Three games into the season and the Toronto Argonauts have shown an ability to bounce back from adversity, a resiliency best embodied by quarterback Trevor Harris.

In the season opener against Edmonton, Harris played lights out football, his will and ability helping the Double Blue emerge as the superior team against the Eskimos in the second half.

A week later in Regina, it was Harris who engineered a late-game touchdown drive to force overtime.

In the two mini-game formats, Harris was Ricky Ray-like in how efficient and effective his game would become when the game was on the line.

The Argos took a step back in Calgary, unable to sustain drives and unable to get the Stampeders off the field.

Still, there was a chance late when the Argos’ offence took over possession from their own 35 yard line with 1:27 to play in a five-point game.

Six plays later, the Argos would succumb, entering the team’s bye week on a sour note.

Now comes the first true test of their mental makeup, a late-night kickoff against the host B.C. Lions Friday night.

The scenario is slightly different when compared to last year’s visit to Vancouver, but the connections with CFL owner David Braley are very much on the front-burner.

A year ago, the Argos blew a 29-3 lead in Calgary.

The team stayed out in Alberta before winging it to Vancouver.

Braley, who deserves credit for keeping the Argos afloat by paying the bills, reached out to his well-heeled media puppets to spread the word on how he was prepared to fold the Argonauts franchise.

Members of the Argos got wind of it and proceeded to play their best game in Vancouver, a site that hasn’t been kind to the Scullers.

But Toronto would win, 40-23, by playing inspired football in all three facets of the game.

In the end, Braley helped the Argos cause by expressing his views on the future of the franchise.

In other words, the Argos were motivated to spite Braley.

Fast forward to this year, a very odd and awkward season for the Boatmen with new owners, a new chief executive, a new place to call home for next season.

GM Jim Barker and head coach Scott Milanovich have been signed by the club’s new regime, even though, technically speaking, Braley can fire both this season.

In theory, it can happen.

From a practical perspective, it won’t because that means Braley would have had to dip into his pockets to find replacements, which is akin to Rogers Sportsnet providing some kind of coverage of the Argos that doesn’t involve a controversy.

Pro football teams are always looking for some edge — real and imagined.

No one particularly likes Braley within the team and you just know the Argos are going to summon their best this week after a sub-par performance in Calgary.

Braley’s heart has always been in B.C., where he has approved changes to the Lions’ football facility, while forking over some $100,000 in technological upgrades.

For the Argos, he’s provided nothing, other than the minimum duties of owning a team.

The joke in Argoland stems from the hiring of yoga instructors who works with the team’s injured players.

Braley, it’s believed, wasn’t even aware of this initiative, even though he’s paying for it. Barker must have approved the move, which has been universally endorsed by players.

Even if Braley wanted to get rid of Barker, Barker will be back next February when the new ownership group officially takes over.

With the Argos preparing to play the Lions, the Braley backdrop remains, which is a shame, and his open disdain for the Toronto Argonauts.

The worst thing the CFL has ever done, which is saying a lot, was to allow Braley to own both the Lions and the Argos.

There’s no retrospection required because the prudent move would have involved the league taking over operations before Bell finally realized how it needed to take advantage of its support for the CFL by owning the Argos.

No other owner had the financial wherewithal and ties to the CFL like Bell.

Larry Tanenbaum’s Kilmer Group has joined Bell, but Tanenbaum was tied up earlier being part of the group chasing the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.

For the Argos, everything gets wiped clean beginning next season.

For this week, the Braley effect remains in play.

'THAT HAPPENS WITH A ROOKIE'

Chalk it up to a learning experience, a rude awakening for U of T’s Kevin Bradfield, who made a rookie mistake in his CFL debut.

For someone well acquainted with three-down football, not to mention his scholastic background, getting nailed for a no-yards call when your team has pinned an opponent deep in enemy territory isn’t good, but Argonauts head coach Scott Milanovich didn’t feel any need to remind his rookie receiver of the mental mistake.

“There wasn’t even a need,’’ said Milanovich.

“It was one of those things that happens with a rookie. He’s a CIS guy and he knows the rules. Rookie mistake.”

Fines

The Boatmen are 2-1 heading into Friday’s game in B.C., despite fielding true rookies and many first-year CFL players this season.

Bradfield, whom the Argos drafted in the seventh round this year, was cut by the team, but then welcomed back into the fold following slotback Andre Durie’s season-ending knee injury.

Bradfield made his debut last week in Calgary, where the Argos lost 25-20.

In the same game, both Argonauts Cleyon Laing and Devin Smith were fined by the league.

Laing, a defensive tackle, was fined after hitting Stampeders offensive lineman Pierre Lavertu late and away from the play. Laing was penalized for unnecessary roughness.

And Smith was fined for unnecessary roughness on the final play of the game.

frank.zicarelli@sunmedia.ca