RICKY'S FIRST DAY

Obviously, the form calls for Ricky Williams' arrival in the Toronto Argonauts to be our lead topic today.

It's a huge story, of course, one that I daresay might have even been underplayed in the Canadian media, because nothing, but nothing, pushes hockey off the front page when the playoffs and underway.

I'm going to keep it short, since we've had two blogs dedicated to Ricky's run for the border over the past couple weeks. Yesterday, yours truly predicted Williams would not lead the CFL in rushing. It wasn't player-hating. Far from it.

Williams seems interested in moving away from the move-the-pile, between-the-tackles ballcarrier he was in Miami's white-bread offence, especially in 2002 and '03, where he carried the ball 350-plus times a season. Williams was physically suited to that role at the time, but like the boxer who moonlights as a dissonant singer or wooden actor, always seemed to wanted to do more than just pound the ball up the middle.

Being a perceptive guy, Williams probably knows that the last Texas Longhorns Heisman Trophy winner before him, Earl Campbell, was a bruising back who wore out after eight NFL seasons, in an era when the game was a lot less physical than it is today.

Williams needs money after a series of ill-conceived contract decisions, so extending his football longevity is in his best interest. As I wrote two years ago in a sneering screed directed at Williams shortly after he retired, "Whatever lifestyle you desired in August will be a lot easier to achieve if you come back and play football."

I also added, "... if the NFL turns you away, there's always the B.C. Lions." Kind of prophetic, even if it's off by three time zones. But I digress.

That strapped-for-cash thing is probably why during his interview with Bob McCown on The Fan 590 yesterday, Williams was mentioning how he was interested in using his year in the CFL to show a greater range of talents -- run outside, block, and catch passes while lining up all over the field.

Secondly, you have to wonder if Miami gave their blessing after receiving assurances the Argos would keep Williams on a "touch count," making sure they don't overwork him. No one will ever admit as such, and they don't have to. Instead, the team can point to how many different threats it has at the skill positions.

Make no mistake, the Argos have a lot of talent at the running back/receiver/returner spots. When he was with Edmonton in 2002, John Avery was close to unstoppable as a Tiki Barber-style rushing/receiving threat. Former NFLers Arland Bruce and R. Jay Soward, along with dependable veteran Tony Miles, lead the receivers. Keith Stokes is a threat an offence and and on returns, where he'll be on the field with Bashir Levingston, probably the best return specialist in the CFL. (Since the CFL features more kicking than the U.S. game, returners have much more impact on the game.)

So I'm staying behind my call that Williams won't lead the league in rushing. It might help boost the league's image a former NFL rushing champ can come in the middle of his prime playing years and not tear up the league automatically. It will open some eyes among the people who scoff at the CFL -- and that goes for both sides of the border.

I'm not as wedded to saying the Argos have put themselves in a Grey Cup-or-bust position. No one's fooling themselves into thinking the Argos haven't done this for anything but purely football reasons, but the media in Canada generally have more stomach for touchy-feelie stuff and will realize that this is going to be one interesting ride with Williams in the Argos lineup, even if it ends short of the big prize.

JAYS 7, RED SOX 6

For the second time in three days the Jays couldn't hold a late lead but won on a big hit by Shea Hillenbrand. This time, he delivered a pinch-hit single to drive in the winning run in a 7-6 win over the Red Sox. It has to be asked: why wasn't B.J. Ryan ready to come in to face Jason Varitek with two on and two out in the eighth and a 6-3 lead? Varitek hit a game-tying three-run homer off Justin Speier, causing me to slam a red marker on the floor of the Sun newsroom. (Hopefully that doesn't come out of my salary.) Bottom line: Ryan got four outs for the win, but probably should have had the save.