to move up and down
Toronto mayor Rob Ford is kissed by Toronto Argonauts’ Adriano Belli (a.k.a. The Kissing Bandit - he kisses everybody) during the Argos’ Grey Cup victory parade festivities at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto. It was quite the event. Click through for more photos. (Photo: Darren Calabrese/National Post)
Canada probably doesn’t feel happy for Toronto today, if only because that’s not how this country works. Generally, the country resents its biggest city for its arrogance, its narcissism, the way it sucks away their family and friends into the great economic vortex. And that’s fine. It’s a part of our heritage.
That being said, there was a fine symmetry on Sunday, as the Toronto Argonauts won the 100th Grey Cup at home with a 35-22 victory over the imploding Calgary Stampeders. The game capped a smashing Grey Cup week, during which Toronto felt more like the rest of Canada than it has in a long time, and its team was a champion for the first time since 2004. Toronto sports have become a black hole of despair, but this is how the script would read, were it written by those fat cats in the big city.
It’s been Toronto’s week, and Toronto’s year. From the moment they traded for quarterback Ricky Ray the conspiracy theories bloomed, as if the Canadian Football League had somehow convinced the Edmonton Eskimos to torch their franchise for the good of the big picture.
(Photo: Darren Calabrese/National Post)
To celebrate the 100th Grey Cup on Nov. 25, we are hosting 16 Shades of Grey, a bracket-style tournament to decide the most memorable Grey Cup game of all time. Our team of National Post sports writers and editors have narrowed the first 99 Grey Cups down to a sweet 16, and will debate their favourites. Then it is up to you to choose the winners.
Vote for your favourite Grey Cup game and check out our bracket to see what other games are included in the tournament. The polls for Monday’s vote close at 4 p.m. ET, so visit us here to find out who moves onto the next round or follow us on Twitter @npsport.
Argos too sexy for their shirts: Quarterback Ricky Ray does a turn on the catwalk to show off Toronto’s new unifoms at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The CFL West will unveil their new look on Wednesday for the 2012 season. (Photo: Peter J. Thompson/National Post)
Ricky Williams was watching a black-and-white movie on a small screen fastened above his sarcophagus of steel and glass. He was not expecting company that afternoon in mid-August, 2006, and motioned to the doctor to turn off the DVD player so he could at least close his eyes and pretend he was alone, locked in the hissing hyperbaric chamber.
It was during his one-year cameo appearance with the Toronto Argonauts, who added the talented running back to their roster after the National Football League suspended him for a fourth failed drug test. Williams had broken his arm during a game in Regina, and was in a clinic in St. Catharines, Ont., inhaling 100% oxygen at 2,000 times the normal pressure in the hope of speeding his recovery.
It was not his idea to invite a reporter, nor was it the team. It was the clinic, which opened its doors to bask for a moment in the unique spotlight that had followed Williams since he began his escape from the NFL, taking him from a tent in a campground in Australia to a tiny, hissing tube in Southern Ontario. (Photo: Glenn Lowson/National Post)
