Reid thinks so, but opinions on the Argo vary
By Gordon McIntyre,
Vancouver Province
What do you say about a guy who volunteers with Right to Play, who’s a Guelph Gryphons hall-of-famer, who’s played pro ball for 17 years and is working toward becoming a commercial pilot?
What do you say about a guy like Toronto Argonauts linebacker Mike O’Shea, a married father of three who when he became the first Canadian (and one of only three players along with Willie Pless and Alondra Johnson) to record 1,000 tackles, downplayed individual milestones and credited his teammates?
What do you say about him?
“He’s the worst,” said Lions centre Angus Reid.
[All interviews were conducted in the days leading up to last night’s Toronto-B.C. matchup.]
A clue to why Reid feels that way — and he’s far from alone in thinking the inside LB is one of the dirtiest players in the league — can be found in the name of O’Shea’s restaurant/bar on Young and Eglington in Toronto.
It’s called Philthy McNasty’s.
“I know Mike and I don’t mind the guy as a person but you put a helmet on him, he’s one of those guys who does anything he thinks he can get away with to either aggravate you or try to make a play when he’s not able to make a play straight up,” Reid said.
“He’ll just do whatever he thinks he can get away with and he has no bones about doing it. And he’ll keep doing it, whether it’s poking, whatever, all the things that technically you’re maybe not taught to do … things you wouldn’t expect a professional athlete to do.”
Although he’s on sabbatical from his acting career, O’Shea appeared this spring on the outdoor TV series The Angler and Hunter, shooting wild turkeys. He’s been out hunting geese already and eagerly awaits the start of duck season.
As for his methods in hunting opposition quarterbacks and running backs, the name-calling comes with the territory, said O’Shea, who turns 37 next Friday.
“I’m pretty sure every player on the defensive side on every team at some point or other has been called dirty,” he said.
The Lions, in tackles Rob Murphy and Jason Jimenez, have had fingers pointed their way, of course, when it comes to crossing the line.
Sherko Haji-Rasouli, who lines up to the left of Jimenez, doesn’t think the criticism of the Lions tackles is justified — and he came to the defence of O’Shea.
“I like Mike O’Shea. I used to buy season tickets to the Argos when I was in high school just to watch him play.
“I remember the first time I had to block him, I was like, ‘Should I say something to him, that I used to watch him when I was in Grade 9?’ But I didn’t want to make him feel old.”
Haji-Rasouli describes O’Shea’s style as abrasive, not dirty. You won’t convince Reid. “Maybe it’s a survival thing, I don’t know. Hey, from his standpoint, if you can get away with things then do it.
“I don’t let it bother me, I go out and do my thing. I’m not going to retaliate or stoop to that level.
“But he’s up there as one of the guys that when you go into the game you know there’s going to be some extra-curricular things here and there to deal with that are above and beyond normal football protocol.”
