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Whether it’s McDiarmid, who will oversee the Argos’ special teams as their co-ordinator, Jacques Chapdelaine, Toronto’s offensive co-ordinator and quarterbacks coach, or head coach Corey Chamblin, who will double as the Double Blue’s defensive co-ordinator, each was fired from previous posts.

Coincidentally, all three were relieved in month of September.

For McDiarmid, it was last year in Edmonton, Chapdelaine relieved of his head coaching duties in Montreal two years ago, while Chamblin, after leading Saskatchewan to a Grey Cup title in 2013, was dismissed two years later.

Each has a similar aggressive approach in their particular area of expertise.

“We talk about running plays,’’ began McDiarmid when asked to describe his mantra on special teams. “We’re going to do things we want to do and make teams have to defend us. That’s kind of our philosophy as opposed to going into it (games) with what they (opposition) are going to do and have to defend the things they’re going to do.

“We want to attack teams, we’re pretty multiple in what we want to do, give different looks. We do a lot of different things people will have to adjust to us, but our mind set is we’re aggressive, we’re getting after it. We want to be attacking the teams we’re playing.”

Virtually every CFL team has access to a legitimate field to practise with access, even if it is limited in some cases, to their home field.

Not the Argos, who use BMO Field as their base but use nearby Lamport Stadium as their practice home.

At least there are lines on the field, as opposed to last year when none existed, and a football upright, even if it is well below standards.

The word challenging best describes the working conditions for the Argos.

“For me that’s not really an excuse,’’ said McDiarmid. “Just clear your mind, you know what you’re dealing with and get after it.”

Drew Brown, an American, will handle the kicking duties, while Canadian Ronnie Pfeffer will punt.