Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
“So for all those people talking junk out there, you can take that and shove it” — Henry Burris.
So there I am on a Saturday night up in Sauble Beach, Ont. innocently watching the Ottawa/Edmonton game, minding my own business when Burris lets loose with the most controversial comments I’ve ever heard leave his mouth. Burris went from ‘Smilin’ Hank’ to ‘Bleep You TSN’ during that halftime interview. Even though I’m employed by TSN to be a media gas bag for TSN Radio I knew that his vitriol was meant for real celebrities — the CFL on TSN Panel. Not that I probably don’t deserve some of Burris’ wrath, as I have made plenty of low hanging fruit “old man” jokes about Henry in the past. Now, I have also spent plenty of time praising him and the REDBLACKS, but hey, in the heat of the moment I fully understood where Burris was coming from.
Checking out social media after the game there were plenty of fans that loved what Burris had said and plenty that thought he needed to grow up and that he was being a baby. While the timing of his criticism seemed a bit odd and out of place considering Ottawa still had 30 more minutes against the defending Grey Cup Champions, his actual message makes a lot of sense. Consider his past year for a moment: No one thought much of Ottawa heading into last season and all the REDBLACKS did was make it to the Grey Cup and actually give a more talented Eskimos squad a game — remember, they had the lead at the end of the third quarter.
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In the off-season, Burris and his teammates were subjected to media and fans wondering if they would have gone as far as they had if Zach Collaros had not been injured. Then, as this season approached, words like “regression” were bandied about when discussing the REDBLACKS and suddenly all the great work Ottawa had done last year seemed to have been diminished. It’s easy to see how Ottawa would feel slighted.
Now if I may play amateur psychiatrist for a moment, let’s go inside the head of Burris. Henry wins the 2015 Most Outstanding Player and in the off-season the biggest move made by Ottawa was to sign Trevor Harris — all the while losing valuable members from the defensive side of the ball. That would have to bother him, right? Then the season starts and he injures his finger in Week 1; Harris is lighting up the league and suddenly Burris has gone from Most Outstanding Player to irrelevant. That would have to bother him, right? Then he comes back against Toronto, throws two interceptions, should have been three, and is criticized for his poor play in his first game back from injury. That would have to bother him, right?
So you take a year’s worth of slights and injustices and it is building up inside of you and suddenly there is a TSN reporter holding a microphone with the TSN logo on it and suddenly something in you snaps and you give it to the Rod Smith and the boys. For me it makes complete sense. Burris is a first ballot Hall of Famer and his production and durability at this age is simply remarkable (Also, kudos to Burris for going old school with his language — I mean when was the last time you ever told someone to “shove it”?).
Now to be fair and balanced, I understand the camp that says Burris needs to be a little thicker-skinned. Yes Henry, you have turned around several teams, but that was in the past and, fair or not, professional athletes are judged by what they are doing right now. Being quarterback means you receive the highest wattage of the spotlight. You get showered with praise when sometimes you don’t deserve it and you’re public enemy No. 1 when things are going poorly; even if it isn’t your fault.
» Quarterback Index: Status quo for Burris
Henry Burris put in a bounce back performance in a win over Edmonton (Patrick Doyle/CFL.ca)
The best part of all this has nothing to do with the always-fun “athlete vs. media” narrative and everything to do with Burris’ anger. There is something so fascinating about an athlete at the end of an illustrious career fighting, raging for one final shot of glory. Burris knows his days as a starter are coming to an end; this may be his final chance to win a Grey Cup as a starter. So Burris, I say rage — rage against the dying of the light and of course against all of us in the media who will doubt you.
Just so you know, Henry, there is some logic in our skepticism, but do not concern yourself with our opinions. The best thing for you and for all CFL fans is to not go gently into that good night but to be that player you were last season. The league is far more entertaining if you use your passing arm, your legs and your mind to tell both opposing secondaries and members of the media to shove it.
