Hi everyone. I'm new to MBB, and appreciate the opportunity to make a small pitch. I am an author and CFL fan/historian in the Toronto area, currently working on my second book about the Argonauts. The first (Bouncing Back: From National Joke to Grey Cup Champs) was published in 2013 and told the story of the 1983 Argos, who ended a 31-year Grey Cup drought that year, just two years after the worst season in franchise history.
The book I'm working on now is about the 1991 Argos, who were owned by John Candy, Wayne Gretzky and Bruce McNall, signed Rocket Ismail to the largest contract in football (not just CFL, but football, period) history, and won the coldest Grey Cup ever played -- in Winnipeg, of course.
I've interviewed dozens of players, coaches, execs and others associated with the team and the league of that era, and I'm planning a research/vacation trip to Winnipeg in July (to coincide with the Argos' game there -- my first chance to experience IGF!) for interviews with individuals who were involved with the 1991 Grey Cup festival and game. I'm looking for connections to anyone who might have good stories and experiences from Winnipeg's first time playing host to the big game. I'm especially interested in interviewing individuals who had encounters with John Candy that week, but at this point I'll consider any interesting connection that might factor into the story.
I'd also love to find anyone who has any connection to the two frozen beer cans that were tossed at the Rocket as he crossed the goal-line with the kickoff return TD that essentially clinched Toronto's win. I realize it was 28 years ago, and at this point anyone of a certain age could claim to be (or know) the throwers. I'm certainly not counting on being able to positively identify those responsible, and I definitely don't want anyone "brought to justice." But everyone old enough to have seen the game remembers the first beer can almost hitting Ismail before its frozen foam exploded on the turf -- the second can, fired from a different part of the stands a second or two later, has been largely forgotten -- and yet nothing (as far as I know) has ever been reported about who did it, why, etc. A search for the thrower is potentially a fun little angle to pursue along with the much bigger picture of the Argos (and the league) in 1991.
Anyway, all of that is to say, if you have a personal connection to the 1991 Grey Cup game that you think would be worth me hearing about as part of my research, and/or you know anyone who has such a connection, I'd love to hear from you. You can DM me but a better route would be to email me: paulwoods13@gmail.com.
Thanks!
