The Toronto Argonauts are no strangers to playing second fiddle – or third or fourth fiddle for that matter – on the Toronto sports scene.
Earlier in the summer, a press conference announcing a new Argos ownership group and that the team will relocate to BMO Field in 2016 was overshadowed and even hijacked by hockey questions after news broke that Mike Babcock would take over as Toronto Maple Leafs head coach.
Now, as the Argos prepare for their official home opener Saturday at Rogers Centre the city has come down with a case of Blue Jays fever and Toronto’s Week 7 home game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders is being overshadowed.
It’s something Argos general manager Jim Barker understands and actually views as a positive.
“I was in Calgary [with the Stampeders in 2003] when the Flames got real good and it did nothing but help our football club and just to be in a city when a team is doing what the Blue Jays are doing right now helps us,” Barker told Andrew Walker on Sportsnet 590 The Fan Friday.
The Blue Jays are the hottest team in the American League at the moment and after acquiring stars Troy Tulowitzki and David Price the city is abuzz.
“It makes people excited about sports and what’s going on in Toronto,” Barker said. “For us, we’re excited about what the Blue Jays are doing. We’re in first place and hopefully we’re going to be able to stay there.”
Wednesday’s Toronto FC game at BMO Field attracted an announced crowd of 26,648 at the same time that Blue Jays were playing the Minnesota Twins in front of 27,725.
The Blue Jays are on the road this weekend against the New York Yankees and play an afternoon game Saturday (on Sportsnet), so Barker is optimistic the Argos will get a solid turnout for their 7 p.m. EST kickoff against the Riders.
Technically this will be the second Argos home game of the year. The season opener saw them “host” the Edmonton Eskimos in Fort McMurray, Alta.
“We were the Fort McMurray Argos for a day yet we went out and everybody was still in green [cheering for the Eskimos],” Barker added with a laugh. “We’re excited to be back and be the Toronto Argonauts. We feel like this is where we belong and we’re happy that we’ll be back in the Rogers Centre. Obviously [with the Riders in town] there’s going to be a lot of people in green again.”
The 3-2 Argos were tied for first place in the East Division with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Ottawa Redblacks heading into Week 7 CFL action.