just hope you’re able to ignore the fact that:

a) My entry picture is blurred

b) I’m drinking an Oreo cookie cocktail

c) I’m not even on television (with good reason) and it’s debateable that I even have a personality

d) I might, just might, have had to post the picture as part of a bet that I lost

Enjoy your weekend!


Toronto Sports Fans prepare for a cold winter

Well I hope you all enjoyed the Argonauts victory parade yesterday afternoon.  In fact, you might want to hold on to the memory as long as possible.

(With the obvious exception of the presence of Rob Ford.  Seriously, that guy should not have been allowed to hoist the Grey Cup under any circumstances)

As good as it was to celebrate another sports championship, yesterday marked the end of the festivities, leaving us with nothing to look forward to except a long, dark, miserable, cold winter.

Now some of you will be thinking ‘well what’s new?’ so I better clarify that I mean this in a sports sense.  As it stands, we have no Maple Leafs games on the horizon, despite the recent introduction of mediators to the ‘negotiating’ process.

Also, the memories of last season’s successful Marlies campaign are fast beginning to fade away.  Currently embroiled in a three-game losing streak, the team sits fourth in the North Division, nine points out of first place.

And finally, we have those (un)loveable losers, the Raptors.  As I sat there last night, watching them getting their asses handed to them by the Rockets, I felt a sudden sense of desperation descending upon me.  And not just because I was out of beer.

For everyone complaining about their inability to close out in their last four games, surely it’s a better option than last night’s effort?!  Being in a position to win against the likes of the San Antonio Spurs represents progress to me unlike the effort in the Houston game.

I have stood by this team through thick and (mostly) thin.  I have even been able to justify the majority of Bryan Colangelo’s decisions during his tenure.

(For example, whereas everyone turns into Captain Hindsight when it comes to criticising the signing of the likes of Jermaine O’Neal and Hedo Turkoglu, at the time everyone was excited about the moves.  In fact, the only major mistake Colangelo made was believing he could build a roster around Chris Bosh, who was quite clearly never a number one option of any real substance.)

However, we’ve now reached crunch time in the Colangelo era.  He has been patiently rebuilding the team since Bosh left, assembling a young squad that will hopefully be able to grow together both on and off the court (which actually appears to be the case.)

Call me crazy, but I still believe in Colangelo, Dwane Casey and the rest of the Raptors organisation.  They will turn it around eventually, I promise…………….we might just have to wait one more season.

And in the meantime?  Hey, it could be a lot worse.  This sure as hell has to beat living in Winnipeg or Saskatchewan, who have nothing to look forward to on the sports horizon for the foreseeable future.

Even Vancouver and Montreal will have to wait until March for the start of the MLS season.  Call me sadistic, but I’ll take watching losing teams over no teams any day of the week.


Argonauts celebrate Grey Cup win with victory parade

jordan younger toronto

With the amount of complaining Torontonians do these days, you’d think the city has never enjoyed any sporting success.  However, as we all know, the very opposite is true.

The Maple Leafs trail only the Canadiens for Stanley Cup wins, the Rock are tied for the most NLL championships and the Blue Jays are the only ‘foreign’ team to ever win the World Series.

And let’s not forget the Argonauts, who added to their all-time leading Grey Cup haul with a 16th triumph on Sunday against the Stampeders.

Yes, today was a day to be proud and celebrate being a Toronto sports fan as the Argonauts held their victory parade downtown.  As you would expect, lots of people attended to help add to the party atmosphere:

Grey Cup parade toronto
Bay Street Toronto

Unfortunately, as is normally the case at these types of occasions, there always has to be someone there to ruin the party:

Rob Ford Toronto

Seriously, does Rob Ford have no shame? Well, given that he’s going to appeal the decision to remove him from office, I guess not.

According to news reports, regardless of the outcome, Ford intends to run for office again in 2014.  I guess I should be confused as to why he will even be allowed to do this, given the circumstances behind his dismissal.

However, if he does run again and somehow gets in, then the blame should go squarely on the shoulders of the voting public.  As the saying goes: “Fool me once, shame on you.  However, fool me twice…’


Toronto Argonauts win the 100th Grey Cup: Recap (part two)

Click here for part one

5) Chad Kackert was well worthy of his MVP award, gaining 195 total yards on only 28 touches.  He ran like a man possessed.  How could you not appreciate the way he actively looked for contact with Calgary defenders as he repeatedly bulldozed his way down the field.

Overall, its hard not to root for a guy like Kackert.  And in response to Steve Simmons comment that he’s a nice guy but a lousy interview, maybe you just weren’t asking the right questions.  Everyone has a story to tell, but at the end of the day it’s the job of the journalist to get a person to open up.  Maybe it’s time Simmons started looking in the mirror a bit more.

6) Actually, in reference to Kackert’s MVP award it’s easy to forget how people were in uproar when the Argonauts let Cory Boyd go earlier this season, at a time when he was the leagues leading rusher.  (For the record, I was one of those people who defended the move.  No really, you can read it here.)

Surely yesterdays result now proves GM Jim Barker knows what he’s doing.  If the front office has any clue (and indeed decency) they will offer Barker an extension right away.  The guy just helped you win the Grey Cup!

Besides, do you really want to bring a guy like Eric Tillman in?  Let’s leaves aside the 2009 sexual assault incident.  The Edmonton Eskimos have long been held up as a model for how to run a franchise.  Now?  That reputation is in tatters, thanks to the ‘influence’ of Tillman.  Something for the Argonauts to think about while deciding how to build on the momentum of yesterday’s victory.

7) Talking of momentum, as much as I love the Argonauts, I don’t believe last night was the start of a return to the good old days in Toronto.  Unfortunately, a lot of Torontonians will compare attending the 100th Grey Cup as the equivalent of going to a Maple Leafs game, i.e. it is something they can tell people they’ve done in an attempt to impress them.

However, let the record show that I will have absolutely no problem with being proven wrong.  Realistically thought, the team is going to have to look towards eventually building their own stadium, preferably in the downtown area, with a capacity of around 25,000-30,000.

8 ) And finally, regarding the future of the CFL as a whole, it is now generally accepted that it will never be on the same level of the NBA, MLB or NHL in Canada.  However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be a success in it’s own right.

Ottawa is already on the cards to return to action in 2014.  Now let’s see if commissioner Mark Cohon can really earn his salary and get a tenth team sorted out as soon as possible.  A team on the east coast would be the ideal move to make the CFL a truly Canadian, coast-to-coast game, which everyone can be proud of.  Then, I might be able to deal better with the permanent grin on Cohon’s face.

Here’s hoping.

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