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The 1983 Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts football club. Source: Facebook/Toronto Argonauts Official Fan Club (May be subject to copyright) |
The roots of the Toronto Argonauts 1983 Grey Cup championship lie in the 1982 season which, looking back revolutionized Canadian football.
When I heard that, it brought back memories of a crazy new style of offence, two of my favourite quarterbacks of all time, one of my favourite punters and so much more.
The run and shoot
At that time, I really was not sure what the term "run and shoot" meant, but it would change the Toronto Argonaut offence, turn them from a perennial doormat to Grey Cup contender, and help them to their first Grey Cup appearance in more than a decade.
At that time, I really was not sure what the term "run and shoot" meant, but it would change the Toronto Argonaut offence, turn them from a perennial doormat to Grey Cup contender, and help them to their first Grey Cup appearance in more than a decade.
In 1982, the Argonauts hired a new head coach, Bob O’Billovich, who had come over from the Ottawa Rough Riders where he had been an assistant coach. He in turn hired Mouse Davis as Toronto’s offensive coordinator. Davis brought with him an offence he pioneered at Portland State University with quarterback Neil Lomax.
It was called the run and shoot offence, took advantage of the unlimited motion allowed in Canadian football, and pretty much unleashed every receiver possible on the defence.
Gunslingers
Any offence requires the right quarterback to run it, and the Argonauts also completely re-tooled that position as well. After signing Condredge Holloway from the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1981, they acquired Joe Barnes in a trade with Saskatchewan to provide a formidable quarterback tandem that could give defences trouble.
Any offence requires the right quarterback to run it, and the Argonauts also completely re-tooled that position as well. After signing Condredge Holloway from the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1981, they acquired Joe Barnes in a trade with Saskatchewan to provide a formidable quarterback tandem that could give defences trouble.
1982
The changes yielded results, as the Argonauts would finish the season with a record of 9-6-1 to finish first in the East Division. They defeated Ottawa in the East Final, advanced to their first Grey Cup since 1971, and had a chance to win their first Grey Cup since 1952. Better yet, they could win the championship at home. It was being held at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium.
The changes yielded results, as the Argonauts would finish the season with a record of 9-6-1 to finish first in the East Division. They defeated Ottawa in the East Final, advanced to their first Grey Cup since 1971, and had a chance to win their first Grey Cup since 1952. Better yet, they could win the championship at home. It was being held at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium.
Holloway had his best season to date, capped off with the 1982 Schenley Award as the Canadian Football League’s most outstanding player. O’Billovich also won the CFL’s coach of the year award. Receiver Terry Greer and defensive back Zac Henderson would be CFL all-stars, while Holloway, Greer, Henderson, runningback Cedric Minter, and linebacker John Pointer would be Eastern Division all-stars.
However, awaiting them in the championship game was perhaps the greatest dynasty in CFL history – the Edmonton Eskimos, winners of four consecutive Grey Cups.
They would make it five. The Argonauts hung with Edmonton early on, even taking a 14-10 lead after the first quarter, but the defending champions took control, outscoring the Argonauts 22-2 the rest of the way, defeating the Argonauts handily by a score of 32-16.
Yet, that was just a sign of things to come for the Argonauts.
1983 season
The Argonauts began the season 4-0, with wins over Calgary, B.C., Montreal and Saskatchewan before dropping two straight to Hamilton and Winnipeg. They rebounded with four straight wins over Ottawa, Saskatchewan, B.C. and Hamilton. They lost to Calgary at Exhibition Stadium then beat Montreal and Edmonton, before losing to Ottawa. They ended the season with two straight wins, over Edmonton and Winnipeg.
The Argonauts began the season 4-0, with wins over Calgary, B.C., Montreal and Saskatchewan before dropping two straight to Hamilton and Winnipeg. They rebounded with four straight wins over Ottawa, Saskatchewan, B.C. and Hamilton. They lost to Calgary at Exhibition Stadium then beat Montreal and Edmonton, before losing to Ottawa. They ended the season with two straight wins, over Edmonton and Winnipeg.
The results gave Toronto first place in the Eastern Division on the strength of a 12-4 record, a first round playoff bye, and a trip directly to the East Final.
They hosted Hamilton on Nov. 20, defeating the Tiger-Cats by a score of 41-36.
The run and shoot offence continued to pay dividends. Terry Greer set a professional football record, that is CFL and NFL included, with 2,003 receiving yards in 16 games. He also had three 200-yard receiving games, also a record.
Greer, defensive end Rick Mohr, and defensive back Carl Brazley were also named CFL all-stars.
Awaiting the Argonauts in the Grey Cup game were the B.C. Lions.
