d out differently? Its been a great ride for Ant

In Canadian football, the potential of the games greatest players isnt always obvious during the early stages of their careers.  And Anthony Calvillo is no exception. He came to the CFL in the most unusual of circumstances, the 21-year-old quarterback of a CFL expansion team in Las Vegas that spent its one and only season playing before crowds that resembled friends and family.  That first season, he completed 44 per cent of his passes and threw more interceptions than touchdowns while the team stumbled to a 5-13 record and then folded. Had Calvillo hung up his cleats right then and there, no one would have blamed him. And no one would have remembered him, either.  At that time, he was about as anonymous as a CFL player could be.  All of which makes more remarkable the journey hes taken over the past 20 years, retiring as the all-time leading passer in pro football history, three Grey Cup rings and a legacy in Canadian football that is virtually unmatched. The lesson of Anthony Calvillos career is that those who become stars in the Canadian game are rarely those who possess eye-popping physical attributes, or who arrive with bona fide star power. They are, instead, usually players whose full skill sets arent obvious right away, requiring a combination of humility, determination, patience and smarts to reach their potential. And in Calvillos case, he needed every one of those qualities to get him to the top.  Calvillos time in Las Vegas was followed by a move to Hamilton for three seasons where he served primarily as backup quarterback for the Tiger-Cats, followed by two more with Montreal where he once again played the understudy, this time under CFL great, Tracy Ham.  If there was greatness ahead of him at that time, only Calvillo would have known it.  Yet six years into his professional career, following Hams retirement after the 1999 season, Calvillo took the reins in Montreal looking like someone whod been succeeding at the Canadian game all his life.  It turns out Calvillo had made good use of those first half-dozen years in the league, refining his craft, learning from his own mistakes and those of others, quietly turning himself into someone who was ready and able to engineer a CFL offence.  When his time came to become a starter with Montreal, he was meticulous and calm, the consummate professional who could command respect from those around him with his approach to the game and unmatched level of preparedness.  Had his success come earlier in his career, Calvillo might not have lasted as long as he did in the CFL.  But when the National Football League comes looking for players in Canada, it tends to value youth and overhwelming physical skills. To appreciate Anthony Calvillo, you couldnt just look at tape or watch him at a workout. You had to see him game-in and game-out to understand the consistency, how rarely his instincts betrayed him and what a winner he was. That recogntion didnt come quickly in Canada either, however. Consider that when TSN did its Top 50 all-time players list in 2006, a survey of football media from across the country, Calvillos name wasnt on it.  It wasnt truly until the final half-dozen years of his career that Calvillo began to receive his due as one of the leagues all-time greats, as the success he accumulated year after year became impossible to ignore.  Calvillo is the last player to have played for a U.S. expansion team to retire, closing the book on that desperate chapter of CFL history but at the same time reminding us it wasnt all bad.  If it werent for the Las Vegas Posse, would Calvillo have ever played in the CFL? And even if he had surfaced elsewhere in the league, would his journey somehow have turned out differently? Its been a great ride for Anthony Calvillo, the rare CFL player who retires as a nationally recognized name in Canada. From the unlikeliest of beginnings to the highest of accolades, he earned everything he got along the way. Dave Naylor can be heard weekdays from 4pm-7pm as the host of TSN Drive on TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto. Air Force 1 In Offerta . - Joao Plata scored twice in the final 24 minutes, including the winner in stoppage time, to help Real Salt Lake remain unbeaten with a 3-2 victory over the winless Chicago Fire on Saturday night. Nike Sf Air Force 1 Saldi .  Rooneys latest piece of football genius lost in the furore which now stalks David Moyes, and the man who gave the Manchester United striker his start as a 16-year old at Goodison Park back in 2002. http://www.nikeairforce1scontate.it/. None of them was better than playing with LeBron James again. Air Force 1 Italia . -- Steven Stamkos scored his first goal since returning from a major injury, Ryan Callahan had his first goal with Tampa Bay, and the Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 on Thursday night. Nike Sf Air Force 1 Scontate . Niese pitched seven steady innings on a rainy Tuesday night and Daniel Murphy had three hits to lead New York to a 6-1 victory over the Phillies. DENVER -- Aramis Ramirez had three hits, including a solo homer, and Wily Peralta won his fourth straight start as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the error-prone Colorado Rockies 9-4 on Saturday. Carlos Gomez extended his hitting streak to 17 games to help the Brewers improve to 5-1 on their seven-game trip. Peralta (8-5) went 7 2-3 solid innings and allowed four runs, three earned. He gave up a two-run single to Justin Morneau in the first and then shut down the leagues best offence until Corey Dickersons two-run homer in the sixth. Christian Friedrich (0-1) lasted six innings and surrendered nine runs, four earned, in his season debut. He was betrayed by his defence as the Rockies committed a season-high four errors. Friedrich is the 11th starting pitcher the Rockies have used this season. The 26-year-old lefty, who missed most of last season due to back inflammation, was 1-8 with a 7.89 ERA for Triple-A Colorado Springs before being recalled. The Brewers have scored 22 runs in the first two games of the series. Milwaukee scored four in the second inning on Saturday and four more in the third, which was more than enough for Peralta. The righty only got stronger as the game went along, still touching 97 mph before being pulled with two on and two out in the eighth. Rob Wooten struck out Mike McKenry to end the threat. Ramirez had his second straight three-hit day. His solo homer in the fifth was his ninth of the season. Mark Reynolds and Gomez also added two hits. Gomez has reeached base safely in 34 straight games, the fifth longest streak in franchise history.dddddddddddd Colorados faulty fielding in the second opened the door for a big inning. Third baseman Josh Rutledge had two errors in the frame, and second baseman DJ LeMahieu had another trying to turn a double play. Leading 5-2 in the third, the Brewers broke the game open on a strange play with the bases loaded as Friedrichs wild pitch paved the way for all the runners to score. Friedrich sent a pitch past McKenry, who quickly tracked the ball down on the right side of the plate and tossed to Friedrich covering home. The ball sailed over Friedrichs head, allowing Ramirez to score from third and Reynolds from second as the ball rolled toward the Brewers dugout. Jean Segura was on first when the play started, but when Friedrich walked toward the field after picking up the ball -- and a shaken-up McKenry bent over -- Segura hustled home. NOTES: The game started 23 minutes late because of weather. ... RHP Kyle Lohse (8-2) takes the mound for the Brewers in the series finale. LHP Tyler Matzek (1-1) goes for Colorado. ... The Rockies selected the contract of reliever Wilton Lopez. The team optioned utility player Kyle Parker and reliever Chris Martin to Colorado Springs. ... The Rockies transferred outfielder Michael Cuddyer (fractured left shoulder) to the 60-day disabled list. ... Colorado OF Carlos Gonzalez (left index finger) said he hopes to have his stitches taken out next week. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '