Argos Point Fingers After Yet Another Dismal Season

31/10/2008 07:11

After a season of disappointment and turmoil on the field, the Toronto Argonauts are reportedly looking for answers in the front office.

A report in the Globe and Mail on Tuesday hints at friction between Michael (Pinball) Clemons and team management over who is at fault for some of the decisions made this season.

The Argonauts raised eyebrows around the league this season with several high profile moves. The biggest saw the team acquire 2007 Most Outstanding Player Kerry Joseph from the Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders. With Joseph in camp, the Argonauts did not trade former starter Michael Bishop and set themselves up for a quarterback controversy.

Bishop was eventually traded away to the Riders in late August.

The report in the Globe and Mail raises questions about who had final say on the Joseph deal.

Clemons admitted to the newspaper that he played a small part in the trade but said he was not part of the final decision.

"If they say no, it's done," explained Clemons to the Globe and Mail. "I got no say in that, got no decision in that. If they say, 'No, we don't want Kerry Joseph,' it's a done deal. There's no more conversation. Conversation is over. So they said yes, and the process continued. That's what happened, football ops said yes."

According to the Globe and Mail, sources within the Argonauts told them that the team's football operations were not overly excited about making the move.

The sources also told the Globe that general manager Adam Rita and former head coach Rich Stubler were in favour of trading Bishop before the start of the regular season but Clemons disagreed and vetoed them.

Clemons explained the team's management structure to Globe and Mail and told them the final decision on every move was Rita's.

"Adam Rita is the general manager and so he is the one who operates football," Clemons said to the Globe and Mail. "He is in control of the football operations. He has a head coach and he has [Greg Mohns] who is his director of player personnel.

"Ultimately, the buck stops with Adam Rita."

Sources within the team and the Canadian Football League told the newspaper Clemons was a factor in the higher profile moves during the season.

When contacted by the Globe and Mail, Rita declined to make any comment on the story.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

It’s nice to see nothing has changed with the “Good Ship Argo!”