Bitter Sweet

This weekend the Argonauts make their second trip to the Atlantic Coast. The hope of expanding the CFL coast to coast is not far from a reality. For that I am quite excited, however many people in the Argonauts' front office made the trip out east while some of us stayed behind. This is what made me feel excluded. A feeling I can only compare to a time in the late 80's when our rebuilding team was heading out to BC to play in a Grey Cup against the Edmonton Eskimos. I stood around watching the team pack and even assisted in the packing but knew I wasn't going or so it seemed. I planned to work on my homework and while I was preparing to watch the team during the weekend, my family knew that the team had made a collection to get me out to BC for the weekend. My family couldn't keep it from me because they wanted me to finish my homework before Friday and pack my luggage. The cat was out of the bag but thanks to the Air Canada union, all flights out of Toronto were grounded due to a workers strike. The trip would never be.

This week as I watched everyone prepare for the trip and talk about the community events that would be happening in Moncton(a position that I manage, I couldn't help but feeling left out, especially hearing about a "team dinner" that I and some others would not attend.

As sad as that was there is a good reason that I'm not going. It's to be a part of a community occurrence just North of Toronto for an important program. This weekend Tim Hortons has arranged to have the three new football teams added through the teamwork of the Argonauts and Tim Hortons, to go to their camp in Parry Sound. It is here that we will be spending time with the players and coaches to develop teamwork and camaraderie between the players and the Argonauts. On Sunday we will all watch the Boatmen take on the Eskies on TV. So although I may have felt as though I wasn't part of the team going to Moncton, it is all for the greater good of helping youth share in an experience they will long remember for years to come.

Read the next blog to see just what went on this weekend in Parry Sound.