36,214 turn out to watch Argos, but they’ll need more from Ray to keep numbers high

The Toronto Argonauts pulled in what's likely their largest pre-season audience ever Tuesday afternoon, and the crowd of 36,214 even got to see the home team come up with a 25-20 victory over the Montreal Alouettes. The team's joint promotion with the Toronto District School Board to bring 30,000-plus schoolchildren to the game on a field trip and give them free admission worked out brilliantly, producing a rollicking atmosphere rarely seen at the Rogers Centre for football and hopefully inspiring some kids to come watch the team again with their families. However, the win largely came from the efforts of prospective third-string quarterback Trevor Harris, who completed 13 of 15 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns. While it's certainly positive for the Argonauts to see their depth players step up under pressure, and it's great to see them get a big crowd, they're going to require a much better performance from supposed franchise quarterback and sought-after offseason acquisition Ricky Ray (who completed just three of seven passes for 27 yards with two interceptions) if they're planning to draw fans not there on school trips.

To be clear, this is far from a sign that Ray's Toronto tenure will flop. It's the preseason, and the preseason slate means next to nothing for players clearly established in their jobs; it's important for those fighting for starting roles and roster slots, neither of which is an issue for Ray. There's a great chance that this will mean absolutely nothing and that Ray will come out firing the way we all expected when the regular season starts. It's worth adding that he was a much-more-impressive five-for-eight for 72 yards in the team's first preseason game, too. However, the Argonauts' success on the field this season will largely depend on Ray. The team's facing off-field issues too, and their ability to conquer those will also hinge on Ray; promotions and marketing are all very well, but the most important component of a team's financial success tends to be winning consistently. In order to do that, they'll need Ray to play much better than he did Tuesday afternoon.

It's worth noting that Ray is far from the only quarterback under substantial pressure to perform immediately), though. In fact, that could be said for every quarterback in this division. (The West Division quarterbacks are also under pressure, of course, but the West teams are in better shape off the field, while the East teams all face significant off-field challenges.) In Hamilton, Henry Burris has to show that he's still got what it takes to lead a team at age 37 after being unceremoniously drummed out of Calgary, and he'll have to give Tiger-Cats' fans a solid season to keep them around through the team's travelling road show in 2013. In Montreal, Anthony Calvillo is coming off a legendary season in terms of individual performance, but his team took a step back with a East semifinal loss last season, and he has to prove that he's still in top form at 39 while revitalizing the Alouettes' flagging attendance.

Even Buck Pierce's Winnipeg Blue Bombers have some off-field issues that might apply pressure. The Bombers are probably in the best financial position of any of the East clubs, pulling in an average of 29,561 fans last year and making a record profit, but their stadium construction issues and decision to play 2012 at Canad Inns Stadium have many fans aggrieved. A strong showing from Pierce and co. would go a long way to appeasing the masses (and Pierce also has to play well to hold off promising backups Alex Brink and Joey Elliott). Still, the situation is likely most urgent in Toronto thanks to the Argos' league-worst attendance in 2011 and their hosting of the 2012 Grey Cup. Tuesday's promotion was an excellent idea and a way to reach out to a new generation of fans, but an impressive 2012 season from Ray will probably do much more for the Argonauts' long-term health than even the best promotion in the world.