By: Justin Boone
jboone@ticats.ca
Eli Manning is the Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl. That’s right, Junior Manning, a Super Bowl MVP. If we weren’t two months away from April Fools’, I probably wouldn’t believe it myself.
As the world watched Peyton’s little brother help lead his team to the Lombardi Trophy, one member of the Ticats watched proudly as a former college teammate took the next step in his career.
Six years ago, as a player at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), Jason Armstead caught 24 passes from the son of former New Orleans Saints QB Archie Manning. This year, as the Giants marched their way to Super Bowl XLII, Armstead caught Giants fever, and didn’t miss a game as his former field general led the G-Men on an unlikely trip to Phoenix, the site of this year’s big game.
“I tip my hat off to him, he’s done a great job,” said Armstead. “I’m always on the bandwagon with him. I was just hoping that he could get there and get himself a ring.”
“I thought it was going to be hard for New England to run the table, but they kept it up for so long that I didn’t see them losing that game,” added the Ticats receiver. “When it mattered the Giants made plays, and they made enough plays to get themselves a Super Bowl trophy.”
Armstead reminds fans that the Giants story could provide the Ticats with some hope. Four short seasons ago, the Giants were a 6-10 team, badly in need of a spark. Since then, they haven’t endured a losing season, and now rest atop their league as champions.
So congratulations to the former Ole Miss QB, who helped Jason Armstead develop his skills as a young receiver and who could give the Cats a model of hope, to follow all the way to the Grey Cup.
Do you think the Ticats could turn it around like the Giants did? E-mail your thoughts to me at jboone@ticats.ca
Easier Said Than Done
(Quote of the Week)
“[Peyton’s] got a playoff team, we’re coming off a 6-10 season. When he talks to the media, they’re talking about getting to the Super Bowl. I’m not getting those questions. I’m not saying that. I’m just saying that we’re trying to get better. We’re in two different leagues.”
Prior to the 2005 season, Eli Manning addressed the differences between his brother Peyton’s career and his own. After three and a half years as the Giants starting quarterback, Eli is now a Super Bowl MVP and will be getting more than few questions about the getting back to the big game.
In Case You Blinked
(News from the Week)
At the end of last week the Argos released running backs John Avery and Robert Edwards. With two veterans cut from the backfield, the keys to the running game should be handed over to former Ticat tailback Anthony Davis. If he does assume the starting job for the Boatmen, it will only add more fire to the Hamilton/Toronto rivalry.
