Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo announced during a post Grey Cup game news conference that he will have surgery to remove a lesion from his thyroid.
Well, so long Edmonton. I leave with all my fingers and toes and an appreciation for the depth of passion for Canadian football on the prairies. There was a sea of green at Commonwealth Stadium and they left disappointed; their watermelon heads bowed and their shoulders slumped in their Andy Fantuz jerseys.
But even those without a vested interest might have had cause to be disappointed, as even though it was a typically close Montreal-Sasketchewan game -- in their past four meetings they've been separated by 11 total points -- it wasn't the most entertaining, unless you enjoy watching 17 punts.
But the 98th Grey Cup will be a memorable one, as it will go a long way toward cementing the legacy of one of the CFL's great teams and great quarterbacks as we'll see in the links. We'll also see where a professional athlete actually blames God for a change; and where LeBron James appears to be on a collision course with his coach.
So, some links, and then I've got a plane to catch, so lighter duties at First Up; hope your Grey Cup hangover is manageable.
Grey Cup legacy
• In 2006 the CFL and TSN named the top-50 players in league history and Anthony Calvillo wasn't on it the list. With back-to-back Grey Cup wins and three titles total Calvillo's is moving up pretty quickly, no? Top-10; top-5?
• Calvillo's admission after the game of his health issues and pending surgery made his committment and performance more poignant.
• Did Calvillo's knowledge of his health concerns make him more reflective than usual in the buildup to the game? When you read this column by Bruce Arthur again it seems that way.
• Stephen Brunt says that in Edmonton, the Als went a long way to cementing their status as the modern CFL dynasty.
The pain, the pain:
• Back in Regina, the citizens of Rider Nation weren't happy, and Darian Durant was catching some heat for his late-game interception.
• No one had a worse day than Leron Mitchell of the Roughriders, who had his Joe Theisman moment
• The loss was painful enough that Eddie Johnson, the California-dude punter with sand in his toes, was in a sombre mood after the game.
Credit where credit it due:
• James Mirtle looks over Leafs general manager Brian Burke's record on the occasion of his second anniversary. It's not pretty.
• The Buffalo Bills have been playing much better football of late, though they lost Sunday in overtime to Pittsburgh. Stevie Johnson, who dropped a potentially game-winning touchdown pass, blamed God, via Twitter.
• Brett Favre managed not to throw an interception for a change in a Vikings win, and then presented a game ball to his new coach. Wonder how Brad Childress feels about that.
• Peyton Manning is suddenly ordinary, and blames himself after throwing four intereceptions in a loss to the surging Chargers.
• Raptors head coach Jay Triano wasn't shy about naming names when it came to assigning responsibility for his club's yawning effort at home against the Atlanta Hawks.
• But as bad as things may be in Toronto, it is nothing like Miami, where LeBron James and head coach Eric Spoelstra are on a collision course.
It's not about the money:
• NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly goes on a Winnipeg radio station and seems to suggest that yes, the Atlanta Thrashers could be a team on the move. What a tease.
And for you amusement:
• Kevin Weekes almost got run over by a Zamboni on Hockey Night in Canada.