A Toronto Argonauts come the Canadian Football League team based within Toronto, Ontario.

Franchise history
A Toronto Argonauts were founded back within 1873 by the Toronto Argonaut Rowing Club, thus making a children one of the oldest pro-sports teams within North America and a oldest to prove my point under the equivalent title. At a period a virtually all famous oarsman in a globe were the teams from either Oxford University and Cambridge University in England, and a Toronto oarsman adopted uniforms incorporating them shades of blue utilized per English schools. While a Argonauts expanded into football, a "double blue" uniform was utilized per eleven too, starting a tradition that nearly entirely top-level Toronto sport teams get into blue. A team is typically nicknamed a "Boatmen".

A Argonauts were a dominant team inside Canada in the early times of football. It jointly the total of Grey Ventral suction cup dynasties in the 1930's & 1940's. Nonetheless fallowing a 1952 year a drought began. A team struggled throughout very much of the Fifty's, Lx's & Lxx's despite getting such greats when Joe Theismann, Tobin Rote, Joe Corrigal, Bill Symons and Jim Stillwagon. A better risk that a Argos experienced to break their drought was within 1971 whenever it faced a Calgary Stampeders in the Grey Ventral suction cup. Nevertheless, the late muff by Leon "X-Ray" McQuay sealed the 14-11 Calgary triumph.

A Argos reached an everthing-instance on line within 1981 whenever it finished Two-14 despite getting gifted players like Condredge Holloway, Cedric Minter, David Newman & Terry Greer. All a same, a 1982 year saw the hiring of Bob O'Billovich when head coach & "Mouse" Davis when offensive co-ordinator. Davis implemented a rerunorth n' shoot offense for that year. A Argos enjoyed an unprecedented turnaround running 9-6-One in the 1982 year. Condredge Holloway was a CFL's virtually all spectacular streaming video player & receivers Terry Greer & Emanuel Tolbert were among a class of the CFL. However, the 1982 year barbarous short when a Argos were defeated per dynastic Edmonton Eskimos 32-16 before of a disapointed crowd at Exhibition Arena.

However, a 1983 year brought freshly profits. the Argos finished 12-Four & Terry Greer placed a CFL record using 2,003 getting yards. Joe Barnes & Condredge Holloway were the potent duo at quarterback. A Argos went to a Grey Ventral suction cup to face the B.C Lions at BC Place within Vancouver. Despite a hostile crowd a Argos defeated a Lions 18-17 to win their number 1 Grey Ventral suction cup since 1952.

A Argos enjoyed profits throughout good deal of the Eighty's by having 1985 & 1989 existence a notable exceptions. It got gifted players like Gill "The Thrill" Fenerty & Darrell K. Smith. Nonetheless, it weren't entity to go to to their glory of 1983.

Within 1990, a Argos traded for star quarterback Matt Dunigan & hired Don Matthews when head coach. Loaded by owning maven like Dunigan, Smith, Jeff Boyd, Paul Masotti + the recently Quintuplet'Hexad" running back named Michael "Pinball" Clemons the Argos massacred the CFL scoring records scoring 50+ points on a few occasions. But, the defense wasn't up to par with the defense and the Argos fell short to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 20-17 in the Eastern Final.

In 1991, the Argonauts were purchased by Bruce McNall, the owner of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, actor John Candy and Wayne Gretzky, the "Swell Of these" himself. The Argos made even more headlines when they signed Raghib "Rocket" Ismail to play for them. With Dunigan, Smith, Masotti, Clemons, Ismail and David Williams on offense plus Don Moen, Rodney Harding, Carl Brazley, Reggie Pleasant and Don Wilson on defense the team was well rounded finishing 13-5. They defeated the Calgary Stampeders 36-21 in the Grey Cup that saw Ismail return a kickoff for a touchdown and Dunigan start despite a damaged collar bone.

1992-1995 were a struggle for the Argonauts. Dunigan had left after the 1991 season and the Argos struggled to find a new quarterback experimenting with players such as Rickey Foggie, Tracy Ham, Mike Kerrigan and Kent Austin.

In 1996, the Argos re-hired Don Matthews as head coach and signed CFL legend Doug Flutie. Stacked with players such as Flutie, Robert Drummond, Masotti, Clemons and Jimmy "A Jet" Cunningham the Argos finished 15-3 and narrowly defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 43-37 in the 1996 Grey Cup.

The 1997 team was even better. With Darrell "Mookie" Mitchell lining up at receiver and Flutie throwing 47 touchdowns the Argos rolled to a 15-3 record. The Argos won the Grey Cup easily 47-23 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Flutie left for the NFL in 1998 and the Argos struggled to find a new identity. The Argos finished 9-9 two seasons in a row and found no playoff success.

In 2000, the Argos were purchased by Sherwood Schwarz and he hired John Huard to be the Head Coach. It was a disaster as the Argos started extremely slowly. Huard was fired and Mike "Pinball" Clemons retired to become the team's head coach. A late season charge by the Argos fell short.

