And for their next trick, Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon, the new owners of the Argos, will walk on water.

It has somehow come to that in a short seven months. They bought the Argos in November and we did the same thing we always do when someone buys the Argos. We laughed.

Why would anyone of sound mind want the Argos and we wondered how much they were prepared to lose and how quickly they would lose it? We giggled about owning what colleague Perry Lefko so cleverly called the cheapest property on the Monopoly board.

And then somehow, piece by little piece, good fortune after good fortune, the Argos are clawing their way back into the public consciousness of a city that, frankly, tired of them years ago.

Baltic Avenue is suddenly becoming an address of choice in the Big Smoke.

Not that it's all been the Argos doing. Miracles, if you want to call this that, are always circumstantial. The sporting waters of this city haven't exactly parted but there's enough of an opening for the Argos to sneak their way up the middle and into the mainstream.

The Blue Jays are last in their division and not looking like that is going to change. If they haven't completely fallen off the earth, they are close.

The Maple Leafs are off until October -- and probably a whole lot longer than that. Even so, their place as the No. 1 team in this market is so firmly entrenched there is no real No. 2 contender.

The Raptors, having settled for a second choice as general manager, now are looking around for a second or third choice as coach. This franchise commits suicide on a bi-weekly basis and the place it holds in the market is forever wavering. Pathetic is unattractive no matter what game you play and how much you over-charge for it.

GOOD SHIP ARGONAUT

Which brings us back to the good ship Argonaut. Kicked around. Forgotten about. Sold or traded sometimes as easily as football cards. Six months ago, they were nothing more than a memory of better times.

And then it started to happen. They talked about a new outdoor stadium, which they don't have to pay to build, and voila, a deal was done. Already a campaign promise that wasn't broken.They talked about making football fun again -- and which Argo owner hasn't made that claim? -- and anyone who took part in the season opener on Tuesday night will tell you the kind of experience it was.

Sometimes you just have to catch a wave and ride it, but the Argos have been without water for too long. They won Grey Cups and hardly anyone cared. They had Doug Flutie and hardly anyone cared. They have had the absolutely delicious Pinball Clemons, then playing now coaching, and his presence changed little.

So why now?

To quote the great ambiguity of Ken Dryden: "Because it's time. Because it feels right." And when was the last time anyone thought the Argos felt right?

They aren't out of the woods yet. In fact, they are still surrounded by forest. But they do have our attention -- and a short time span to get it right. From now to November. A slight window, a slight chance.

It is still the Canadian Football League. It is still small-town sport in a major league market. It is still a tough sell. That was still Saskatchewan on Tuesday night and of the 26,821 tickets sold, 12,000 of them were given out as a Scotiabank promotion.

There is so much work yet to be done. But for the first time in a long time, with a new stadium to sell and a sporting market ready to be re-decorated, the Argos have a fighting chance.