1960's scrapbook                                                     

      'a 1960 Rough Rider huddle... Ron Lancaster

  before he joined Saskatchewan gives out

   instructions at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa.'

-- team --

Toronto

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Montreal

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Hamilton

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Ottawa

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Winnipeg

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Saskatchewan

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British Columbia

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Edmonton

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Calgary

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U.S. Expansion

-- 1960 --

A new decade brought great optimism for the Argonauts as Quarterback Tobin Rote (pictured) brought his impressive throwing arm from the NFL. He passed for an unheard of 4,247 yards and 38 touchdowns in 14 games as Toronto finished the season in 1st place – twice he threw 7 touchdowns in a game. The Ottawa Rough Riders would prove to be the Argonauts downfall as they would much of the decade beating Toronto in the combined playoff 54-41. Ottawa had an impressive quarterbacking tandem of Russ Jackson and Ron Lancaster who would lead the Rough Riders to a Grey Cup Championship over Jackie Parker’s Edmonton Eskimos 16-6. Montreal had 1 final season with Sam Etcheverry and finished with 5 wins while Hamilton struggled with 4 victories. Winnipeg was dominant in the West behind Ken Ploen and Leo Lewis but they would be upset by Edmonton in the West Final. Calgary had 6 wins with Joe Kapp at the controls while BC had 5 victories while Saskatchewan won just 2 games.

-- 1961 --

Bernie Faloney (pictured) led the Tiger Cats from worst to first in 1961 with 10 wins – he would be crowned Most Outstanding Player for his efforts. Ottawa with Lancaster and Jackson finished 2nd with 8 wins while Tobin Rote could not match his magical 1960 season and the team slipped to 7 wins. Montreal struggled after the Sam Etcheverry era to just 4 wins. Winnipeg continued to dominate with 13 wins and would capture the Grey Cup in dramatic fashion with Ken Ploen on a thrilling touchdown run over Hamilton in overtime. Jackie Parker worked his magic for the 10-5 Edmonton Eskimos. Jerry Keeling began his 15 season CFL career with Calgary who posted 7 wins. The Roughriders had 5 wins while a midseason trade with Calgary for Joe Kapp would lead to a good future for the 1-13-2 B.C. Lions

-- 1962 --

George Dixon (pictured) was Outstanding for Montreal with 1,455 yards rushing and 5 touhcdowns – the Als could still only manage 4 wins and finished 3rd in the East. In Hamilton, Canadian pivot Frank Cosentino had prominent time under Center with the Tiger Cats riding a strong defence all the way to the Grey Cup. Ottawa gave the QB platoon 1 more season with 6 wins while Toronto limped to 4 wins as Tobin Rote would return to the NFL after the season. Winnipeg had a strong season from Ken Ploen and finished with 11 wins and the season was topped off with a 2nd consecutive Grey Cup championship in the Fog Bowl over Hamilton 28-27 played over 2 days. Calgary had 9 wins while Saskatchewan under Steve Owen posted 8 victories. B.C. began the reap the benefits of Joe Kapp who had 28 touchdown passes. Edmonton in the final season with Jackie Parker the player finished last in the West with 6 wins.

-- 1963 --

1963 would see a major Quarterback shift. Russ Jackson (pictured) assumed full starting duties with Ottawa and posted a Most Outstanding season as Ron Lancaster was shipped West to Saskatchewan where the Roughriders had 7 victories and uncovered another gem out of Washington State in Running Back George Reed. Jackie Parker came to the bright lights of Toronto but struggled as the Argonauts finished with 3 wins. Hamilton with a rejuvenated Bernie Faloney had 10 wins to finish 1st. The suffocating Ti-Cat defence led by Angelo Mosca allowed just 214 points against. Hamilton would capture the Grey Cup with Mosca as public enemy #1 for a sideline hit on star B.C. Lions back Willie Fleming. Montreal finished with 6 victories. The Lions with the tandem of Kapp and Fleming would post 12 wins and pack the house at Empire Stadium. Calgary had 10 wins and the league’s best offence. Winnipeg after consecutive championships slipped to 7 wins while the Eskimos found life after Jackie Parker difficult with just 2 victories.

-- 1964 --

1964 would see the B.C. Lions get revenge on the Tiger Cats as the franchise captured their 1st Grey Cup. The duo of Joe Kapp (pictured) and Willie Fleming would again come up big with receiver Sonny Homer playing a key role for a 34-24 victory. Calgary would win 12 games but fall to the Lions in the West Final. The Roughriders were led by the first of many 1,000 yard rushing season from George Reed. Edmonton improved to 4 victories while Winnipeg hit rock bottom with 1 win. Tommy Grant would capture Most Outstanding Canadian honours as Hamilton won 10 games. Ottawa would post 8 wins and fall 39-38 to Hamilton in the East final combined scores. Montreal won 5 games with an anemic offence while Toronto in year 2 with Jackie Parker won 3 games and gave up 360 points.

