Choke Artist! I love it.

Having to prove yourself by ‘the number of rings’ thing
is a lot harder to do in a sport like football which has
three different sets of twelve men sharing field time

It’s not like basketball, where 2 or 3 players
can carry the whole team on their backs

Especially if one of them is a driven player
who is on for 40 minutes in the big games

a player like…let’s see…hmmm? Kobe Bryant, eh Crash?

I would have said guys like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett
and Ray Allen but I know how much you like Mr. Bryant.

Calgary's defense came up big in that game. Once Labinjo started actually playing, that was it. That guy is an animal.

Burris had a good game, but so did Calvillo. Unfortunately, Montreal couldn't hold on in the 2nd half. Calvillo had the CGY defense in his face for most of it.

Defense wins championships.

For a team who was picked by many to finish last in the East, I think Montreal did very well. I don't think Calvillo is a choker at all. He didn't lose that game for them, just as Burris didn't win that game for CGY. There were more than a few moments in that game where Burris' receivers made him look good. It's a team sport. Everyone contributed and that's why CGY won.

Interesting stat I heard announced was in the last fifty five years of Grey Cups the home team has only won six times. I thought that was a bit shocking.

Players are defined by how they play in the big game… The 3 Celtics will go down as a team that “Took” the title away from LA because they wanted it more. Calvillo and his team had the chance to do that last night, as Zontar mentioned they had home field in a Grey Cup game, something that does not come along very often, instead of using that noise and energy to their advantage they failed to capitalize on it in the 1st half when Calgary looked awful at best… instead they let the Stamps hang around and they “took” the Cup away from Montreal.

If winning Championships can define a player’s legacy, then losing them can do the same. AC has had 6 chances, and like Zontar said many of the times his team was the favourite and had more talent. Perhaps he didnt choke but I saw 2 INT’s that looked like they were out of the Kevin Eakin days.

To be more precise "choking" is when a big lead is given up. But given all the advantages MTL had last night then a couple of dumb decisions by Calvillo and a killer penalty by Cox they came awful close to earning a "choke" label.

But being the nice guy Calvillo is he'll have plenty of supporters (TSN) who will play down his big game failures rightly or wrongly.

Gawd protect us all from Dunnigan and TSNers if it were Casey Printers who won the MOP and coughed up two big INTs at home in the championship game.

I find this thread to be very sad considering that Hamilton's own dearly departed Ron Lancaster was 1-4 in Grey Cup appearances.

Ah yes, I remember December 2, 1972 very well… a cold day, made even colder by a rookie kicker named Ian. There must have been ice-water in his veins. The Green Riders were very close that day to their second Grey Cup win, but we had, for want of a better word, destiny on our side. We ripped off ten straight to finish the season 11 and 3 and won the Eastern final two game total point series against the Eastern 'Riders (having to come back from behind in the second game). I had the overwhelming feeling from game 5 onward that we would win every game. I also had that same feeling in September that year for games 6, 7, and 8 of the most exciting hockey series ever played. Sadly I’ve only had that feeling once since then, the Salt Lake City Olympics with Mario, Stevie and Joe playing in the gold medal game.

Maybe it’ll come back to me, sometime before I die, with the Tiger Cats. One can only hope…

Try as you might to defend Calvillo but you're just dancing around the issue.

Calvillo is not a big game QB.

Sure... his stats were alright but he lost... again.

GREAT players find ways to make plays. Calvillo didn't. He made all the plays that he should have and racked up some good yardage... but he didn't really "step it up". From watching the game I didn't get the sense that he was ready to step in and WIN the game. He just showed up to play... like it was the 5th week of the season. Played good but not great.

Oh... and his end zone INT 100% cost them the game. Period.

1-5 in Grey Cups...

That's brutal.

BERNIE FALONEY.....

Was in the Grey Cup in '57, '58, '59,'61, and '62... 5 times

And came away with guess how many rings... ONE... in '57

And no one would ever dare call him a choke artist in this city...

yet we're so quick to jump on Calvillo as a 'choke artist'... and why? Because he sucked for us so many years ago?

And I'm sorry... I'd rather get to the Grey Cup six times in one decade (like Calvillo) and win one, then to make the playoffs 1 time in seven seasons (our current situation)

While we're eating Mac and Cheese, we're in no position to complain about someone else's steak dinner.

If I were a Montreal fan and saw this stuff being posted, I'd come on and laugh at all of you.

As an Als fan, this thread saddens me. Like I said, your own Ron Lancaster was 1-4 in Grey Cup appearances, but I don't see anyone calling him a choke artist. The QB gets too much credit for wins and too much blame for losses. It was a defensive struggle, but Calgary was facing a weaker defense than Calvillo was. Also, Hufnagel and Jones made effective adjustments on both sides of the ball, while Trestman and Burke didn't.

I dont get this at all , if someone is happy that the Als ( and especially Calvillo AGAIN !!! ) lost whats the big deal ?? Hes not a Ticat anymore and to see how many times Calvillo stayed in games this season when they had big leads to pad his stats , I for one am happy that they lost !!!

 Calgary is a better team and that`s a fact !!!!

