1937 – Toronto Argonauts 4, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 3
The Argo Bounce was born in 1937 as the Toronto Argonauts won the Grey Cup by the narrowest of margins for the second time in five years.
A total of 11,522 fans braved the elements at Varsity Stadium as a bitter north-west wind made for less than ideal football conditions.
The Blue Bombers opened the scoring with a single point, but came close to scoring a touchdown. Bob Fritz, Winnipeg's player-coach, picked up Art West's fumble and streaked down the right sideline with a clear route between him and the Toronto end zone. Toronto's Bob Isbister made a diving tackle, tripping up Fritz inside the Argonaut 10. Following two failed plunges, Steve Olander dropped back and kicked a rouge.
The Boatmen soon took the lead for good when Fritz Hanson dropped a kick from Isbister, allowing Toronto's Bill Bryers to recover the loose football at the Winnipeg 20. Earl Selkirk, filling in for the hospitalized Annis Stukus, booted a perfect placement from an awkward angle.
Winnipeg looked to have taken the lead when Bill Stukus muffed an Olander punt, allowing Bill Ceretti to pick up the fumble and run towards the end zone. The play was called back, however, as a no yards penalty was assessed to the Blue Bombers.
The Blue Bombers had other opportunities to take the lead. A forward pass from Fritz to Jeff Nicklin and a lateral from Nicklin to Bud Marquardt allowed Greg Kabat to attempt a field goal from 40 yards out, which he missed. West's second fumble of the game gave the Blue Bombers another chance at a placement in the second quarter, but Olander kicked low and wide for a single point.
Toronto took a 4-2 lead when Isbister booted a 70-yard punt. Winnipeg cut its deficit in half in the third quarter as Herb Peschel gathered a failed lateral by Stukus and was stopped near the Toronto 35. The Blue Bombers attempted another field goal, but Kabat missed again for a single point. That was as close as the Blue Bombers would get to the Argos.
The Argo Bounce came to life when Marquardt blocked an attempted punt and he and Toronto's Teddy Morris raced for the football. The ball bounced right into Morris' hands. Had Marquardt recovered the pigskin, the Blue Bombers would have had the ball deep in Argonaut territory.
