Every week of the 2016 season, CFL.ca columnists Pat Steinberg and Marshall Ferguson debate over one of the league’s most contentious storylines. With the Grey Cup matchup set, we ask: Is Sunday’s Grey Cup a career-defining game for Henry Burris?
Two hundred and twenty-nine. That’s the number of starts Henry Burris has made in his career, but have any of them been more important than the one he’ll make on Sunday?
The 41-year-old Burris is the league’s third all-time leading passer and already has his name etched among the greatest ever. Yet something about the 104th Grey Cup presented by Shaw gives it a little extra meaning for the long-time CFL veteran.
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One of the most divisive figures in the Canadian Football League, Burris wears the chip on his shoulder with pride. He’s always got something to prove and that’s helped fuel a Hall of Fame career.
Yet while his career is widely celebrated, he’s also got his critics. Burris will make his third Grey Cup appearance in four seasons but at the same time, he’s only won one in his career as a starter.
A win on Sunday could certainly alter perception but would it be career-defining? Pat Steinberg and Marshall Ferguson debate.
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BERG (9-9): HANK HAS NOTHING LEFT TO PROVE
Pat Steinberg, CFL.ca
@Fan960Steinberg
Henry Burris is one of the greatest quarterbacks the CFL has ever seen. He doesn’t need another Grey Cup ring to prove that because his resume and his track record speak for themselves. Of course Burris would love to win another title on Sunday, especially against his former team. If he doesn’t, though, it shouldn’t change how we look at his incredible career.
Burris is a Hall of Famer by virtue of his numbers alone. With 63,227 career passing yards and 374 career touchdowns, he’ll likely retire number three all-time in both categories. When the only players ahead of you on lists like that are Damon Allen and Anthony Calvillo, it leaves very little doubt as to your place in history. Plain and simple, Burris is one of the most prolific passers in league history.
It’s his longevity, though, that really seals the deal for me. For Burris to be doing what he’s doing at the age of 41 is the stuff urban legends are made of. We’re not just talking about Burris holding on into his latter playing years, either. The guy won the Most Outstanding Player in 2015 as a 40-year-old and has led teams to the Grey Cup at the ages of 38, 40, and 41. The stuff that Burris is doing at this point of his career is something only a select few are able to do.
Burris had his best season ever last year in his 16th season in the league. While you let that sink in, I’ll add a little bit more to that statement. At the age of 40, Burris bested his career best yardage total by more than 300 yards and threw fewer interceptions per game than he ever has in a single season.
Don’t get me wrong; if Burris and the REDBLACKS beat the Calgary Stampeders on Sunday, another Grey Cup ring will be massive for his legacy. If he doesn’t, though, it doesn’t do any damage to the way I’ll remember his career. Along with Ricky Ray, Burris is the best quarterback of his era and one of the best in CFL history. Rings don’t define a career like that.
FERG (9-9): QUARTERBACKS ARE MEASURED BY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Marshall Ferguson, CFL.ca
@TSN_Marsh
Henry Burris is already an all-time great quarterback in the CFL. His statistics, longevity and effect on the game prove that he is already among the most memorable and transformative players of this CFL generation.
However, we judge quarterbacks by championships, not statistics or longevity. If a receiver plays forever and produces year after year but fails to win a championship, we rarely care. ‘That must have been the quarterback’s fault’ is usually the casual fan’s response.
Burris is no slouch in the championship department with rings in 1998 and 2008 with the Stampeders. However, Henry will be among the first to tell you what he believes his effect on the game has been and where he stands in modern relevance. For all of those things to be true, I believe he needs to win another Grey Cup, which makes this Sunday at BMO Field a career-defining moment.
If Burris were to upset Calgary and raise the Grey Cup against his former team, he would tie the likes of Doug Flutie, Anthony Calvillo and Ricky Ray, all of whom have three CFL championships to their name. That would put Burris is a unique spot historically and would likely put the icing on the cake of a long and winding career.
I am not convinced Henry Burris would retire if he wins this career-defining game. I do believe it would put him at ease and make the inevitable transition to Trevor Harris or whoever the REDBLACKS deem worthy of their starting quarterback role easier.
Henry Burris is a legend of the game and one of the last of his kind. A gunslinging playmaker from an era gone by. What could be better for his career legacy than to win three Grey Cups over nearly a 20-year period? Not much.
DON’T SIT ON THE FENCE!
While both sides are pretty convincing, someone’s got to take it. Whose argument convinced you the most?
You can vote for this week’s winner both on CFL.ca and Twitter. Meanwhile, continue the conversation by tweeting @Fan960Steinberg and @TSN_Marsh.
The winner will be revealed in the following week’s Berg vs. Ferg.
