The surest way to stifle enthusiasm in Toronto's competitive sports and entertainment marketplace is by putting out a poor product.

Through their first two home games, the Argos have averaged attendance in excess of 23,500, a phenomenal number given how indifferent the marketplace has been toward this product in the last decade or so.

In fact, the Argos haven't drawn these types of crowds since Doug Flutie quarterbacked the team to back-to-back championships in 1996-97 -- and the team was actually entertaining offensively then.

Clearly, the new ownership and the administration led by pepperpot president Keith Pelley are working to win back fans with creative packages -- including the carrot of a new stadium in 2006 -- and some entertainment ideas, such as a street festival three hours before the last game.

It is incredible that on a Saturday in the summer in Toronto, a crowd of 23,923 would show up to watch the Argos. Then again it must be stressed that the number is the one reported by the team and there is no way of disputing it, but Pelley has vowed not to inflate attendance figures.

NO BIG-NAME ACTS

Without feeling the need to hire big-name pre-game or halftime entertainment acts, the Argos have attracted crowds that in numbers alone are larger than some of the more established marketplaces in the league -- such as Saskatchewan, where the Roughriders are not only the only game in town in Regina, they're the only game in the province. And in Ottawa, where the Grey Cup will be played this year, the Renegades have begun with a stunning 3-0 start in only their third year but attendance has been disappointing.

The Argos' next home game is July 21 against Ottawa, but who knows what Toronto's record will be by then and how excited the market will be about the product. If the Argos don't turn it around by then, they will squander an opportunity that is being presented to them.

It is not entirely surprising the Argos are struggling, particularly on offence. They have inputted a new system under first-year co-ordinator Kent Austin that is clearly going to take to time to master when many of the players are new to the team and/or the league or playing in a new position. Yes, it worked decently in the season opener against Saskatchewan, but let's put some perspective on it. The Argos unveiled some wrinkles they purposely didn't show in the pre-season and Saskatchewan hit an emotional wall following the ugly injury suffered by quarterback Nealon Greene early in the game.

Heck, if you really want to be critical, you could say that even the 2000 Argos, coached by John Huard and featuring a quirky offence, managed to win in the first game, but defences clearly caught up with the scheme.

That's not to compare this offence or the people running it with Huard and his unorthodox ideas, only to point out that it's easier to defend a scheme once it has been exposed.

It's also important to note that in Saturday's game, the Argos faced a defence that has been seasoned in repetition and, with a few exceptions, has the same personnel. You can say the same thing about the Argos defence, which is doing well largely because it has continued under the same co-ordinator, scheme and personnel, with the exception of two or three players, as last year.

While Ottawa's defence is doing well with a radically new scheme and new players, it has benefitted from the success of the offence, which has put together good drives and worn down its opponents mentally, physically and emotionally.

Unless the Argos turn it around on the field, they're in danger of doing the same thing to their crowds.