Rails from The Rails #1 - Introduction

Rails from the Rails – One (originally posted July 10, 2007 at www.argonauts.ca)

Many people marvel at the fact that I commute into Mississauga from London. For the past 5 seasons I have made the trip from The Forest City to either Erindale Campus for practice or to The Rogers Center for games. My wife Nicole and I made the decision to make our home in London after we had our third child. Both Nicole and I grew up in London and most of our family resides there. We now have 5 children and we are both glad we made the decision to live close to the support that only family can offer. At least that is what I tell myself repeatedly on the boring stretch of 401 between Woodstock and Brantford. Commuting doesn’t seem like such a great call at that moment.

Anyways, I share the reasons for my commuting as an explanation for the opinion piece you are now reading. I am working on this little piece of prose as I watch the beautiful southwestern Ontario countryside pass by. No, I am not hurtling down the highway with a laptop balanced on my thighs while my knees do the steering. Rather, I am enjoying the commute in comfort aboard a VIARail passenger train. The cost of fuel, the difficulty of driving, the hazards of the road, and many lost hours led me to consider taking the train to work. And the ease of this type of travel allows me to work on my laptop without endangering other 400 series commuters. And so the name of this section of the Toronto Argonauts website is Rails from the Rails. The dictionary suggests to rail is to complain or to speak bitterly. My contribution will not necessarily be so negative, but it may venture down that track on occasion. And it is coming from my mobile office; a VIARail passenger car. Hence, you have Rails from the Rails.

I hope to cover many topics from many areas, but the majority of my writing will be related to the sport that has been my profession for the past 12 years. The topics will be presented in a three-part format. Part 1, “All Aboard”, will be an introductory paragraph on nothing in particular. Perhaps a quote I read, maybe a joke I hear, or even an anecdote that our head coach, and sometimes sage, Pinball Clemons has shared with the team. It may or may not have anything to do with rest of the article. Part 2, “Tickets Please”, will be the main body of my online musings. The third and final section will be called “Last Stop”. Here I will attempt to sum up my document with something the reader can take with them the rest of the day. This first article will give the format a test run. Let’s give it a try!

All Aboard: Before our home opener Coach Clemons shared a battle strategy used by famous warriors coming to the New World. They learned this strategy from the ancient Greeks. When they arrived at the country they were invading they would disembark from their boats and burn the ships to the ground. That is commitment! It was an apt illustration for a football team named the Argonauts.

Tickets Please: As I sit in my seat, feeling a tad guilty for enjoying my commute so much, I am struck by some similarities between this train that I am riding and the Canadian Foot ball League. It may seem like a bit if a stretch, but bear with me. I remember learning about Canada’s transcontinental railroad in history class. I still recall the textbook picture of Lord Strathcona driving in the last spike in 1885. It seems to me that both the Canadian railway, and the companies that built them, and the CFL are Canadian institutions with rich histories. The CFL was officially started in the 1950s, but the formation of the Argonauts predates the completion of the transcontinental railroad. We have been playing Canadian football in this country for a long time. My vague memories of history lessons on the Canadian railway have left me one overriding impression. The railroad that linked British Columbia to eastern Canada was a unifying force for Canada. I have forgotten many of the details, but the idea of a mode of travel bringing the country together has not left me. I think the CFL serves a similar function. It is a truly Canadian institution that brings us together. I never grow tired of talking football with Canadians all over this great country. And they are truly proud of their football league. Yes, I run into the NFL fans too, but the hordes that supposedly prefer the American game to ours seldom discuss it with me. I sometimes wonder if they are really out there. I believe the CFL is a point of unity for many in this country.

I am also always amazed by the two relatively thin strips of metal that guide and control these racing metal vehicles. Without the rails to ride on, this train would go nowhere. The CFL also rides on two rails. One of the rails that helps make this league successful is the players. They are individuals who are truly responsible for the sport. Whether it is Brent Johnson in BC, or Jeremy O’Day in Regina, or Anthony Calvillo in Montreal, it is the players who are largely responsible for the success of this league. I could name hundreds of players who in hundreds of ways have shown this to be true. They are the treasure of the CFL. The other rail on which this league depends can be seen on the business side of things. Canadian Football is a sport indeed, but the CFL is also a business. I, and many others, endured some bleak years in the 90s when bad business practices brought this league to the edge of oblivion. These days seem to be much better. The various owners, presidents, front offices, and commissioners of the recent past have brought health and vitality back to the business side of football in Canada. And that is good because the CFL needs two rails to ride on. It needs an exciting sport, supplied by the players, and good business practices, offered by the owners and their offices. Let’s hope that both these groups keep the CFL hurtling down the tracks safely and speedily.

Last Stop: I recently watched a documentary on Garth Brooks. I was intrigued when he spoke about the strained relationship between musicians and the record labels that they are under contract to. Garth suggested that this relationship was healthy when there was conflict. He suggested that musicians care about the music where as the record labels cared about the business. Good musicians put the music first; good businesses make money. And he wanted his records to make money. But he also cared about the music. Thus, conflict was inevitable if things were running like they should. Keep that in mind the next time you read or hear about the CFL Players Association being at loggerheads with the Commissioner or the owners. Maybe it’s not just about the money…maybe it’s about the game that the players love and the businesses that the owners are running. And maybe it’s a good thing they are in conflict.