Milt Stegall wasn't backing down Saturday.

Earlier this week, the colourful Winnipeg slotback dismissed Toronto as a city that doesn't care about the CFL or the hometown Argonauts. And on Saturday, the day before the Blue Bombers face the Argos in the East Division semifinal (CBC, 1 p.m. ET), Stegall was quick to again criticize the city's football fans.

``The CFL is a great league,'' Stegall said. ``What you're doing with fans here, I don't say fans because they don't come out.

``People here want so much more, they're not respecting or concerned about the great product that they have here with the CFL. The (Argos) players know I'm not slagging them or the coaches or Pinball (Argos coach Mike Clemons) or anybody. It's all about the people here.''

Earlier this week, Stegall told reporters, ``We're going to a ... I won't say Toronto's a hostile environment. All those people don't even know what the CFL is.''

Those comments angered Argos officials, who then decided to use Stegall's statements as part of their promotional campaign for this weekend's playoff game.

What's drawn Stegall's ire is that the population of the Greater Toronto Area is five million people, yet the Argos are averaging less than 30,000 fans per game.

``You're dealing with this amount of people and you're getting the same amount of fans we get in Winnipeg or Saskatchewan,'' Stegall said. ``I won't say it's sad but I think it's disrespectful for these players and coaches here who have worked hard in putting a great product on the field for Toronto.

``Two years ago Toronto won the Grey Cup, last year they were Eastern Conference champions and this year they're in the playoffs. What else can you ask for?''

The Argos are looking for a crowd exceeding 40,000 fans Sunday afternoon. The club drew 38,123 spectators to its 24-20 home loss last weekend to Montreal, but had an average attendance of 29,677, down roughly 500 fans per game over last year.

Stegall, 35, a 12-year CFL veteran, isn't the least bit concerned about hearing it from the Argos faithful Sunday.

``Let me tell you something,'' he said. ``My first year in (U.S.) college football I'm 18 years old and playing against Oklahoma State and it was Barry Sanders' last year and there were 70,000 people there.

``So, 30,000 to 40,000 people, I don't think, are going to affect me. I'll be OK.''

Stegall was a three-year starter at Miami of Ohio. He finished with 106 career catches for 1,581 yards and was a three-time Mid-American All-Conference selection. Stegall spent three seasons with the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals before joining the Bombers in 1995.

But Stegall didn't limit his candid, sometimes humorous, comments to just Toronto. Stegall also showed a quick wit when asked if he took Charles Roberts under his wing when the CFL rushing leader was a rookie six years ago.

``You've heard of people being bipolar?,'' Stegall said. ``Well, he (Roberts) is tripolar.''