Ti-Cats Neg Lister Johnny Manziel Wins Heisman

Johnny Football is now Johnny Heisman and in the future he could be Johnny Tiger-Cat.

On Saturday night, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel became the first freshman player to ever win the prestigious Heisman trophy. Manziel made history by beating out fellow finalists Manti Te'o and Collin Klein.

With three year's of eligibilty remaining, Manziel could go down as one of the greatest players in NCAA history. Having already won the Heisman, Manziel could end up becoming just the second player in history to win that award twice. Ohio State running back Archie Griffin won it in back-to-back years (1974, 1975). The future looks bright for Johnny Football.

And that future could involve the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Like Tim Tebow and JaMarcus Russell before him, Johnny Manziel has been added to the Tiger-Cats negotiation list.

Now before everyone starts getting their "Manziel No. 2" jerseys done at the TigerTown store, remember that it is highly unlikely that Manziel will ever suit up for the Tiger-Cats. And even if he did, it would be a good five years before he ever sets foot on the field at the former Ivor Wynne Stadium. It's fun to think about, but the reality is that Manziel will sit on the team's neg list for a couple of years before being taken off after he gets drafted in the NFL.

But even if the chances of Manziel playing for the Ti-Cats is remote, I imagine Texas A&M's ratings will see a jump in the Hamilton market over the next few years.

Is the 'Big Bust' Coming North?

Quite possibly the biggest NFL draft bust of the modern era could be headed to Hamilton. After being cut by the Oakland Raiders after three horrendously unproductive years, former #1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell has been added to the negotiation list of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Good God, no! While I understand that most players on a CFL team's neg lists never see the the Great White North, just the very idea that the "Big Bust" (my personal nickname for Russell) could possibly, at any time, become a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats just makes my stomach turn. Yes, he has amazing physical skills, but that doesn't make up for the one thing he seems to be lacking: heart.

By being taken first overall in the 2007 NFL Draft, Russell was handed a contract with almost $40 million in guarantees. For that $40 million the Raiders got exactly squat. Russell couldn't be bothered to dedicate himself to improving at his craft when he was making $40 million, so why would anyone believe, with $40 million already in the bank, that Russell would dedicate himself when he's making $50,000 or $150,000 or $250,000 playing for the Cats?

Russell had all the physical tools to dominate the NFL. He had the size of Daunte Culpepper and the arm of John Elway. Sure, he was surrounded by terrible players in Oakland, but it's the QB's job to make the team better.

It also doesn't help that Russell has no work ethic. He would show up to training camp drastically overweight and out of shape. He would, according to sources, spend next to no time studying tape. He just never gave his all to his profession. He enjoyed the fame that came along with being an NFL player, but he didn't want to put in the work to be a great NFL player.

It is extremely unlikely that JaMarcus Russell will ever play for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. There is no way he'll take the pay cut, nor will he want to play in relative obscurity compared to the 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week, 365-day-a-year hypefest that is the NFL.

Simply put, JaMarcus Russell plays football to make money. He does not love the game, nor is he willing to put in the effort to be good at the game. He has made his money and can now ride off into the sunset to be forgotten like so many others before him.

At least one person's happy. Thanks to Russell, Ryan Leaf is no longer considered the biggest draft bust in NFL history. I'm sure if Ryan Leaf could say thank you, he would. Now, JaMarcus, can you stay away from Hamilton, please? You could make more than just one person happy if you did that.