While standing on the field, the sense of history is palpable. The natural grass of old Varsity Stadium may have been replaced by the artificial surface of the current configuration, but the pre-season game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Montreal Alouettes will be played on the closest thing the CFL has to sacred ground. Before the brick facade of the old structure succumbed to the wreckers ball in 2002, the venerable facility hosted 30 Grey Cup games, more than any other host venue, the final one coming in 1957. Ghosts of the legends that played at the stadium simply known as Varsity may be eager to peek through the wrought iron fences on the north or west side of the facility on Thursday to see how players like Calvillo, Ray and Owens would stack up against Etcheverry, Krol and Copeland. The horseshoe stands are gone, replaced by one set of bleachers on the east side. Passersby on Bloor Street West will be able to look down to the playing field to see what all the fuss is about. Kids will try to figure a way to sneak in and join the fans who will assemble on the track surrounding the field, much as they did in the stadiums heyday. Someone standing there may try to trip a player whos running down the sideline, a feat that remains another part of Varsitys history. Technology ensures that another famous game of days gone by will not be replayed, the Mud Bowl Grey Cup final of 1950. There will, however, be one constant between that soggy battle and the pre-season game that will be played there 63 years later; Nick Volpe. Volpe was a defensive halfback and place kicker for the Argos that November day and remains with the Argos as a consultant to football operations. He also played at Varsity Stadium for four seasons as a member of the University of Toronto Blues and still scouts the OUA for the double blue. Hes thrilled about Thursdays game. "I thought it was great but I wondered where the fans would sit" Volpe joked with TSN.ca "I go and watch U of T play all the time and its a great field. The sight lines are great. The seats are high enough that you get a beautiful view." Somewhat amazingly, Volpe kicked a pair of field goals and also made a touchdown saving tackle in the Argos 13-0 win over Winnipeg in the Mud Bowl and was presented with the game ball by Head coach Frank Clair. It remains the most cherished memento of his lengthy football life. Volpe left the Argos for several seasons, but stayed close to the game as an isolation director for CTV Sports when it covered the CFL. His talent as a player and scout been rewarded handsomely over the years and after last Novembers victory over Calgary he collected his seventh Grey Cup ring; two as a player, five in personnel. Does he think he may be in for number eight this season? "I like what we have. We lost a lot of good defensive players, but boy Ill tell you the guys that theyve brought in certainly look terrific. As long as we give Ricky Ray time to throw the ball and let (Chad) Kackert run with it, the receivers look so much better this year that I have a feeling we could win it again". Ray, Owens and the ghosts of Krol and Copeland all hope that hes right. Notes: All-star cornerback Patrick Watkins rejoined the team on Wednesday. He had been in the States dealing with what has been described as "personal issues." He says the timing was right to come back. "Sometimes when you play football life gets in the way." He says that when he decided to come back the first call he made was to Defensive Coordinator Chris Jones. He said the coachs first words to him were "When are you getting up here? When? When? When? When?" Watkins says he doesnt know when hell be game ready...Trent Guy is hopeful that he can follow in a new teammates footsteps. When Chad Owens arrived in Toronto from Montreal he was looked upon as an undersized returner who had to prove himself as a receiver. We know what happened there. Can lightning strike twice for the Argos? Guy hopes so. "I have to be a well-rounded receiver as well as a good returner. Chad was looked at as one of those guys, just a returner, and hes done great things in this league. I can learn a lot from him." Guy caught four passes for 47 yards and a touchdown in the first pre-season game in Winnipeg...Andre Duries job is safe after a 71 catch, 845 yard season. The local product spent a few days with the Grey Cup at several off-season functions, but one stop was particularly special to him, a visit to his alma mater, York University. "The people there were such a help in my recovery from my knee injury, so just bringing it back to all of the doctors and therapists who helped me out through everything (felt great)"...When asked by TSN.ca how many veterans are on the bubble Scott Milanovich replied "Seven or eight." He was quick to follow up by saying that cutting a veteran is never easy. "Guys that you have relationships with and that you care about, its always hard with anybody, but when youve accomplished some of the things weve accomplished together, its tougher." Thursdays game can be heard on TSN 1050 or TSN1050.ca at 7:00pm with Mike Hogan and Sandy Annunziata. Cheap Jordan 4 Australia Sale .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. Cheap Jordan 4 Australia . Vokoun departed practice on Saturday morning after discovering swelling in his thigh. He was taken to a local hospital where the clot was revealed. The club announced the surgery following a 5-3 exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. http://www.cheapairjordan4australia.com/ .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Air Jordan 4 Retro Australia . