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. Toby Alderweireld Belgium Jersey .Y. -- The Detroit Red Wings had just enough time to salvage a point. Mousa Dembele Belgium Jersey . After not scoring 40 points in the opening quarter in the last five seasons, the Rockets have done it five times this season and twice in the last three games. http://www.belgiumsoccerpro.com/Vincent-...ium-Jersey/.com) - Bradley Beal deposited a season-high 33 points and John Wall posted another double-double as the Washington Wizards went on the road and beat the Houston Rockets, 104-103. Dries Mertens Belgium Jersey . Ashton scored a hat trick -- giving him 13 goals in 16 AHL games this season -- to power the Toronto Marlies to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Lake Erie Monsters in AHL action on Sunday. Thomas Vermaelen Belgium Jersey .Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday it is inevitable that the league will one day take after European sports and have sponsor names on team jerseys.SACRAMENTO - Regardless of how the rest of the campaign shakes out, when its all said and done December 8 will be a date that jumps out as a turning point, not only for the Raptors but for Rudy Gay himself. Its been two seasons in one for both parties and neither will look back on the first 18 games fondly. "I think I took the fall for a lot of things," said Gay, reflecting on his short time in Toronto ahead of Wednesdays game against his former club. "But its happened before and itll happen again." Rightly or wrongly, Gay has and will continue to shoulder most of the blame for Torontos 6-12 start, the same way his exodus will be credited for the teams remarkable turnaround. Theres no avoiding it. In Toronto, Gay was the offence, more or less. He was taking more shots than ever before, shooting the lowest percentages of his career and as a result the team was losing. The numbers are pretty conclusive, the Raptors are a better team without him on the roster. However, Gay has also taken off since the trade to Sacramento, which goes to show you that finding the right fit - although its easier said than done - can make a big difference. "I think here theres just more space [in the offence]," said Gay, who is averaging more points and taking fewer shots with the Kings. "Obviously with the kind of season Kyle (Lowry) is having and with DeMar (DeRozan) sometimes it would be a little cluttered out there, especially at the guard position. Here theres just more space for me to do what I do." Gay has shot 50 per cent or better in 17 of his 25 games with the Kings after doing so in one of 18 contests to begin the season in Toronto. Overall, hes hitting 53 per cent of his field goal attempts since the trade, having shot 39 per cent before it. "It just wasnt working up there for whatever reason," said Kings first-year head coach Mike Malone. "But when we made the acquisition we looked at Rudy as a complete player and his whole history, including his years in Memphis and you see how efficient and effective hes been for us." He credits most of that improvement to a system thats more conducive to his style of play, a system that revolves around dominant centre DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins is one of just three NBA players averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds this season. The attention he attracts in the paint has created space for Gay to operate on the perimeter. "You look at Torontos roster and no disrespect to Jonas (Valanciunas) or Amir (Johnson) but they dont have a true low-post presence," Malone said. "When Rudy was in Memphis he had two [frontcourt] guys that he could play with in Marc (Gasol) and Zach (Randolph) and we just thought the idea of putting him on the perimeter with the inside presence of [Cousins] could really allow him to showcase his abilities.dddddddddddd." "So it is a fit and guys have to compliment each other and thats what putting together a roster is all about," he continued. "Up there, for whatever reason, DeMar and Rudy on the court maybe wasnt a mesh, maybe [there] wasnt enough shots to go around. Im not sure what it was but all I can tell you is that the games that weve had Rudy hes been a great fit." The marriage between Gay and the Raptors, which lasted less than a full year, was flawed from the outset. He and DeRozan had repetitive skill sets that clashed on the court, restricting Lowry from playing to his strengths and stunting the growth of Valanciunas. Dwane Casey tried his best to fit square pegs into round holes until the inevitable split up freed his team and their most expensive player. The pieces just didnt fit. Though his pre-trade numbers may suggest otherwise, Gay never threw in the towel or lost hope that they would figure it out. "I think we had a chance to be a really good team," he said, two months removed from the deal. "I mean obviously theyre a really good team now but I still dont feel we had a lot of time to build and become a big threat in the East." Without Gay the Raptors have a record of 20-10, third best in the Eastern Conference behind only Indiana and Miami. They have recorded 20 or more assists in 24 of those 30 games, averaging 22.9 per contest, ninth-best over that stretch after ranking last in that category before the trade (averaging 17.3). They have gone from the 19th ranked three-point shooting team (34 per cent) to the fifth best (38 per cent) and find themselves in the top 10 in both offensive (10th) and defensive (fifth) efficiency since Dec. 8. "I think the trade helped both of us," Gay said. "Im here, I have more room and they have a solid bench. [Theres] no hard feelings. I love the fact that those guys are winning." Meanwhile, Gays reprisal hasnt translated to team success in Sacramento, at least not yet. The Kings are 11-19 since the trade, tied for the worst record in the West overall. Theyre last in the NBA in assists since Gays arrival but its been their defence, among the worst in the league, that has held them back more than anything else. Yet with Gay on board, paired with a young core of Cousins and breakout point guard Isaiah Thomas, the Kings are optimistic about the future. They have reason to be. "We couldnt be happier with Rudy and hes shown that hes much more than just a scorer," Malone said. "Hes proven to everybody that he can be a very efficient player so thats been a bonus." Cheap Bills Jerseys Authentic Dolphins Jerseys Cheap Patriots Store Cyber Monday Jets Jerseys Cyber Monday Texans Jerseys Black Friday Colts Jerseys Cheap Jaguars Jerseys Cheap Titans Store Black Friday Broncos Jerseys Cheap Chiefs Jerseys Cheap Raiders Jerseys Authentic Chargers Jerseys Cheap Ravens Store Black Friday Steelers Jerseys Black Friday Cowboys Jerseys Cheap Giants Store Cheap Eagles Store Black Friday Redskins Jerseys Falcons Jerseys Online Panthers Jerseys Online Authentic Saints Jerseys Cheap Buccaneers Jerseys Authentic Cardinals Jerseys Black Friday 49ers Jerseys Black Friday Seahawks Jerseys Cyber Monday Rams Jerseys Black Friday Bears Jerseys Wholesale Lions Jerseys Packers Jerseys Online Authentic Vikings Jerseys Cyber Monday Bengals Jerseys Cyber Monday Browns Jerseys ' ' '