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Toronto Argonauts: Ranking the 6 Grey Cup wins since 1991

By Paul Taylor

OTTAWA, ON - NOVEMBER 26: The Toronto Argonauts raise the Grey Cup over their heads as they celebrate winning the 105th Grey Cup Championship Game against the Calgary Stampeders at TD Place Stadium on November 26, 2017 in Ottawa, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON - NOVEMBER 26: The Toronto Argonauts raise the Grey Cup over their heads as they celebrate winning the 105th Grey Cup Championship Game against the Calgary Stampeders at TD Place Stadium on November 26, 2017 in Ottawa, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Argonauts
Former Toronto Argonauts player Raghib Ismail (L) and NFL player Jason Avant. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Super Bowl) /

3) 79th Grey Cup

The 79th Grey Cup was the culmination of an exciting season for the Toronto Argonauts both on and off the field. This excitement actually started prior to the season, when Los Angeles Kings’ owner Bruce McNall, the great Wayne Gretzky and actor John Candy came together to buy the team.

This anticipation only grew, when the Argonauts essentially signed college star Raghib ‘Rocket’ Ismail from under the noses of the NFL. The fans were hooked, as the average attendance jumped by 7,000 to more than 37,000 per game at the SkyDome.

The Double Blue went on to storm through the 1991 season, leading the league in wins with a 13-5-0 record. This culminated with their appearance against the Calgary Stampeders in the Winnipeg.

The game was a tense and closely-fought affair, with the Stampeders clinging onto a 14-12 lead towards the end of the third quarter. The Argos them came to life, starting with Matt Dunigan’s 48-yard scoring throw to Darrell K. Smith.

This started a barrage which saw Toronto score 25 of the game’s final 32 points to clinch a 36-21 win. Ismail repaid some of the significant bonus he’d received when he first signed, returning a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown and being named Grey Cup MVP.

The win proved to be one of redemption for Dunigan, who finally proved he could win the big one. It was also a satisfying victory for the quarterback, who had battled numerous injuries throughout the season and even had to have a separated shoulder frozen, so he could play in the Grey Cup.

The championship proved to be the highlight for the ownership trio of McNall, Gretzky and Candy. The win was a thrill for Candy in particular, who grew up as a passionate Toronto Argonauts fans and thoroughly enjoyed owning the team and spending time with the players.

Nothing can last forever though, as McNall and Gretzky sold the Toronto Argonauts in 1994 a couple months after Candy sadly passed away. It was a short but fun and special ride for all concerned, which is why fans will always have fond memories of the 79th Grey Cup.

  • Importance: 4
  • Excitement: 3
  • Popularity: 6
  • Unpredictability: 2
  • TOTAL – 15
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