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. Cheap Air Jordan 4 Australia . -- New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis is retiring after a 16-year career to become the goalie coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy. NEW YORK -- Jeremy Guthrie was on a roll -- against the Yankees, no less. Neither hail nor sun shower was going to stop him. No way. Guthrie neatly handled a nemesis and a 59-minute delay to pitch into the seventh inning, Billy Butler homered and the Kansas City Royals held on to beat New York 5-1 Monday night. "Tremendous competitor," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said of Guthrie. "He showed it today -- to endure an hour rain delay and go out and throw at the level that he threw." All-Star Alex Gordon, David Lough and Johnny Giavotella each had RBI doubles, and Alcides Escobar added a run-scoring triple to help the Royals end a five-game skid against New York. "Its been tough every year Ive been here to come in and get a win," Butler said. "It means a lot." Guthrie (8-6) gave up three hits over six innings, albeit to a Yankees lineup that had only four players that were with the team on opening day. Leading 5-1, closer Greg Holland was needed in the ninth when Lyle Overbay walked and Luis Cruz singled to start the inning against Luke Hochevar. Holland gave up a hit to Chris Stewart to load the bases. But Holland struck out Eduardo Nunez, Brett Gardner and Zoilo Almonte to end it for his 21st save. "Hollys been lights out for us," Yost said. Guthrie twice struck out the newest member in pinstripes, Travis Ishikawa, before Overbay homered pinch hitting for the first baseman who was claimed off waivers from Baltimore on Sunday. Overbays 10th of the year was New Yorks first long ball in six games. "Not an easy lineup to pitch, too," he said. "Obviously they have their injuries now and are missing a lot of keys so you go out there and try to attack them as best as you can." Entering 4-9 with a 5.15 ERA against the Yankees in 17 appearances -- 15 starts -- Guthrie left with runners on first and third and two outs in the seventh. Tim Collins relieved and struck out pinch-hitter Nunez to protect a 3-1 lead. Aaron Crow relieved Collins in the eighth with two on, two out and got Vernon Wells to ground out to second. The Yankees have lost two in a row after a season-best six straight wins. With the sun reflecting off the windows of a building beyond centre field, rain and hail sent fans scurrying for cover in the bottom of the third inning. The quick moving cloud was gone before Phil Hughes (4-8) threw his first pitch of the fourth. Hughes retired three straight with the faintest of rainbows arcing over the scoreboard, then the rain returned. After Guthrie got an out with his 37th pitch, crew chief Dana DeMuth called for the tarp. As "Singin in the Rain" blared over the PA system, the grounds crew struggled to cover the increasingly muddy infield, getting stuck halfway then pulliing the huge sheet off and starting again.dddddddddddd The biggest cheer of the night -- until Overbays homer in the seventh -- came when the crew finished the job. Guthries previous outing was delayed by rain at the start for over 2 hours, 30 minutes, then for 12 more minutes in the seventh by a power outage. He was better prepared for the break this time. "After last game I was trying treat it a little bit different, be a little more focused," he said. The right-hander threw every 10 to 15 minutes in the batting cage to stay warm, treating the time as if it were a game. Guthrie completed the fourth on six pitches. Adam Warren replaced Hughes to start the fifth. Hughes gave up two runs and four hits in his abbreviated outing. "He had already thrown a lot and with him coming back second, it would have been an hour-and-15-minute break for him," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I wasnt real comfortable bringing him back after an hour or so." Hughes wouldve liked to stay if only because he finally felt as if he had got in a groove after the second. "Its tough. I felt like I really found something," he said. In the third and fourth innings I felt pretty good, but thats baseball." Passed over for the Home Run Derby last year at the All-Star game in Kansas City by AL captain Robinson Cano, Butler sent a drive the opposite way to right field leading off the second. Fans relentlessly booed Cano at Butlers home field during the competition last July. Captain of the AL home run team again this year, Cano again did not choose Butler -- the Orioles Chris Davis and Detroits Prince Fielder were his first two picks announced Monday. But it would be hard to object this time. Butlers long ball was only his seventh -- and hes not on the All-Star team. An out later, Mike Moustakas lined an opposite-field double to left, and Lough made it 2-0 with a shot that just landed fair down the third base line for a double the opposite way. Royals centre fielder Jarrod Dyson helped preserve the 3-0 lead in sixth when he made a diving catch of Almontes sinking liner in right-centre with Gardner on first. "I think the game was won with the Dyson play," Guthrie said. Giavotella drove in a run in the seventh, and Gordon and Escobar had back-to-back RBIs in the ninth. NOTES: When asked if SS Derek Jeter (broken ankle) could return to the Yankees this weekend, manager Joe Girardi said, "Theres always a chance. You just have to see how he does the next three or four days." Jeter went 0 for 2 with a walk and a run scored in five innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday night. ... The Royals are moving Bruce Chen (3-0, 2.41) into the starting rotation and shifting Luis Mendoza (2-5, 4.87). Chen will start Friday against Cleveland. ' ' '