Grey Cup match up
The West Division had undergone a changing of the guard. The Edmonton Eskimos had appeared in nine of the previous 10 Grey Cups, and won five in a row. They still had Warren Moon at quarterback, who would be the league’s leading passer and most outstanding player. However, they lost head coach Hugh Campbell, and his replacement Pete Kettela, was not very effective, replaced part way through the season by former Edmonton star Jackie Parker. The result was Edmonton plummeting to third in the West with an 8-8 record, and losing in the West Division Semi-final to Winnipeg by a score of 49-22.
The West Division had undergone a changing of the guard. The Edmonton Eskimos had appeared in nine of the previous 10 Grey Cups, and won five in a row. They still had Warren Moon at quarterback, who would be the league’s leading passer and most outstanding player. However, they lost head coach Hugh Campbell, and his replacement Pete Kettela, was not very effective, replaced part way through the season by former Edmonton star Jackie Parker. The result was Edmonton plummeting to third in the West with an 8-8 record, and losing in the West Division Semi-final to Winnipeg by a score of 49-22.
Meanwhile in Vancouver, the Lions had turned their fortunes around under new head coach Don Matthews who had been the defensive coordinator for the Eskimos during their five straight Grey Cup years. They finished 11-5 and defeated the Blue Bombers in the West Division Final by a score of 39-21.
The Lions, like the Argonauts the previous season, would have a chance to win the Grey Cup on their home field.
Grey Cup game
The two teams would meet on Nov. 27 at the new B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver to contest the 1983 Grey Cup. It was the first Grey Cup in CFL history to be held indoors.
The two teams would meet on Nov. 27 at the new B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver to contest the 1983 Grey Cup. It was the first Grey Cup in CFL history to be held indoors.
The Lions got on the board first with the only points of the period as quarterback Roy Dewalt hit Mervyn Fernandez for a touchdown pass and 7-0 lead with a convert by kicker Lui Passaglia. Holloway struggled, battling the flu. He did get Toronto on the scoreboard with a 14-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter to Jan Carinci, to tie the game at 7-7 with a convert by Hank Ilesic. However, Dewalt hit John Henry White for a touchdown, converted by Passaglia, then Passaglia kicked a field goal to give the Lions a 17-7 lead at halftime.
O’Billovich elected to send Joe Barnes in to play quarterback in the second half. He began to move the Argonauts, but Ilesic, who handled both punting and place kicking duties, missed three consecutive field goals. Two went for singles, the only two points of the third quarter, making the score 17-9 for the Lions after three quarters.
Ilesic hit a field goal early in the fourth quarter, cutting the Lion lead to 17-12. Then with four minutes remaining, Barnes led the Argonauts on a drive, capping it off with a pass to Cedric Minter in the end zone, giving Toronto an 18-17 lead. They went for a two-point conversion for a three-point lead, meaning the Lions would only tie the game with a field goal. It was not successful, and B.C. still had a chance to take back the lead.
That would not happen, as the Argonauts forced the Lions to punt then virtually ran out the clock, leaving B.C. an unsuccessful hail mary attempt.
The clock ran out and the Argonauts had won their first Grey Cup in 31 years, the longest drought for the team.
Barnes was named the most valuable player on offence and Brazley was the most valuable player on defence, leading a defence that held the Lions scoreless in the second half.
Interestingly, it was Ilesic’s sixth straight Grey Cup championship, after winning the previous five with Edmonton.
Sleepy time
I was 13 years old at the time. I remember waiting for the game to start because like now, it started in the mid to late afternoon. I watched the Lions go up on that touchdown pass to Fernandez, then another by White, then – fell asleep.
I was 13 years old at the time. I remember waiting for the game to start because like now, it started in the mid to late afternoon. I watched the Lions go up on that touchdown pass to Fernandez, then another by White, then – fell asleep.
I awoke in time to see that Barnes had replaced Holloway at quarterback, then lead them to the win with that touchdown pass to Minter.
Parting thoughts
It was a weird CFL season for me. Although only 13, my entire life Edmonton had gone to the Grey Cup. Now, coach Hugh Campbell was gone and quarterback Warren Moon was on his way out. They had also lost some players, and were a shadow of the dynasty they had been.
It was a weird CFL season for me. Although only 13, my entire life Edmonton had gone to the Grey Cup. Now, coach Hugh Campbell was gone and quarterback Warren Moon was on his way out. They had also lost some players, and were a shadow of the dynasty they had been.
Toronto was the obvious heir apparent, having gone to the 1982 Grey Cup and hanging with Edmonton for awhile.
They used that experience to their advantage, recording the best record in the league in the regular season, and winning the 1983 Grey Cup.
It truly had been a changing of the guard.
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