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started four games last season
started four games last season
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wuhao93
148 posts
Apr 28, 2012
11:51 PM
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Canada has all kinds of hockey statesmen - people who can speak with authority on every aspect of the game based on a lifetime of experience, thus becoming revered far and wide. Nashville Predators Jersey. But in football, though the game has a long and storied history in Canada, those kinds of people are rare. And among those whove gained iconic status from football in Canada, the vast majority are Americans, people such as Ron Lancaster or Pinball Clemons, Jackie Parker or Don Matthews, those brought up on the game in America who then honed their talent and knowledge north of the 49th parallel. That really isnt surprising since football is to Americans what hockey is to Canadians - a game engrained in the culture and where the notion of one devoting a life to the sport is hardly unusual. The fact is that its hard to grow up in Canada and absorb as much knowledge and expertise about football as one can being raised in America. And if that is true today, it was especially true in the years before technology allowed so much sharing of information across borders. Which is why for most of the past 100 years, Canadians have mostly had supporting roles in three-down football, aside from those players granted opportunity by the CFLs quota system that have managed to prove their worth regardless of nationality. But pore through the history of great coaches and general managers in CFL history and youll find the list remarkably void of people actually born and raised in Canada. Which is what makes the recent passing of Cal Murphy a little different that of most Canadian Football Hall of Famers, since he was a Canadian icon in a Canadian league at a time when it was almost exclusively run by Americans. Murphys time in the game spanned seven decades, from his time playing for UBC in the 1950s and a brief stint in the CFL, to his coaching career that began at the collegiate level in Canada, moved to the NCAA in the United Sates and then returned to his homeland where he amassed nine Grey Cup rings in various capacities as a coach and general manager with five different organizations. When his CFL days ended, there were short stints in NFL Europe and the XFL. Then there was his final job in football scouting for the NFLs Indianapolis Colts and his good friend Bill Polian, earning a Super Bowl ring and helping send a slew of players to the NFL, the most recent of which - former Saskatchewan linebacker Jerrrell Freeman - signing just last month. Over his lifetime of work, Murphy managed to earn the respect of Canadians for his ability to blaze a trail and from Americans based purely on his knowledge about the game that they considered their own. Among the things that has stood out in the days since his death is the degree of respect Murphy enjoyed from Americans - whether it was players whom he had coached, coaches whom hed brought to the CFL and helped mentor, or those in the U.S. who knew him from having crossed paths somewhere along the way, there was no distinction drawn about Murphy because he hadnt grow up with the game in America. As Polian, who first worked with Murphy during the 1970s in Montreal, told Steve Simmons in the Toronto Sun this week, "Cal made our teams better … by being at the combine or at training camp and seeing something someone else didnt see. I thought he was tremendous to have around. He was a valuable resource and we would talk very frequently. I liked having him share his opinion with me and I valued it." A Canadian coach or general manger doesnt stand out the way he once did, and in fact the most successful coach in league history - Wally Buono - grew up in this country. And his successor, Mike Benevides, is Canadian as well. A two-time NFL executive of the year, Atlantas Thomas Dimitroff, was raised in Canada and played for the University of Guelph. Another executive who grew up in Canada, New York Giants assistant general manager Kevin Abrams, is the owner of two Super Bowl rings. And today there are Canadians on the staffs and in front offices of the CFL teams right across the league. But for his time, Murphy was unique. And we should remember him not just as a great coach and general, with a fantastic eye for talent. But also as someone whose credibility in the football world undoubtedly helped show the way for those who have followed him. LeBron James Authentic Jersey. Zheng Zhi takes part in a training session with the English Premier Football team Charlton in late November, 2006. [Photo: Sina.com.cnFile]The deal, which comes into effect when the transfer window opens next Monday, January 1, also gives the relegation-threatened Londoners an option to make the 26-year-old midfielders move permanent. Nike Brian Orakpo Jersey. Aldo de Nigris and Javier (El Chicharito) Hernandez scored off corner kicks early in overtime and Mexico defeated Honduras 2-0 in the semifinals on Wednesday night, advancing to play the United States in Saturdays final at the Rose Bowl. Amare Stoudemire Jersey. -- Canada swept the podium in the mens 1,000-metre short track race on Sunday at a World Cup event. Authentic Colorado Rockies Jersey. An unlikely playoff push came to an end about 15 minutes before Washingtons Mike Knuble gave his team a 3-2 victory Tuesday over the Maple Leafs with the only goal in a four-round shootout. Boston Celtics Jersey. ORourkes PEI rink is now at the top of the standings at 5-1, with Ontarios Krista McCarville right behind at 4-1. McConnery is 0-6. Team Canada skip got back into the fray with a 9-7 win over Albertas Valerie Sweeting. RENTON, Wash. -- The Seattle Seahawks will be hosting free agent quarterbacks Chad Henne and Matt Flynn on visits this week, along with former Seahawks offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson. The team confirmed that Henne and Hutchinson are visiting with the team on Wednesday with Flynn scheduled to arrive and meet with team officials on Thursday. The Seahawks are in the market for a QB with only two currently on their roster, including last years starter Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson played well at times during his first year in Seattle but has just one year remaining on his deal. Flynn turned heads with his performance in Green Bays season finale when he threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns against Detroit. Randall Cunningham Jersey Henne started four games last season for Miami before having season-ending shoulder surgery. Hutchinsons visit is intriguing considering his departure from Seattle following the 2005 season, when the Seahawks reached the Super Bowl. Hutchinsons contract was up and instead of being given the franchise tag by the team, he was instead given a "transition" designation. Hutchinson signed a contract with Minnesota that included stipulations the Seahawks could not match. Now 34, Hutchinson was released by the Vikings with one-year left on his deal. He played the last six seasons in Minnesota, where he was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. Wholesale Jerseys ' ' '
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