Sinopoli catches Cahoon for CFL record
Brad Sinopoli is a friendly guy, he doesn’t mind talking about football, maybe music — Nine Inch Nails, Tool and Pearl Jam are among his favourites.
One thing he doesn’t like talking about is himself. He’s a “we” guy, not a “me” guy.
But it’s impossible to let him slide under the radar. What he’s done this CFL season is not only terrific, it’s record-setting. The 30-year-old receiver is now in the CFL record books. On Saturday — in a first-place-clinching 30-13 win by the Ottawa Redblacks in Hamilton — Sinopoli caught seven passes. It gives him 116 catches on the season, passing the former single-season record for a Canadian: 112 by Montreal Alouettes’ Ben Cahoon in 2003.
Since Sinopoli reluctantly talks about what he’s done — he’s good at deflecting the praise to others — we’ll let others do the talking for him.
“It is a big deal,” said Redblacks coach Rick Campbell. “Ben Cahoon is a Hall of Fame player, so good on Brad.”
“We finally got a real Canadian with the record,” said Redblacks quarterback Trevor Harris. “I mean, Brad’s born and raised (in Canada), Ben wasn’t. We have Brad with the record now — that’ll stand for a long time.”
Cahoon was born in Utah, but was considered a national because his parents were both born in Alberta. As a child, he did live in Red Deer, Edmonton and Beaconsfield. Sinopoli was born in Peterborough and grew up there.
With one game left in the regular season, Sinopoli has gained 1,376 yards. In his first three years in an Ottawa uniform after leaving Calgary and signing as a free agent, Sinopoli had 1,035, 1,036 and 1,009 receiving yards.
Asked about Sinopoli, receiver Greg Ellingson said: “He’s a hard worker, he’s one of the toughest guys I know on the field. He’s consistent. He’s the best Canadian receiver I’ve been around. Other guys that come to mind — (Andy) Fantuz when I first came into the league, (Dave) Stala and now I’m playing with Brad. He’s checked off a lot of those marks as far as being one of the best Canadian receivers.”