ALL GREAT QUARTERBACKS DESERVE TO GO OUT THE WAY LANCASTER DID
Professional sports can be cold and cruel but Giants benching Manning was classless
Ben McAdoo — who is McAdoomed as the New York Giants’ head coach — is treating Eli Manning like yesterday’s garbage.
McAdoo has relegated a twotime Super Bowl-winning signal caller to scout team duty so that younger quarterbacks can be evaluated for what remains of this lost season.
Alas, the first in line to succeed Manning — whose streak of 210 consecutive starts is to conclude Sunday when the Giants visit the Oakland Raiders — is 27-year-old Geno Smith, who memorably flopped with the New York Jets.
So it has come to this. The Giants are starting a Jets discard, of all people, ahead of Manning.
This bizarre and classless move almost certainly spells the end of Manning’s tenure with the Giants. His football career, however, is likely to continue.
Ideally, he’ll sign off like his older brother, Peyton Manning, who was under centre for the Denver Broncos in two Super Bowls after being dumped by the team with which he was synonymous, the Indianapolis Colts.
Peyton Manning’s happy ending is one of the few exceptions. More common is the sight of Joe Montana finishing up with the Kansas City Chiefs, Johnny Unitas playing out the string with the San Diego Chargers or Joe Namath hobbling on behalf of the Los Angeles Rams.
The cold, cruel business of professional sports is such that even the greatest of the great aren’t guaranteed to spend their entire careers with one team.
Ron Lancaster, for example, is the only one of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ four Grey Cupwinning starting quarterbacks who spent the remainder of his playing days in green and white.
Kent Austin toiled for the B.C. Lions, Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers after engineering his departure from Saskatchewan.
Kerry Joseph went from the Roughriders to the Argonauts to the Edmonton Eskimos to seeming retirement before returning to Saskatchewan for the tail end of the 2014 CFL campaign.
Barely a year ago, a giant photo of Darian Durant adorned the west-side facing of Taylor Field. Now, Durant is a member of the feckless Montreal Alouettes and Taylor Field is rubble. It’s easy to become inured to circumstances such as those faced by Durant.
If Wayne Gretzky can play for three teams other than the Edmonton Oilers, why should anything be surprising anymore?
Yet, the idealist in me hopes — almost certainly in vain — for more storybook endings, more fitting finishes.
Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl in his final game with the Broncos. So did John Elway. Henry Burris punctuated his career with a Grey Cup championship. The Argonauts’ Ricky Ray may very well have done the same.
But, to this seasoned and sentimental scribe, the ending to end all endings featured the Little General. Let’s flash back to Oct. 29, 1978, when the Roughriders played an obligatory regularseason finale in Edmonton.
The Eskimos were about to begin a streak of five consecutive Grey Cup championships, whereas the Roughriders carried only three victories into their first game at Commonwealth Stadium.
A la the present day Giants, the Roughriders of 1978 had assigned their legendary quarterback to the sideline. The move was made without controversy or rancour, considering the evident need to give some playing time to Lancaster’s heir apparent, Larry Dick.
Dick had made his first CFL start on Oct. 22, 1978, against the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Lancaster was a spectator until eight minutes remained in the game when, with the Roughriders leading 6-4, head coach Walt Posadowski opted to use No. 23.
It was a disaster. Lancaster threw two rapid-fire interceptions and the Blue Bombers won 13-7.
Worse yet, some “fans” booed Lancaster during his final game at Taylor Field.
The opposing crowd was part of the story one week later.
Dick again drew the start when the Riders played in Edmonton. However, there was a thirst to see Lancaster — and not just on the part of the small group of Regina fans (including this one, then 14) who had travelled by Edmonton via Dash Tours.
Eskimos fans displayed a banner that read: “Thank you, Ron, for all the good years.’’
A “We Want Ronnie!’’ chant was audible by the fourth quarter.
The crowd got its way. With Saskatchewan trailing 26-20. Lancaster received a standing ovation from the Eskimos’ supporters — and those of us who occupied end-zone seats — as he jogged on to the field.
En route to the huddle, Lancaster accepted a handshake from Eskimos cornerback Larry Highbaugh.
The ensuing offensive series wasn’t memorable, but the nature of the game would soon change.
Jim Germany fumbled on the Eskimos’ nine-yard line and Roughriders safety Ken McEachern recovered. Lancaster promptly threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Joey Walters, whereupon Bob Macoritti’s convert gave Saskatchewan a 27-26 lead.
Lancaster received another standing ovation from the opposing team’s fans.
“WOW!” was flashed on the stadium’s scoreboard.
The fire truck that customarily circled the field after Eskimos touchdowns did a lap to applaud Lancaster, sirens blaring. A “Hooray Ronnie’’ sign was displayed on the side of the fire truck.
Lancaster added an insurance touchdown, scoring himself on a quarterback sneak, while authoring another of the fourth-quarter comebacks for which he was renowned.
Make the final: Saskatchewan 36, Edmonton 26.
“When the game ended, no one was really happy with the season,’’ said an emotional Lancaster. “You tried to forget it. It was tough. But, yeah, that was a good day.’’
It was the kind of day that every legend, Eli Manning included, richly deserves.