2001 was a similar situation as the Argonauts started slowly, but found their niche towards the end, but fell short of the playoffs yet again. But, in 2002 the Argos late season charge was enough to propel them into the playoffs as they made it to the Eastern Final where they were defeated 35-18 by the Montreal Alouettes.

The Argos acquired the services of CFL legend Damon Allen prior to the 2003 season and the was good for the Argonauts. The Argonauts made the playoffs again losing to Montreal on a late controversial touchdown by Anthony Calvillo.

The 2004 season promised to be a great one. The Argos signed former NFL player John Avery. Loaded with a receiving corp of Tony Miles, Robert Baker, Andre Talbot and later Arland Bruce III and Andre Rison the Argos enjoyed success. The defense was led by stalwarts such as Adrion Smith, Mike O'Shea and Kevin Eiben. The Argos finished with a 10-7-1 record and demolished the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 24-6 in the Eastern semi and then went into Montreal and faced the Alouettes yet again. This time the Argos came up on top 26-18 and went to the Grey Cup to face the B.C Lions. Damon Allen made his former team regret trading him as he threw for 299 yards as the Argos won 27-19.

The Argonauts have won the Grey Cup more times than any other team, 15 times, which is the 4th most in North American professional sports, behind the New York Yankees (baseball, 26 championships), the Montreal Canadiens (hockey, 24 championships) and the Boston Celtics (basketball, 16 championships). However, it is also the holder of the record Grey Cup drought - an astounding 31 years between Grey Cup wins in 1952 and 1983.

The current coach of the Argonauts is Michael "Pinball" Clemons.

In November 2004 it was announced that a new stadium for the Argos was to be built on the campus of York University by 2007. This follows the failure of an earlier plan to build a new facility at the site of Varsity Stadium at the University of Toronto. If the move is completed it will mark a move by the Argonauts from downtown Toronto where they have played since their inception to the suburbs. One plan to make the suburban location attractive to fans is to import the American tradition of tailgating parties in the parking lot before the game. The Argos' move to York was also expected to increase pressure on the provincial and city governments to finance an extension of the subway to the university.

However, in April 2005, the Argonauts announced their plans to move to York University had been changed as the up-front costs payable by the team to build the stadium had risen, and the owners of the Rogers Centre announced that the Argos would be able to remain at the stadium rent-free (prior to this, the Argos were paying the highest rental fees in the league). The team officially announced they would remain at Rogers Centre on May 2, 2005; soon afterward, the University officially canceled the stadium plans.

On November 21, 2004, the Toronto Argonauts defeated the B.C. Lions 27-19 in the 92nd Grey Cup to end a seven year championship drought. Head coach Pinball Clemons became the first Black coach to win the Grey Cup.

Players of note
Canadian Football Hall of Famers
Ab Box Joseph Breen Lionel "The Big Train" Conacher Royal Copeland Jim Corrigall John Wayne Edwards Terry Evanshen A. H. "Cap" Fear Joe "King" Krol Smirle Lawson Marv Luster Ted Morris Dave Raimey Ted "The Moaner" Reeve Michael J. Rodden Dick Shatto Bill Symons Dave Thelen William Zock

Retired numbers
22 Dick Shatto 31 Michael "Pinball" Clemons 55 Joe Krol 60 Danny Nykoluk

All-Time Argos
As Honoured by the team. Name banners hang on rafters at Rogers Centre.

55 Joe Krol - Inducted July 1996 22 Dick Shatto - Inducted July 1996 60 Danny Nykoluk - Inducted July 1996 33 Bill Symons - Inducted October 1996 10 Terry Greer - Inducted October 1996 77 Royal Copeland - Inducted September 1997 79 Jim Corrigall - Inducted September 1997 67 Teddy Morris - Inducted July 1998 27 Marv Luster - Inducted July 1998 7 Condredge Holloway - Inducted July 1998 36 Don Moen - Inducted July 1999 66 William Zock - Inducted July 1999 88 Paul Masotti - Inducted July 2000 31 Michael "Pinball" Clemons - Inducted September 2000 52 Les Ascott - Inducted October 2004 20 Jim Rountree - Inducted October 2004

Current Squad
As of October 16, 2005

, P/PK , LB , DB , WR , WR , QB , S , QB , LB , RB , CB , DB , WR , QB , DB , WR , RB , S , KR/CB , RB , CB , DB , DB , LB , RB , LB , LB , DB , LB/DB , RB , LS/LB , DE , LB , OL , C , C/TE/DT , OG , OT/TE , OT , OG , OG , OT , WR , WR , WR , WR , DT , DE , DT , DE , DE , DE

Not to be forgotten
Michael "Pinball" Clemons Doug Flutie Paul Masotti Leon McQuay Derrell "Mookie" Mitchell Joe Theismann Mike Vanderjagt