Calvillo is NOT a choke artist. IMO, choke artists make continual dumb mistakes in crucial games.
While its true that Calvillo put up 2 picks, he still played a great game based on the play of his team mates.

To me, the story of the Grey Cup game was the superior play of the Stampeders in the 2nd half. Burris was on target most of the time, and their defence was outstanding. Armour shot through the centre of the Alouette's "O" line about half way through the 4th quarter, untouched. Calvillo didn't have a chance.

Labinjo played like a man possessed, knocking or tipping 4 Calvillo passes. He actually played over his head as he hadn't played this well all season and probably in his career.

There were other areas of this game where breaks, some Montreal mis-ques and Calgary's superior play in the 2nd half sent the decision Calgary's way and deservedly so.

Sometimes, when a team loses, it seems like fair game to blame the quarterback.
I don't think this was the case here.

See, Labinjo stepped up and played to a Championship level. Calvillo didn’t step up. A true leader finds a way to win.

That’s the difference between a good player and a great player.

A GOOD player will make all the plays that he’s supposed to.

A GREAT player will make all the plays he’s supposed to AND pull some crazy !@#$ right out of his @$$ and make plays where there are none!

So what your saying is .... If Calvillio had more time to throw he would of completed more passes ??? If he had more protection he would of had longer drivers and more first downs . The defence would of been on the field less and that would mean more chances for the Als to score points ?????

Isnt this the same thing you ripped our QBs for this season ?? If we took Calvillo out and threw Printers name in thier  wouldnt that add up to the same equation ?

Therefore, Faloney and Lancaster were merely good players and choke artists?

The West was far superior this year; Calgary was their best team. Calgary was a better team than Montreal including the QB position. Montreal couldn’t get a run game going and that hurt them more than anything Calvillo did or didn’t go.

Montreal has been the best team in the East these past seven years or so and that’s how they’ve arrived at the big game so often. Perhaps if the TiCats weren’t choking on the entire regular season Calvillo would only have been to a couple Grey Cups.

Why would I want to be scarce, habman???

Look at all the pre season predictions. Back in May and June, the Ticats were a sure bet to make the playoffs and contend. Als would finish last. Calvillo had a spaghetti arm, the o line was old, the coaching was inexperienced.

Didn’t work out that way did it? The Cats won three lousy games. The Als won 11. AC was MOP,and top rated passer. Four fifths of the O line made the All star team. Trestman is a candidate for coach of the year.

I’m proud of the Als… The loss hurts but to lose to a better team is no disgrace…I would rather be second best than eighth best in an eight team league. What is a disgrace is fans like you who get their jollies in the misfortunes of others, like hoping that AC got hurt, or that he would fail to win the cup. Even your fellow Ticat posters found your attitude disgusting. How would you feel if I came on here and said…“Boy I am going to wet my pants when Jesse gets a new boo boo!”

ASFAR AS “BASHING” THE cATS…REREAD MY POSTS…I never really bashed the team, only the players who could’nt help the team win…guys like Miles and Printers , Gordon, NML…a few more. I applauded guys like Porter and Prechae, Jojo (who hustled his butt off every time he got a chance to play. The only time I bashed the team was after the last game in Montreal…never seen a team give up like that.

Then again…it’s hard to be positive when you win one game in six.

Kinda like the Als Grey Cup runs?

Please don’t insult your own intelligence by making that kind of comparison. At least the Als made it there…

If the Cats hadn’t of gone 15-57 in thr last 4 years maybe they could have done better than the Als. during that time the Cats playoff record was lets see…eastern semifinals, 0-0. Eastern Finals…0-0. grey Cup…0-0.

The Regular season does count for something too…

I tip my hat to the Stamps for beating a good team. I tip it to the Als for proving the early season critics wrong. I tip it to the Cat fans who supported a team that was out of contention by early October. I tip it to AC…maybe it wasnt a story book ending, but I have a PVR full of great plays orchestrated by the best Offence in the CFL. He proved the sceptics wrong…good for him.

(Quote)als4ever
I tip my hat to the Stamps for beating a good team. I tip it to the Als for proving the early season critics wrong. I tip it to the Cat fans who supported a team that was out of contention by early October. I tip it to AC...maybe it wasnt a story book ending, but I have a PVR full of great plays orchestrated by the best Offence in the CFL. He proved the sceptics wrong...good for him.
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I tip my hat to you, als4ever for your valid insight and for keeping your cool amid the feeding frenzy which too often prevails on this site.

The Alouettes definitely proved their critics wrong; myself included. As a Ticat fan, I'd settle for a playoff spot, let alone a trip to the Grey Cup.

There is no logic at all in the references that paint Calvillo as a choke artist.

I tip my hat to you, als4ever for your valid insight and for keeping your cool amid the feeding frenzy which too often prevails on this site.

The Alouettes definitely proved their critics wrong; myself included. As a Ticat fan, I’d settle for a playoff spot, let alone a trip to the Grey Cup.

There is no logic at all in the references that paint Calvillo as a choke artist.
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And I tip my hat to you spike for being one of the fans who make this site the best in the league!