Toronto Argonauts putting stability of the present and future in focus with recent moves
It has been a busy couple of weeks for the Toronto Argonauts ensuring that the team is taken care in the long run with stability the organization hasn't had in recent memory.
When the Toronto Argonauts brought Michael “Pinball” Clemons back into the fold as the team’s general manager in 2019, it wasn’t viewed as a momentous occasion because the franchise was in severe disarray.
They were on their way to a second-straight disastrous season after winning the Grey Cup in 2017.
On the field, the team was not competitive winning just eight games from 2018 to 2019 and those struggles led to a concerning drop in attendance. It was a tough position for a team that was already having their attendance issues and president Bill Manning needed to convince Clemons to return and build the franchise back up.
"I didn’t need a job, I have a wonderful (charitable) foundation I love," Clemons said when he was brought back. "I make a living talking to people, I talk and they pay me.
"When I was asked the first time, I said no, and then I said no again. Then I decided that this was bigger than me — most everything is bigger than me — and maybe I need to look a little bit further and see if I could make a contribution, if I could help."
At the time, Clemons made it clear the team needed to build the right culture both on and off the field.
Fast forward to where the Argonauts find themselves in the third season with Clemons at the helm (the 2020 season was cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic) and you can see his vision playing out in a big way.
Toronto has clinched the East Division for the third straight year putting them on track to getting back to the Grey Cup. Of course, they have to take care of business in the East Final but getting that bye in the playoffs certainly helps.
It is the front office’s job to not only make sure the present is taken care of but the stability and future of the team are secured. The past two weeks have been a clear example of the big change in the organization’s culture.
While Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment has taken their fair share of criticism for how they have supported the team since purchasing them in 2017, they deserve credit for the team the position is in.
It all started when head coach Ryan Dinwiddie was signed to a contract extension. Dinwiddie had the team wait before announcing the extension but it was clear the right move was made.
The team has had a dream season with an 11-1 record and made sure that the work done by Dinwiddie and the front office will continue.
Chad Kelly has been playing at a MOP level alleviating any questions of whether he could handle being a starting quarterback in the CFL. There were concerns that Kelly could entertain another push for an NFL job (still technically possible) but the organization showed how committed they are to him by signing their franchise quarterback to a three-year, $1.865-million extension, making him the top-paid player in the CFL going forward.
Now Clemons is locked up to his own extension when he initially needed a lot of convincing to be brought into the fold.
“What can I say about Pinball Clemons that hasn’t already been said,” said Manning in a press release. “He has known tremendous success with the Argos, first as one of the greatest CFL players of all-time, then as a Grey Cup winning coach, and now a Grey Cup winning general manager. When Pinball took over as general manager in late 2019, he talked about building bridges and he has done just that, creating unity throughout the organization that is the foundation of our success. Pinball is also a great human and someone who I am blessed to work with and hold in the highest regard. This extension is well deserved, and our future is very bright with Pinball leading the way.”
Those trio of contract extensions should signal to Argos fans that this organization is committed to a long-term plan with this organization. Obviously, there is work to do to make this team have relevance again in this city’s crowded sports landscape.
With the team playing at a level this organization hasn’t seen in years and the building blocks in place, the Argonauts should be in a position to be a model franchise in the CFL for as long as the investment continues.