-- 1965 --

George Reed (pictured) was dominant with 1,768 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns to capture the Most Outstanding Player honours, Saskatchewan would win 8 games but fall to Winnipeg in the West Semi-Final. Winnipeg rebounded from 1 win in 1964 with 11 victories as the running back tandem of Dave Raimey and Leo Lewis were dominant with Raimey over 1,000 yards. Calgary was the class of the league with 12 wins but the Stampedes fell to Winnipeg in the West final. B.C. won 6 games while Edmonton had the league’s worst defence in winning 5. Hamilton would capture the Grey Cup with their all-world defence allowing just 153 points in 14 games. Ottawa won 7 games but fell to Hamilton in the playoffs. Montreal had the league’s worst offence while Toronto moved on from Jackie Parker but found no answers with just 3 wins.

-- 1966 --

Russ Jackson led Ottawa to a 11-3 record and was named the Outstanding Player and top Canadian. The Rough Riders defeated the 9-5 Tiger-Cats in the Easter Final combined 72-17. Montreal posted 7 wins as the team’s offence again struggled. Toronto won 5 games as they looked to be respectable again. Saskatchewan finished atop the West at 9-6-1 and advanced to the Grey Cup as former teammates Ron Lancaster (pictured) and Russ Jackson faced off. The Roughriders would be victorious 29-14 for the franchises’ first Grey Cup. Winnipeg won 8 games as legendary Leo Lewis retired following the season. Edmonton won 6 games as did Calgary with a future star at Quarterback in Peter Liske. Joe Kapp spent his final season in the CFL with the 5-11 Lions before moving on to the NFL and the Minnesota Vikings.

-- 1967 --

Peter Liske filled the air with footballs for Calgary. The Penn State grad broke Tobin Rote’s records with 4,479 yards passing and an incredible 40 touchdown passes in 16 games. Calgary would finished tied for 1st in the West with Saskatchewan and Liske would capture Outstanding Player honours. The Stampeders would fall to the Roughriders in a best 2 of 3 Western final. Ron Lancaster and the Roughriders would fall to Hamilton 25-1 in the Grey Cup. Edmonton won 9 games with Frank Cosentino under center, while Winnipeg had 4 wins in Ken Ploen’s final season. The B.C. Lions found like without Joe Kapp difficult posting 3 wins. Hamilton won 10 games allowed only 195 points and punished Saskatchewan 25-1 to capture their 3rd championship of the decade in 6 appearances. Ottawa behind a strong offence won 9 games, Toronto won 5 games with new coach Leo Cahill while Montreal had a forgettable season with 2 wins.

-- 1968 --

Leo Cahill began to turn Toronto around as they posted 9 wins, running back Bill Symons from Colorado broke 1,000 yards and became the 1st Argonauts to be named the Leagues Most Outstanding Player. Symons and the Argos would fall to Russ Jackson and the Ottawa Rough Riders in the East Final as Ottawa would romp to a Grey Cup championship over Calgary 24-21 at Exhibition Stadium.  Hamilton fell to 6-7-1 as Montreal continued to mire in last place with 3 wins. Saskatchewan out to avenge the humiliating Grey Cup defeat of 1967 finished with the best record in the league but would be heandily defeated by Peter Liske (pictured) and the Calgary Stampeders in the West Final. Calgary powered by a strong offence finished with 10 wins.  Edmonton had 8 wins while the Lions avoided last place with 4 victories and uncovered a future star in Jim Evenson. Winnipeg finished last with 3 victories.

-- 1969 --

Russ Jackson concluded his incredible career in 1969 going out in style with the 11-3 Rough Riders. Jackson had his finest season with 33 touchdown passes and 3,641 yards. He was named both Outstanding Player and Top Canadian for the 3rd time in the decade and to top it off captured the Rough Riders 2nd consecutive Grey Cup with a victory over Saskatchewan at the Autostade. Toronto had 10 wins and a strong team out to ruin the Rough Rider party but fell short yet again in the East Final. Hamilton posted 8 wins while Montreal closed out a disastrous decade with another 2 win season. Saskatchewan won 13 games but could not match the Jackson freight train in the Grey Cup. Calgary adapted to the departure of Peter Liske well with 9 wins with Jerry Keeling at the controls. The B.C. Lions and Eskmios each had 5 win seasons while Winnipeg posted just 3 victories as they looked for a quarterback.