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The pipeline taking washed-up NFL receivers to Canada continues to flow.
In recent weeks, first-round flame-outs David Boston and Charles Rogers have tried to resurrect their football careers with a league that soon will be made even less relevant when the Buffalo Bills begin playing games in Toronto. Now, a second-round bust is getting in on the act.
Former NFL receiver Bethel Johnson is joining the Toronto Argonauts.
Johnson, touted as a “two-time Super Bowl Champion” in the article announcing the move, really didn’t add much to either of the two championship seasons he spent with the Patriots. Johnson was traded to the Saints in 2006, signed with the Vikings in 2006 after being cut by the Saints, and bounced between the Eagles and the Texans in the 2007 before being cut by Houston prior to the season.
“Bethel Johnson is a speedy and athletic ‘deep threat’ receiver who is also an accomplished return man,” Toronto G.M. Greg Mohns said. “He should give us great depth, and we expect him to come in and challenge for a starting position. It was a five-month recruitment process and we are thrilled to have him as a part of the Argos family.”
Said Johnson: “I’m excited to get back on the field again and about the great opportunity I have ahead of me with the Argos. Training camp isn’t about playing around; you come into camp with the ultimate goal of winning a championship. I’m looking forward to getting on the field and winning again.”
May 26th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
One word that describes this player perfectly…
“Tentative”
Not what you want in the NFL. All that timed speed means jack when you’re “tentative” like Johnson is.
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Rating: 3.4 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
BUST!!!!
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Rating: 1.5 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Johnson: “…you come into camp with the ultimate goal of winning a championship…”
bwahahahahahahaha Because that Canadian championship is worth ohh so much.
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Rating: 2.4 / 5 with 7 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Quite honestly though, Johnson has the talent to take that C league by storm. He probably instantly becomes one of the top 5 WRs up there.
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Rating: 2.15 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
He *is* a speedy deep threat. But people stopped worrying about him because the ball kept bouncing off his hands.
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Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
None of those 3 guys will do much of anything in that league, either.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
its a very different game up there - totally different skill sets are called for. It’s a serious league and they have a huge and rabid fan base. Not sure why people that are trying to keep playing pro ball should be denigrated for their efforts.
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Rating: 4.15 / 5 with 8 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Less relevant?
To whom?
Attention-deficit Americans who need to be TOLD what they should like?
Newsflash!
The CFL — the original brand of football as God intended and before being bastardized by the narcolpetic-incuding four-down and dust variety that makes real pigskin fans yawn — is doing just fine in Canada, where three downs, constant motion in the backfield, a dearth of plodding tight ends, a longer and wider field and an insanely exciting last few minutes (thanks to a more reasonable 20-second play clock) in which teams can actually come back from two TD deficits rather than begin walking off the field with half-a-quarter to play make it the better of the two games.
And we are supposed to begin quaking in fear because the NFL’s version of minor league football will be playing a few games in Toronto?
That’s going to make the league of the Lions, Eskimos, Stampeders, Roughridersf, Blue Bombers, Tiger-Cats, Argonauts and Alouettes less relevant?
Please.
Call me when NFL players can come north and play a real game without leaving the field out of breath and in amazement at the beauty of the game.
Ask Doug Flutie how great the CFL is.
Then ask Vince Ferragamo, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, Mark Gastineau, Ricky Williams, Andre Ware and assorted other failures to concur.
By the way, our balls are bigger.
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Rating: 2.55 / 5 with 9 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Uh-Oh…talking about Canada got someone’s panties in a bunch, eh?
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May 26th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
What? This guy could start for the Eagles.
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May 26th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
I’ve always found it bizarre that people look to arena league or XFL, USFL football as another football product to entertain them through the NFL offseason. The CFL has, and probably always will be, the most interesting and unique football league there is outside of the NFL.
No, the athletes aren’t as good as the NFL, but on it’s own merit the CFL is a damn fun football league to watch and follow. I know it’s easy to pick on the little guy but the CFL doesn’t even try to promote itself in comparison to the NFL. Why then take such gratuitous swipes at the league?
Elitism and narrow-mindedness is quite possibly the least likely thing that would interest me when reading some internet hack (unless of course it’s in regards to Matt Millen or the Patriots).
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Rating: 4.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Lol BCLion….. I’m gonna go ahead and say most Americans (myself included) are ignorant as to what actually transpires north of the border. A 20-second play clock would certainly add more interest to the end of most NFL games. How many fairly close US games are basically decided with 4-5 minutes left?
I have also always wondered what the basis for all of our motion penalties is; it would seem that more complex pre-snap motion would make for more offense (ie - more excitement, ratings, money) and I’m not sure what the detriment would be. As for being the ‘true brand’ of football, erm…… I’d have to see more than zero games to actually judge.
It’s easy to make fun of these ‘busts’ for continuing their careers, but I think a certain amount of respect is due for those who are trying to make a fresh start and have refused (despite limited positive feedback) to hang up those cleats.
