“…don’t quit…”
“Don’t feel sorry; don’t complain; don’t quit.”
– Michael “Pinball” Clemons, Toronto Argonaut, 1989-2000 seasons
For their first 82 years, the Toronto Argonauts were, on paper, a rugby team that played in various Rugby Football Unions. But by 1955, when the modern Canadian Football League was formed, the game had long since evolved into football.
In contrast to U.S.-style football, Canadian style has three downs instead of four, 12 players per side, a longer, wider field, and the chance to score a point on a missed field goal. Of course, U.S. football is still massively popular here – we see the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association on network TV every weekend. But Toronto’s football history is distinctly Canadian, filled with tales of true Canadian weather, drugs, and both superstar owners and players getting entrepreneurial off the field.