- Reeve Batstone
No Name Brands

The Juggernauts kept right on steaming along behind their starting and back up quarterbacks. Against conventional wisdom, Ryan Dinwiddie kept Chad Kelly at the helm well into the second half for reasons which remain unclear to me. Perhaps Dinwiddie wanted Kelly to exit the game with the Argos in front, but they were down 23-19 when his back up Cameron Dukes was tasked with bringing the Argos back to victory. Not since Leo Cahill rescued Tom Wilkinson and Don Jonas from the anonymity of the Continental Football League has an Argonaut QB as plucky as Cameron Dukes been rescued from such obscurity as the NAIA. Dukes might even remind you of a young Wilkie who scrambled and threw ducks that managed to make it home to win ugly. On the other hand Don Jonas was a hardthrowing gunslinger. Take note Cameron Dukes, Wilkinson and Jonas went on to win Schenley awards as outstanding players after they were traded away to Edmonton and Winnipeg, to make room for Joe Theismann, the golden boy from Notre Dame. Once you step on the field it doesn't matter where you played before. It's great to see Dukes overcome his brand deficit, just like Wilkie and Jonas did.
Ryan Dinwiddie doesn't seem concerned that the more experienced Bryan Scott has not received any playing time. Giving Dukes and Scott more playing time in meaningless games would be a good test for both of them and also send them a vote of confidence. Dukes showed that Kelly leaving the game doesn't mean the Argos are automatically going to lose. It's an opportunity for the coach to show some faith in them as well as protect his all-star starter. I don't understand why you would leave your all-star starting QB in for a prolonged period without the protection of your all-star right tackle. The Argos dodged a bullet.
Daniel Adeboboye was sensational again catching and running for 109 yards, averaging 12 yards per carry including a 59 yard sprint through a gaping hole opened by his offensive line. He also caught three passes for 36 yards. These young players are the icing on the cake of a record setting team, with a great future. Nevertheless, talk of this team being the best ever is way too premature. They haven't won anything yet and there is a legion of 15-3 teams and one 16-2 team that did not win the Grey Cup.
I was shocked to discover that TSN 1050 did not carry the Argos games on radio because of conflicts with other programming. There are precedents where other stations across the league have made alternate arrangements when their commitments conflicted and games were broadcast on partner stations instead. This has happened in Toronto before as well. Unfortunately, Argos fans used to the passionate Toronto-focused analysis of Ben Grant and Mike Hogan were left scrambling to find the far less satisfying Riders-oriented radio broadcast on CKRM.
In the teams 150th year, it's worth noting that the venerable Argonauts have won more championships than the Leafs, Blue Jays, Raptors and TFC combined.
Second and many mitzvahs
It's been a difficult few weeks for the Jewish community in Canada and around the world. The CFL is fond of saying that Diversity is its Strength. Perhaps it's timely to remember, with gratitude, the important place that members of the Jewish community have had in the success, and sometimes survival, of the Canadian Football league. The Argos and indeed the league have had many Jewish owners, executives, coaches and players, without whose love of the Canadian game, the league might not have thrived or even survived. Prominent Argos owners include: Sherwood Schwarz, David Cynamon, Howard Sokolowski, Harry Ornest and Larry Tanenbaum. Argo executives included Lew Hayman and JI Albrecht and serial Grey Cup head coach, Marc Trestman. Who could forget stalwart defensive tackle, Noah Cantor, and Hec Creighton winner Mike Eben? Montreal was rescued by long-time Alouettes owner, Sam Berger and hall of fame coach, Marv Levy. Controversial owners Murray Pezim and Larry Ryckman rescued the Lions and Stampeders, once upon a time. One of the league's most successful commissioners was the ebullient, Mark Cohon. These men and many others from the Jewish community have brought many mitzvahs to the Argos and Canadian football. Thank you.
USPORTS
Another season has come and gone in the OUA and another season has passed without a team from GTA making the playoffs. Both York and the Varsity Blues finished with losing records again. York hasn't qualified for the playoffs in 20 years, Varsity hasn't had a winning record and won a playoff game in 30 years. These are large and successful universities, there are really no excuses for such abysmal leadership from their athletic departments and abject neglect by their Presidents. It's particularly embarrassing for the University of Toronto which won the very first Grey Cup and whose home field, Varsity stadium, was home to the most Grey Cups (50) in Canadian history. The opposite of love isn't hate, its indifference. A terrible example for universities to set for their student athletes. They can and must do better.