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Rating: 4.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
WOW
An irrelevant league…..
sure, the CFL doesnt have the media availability, the massive markets or the money for advertising that the NFL does, but the CFL game is just as high quality and much more entertaining than any NFL game I’ve ever watched. Now you ignorant Americans (and I am not saying that all Americans are ignorant, just the ones like JonS) go right ahead and tell the amazing, loyal, loud, and more importantly (something that you Americans need to learn) respectful fans in cities such as Saskatchewan, B.C, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Hamilton, Montreal, and yes…Toronto.
The wide-open, fast paced league is a fan favourite in Canada and if the Bills do move to Toronto, the Argo’s won’t lose any real football fans. And in case you want more proof that the quality in teh CFL is just as high as the NFL…lets take a look at some of the best players in the NFL in there…..Warren Moon, Dug Flutie, and yes Ricky Williams, all 3 played in teh CFL…and one of them (Williams) wasn’t even the starter on a team with one of the worst rushing offenses in the league.
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Rating: 4.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
wow. please remove the sand from your vagina.
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May 26th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
wow, bclion999, defensive much? inferiority complex? I guess Rocket Ismail went there cause it was a better league, too. Maybe one day Tom Brady will wake up to the challenge that is the CFL.
“Ask Doug Flutie how great the CFL is.” And?? Maybe if by “great” you mean the only league he got a fair chance in. I love Flutie as much as the next Napoleon-complex guy, but get real, eh?
as for Bethel, in Madden a couple years ago he was fast as lightning, one of the best kick returners in the game. Sucked as a receiver though, just like in real life.
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May 26th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
It has been a long time since my Johnson has been north of the border, but I digress.
Johnson. IMO, yet another bust from Texas A&M. I am a huge Aggie fan. Sadly, they just don’t seem to do well in college football and lately, they just don’t seem to send a lot of successful players to the NFL.
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May 26th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Canada, your inferiority complex is showing. Again. BCLion, Mike Kiselak is widely called the best CFL offensive lineman, ever. He’s lucky he lasted longer than a training camp in Dallas.
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May 26th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
A fast, fast BUST. Good luck to him in the CFL.
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May 26th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Good luck, Bethel Johnson. Hopefully you’ll do better north of the border than you did here.
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May 26th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Nice post by bclion999 - the CFL and NFL aren’t just two different leagues - they might as well be two different sports and the CFL has its own brand of fast paced exciting football that requires a different skill set for many players.
In general one can definately say that the more skilled players remain in the NFL as that’s where the most money is - but there have been plenty of examples guys who didn’t do well in the NFL doing great in the CFL and doubtless we could find plenty of guys in the NFL who couldn’t keep up with the pace of the CFL.
That’s not a knock on any of the players - different skills are more and less valuable in the two separate leagues. Bottom line - there’s just no need to denegrate the CFL and doing so illustrates an ignorance of the beauty of both games.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
I couldn’t make it all the way through your comment, bclion999, as I assume someone from the NFL “incuded” me with a narcoleptic just prior to my reading this post. Lots of words, though. Nice job.
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May 26th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
So the CFL is better, it’s just that they don’t know how to market it? Last I checked there are only eight teams in the “league”. Canada is an independant and geographically enormous nation. Tout the game when you have at least 10 teams. It has a proud history but it’s future is in serious doubt.
Now as to the speed of the game, it is dramatically different and assuming NFL castoffs have the tools to excel in it because they played in the NFL is foolish!
Bethel Johnson has debilitating health issues. It’s unlikely he’ll ever be able to overcome those and be capable of playing full tilt in every game of a season.
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Rating: 2 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Canada… America’s Hat.
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Rating: 2.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
I’m Canadian and I love the NFL much more than the CFL, but Florio’s cheap shots at the CFL are hardly deserved. No, it’s not the NFL, but the CFL is a much different thing and it’s hardly fair to call it irrelevant. It’s a very big deal to many Canadians (it often gets better TV ratings than the NFL does up here), and to the Americans who come up here to play it’s an honest way to earn a living. Is college football irrelevant because it’s not the NFL? What about division I-A? It’s unfair to judge leagues by NFL standards when they aren’t even trying to directly compete with the NFL.
Florio, man… are you afraid that you are getting soft or something? What’s with all the cheap shots at guys like Vince Young and now the CFL? Save the criticism for those who actually deserve it.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 26th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
He couldn’t even make it as The Eagles return man last year. They had to go get Reno Mahe off the street because Bethel and Jeremy Bloom were busts. He couldn’t even beat out Reno Freakin Mahe! He even does a crappy job as a return man on Madden. But I’m sure he’ll enjoy life in The Great White North listening to Rush and drinking 24’s of Molsen. Don’t let that bum wheel slow you down Bethel, good luck!
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