APPLICATION » have more chance of getting it in than a can of Coke.Cock-eye

It was a spectacular end to a tumultuous season. When the Toronto Argonauts captured the 100th Grey Cup, the offence was led by two key members; Ricky Ray, who threw for 231 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Chad Kackert, who rushed for 133 yards and added 62 more on receptions en route to being named games Most Valuable Player. Both are back this year and both are much more comfortable in their surroundings. Ray was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Eskimos shortly after the 2011 season ended. Edmonton had been his only CFL home for nine seasons and, like anyone in any walk of life, an unexpected major change was something that came with some trepidation. "I think the biggest fear was just coming to a new place and proving myself all over again," Ray told TSN.ca. "Here, I really had no experience with anybody other than a few other guys. Youve got to earn their respect and show that you work hard in practice and you go out and play the best you can." Toronto is looked upon by most fans as being the weak link in the league. Fans can be fickle when it comes to buying tickets and theres a perception that the city is CFL unfriendly. Ray had the same thoughts about the market and admits there is a stark difference between the two towns. "As far as football here out East, its a little bit different. In the West, theres not as much stuff to do. Here its a big city, theres other sports teams, were battling for competition with those guys. We didnt play well at home last year which didnt help us out, so this year we have to do a better job of being good at home and getting people excited to come out and watch us." A major complaint over the years in Toronto is that the Argos didnt have any players with star power to compete with the big names of the other sports. Rays name is well known in the market by even non-CFL fans, as are the names of the Chads; Owens and Kackert. The latter is back despite an offer from the NFLs New York Jets. In fact, there were reports that the running back had signed with that club, but that story quickly changed when Kackert confirmed he was coming back to the Argos. Why? "Its best to be where youre wanted," said Kackert. That sentiment may be in stark contrast to 12 months ago when Kackert was known to many for two things; being Cory Boyds backup and some ill-timed fumbles in his rookie season. He silenced any criticism as he excelled after replacing Boyd as the starter in Week 8 and fumbled just once on 123 touches. He knew his teammates had his back all along. "In the CFL, when youve got a team like we have here, its like a family. Were treating these rookies like theyve been here and theyre starting to buy in. The environment we have here isnt just something that happens, its something thats earned and takes time." Kackert earned enough respect from his Argo family to get the opportunity to start. The club chose to release Boyd, who was leading the CFL in rushing at the time. The move was criticized by an overwhelming majority of fans and media alike. The man who pulled the trigger on the move, head coach Scott Milanovich, ultimately saw the decision pay off in late November. Following the season, Kackert was a free agent and the coach thought his star running back was headed to the NFL. "I thought he was going to New York and I actually called and wished him luck at one point and he said I havent signed anything yet, so I think Kack feels good here," said Milanovich. "Hes been embraced by his teammates, hes kind of a loved guy and, not to say he wouldnt have made it in the NFL, but I think he made the right decision. This is home for him now and hes earned that." As Kackert says, "Its best to be where youre wanted" and everyone connected with the Double Blue wants him right where he is. Notes: Once again, the threat of bad weather moved practice to Holy Trinity Secondary School in Oakville... LT Tony Washington was back in uniform today for the first time since Sundays first practice... DT Khalif Mitchell sat out the second session with what appeared to be a leg injury. He was walking around with a noticeable limp as the practice progressed, but he was putting weight on it... Extremely windy conditions made things very difficult for the offence... SB Andre Durie made a couple of outstanding catches on deep balls... Spotted on the sidelines today was the Argos 1976 Rookie of the Year, RB Neil Lumsden. Hes now the running backs coach for the University of Guelph Gryphons... Theres no question the Argos have the most interesting pair of names among newcomers. SirVincent Rogers has been on the field since the first day of rookie camp and Thursday, the club signed linebacker Mister Alexander, who made his mark over the last two years on special teams with the Houston Texans... Also added today were import DB Quinten Lawrence and LB Jake Reinhart from Guelph. Reinhart is also a long snapper... When asked about who the most impressive players have been among newcomers, both Milanovich and Ray mentioned the same name in separate interviews, speedy receiver John Chiles. The QB said of him "Every time we watch film, guys are trying to press him and hes just running by them"... Milanovich said when it comes time to make cuts and if all other things are equal, the determining factor in making the decision is "character and how they fit in the locker room". Discount Nike NBA Jerseys . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. Cheap Atlanta Hawks Jerseys China . PAUL, Minn. http://www.cheapbasketballchina.com/cheap-boston-celtics-jerseys-china_94r.html . The move comes after the Canadiens were approached by the Buffalo Sabres for permission to speak to Dudley - a former Sabres player and head coach. "The Sabres called for permission and I appreciate that, Im flattered, Dudley told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. Basketball Jerseys On Sale . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. Wholesale Basketball Jerseys . Speaking Thursday on TSN 1050 Thursday, the Leafs GM also touched on the questions surrounding the teams leadership and the struggles of his big-name free-agent signing. “Its not from lack of effort from the coaching staff. Matthew Hayden was recently bitten by a dog while out jogging, which got us thinking about animals that have been associated with cricket, in one way or another. Here are 11 of the finest, but if you can think of others, please send them to feedbackBotham the Pig By the Ashes tour of 1982-83, Ian Botham was beginning to fill out around the waist and was no longer the swing-bowling sylph of his heyday. That was good enough for the crowd at The Gabba, who smuggled a piglet in through the turnstiles (by stuffing an apple in its mouth and convincing the steward he was soon to be lunch), then released him on the outfield with Botham scrawled on one flank, and Eddie (in tribute to the equally rotund Eddie Hemmings) on the other. For anyone contemplating a similar stunt this winter, make sure your pig isnt sponsored. Concerns about ambush marketing mean youd probably have more chance of getting it in than a can of Coke.Cock-eyed SparrowsThere are several instances of sparrows being felled in flight, but the most famous casualty was the bird struck at Lords in 1936 when MCCs Tom Pearce bowled to Jehingir Khan of Cambridge University. The dead bird was stuffed to add insult to injury and can still be seen in the Lords Museum. It is not the only avian victim at Lords. In 1866 during Middlesexs match against Nottinghamshire, Tom Hearne was about to bowl when he spotted a pigeon fluttering overhead. He took aim and brought it down dead as a doornail. It too was stuffed and kept as a Hearne family heirloom.Snakes in the standsWhen Pakistan visited India in 1999, Shiv Sena, a Hindu extremist movement, were less than happy with the idea of sporting contact between the two nations. In the build-up to the Test, they threatened to release poisonous snakes onto the outfield during the game. In response, the police hired 30 snake charmers to patrol the stands and be ready to pounce should the need arise.Mackerel barrageIn 1986 during a match in the Cricketer Cup, Simon Hazlitt, batting for Old Cliftonians against Stowe Templers, was almost felled when a mackerel was dropped from a great height, narrowly missing him as he took guard. The assailant was a seagull who had stolen the fish from the sea-lion enclosure at the nearby Bristol Zoo.Beefy the BullAt Dunstall in June 2005, the players and spectators at Derbyshires second XI match against Leicester got more than theyd bargained for, when a bull leapt over the fence from a neighbouring field and rampaged around the ground for 20 minutes, pursued by a hapless farmer. I think one of the bulls got amorous with a cow or perhaps another bull - I am not sure about the sexual orientation of bulls, said Karl Krikken, Derbyshires coach, who was one of many onlookers sent scattering.Jacko the MonkeyThe Poona Monkey disrupted play in the match between MCC and Maharashtra in December 1951. Local reports state the creature, known as Jacko, quietly ambled onto the field and was spotted by one of the umpires fielding at midwicket. A groundsman was summoned and it was chased away with sticks.Donkey on a lengthIn 1918 a Priestley Cup game between Undercliffe and Lidget Green in Bradford had to be reeplayed after a mystery damp patch appeared on a length.dddddddddddd After subsequent investigations it emerged that the culprit was the club donkey which had relieved itself while pulling the roller during pitch preparations. Lidget Greens suspicions were raised as the animal had hit the spot where England offspinner Cecil Parkin landed to ball to such good effect. Although Undercliffe won the replay, they were banned from playing any future cup matches at home. The donkey was given a severe reprimand.Merv the Mutt The teams were out on the field, ready for the first ball of third Test between England and Australia at Trent Bridge in 1993, but there was an unexpected hold-up. Running up and down at the Radcliffe Road end of the ground was a sandy coloured mongrel with absolutely no intention of leaving the field. Eventually, Merv Hughes took it upon himself to deal with the problem, and got down on his hands and knees to coax the hound to heel. Given Hughes feral reputation, the question on most peoples lips was who was more likely to give rabies to who? But Hughes eventually won the battle of minds, and Michael Slater was on hand to dump the mutt into the arms of the steward on the boundary rope. More than 60 people immediately rang the RSPCA to adopt him, with Graham and Sally Bosnall of Derby winning the race, and naturally enough, naming him Merv.Peter the Cat The most famous mog in Marylebone, Peter was the Lords cat for 12 years from 1952 to 1964, when his ninth life finally ran out on Bonfire Night (it is unknown whether any firecrackers were involved). He is the only animal to earn a mention in the Wisden Cricketers Almanack where, in the obituaries section, it is written that he was a cat of great character and loved publicity ... [whose] sleek brown form could often be seen prowling on the field of play when crowds were biggest. He has since earned an unexpected tenth life, after lending his name to a new anthology. Surprisingly no pictures are known to exist of Peter, although his successor, Sinbad, was snapped during a Southern Schools v The Rest match in 1963.Shark in the deepIn 1934 R Townshend Stephens wrote to The Times to recall an incident in Sohar when a game was taking place on a matting wicket laid out on a beach. A ball was swung out to the deep, but it fell not into the sea but was swallowed by a shark, he explained. Townshend Stephens, who was umpiring, gave the batsman out and the entry in the scorebook read caught Fish bowled Burkitt Ullah.Hansie the rabbit Peter McIntosh, an 11-year-old cricket nut from Northampton, had the misfortune of naming his new pet rabbit Hansie just three days before the match-fixing scandal erupted in April 2000. As Cronje Srs name was dragged through the mud, his bunny namesake sat chewing lettuces and going about his rabbity business, oblivious to the fact that he was now the talk of the town. We couldnt believe it, said Pauls mother, Elaine. Our nine-year-old, Lauren, has been telling everybody that our rabbit has been arrested. ' ' '