Dawn arrived in Hamilton at 7:30 last night. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats drew 25,712 fans to their home opener in a memorable curtain-raiser for new owner Bob Young.

Young, who grew up in nearby Ancaster pretending to be Tommy Joe Coffey, paid somewhere between $1 million and $10 million for the right to lose a whole lot more.

The new $2 million scoreboard, the biggest and the brightest in the CFL, listed the final score as 32-22 for Hamilton.

It was, they tell us, the biggest crowd to see a Hamilton home opener -- and since they have been playing some version of football in Hamilton since 1869, that's saying a bit.

It was not hard to improve the Ticats, a shoestring operation with no scouting, poor stadium customer service and oh, yes, one win all last year. The old scoreboard was known as Lite Brite.

But it took a sense of endeavour and adventure from Young who believes buying a ticket is a consumer choice, not a civic duty. Hiring Greg Marshall, wildly succesful at McMaster but a carrier of the stigmata of the Canadian head coach, looks pretty good right now as well.

Soon, the focus of game night will rightfully be points on the board and not bums in the seats.

But last night represented something different, the renewal of a bankrupt franchise steered by a whiz-kid software kazillionaire and a 39-year-old quarterback who didn't know enough to quit last year when we all said he should.

Young lost $21 million last week when the Red Hat Linux company, on whose board he sits, missed profit projections by 1%. He'll make it back in a week or so.

Same deal with McManus, iffy through much of the first half last night but on balance, a stock worth holding. McManus, the reigning CFL player of the week, completed 23 of 44 passes for a career-high 525 yards and three touchdowns.

"I don't feel 39," McManus said. "I enjoy competing and playing on a winning ball club."

McManus was afforded plenty of time by an offensive line that allowed only one sack.

"I had time to look for my second and third targets," McManus said.

On his first play from scrimmage, McManus found 5-foot-7 scatback Craig Yeast for a simple, let's get to know each other completion for five-yards. Yeast added 71 more.

"It was just a little under route and I got a real good block from (Mike) Morreale," Yeast said. "I thought I scored but they called me out on the four."

No matter. Two plays later, Troy Davis carried the ball in from the one for a 7-0 lead.

The Bombers, quarterbacked by the superb Khari Jones, soon enough garnered a 13-8 lead. McManus was picked off twice and the story line seemed written. Nice crowd, old quarterback, thanks for coming out.

But McManus and Yeast nosed their way back into the game on two superb touchdown hookups in the final two minutes of the half, one for 40 yards and another honey for a 26-yard major.

McManus later would hook up with Archie Amerson for a six-yard score.

Jones completed 25 of 40 passes for 297 yards but a ferocious pass rush resulted in five sacks and a night-long battering.

It was a nice night for renewal.

"Just a wonderful night," Morreale said. "We were really so well prepared. It's just so nice to be able to get caught up in the excitement."

He wasn't alone.

They all went home happy in Hamilton last night.

You should know that they used to call this place The Ambitious City.

Soon, they will again.