PLAYER #121 - BOB MORAN (1947-53)

Bob Moran may not be the most well-known executive in Argo history, but he was definitely one of the most influential.

Moran was in charge of the Double Blue during one of its most turbulent eras, when the quaint notions of amateur status and all-Canadian rosters were fading into obscurity.

Starting out as treasurer in 1947, Moran moved up to vice-president in 1949, a year that the Argos did not fare very well with an all-Canadian lineup that was favoured by coach Teddy Morris. The consensus reached between Moran and Argo president Tommy Allison was that Morris had to go, but because of the popularity of the Argo legend, they knew a coup would erupt.

"When we agreed that Teddy had to go, Mr. Allison, who had served as a marvellous president of the club, asked me to fire him," said Moran to Globe and Mail sportswriter Gord Walker. "My answer to Tommy was that as president, he should do the hiring and firing. But I told him if he wanted to step aside as president, I would have to accept the obligation of firing Teddy. He told me to give him a week's time, and within a week he phoned and said, 'You're the new president.' That's how I became president of the Argonaut Football Club."

As the new head man, Moran became the villian after letting Morris go, but his "bad-guy" status soon eroded after the Argos won the Grey Cup in his first year as president in 1950. Moran's recruiting of American players, the first such move in team history, clearly paid off.

"(Toronto businessman) John Stuart approached me and told me about a football coach who was available - a very clever coach - who had just left Buffalo University, and John made arrangements for me to meet Frank Clair in Buffalo," said Moran. "I drove over with two of our veteran players - Joe Krol and Les Ascott - and on the same trip that I signed the coach, I also signed up John Kerns, Buckets Hirsch and Al Dekdebrun. I think there were two other players I signed and all it cost me was $17.50. That was for a meal for Joe, Les and myself."

In reality, the costs were a lot more than that, as Clair himself was paid $7,500 in his first year, which was substantial at the time. Over the next three years, the Argos went from being a tight-fisted team to virtual free-spenders under Moran's reign as president and general manager, bringing in the likes of Ulysses "Crazy Legs" Curtis and later Dick Shatto, and Grey Cups in 1950 and 1952 were the result.

However, in 1953, a new league-wide salary cap was instituted that forced a lot of players to take salary cuts, and the team subsequently finished last for the first time in 40 years. During the year, Moran surrendered his general manager duties to Clair, and his day-to-day operations of the team were taken over by Bill Ross.

However, behind-the-scenes, Moran was still a vital player, and orchestrated another big change in Argo history. He was one of the key brokers in the sale of the team from the Argonaut Rowing Club, who had owned the Boatmen since their inception, to a private group led by John Bassett, in 1957.


Ancient Mariners Alumni Profiles Archive
Toronto Argonauts crunch.net

This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1996 by Toronto Argonauts Football Club, Toronto, Canada.