Peter Dyakowski
CFL.ca
A special time of year is upon us again. The summer is coming to an end, autumn is just around the corner, and the Argos are coming down to Tiger Town for a heavy dose of verbal abuse and a football game.
The Labour Day Classic is an annual tradition that pits not just the Tiger-Cats versus the Argonauts, but Steel Town versus Fancy-Pants Town; honest, hard working folk versus champagne-sipping yacht club commies; The Jewel of the Golden Horseshoe (Hamilton) versus Garbage City, USA.
It is the oldest rivalry in sports and a bitter one at that, but the hatred that fuels it has much earlier roots than the first meeting between the two teams on October 18th, 1873. It is no secret that the original Loyalist settlers of Hamilton harboured deep suspicions and even, it may be said, a seething antipathy towards their neighbours up the lakeshore in York whom they regarded as Yankee sympathizers.
Legend has it that even the original Native American inhabitants of the area that is now Hamilton, the Chonnonton people (also known as the Attawandaron), were constantly fed up with the Iroquois living on the land now occupied by Toronto because they would only stop smoking their peace pipes long enough to talk about how great they were.
As it has for many decades past, the game confers bragging rights to the population of the victorious city for the next year. Hamiltonians relish the chance to rub a victory in the faces of smug Torontonians and Torontonians love to be able to point to a sliver of justification for said smugness.
Held every year in historic Ivor Wynne Stadium, the Labour Day Classic is an event worth traveling from even the furthest corners of the country to attend. The tickets are sold-out ahead of time, the beer is sold out by the third quarter, and the paddy wagons are all full by the fourth. It is a raucous crowd, to be sure, and if you’re planning on wearing an Argos jersey, whether player or fan, you’d better be ready to get a little blood on it. Truly, the game provides a great time for all, young and old.
This year promises to be the finest Labour Day game in some time. As of Friday evening, every ticket has already been sold and a packed stadium will only add to the excitement. This season’s strong teams in both Hamilton and Toronto are in the midst of a viscous battle in the East Division. Labour Day always brings out the best (and the worst) between our two teams and with the stakes high, one can be assured of a great Classic.
