Each week, Toronto Argonaut linebacker Mike O’Shea answers your questions. To submit a question to Mike please send an e-mail to askoshea@cfl.ca.
Mike,
What is your favourite Grey Cup memory? Of your three Grey Cup championship teams you played on, which one do you think was the best overall team?
Jason G. (Hamilton)
A: Waking up on the morning of the ’96 cup and seeing Hamilton blanketed with snow was an awesome sight. For a Canadian kid, this was pure Canadiana and what the Grey Cup is all about. My most vivid memory of the ’97 game is Pee Wee (Adrion Smith) turning the corner and returning a kick for a touchdown. Of course, if I had actually blocked anyone, I probably wouldn’t have witnessed his return.
In 2004, sitting back and watching Jude, Sandy and the rest of my teammates celebrate on the field was a highlight. Memories of going into the crowd to get my family and having my son tell me, “you did it, you won the trophy” can moisten my eyes right now. 2004 also marked the only Grey Cup thus far that my buddies from North Bay were with me to help celebrate.
Determining the best overall team depends on your point of view. If you are into stats then back-to-back 17-3 seasons are hard to beat. We had lots of wins and lots of fun. But as far as being a team, I look at the adversity of insolvency, ownership change and how hard we had to work to win each game as proving the point that “the more you suffer the more it shows you really care.” 1996-97 were the Flutie years but the consistently staunch efforts of the defence and special teams during the 2004 season made that victory even sweeter.
Hello Mike,
Who do you think should win the M.O.P. this year if it were given out today? Do you think it is possible that a defensive player like Cam Wake might have a chance at winning the award?
Adam D. (Vancouver)
A: Historically speaking, Wake would not even be up for MOP. I wouldn’t mind seeing that change. As a defensive player, it would be refreshing to have guys on our side get recognized for regularly changing the outcomes of games. Given the past though, I would say that Calvillo is the leading candidate thus far.
Hi Mike,
Coach Matthews continues to stress that he is seeing big improvements in practice and during games, and that it is a long process. Do you see the same improvements as Coach Matthews in terms of building towards 2009?
Megan M. (Toronto)
A: Unlike most fans, there is no place in a player’s mind for next year. We have an opportunity, albeit tough, to refute all the critics with a playoff berth. Pro athletes in a contact sport live a cliché, needing to play every play like it is your last because the reality is that each play could be your last. If you pull the ‘chute now not only do you increase your risk of injury but you reveal a character trait not conducive to making the team next year. Yes, we are improving with every practice and need to believe we can get wins in 2008.
Mike O’Shea enters his 16th CFL season in 2008. He is a three-time Grey Cup champion and the captain of the Toronto Argonauts’ defence. He is the CFL’s all-time leader in defensive tackles by a Canadian and is second all-time on the overall list. In 1999 he was named the league’s outstanding Canadian player.
