By Jack Bedell,
MontrealAlouettes.com
One of my least favourite aspects of how professional athletes are treated by fans and media, and I’m as guilty of it as anyone, is that too often we ride them toward their next accomplishments without stopping to appreciate what they are accomplishing right now.
I call it the x + 1 factor.
No matter what “x” an athlete has achieved – whether it’s a career full of Hall-of-Fame performances, a championship season, or the passing of a significant statistical milestone – there are always shortcomings to dwell on, expectations left unfulfilled, or even multiple championships left on the table. These are the “plus-1s” we sometimes seem to worry about that distract us from the brilliance under our noses.
So when I sat down to watch the Alouettes open the 2008 season in Hamilton, I had a single goal in mind – to soak up every snap Anthony Calvillo took and to truly enjoy watching him go to work for the first time in too many months, without worrying about what the game meant to the season ahead, or the East standings, or the Als’ playoff prospects this season.
I’ve said it before in this column, and I’ll most likely say it again several times in the future, but some of my favourite Als moments have involved Anthony Calvillo. And seeing him back on the field against the Ticats after the tough season he fought through last year, 205 yards from moving into second place all-time in CFL passing yards, was something I didn’t want to miss a second of.
With more than enough excuses to be rusty and tentative – the long lay-off, the new offence, limited pre-season reps, age, off-field distractions – Calvillo came out sharp and in charge from the first play. His decisions were quick and bang on. His passes were crisp and accurate. He made plays out of the pocket, running well and avoiding the pass rush.
And when he hit Jason Armstead for the 32-yard gain in the fourth quarter that moved him past Danny McManus in the record book, there was no fanfare, no career retrospective on the big screen… just the next phenomenal play, another 32-yard strike to Kerry Watkins for a TD.
Against the Blue Bombers in the home opener last Friday, Calvillo was even better, dominating a great defence with four TD passes in the first half and then sealing the game with a masterful drive to close out the scoring in the fourth quarter. A drive in which he rushed for 45 yards to put the Bombers away.
No matter how things play out in the standings this season for the Als, Anthony Calvillo is off to something truly special, and you can bet I’ll be doing my best all year to appreciate every second of it.
