Hamilton, ON (Best E Casino) - Another CFL legend has passed away.
Ralph Sazio, who led the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to three Grey Cup titles as a head coach in the 1960s, died suddenly Thursday night. He was 86.
Sazio's death comes just over a week after Ron Lancaster, the legendary former CFL quarterback and head coach, passed away. He was 69.
Sazio, a New Jersey native, came to Hamilton in 1950 as an offensive and defensive lineman. He played four seasons with the CFL club before becoming an assistant coach and assuming head coaching duties in 1963.
Hamilton was 49-20-1 with Sazio as coach from 1963 to 1967. The club went to the Grey Cup four times over that span, winning three (1963, 1965, 1967). The only loss came in 1964.
Sazio became the Ticats general manager in 1968 and was promoted to club president in 1972.
He became the Toronto Argonauts president in 1981, serving in that capacity through to 1990. The Argos won a Grey Cup title in 1983, their first in over 30 years.
Sazio was inducted as a builder into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1988.
"Ralph Sazio was more than a CFL player, coach, executive and builder. He was more than a Hall of Famer," said CFL commissioner Mark Cohon. "He was a leader.
"He was a tireless worker in a blue collar town. He exuded strength in a city built on steel. And he never backed down."
Sazio is survived by his wife, Rose, son Mark and daughter Peggy as well as six grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are pending.
NEW RECORD: The Edmonton Eskimos have a new career TD passes leader.
Ricky Ray threw his club-record 145th career touchdown passes in Edmonton's 30-23 road loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday night. That broke the previous mark of 144 that was held by Warren Moon, the former NFL star who began his pro career with Edmonton in 1978.
Ray broke the record with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Mann in the third quarter. Ray finished the game 36-of-43 passing for 434 yards with two touchdown passes and an interception.
"Congratulations to Ricky Ray on breaking my touchdown record," Moon said. "I'm sure he will own all the passing records before he is done as an Eskimo.
"Ricky is just another in a great line of fine Eskimo quarterbacks going all the way back to Jackie Parker. The best to Ricky as he continues his CFL career!"
Added head coach Danny Maciocia: "We've been spoiled with Ricky and the success that he's had here. You associate Warren Moon with Hall of Fame and greatness and here Ricky is at 28 -- that says a lot about him and he still has a lot of football left in him."
Ray also holds the Eskimos records for career completions and passing yards.
HOT ITEMS: Tickets to the 2008 Grey Cup game in Montreal are proving to be very hot items.
The '08 Grey Cup organizing committee announced this week that more than 50,000 tickets have been sold for the game, which will be played Nov. 23 at Olympic Stadium.
"We are thrilled with our fans' response," said Grey Cup committee co- president Larry Smith, who is also the Montreal Alouettes president. "This proves Quebec is a true football province and that all of Canada will join the party.
"We're working hard to offer Canadians a full week of shows and entertainment in the Grey Cup Village downtown and hope people will be numerous to enjoy the festivities."
Despite the brisk sale, more than 15,000 tickets remain for the game. The committee is hoping to surpass the total of 68,318 fans that watched the 1977 Grey Cup game in Montreal when the Alouettes beat Edmonton at Olympic Stadium.
NICE ROLL: Don't look now, but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers appear to be hitting their late-season stride.
The Blue Bombers defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 30-23 on Friday night for their third straight win. What's more, Winnipeg has won four of its last six games to climb back into playoff contention in the East Division.
Winnipeg (5-8) is alone in second in the East Division, just ahead of Toronto (4-8) pending the outcome of the Argos game Saturday night against Calgary (8-4).
A big part of Winnipeg's resurgence has been the play of quarterback Kevin Glenn. The veteran pivot was 18-of-26 passing for 268 yards with two touchdowns and an interception against Edmonton. In his last four starts, Glenn has thrown 10 touchdown passes against just three interceptions.
LONG DROUGHT: The Calgary Stampeders find themselves tied for first spot in the West Division standings and playing an opponent they easily handled last week.
But head coach-GM John Hufnagel is more than a little apprehensive about the Stampeders taking on the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday night at Rogers Centre.
And with good reason.
The Stampeders easily dismantled the Argos 34-4 last weekend at McMahon Stadium. But they haven't won a game in Toronto since September 28, 2000.
What's more, Calgary won't have starting linebacker Mike Labinjo in the lineup against the Argos. The Toronto native suffered a foot injury Thursday in practice and didn't make the trip to Ontario. However, offensive lineman Jeff Pilon will return to the lineup after missing two games with a shoulder injury.
