Rails from the Rails 20 – Many Partings

Rails from the Rails 20 – Many Partings (this post did not make the Argonauts website)

All Aboard: The title of this piece is the same as a chapter title from The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien. This quote can be found in that same book: But Sam was now sorrowful at heart, and it seemed to him that if the parting would be bitter, more grievous still would be the long road home alone. I recently wrote on partings and I am doing the same far too soon!

Tickets Please: We have had several Argonauts leave our ranks in the last few weeks and I’d like to mention a few things about each.

Orlondo Steinauer – Though a common saying in locker-rooms around the league is that “nothing surprises me anymore”, I think we were all surprised when “O” was released this past week. I have played on the same team with Orlondo for the majority of my career. He is an incredibly gifted football player who has been an all-star at every position in the secondary. I am not sure if anyone has ever done that before. Orlondo has been a leader of our team since he arrived. He is one of those guys who make going to work everyday worthwhile. There are not many players who I have played with that I look to for approval, but “Steiny” was one of them. If he looked you in the eye after a game and told you “Good job!” you knew that you had been successful. You cannot replace a player like Orlando. The best you can do is hope to be successful without him. I wish him all the best.

Michael Bishop – Michael Bishop belongs on the field as a starting quarterback. And so I have mixed feelings about his departure. Although he was a good friend, and was coming off his best year in the CFL despite a serious injury, I am glad that he will be a starter in Saskatchewan. It was difficult to watch him in a back-up role yet again. Michael is a fierce competitor and is arguably the best athlete at the QB position that I have ever played with. I have not seen a stronger arm in all my years around football…Matt Dunnigan was close but I would still go with “Bish”. Mike was a lot of fun in the dressing room and on the field. It is disappointing to see him leave but I believe he still has productive years ahead of him and I hope that he finds success when ever he plays… except against us.

Ross Weaver – Life can be ironic. The same week that Ross Weaver willingly answered the US Air Force’s recall to active duty, Canada was deporting Iraq war deserter Robin Long. There are many people who support Long’s desertion which he made on grounds that the war in Iraq was against his morals. I believe that it is fully in Long’s right to object to the war as illegal and unjust. But it seems to me that a man so concerned with principles would have remained in the US, gone to trial, and accepted the judgment of the military court. As it turns out, this is what has happened with Long who has been dishonourably discharged and sentenced to 15 months in prison. Contrast that story with Ross Weaver who has dutifully returned to his position within the Air Force. The core values of the Us Air Force are “Integrity first, Service before self, and Excellence in all we do.” Ross Weaver is an apt example of someone with these core values. Good on you, Ross.

Last Stop: How is this for a backhanded compliment served up by Duane Forde: While veterans Mike O'Shea, Chad Folk, and Jude St. John are clearly on the downside of their impressive careers, they remain valuable assets to the organization as mentors to the young Canadians who will one day succeed them. Ouch! Duane does a great job with his new job at TSN but don’t you think he could have given a fellow UWO alumnus a little more love than that? The truth hurts I guess.