Thursday, September 11, 2008

SPORTS: The Argo Bounce Gets Stubler

Surprise! No, not the one, one experienced when hearing Rich Stubler had been fired as Toronto Argo head coach. You've read it was going to happen here before. No, the surprise was the reprise (which SHOULDN'T be a surprise) of yet another former Argo head coach as its new head coach.

The third-time-around award-winner was NOT Mike Clemons being recalled from the CEO office to re-take the head coaching job. Nope. It was version 3.0 of the Don Mathews Coaching Show Comes to Toronto. The Don, the winningest CFL coach of all time, with more stops in more CFL towns and along the sidelines of the most CFL games ever, is back again.

In a way, it was almost predictable. It will also be predictable that if the Argos lost to Winnipeg on Friday, there'll be no talk of "nothing to worry about. All we have to do is to make the playoffs." That's what got Stubler canned. When a coach of a vastly under-performing team shrugs off an embarassing loss, with the team owners and front office standing close enough to the action to smell the stinko smell, his career is measured in hours. Or less.

Once again, a defensive genius has failed to grasp and hold onto the head coaching job in Toronto. That's as predictable as the fact that The Don's act will last less than three years here in Toronto. The over and under on HIM leaving, willing or otherwise, can't be much more than 20 games.

Argo fans hope a Grey Cup game will be one of them.

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