THE CANADIAN PRESS
You can take it to the bank with the ‘Good Hank’, ‘Bad Hank’ analysis of Henry Burris.
Those two monikers have followed him around like a dark cloud ever since he started to make a name for himself as a CFL quarterback.
But how about the label, ‘Great Hank’?
Right now, when you think who are the greatest of all-time in the CFL at the quarterback position, you think Warren Moon, Doug Flutie, Anthony Calvillo, Ricky Ray, Russ Jackson and Ron Lancaster.
There are others, of course, but you may wait awhile before anybody shouts the name Henry Burris.
Why?
The so called ‘Bad Hank’. The quarterback that throws the untimely interception at a key point of the game, or has one of his worst games at the most critical juncture of a season.
But this is now Burris’ third trip to a Grey Cup as a starting quarterback, winning once (2008) and losing the other (2013). He’s doing it at the age of 40.
| Hank holds nothing back |
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Henry Burris has never been one to mince words, and this week he had plenty to say about his legacy and what motivates him. Hear what he had to say as he sets his sights on winning a third Grey Cup Championship. |
He’s become the Peyton Manning of the Canadian Football League. Where the ‘yeah but’ crowd is heard surmising that he can’t get the job done when it counts.
Burris, however, doesn’t seem to get the same credit Manning does for his regular season success.
He continues to run up the record books in terms of touchdown passes and yards at the quarterback position but there are those who will quickly downplay that as a sign of longevity and would scoff at putting him the conversation for one of the greatest ever.
A win on Sunday makes it impossible to downplay Burris’ impact on the game and his greatness at the quarterback position.
This isn’t new to Burris. He’s been fighting the naysayers from the start of his career.
Saskatchewan passed him over for Nealon Greene after a 2004 playoff game that showcased just how great Burris had the potential of being.
Then in Calgary, Burris had a tough time winning the big game until he had a sensational 2008 season that left him scorned by not winning the MOP that year but had the last laugh with a Grey Cup Championship and MVP award.
The Stamps then moved on after Burris lost back to back Western Finals to the Roughriders in 2009 and 2010. The ‘Bad Hank’ was alive, throwing three interceptions in ’09 and being held to 16 points in ’10.
It was off to Hamilton. While he helped win three playoff games over his three years, Burris wasn’t deemed a vital piece to Kent Austin’s puzzle and after three seasons he ended up with the upstart Ottawa REDBLACKS.
While last year wasn’t pretty from the offensive perspective, many knew Burris didn’t have a lot of offensive talent around him. With it, well his MOP Trophy given to him on Thursday night is an indication ‘Good Hank’ thrived with a plethora of talent.
And now we get to Sunday. The 103rd Grey Cup and maybe the last chance Henry Burris will have at leading a team to a title for the second time in his career and the last chance to make it all that much more difficult for his critics to keep up the ‘Good Hank, Bad Hank’ mantra.
“It’s funny how they say ‘Good Hank, Bad Hank’ in one sentence. Then they say I’m a hall of famer in the next sentence,” bemoaned Burris earlier this week.
Burris isn’t concerned with his legacy this week and where the Grey Cup puts him on the map of all time quarterbacks, but from the fans’ and pundits’ point of view, Burris can take a giant leap in the discussion of all time greats on Sunday.
And ‘great’ will be the only word to describe him whenever he decides to ride off into the sunset.
