Victory lap
Argos celebrate improbable CFL championship win at rally in Toronto
Cheering fans and jubilant members of the Argonauts packed Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square on Tuesday as the team celebrated its CFL-record 17th Grey Cup win.
Veteran quarterback Ricky Ray carried the Cup through an excited crowd, with many fans clamouring to get photos of the iconic trophy.
The 38-year-old Ray, who set his own CFL record by winning his fourth Grey Cup as a starting quarterback, is still determining his football future, but he was treated to chants of “one more year” by fans and teammates while addressing the rally.
“Only one? Why not two, huh?” Ray replied to cheers.
The Argos — who missed the playoffs in 2016 and finished the 2017 season 9-9 — pulled off a surprising 27-24 comeback victory over the Calgary Stampeders in Sunday’s snowy championship game in Ottawa.
But the win was no fluke, general manager Jim Popp said.
“We had the best record down the stretch,” Popp told the crowd. “We beat four straight Western teams. We beat everybody in the league ... It takes a little luck, but I’m going to tell you, the belief in the room is why we won.”
Coach Marc Trestman, who was brought in with Popp in the off-season to turn the franchise around, praised the team’s selflessness throughout what was expected by many to be a rebuilding year.
“(Just) 185 days ago, take a look, none of us even knew each other,” Trestman said. “We came from different places, from different teams ... but we all worked together and it led to this moment.”
The team’s players and coaches come from all over the U.S. and Canada, but they all love Toronto, Trestman added.
Argos receiver and Grey Cup MVP DeVier Posey thanked fans for cheering the team to victory.
“I want to shout out to everyone from Mimico, to Etobicoke, Lakeshore to Markham to Vaughan to Mississauga, thank you,” said Posey, who hauled in a 100-yard touchdown pass Sunday, the longest major in Grey Cup history. “BMO (Field) was crazy a couple of weeks ago for the Eastern finals. You guys had so much energy, we fed off that energy, and it got us to the Grey Cup.”
Fan Lynn Siuda was on hand in Ottawa for the Grey Cup game, and showed up to the rally dressed headto-toe in Argo gear.