ARGOS’ HOME-OPENER IN FORT McMURRAY
TORONTO (CP) – The Argonauts are listed as the host team, but they will be almost 2,600 kilometres from Toronto when they open their 2015 CFL season – and it will be well into August before they finally return to Rogers Centre.
The CFL released its 2015 schedule on Friday, and what was expected to be a messy timetable because of the Pan American Games and the FIFA Women’s World Cup still delivered some surprises.
Several CFL clubs are impacted, but none more so than the Argos, who burn a home date hosting the Edmonton Eskimos at Shell Place in Fort McMurray, Alta., in the season opener for both teams on June 27.
The Eskimos need to vacate Commonwealth Stadium that day because of a pair of World Cup quarter-final matches, but the situation is not nearly as dire for Edmonton, which doesn’t lose a home date and gets to play an away game close to home.
“It’s not an ideal situation obviously,” Argonauts executive chairman and chief executive officer Chris Rudge said. “It’s not ideal for our fans, it’s not ideal for our football team in terms of it being our home game in Edmonton’s backyard. So let’s not kid ourselves, it’s not what we would have chosen to do under normal circumstances.”
After the Argos play their opener in what is sure to be a hostile environment, they play four more games on the road as southern Ontario hosts the Pan Am Games before finally returning home to host the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Aug. 8.
Rudge said the Argos were hoping for a more balanced schedule, but the list of available dates provided by Rogers forced the team to bunch up its home games in the second half of the season.
“We couldn’t get in there until Aug. 8, and then we had six weeks in a row in October and November. And so, when you look at that, and we discussed it with the league, that’s not an ideal situation,” Rudge said. “I mean we’ve got lots of weekend games in there, but you would like to have a more balanced schedule. We do recognize the Rogers facility is in great demand for any number of activities, not just baseball, and we had to work around the 10 dates we were given.”
The Argos play five of their last six games at home. Rudge said the team gave up one of the home dates offered late in the season to avoid being bumped if the Toronto Blue Jays, the primary tenant at Rogers Centre, make the baseball post-season.
This is stupid to have the Argos going to Fort Mac ! Why don't they play their games in one of the Atlantic provinces ? Not really gonna help their popularity in the centre of the earth Toronto
another example of why the cfl is a bush joke league.
So Buffalo doesn't have a stadium that the Argos could play in? The Bills come north to Toronto. Why not return the favor? When is Toronto getting a football stadium? If little ol' Regina can build one why can't the self proclaimed "Centre of the Universe" get one too?
Makes Toronto look a little bush doesn't it?
Argos need their own stadium. Im sorry but this is bush league and not good for cfl
Too darn bad that the Argos could not have taken advantage of the wonderful new stadiums in Ottawa or Hamilton to cover the date.
Having players fly out west for an Argo "home game" helps the Esks big time.
If I was Toronto team management, I would have insisted on Montreal or Moncton, rather than Ft Mac.
The Esks should fly out east for an Argo home game, not stay home in Alberta. It should be an eastern division game played in the east. Bad and unfair decision by the CFL.
Old Hank
Good for those bums goin to ft mac…HINT…"bring your bug spray"…lol
The Rock
Maybe the Riders can play "away" games in Saskatoon or MJaw. Edm. gets 10 home games and 8 road. Real nice. Riders go to Mtl. for another morning game – guaranteed loss – again! Who the F agrees to this S**T
FT. MACMURRY ???? FT. MACMURRY ???????
That's ridiculous! CFL a professional sports league? If the Roughriders play up there, tell stupid who's before the court of law to behave himself, that place is trouble. It won't be a little boy this time who comes looking to poke dried sh*t with players in the bar, it will definitely be someone who can back up his words in a street brawl.
Bush League at it's finest.