BC Lions / Nathan Rourke discussion

[Blue In BC]

My point about the "detour" is that is denigrates the league that got him his deal.  Sure, he thanks the CFL for giving him the tools and training to land an NFL deal, he mentions how BC taught him how to be a professional... but this statement and the "detour" comment made it sound like the CFL was beneath his consideration, and only came here because he was out of options...

Just saying, as a "professional", he really fumbles his exit.  The entire tone of his release said "I;m far too good for the CFL, I won't be back" and was a slap in the face to BC and the CFL, in my honest opinion.  

Personally, I'd far rather have a QB here who is thankful for the opportunity to play, and brings his lunchbox to work.   Rourke did put up some spectacular numbers and plays, but at the end of the day, the last image of him in a CFL uni for me is him crying.  

If/when he flames out in the NFL, I have no doubt that, should he still want to play, every CFL team will open thier wallet for a NAT QB,  In the meantime...

Buh Bye.

I think that any fluff he says in praise of the CFL is more than negated by the detour comment.  Erase that line, and my opinion might be different.  But in that one sentence he sums up his feeling about the CFL... detour my butt.

Geez. You see players in all sports " crying " after losing a game. You see it at both the college and pro levels. No point making more out of it than exists.

[blue_or_die]

Re: "unforeseen detour", I'm my rolling my eyes at the "unforeseen" part more so than the "detour" part.

To absolutely think you'd get an NFL shot when you look at the hundreds and hundreds of top college prospects who go on to flip burgers right after their last year of eligibility...

[The Zipp]

If he ever comes back to the CFL...bring the "detour" signs to the stadium...

[GOLDMEMBER]

Re: "unforeseen detour", I'm my rolling my eyes at the "unforeseen" part more so than the "detour" part.

To absolutely think you'd get an NFL shot when you look at the hundreds and hundreds of top college prospects who go on to flip burgers right after their last year of eligibility...

I agree he is a bit cocky but I guess you need that. Plus he is young. Young equals stupid sometimes.

[blue_gold_84]

If he ever comes back to the CFL...bring the "detour" signs to the stadium...

Detour Part II.

[blueraid]

Have to agree on Rourkes choice of words....that 'unforeseen detour' opened the door for him in the states....IF he was a walk on down there would he have been given the chance he has now???Hard to say but I think 'detour' is off the mark, especially when I remember Mike Reilly saying that the Leo's were in 'good hands' for the foreseeable future when the Lions signed him...Sometimes miss spoken words can come back to haunt

[bomb squad]

Have to agree on Rourkes choice of words....that 'unforeseen detour' opened the door for him in the states....IF he was a walk on down there would he have been given the chance he has now???Hard to say but I think 'detour' is off the mark, especially when I remember Mike Reilly saying that the Leo's were in 'good hands' for the foreseeable future when the Lions signed him...Sometimes miss spoken words can come back to haunt

To be fair, he did say "unforeseen but necessary". And I don't believe he meant anything derogatory towards the CFL. But I agree "detour" was a poor choice of word to use.

[theaardvark]

unforseen and detour are both negative... for a guy who knew fully about the CFL, there was nothing "unforseen" about his stint in the CFL.. if he didn't have it on his radar, he was both delusional and narcisistic. 

As for it being a "detour",  it is dismissive of the league, the team and the fans...

Eliminate all that, and just say that he was grateful for the opportunities BC extended to him, and the love given to him by the fans, and that his time in the CFL will not be forgottten...  if not for the CFL, he doesn't get a shot at the NFL...

[blue_gold_84]

Unforeseen is defined as unexpected, unanticipated, or unpredicted. There's nothing negative about it. Rourke clearly had a certain expectation of himself and when that didn't materialize, he had to do something else in order to try and get back on track. The end.

Turn off the spin machine, man.

[bluengold204]

Some of you need to calm down, you?re acting like he just insulted your firstborn lol

[Jesse]

Some of you need to calm down, you?re acting like he just insulted your firstborn lol

Meh.

He's entitled to his opinion of the CFL and we're entitled to have an opinion of his comments.

I think it was an unnecessary comment and revealed a side of Rourke that I personally don't like that much. But it ultimately doesn't matter.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Some of you need to calm down, you?re acting like he just insulted your firstborn lol

I hope the ginger enjoys Jacksonville in July.

[Lincoln Locomotive]

I agree he is a bit cocky but I guess you need that. Plus he is young. Young equals stupid sometimes.

agree....the comment was ill advised and displayed a lack of judgement.    Nonetheless, despite his obvious faux pas, I wish him well and believe he will thrive down there....perhaps not immediately however over the long run.   

[blueandgoldguy]

Well that signing is nothing but bad news for the CFL.  The quality of quarterbacking in this league is as low as I can remember since I started following the league as a kid in the 80s and 90s.  We have what appeared to be a generational Canadian talent who would have likely been the face of the league for the next 10 years and likely the best Canadian player since Russ Jackson, would have provided a significant boost to declining tv ratings, desperately needed attendance boosts in BC and, to a lesser extent, other CFL cities...and we get a whopping half of season and poof he is gone.

At least Warren Moon and Doug Flutie were in the CFL for 6 and 8 years respectively.  You know, enough time to actually get to enjoy them.

[TecnoGenius]

Well that signing is nothing but bad news for the CFL.  The quality of quarterbacking in this league is as low as I can remember since I started following the league as a kid in the 80s and 90s.  We have what appeared to be a generational Canadian talent who would have likely been the face of the league for the next 10 years and likely the best Canadian player since Russ Jackson, would have provided a significant boost to declining tv ratings, desperately needed attendance boosts in BC and, to a lesser extent, other CFL cities...and we get a whopping half of season and poof he is gone.

At least Warren Moon and Doug Flutie were in the CFL for 6 and 8 years respectively.  You know, enough time to actually get to enjoy them.

100% this.  As for Rourke's comment was dumb.  If he "misspoke" then he can always tweet (or whatever) a clarification.

Dude could have been nearly God in the CFL.  Now he'll be nobody in the NFL, and come back in 3 years with his tail tucked between his legs.  I hope for his sake he doesn't lose his mojo down there and come back up to suck for 1 year and retire.

P.S. My young son has never been excited by any QB in the league, until Rourke.  He loved Rourke and always talked about him.  Likes him more than Zach.  How many other young people across Canada felt the same?  Honestly, I think the CFL should have found a way to keep this kid for the good of the CFL.  I have no idea how.  But it's sad we can't pay a #1 QB the same as a #3 NFL QB who will see 10 snaps a year.