By Perry Lefko
CFL.ca
There is something interesting about a Winnipeg-Toronto playoff game.
It’s rather unique, you see, only because it doesn’t happen all the time.
And there’s usually a reason.
In 1987, on the eve of the regular season, the Montreal franchise collapsed, forcing a movement of one of the teams from the West Division to the East.
And it was the Blue Bombers who had to make the move, two days before the commencement of the ’87 campaign.
“Being as good as we were and Toronto being as good as they were, especially with them having (Condredge) Holloway and (Joe) Barnes at that time (at quarterback), they had some very good football teams,” recalled former Winnipeg general manager Cal Murphy, now a pro scout with the Indianapolis Colts. “But each game was a tough football game for us. Even when we won, it was tough.”
The Bombers finished the ’87 regular-season campaign with a 12-6, finishing first in the East. The Argos placed immediately behind with an 11-6-1 record. The Argos beat Hamilton 29-13 in the East semi-final, then travelled to Winnipeg for the final and won 19-3.
“They beat us physically in that game,” Murphy said. “They took it to us.”
The Argos lost 38-36 to Edmonton in the Grey Cup.
In ’88, the Argos finished first overall in the league with a 14-4 record, while Winnipeg and Hamilton tied for second in the East with a 9-9 mark. Winnipeg handled Hamilton 35-28 in the East semi-final, but scored a major upset beating Toronto 27-11 in the division final.
“I just think we were better than them that day,” Murphy said.
The Bombers went on to win the Grey Cup 22-21 over B.C.
In 1989, the Argos and Blue Bombers both finished second in the East with 7-11 records behind Hamilton at 12-6. The Bombers lost seven straight games to end the season and came to Toronto at the decisive underdog, but Winnipeg won the division semi-final 30-7, only to lose 14-10 to Hamilton in the final.
In 1990, Winnipeg placed first in the East with a 12-6 mark, followed by Toronto with a 10-8 mark. Toronto beat Ottawa 34-25 in the semi-final, then lost 20-17 to Winnipeg in the final.
“Let me tell you what happened in that one,” Murphy said. “They have got us about third and 20 or something like that and we go for it and we ran a flood pattern and (quarterback) Tom Burgess is slower than I am and he scrambled up the middle – it looked like the parting of the Red Sea – and we got the first down and the next play we kicked a 32-yard field goal and won the game.”
Winnipeg won the Grey Cup 50-11 that year.
In 1991, Toronto posted a league-leading 13-5 record, while Winnipeg had a 9-9 record to place second in the East. The Argos crushed Winnipeg 32-3 in the East Division final, then beat Calgary 36-21 in the Cup played in Winnipeg.
Flashy quarterback Matt Dunigan left the Argos for the Blue Bombers the next season and it coincided with the last time Toronto and Winnipeg played in the playoffs.
Until this year; a move precipitated by Winnipeg’s shift from the West to the East and the ability to make it to the post-season.
Let the rivalry begin again.
Perry Lefko is the Communications Director for the Canadian Football League.
