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Timing, they say, is everything. For back when Indianapolis was granted its first opportunity to host a Super Bowl, it wasnt hard to imagine the Colts as the first team to play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy in front of its home crowd. With a shiny new stadium and the best player of his generation showing no signs of slowing down, the Colts entered this season on a run of nine consecutive seasons of double-digit regular season victories. Funny what happens in the world of sports sometimes, with the air all rushing out of the Colts balloon this season by early September. With Peyton Manning on the shelf, the Colts suffered an epic collapse and talk quickly turned to a new era in Indy, one without The Polians, head coach Jim Caldwell and, quite likely, Manning. All of which has turned Indy into the NFLs news hotspot, with the recent hiring of a new head coach and general manager and the sense of significant upheaval among the player ranks, beyond Manning. The disappointment from the season doesnt seem to have sucked any of the enthusiasm out of this Super Bowl week, however, where the locals danced in the streets Sunday evening, a full week before the big game. Theres a sense of this being a once-in-a-lifetime kind of event for Indianapolis so, with or without the Colts, the fans have decided to enjoy it. And besides, fans here understand that if your team is going to fall out of the running to play in a Super Bowl, it might as well freefall, like the Colts did this season by securing the No. 1 overall pick come this April. Of course the setting for this years game is the perfect drop-back for Manning story which has continued to play-out on a daily basis of late, with the quarterback and Colts owner Jim Irsay trading barbs in the media the week before the Super Bowl. That story cant overshadow the matchup between the Giants and Patriots. But given Mannings stature in the NFL and the location of this years game, its sure to get its fair share of attention from the thousands of journalists in town this week, all keen to have their take on the NFLs most compelling soap opera. Meanwhile, instead of Manning starring in the big game on the field he helped get built, hell have to watch his chief rival over his career, Brady, and his little brother, Eli, take centre stage. And the possibility that Brady could become only the third quarterback with four Super Bowl rings, or that Eli can pass his older brother for NFL championships, only enriches the storyline around this years game. All of which is playing out in a city that would have seem far-fetched destination for a Super Bowl once upon a time. But that was back when Super Bowls were exclusively handed-out to places with the most tropical and entertaining surroundings, where hotel space and weather would never be an issue. These days the NFLs big game is used as a means of luring public money for new stadiums, such the colossal Lucas Oil Stadium that sits in downtown Indy adjacent from where the Hoosier/RCA Dome once was. The Hoosier/RCA Dome was the carrot used to attract former Colts owner Robert Irsay, who infamously ordered the Mayflower moving vans to pack up his teams gear in Baltimore and travel under the cloak of darkness to this small Midwestern city back in March of 1984. While a hole burned in the hearts of Baltimore football fans, the Colts became a middling team with an assortment of underwhelming personnel until Bill Polian came along, drafted Peyton Manning first overall in 1998 and the rest, as they say, is history. Though Indy may have been front-and-centre on the NFL map for more than a decade, but its still one of the leagues smallest markets, a fact reflected in the wide distribution of "Super Bowl" hotel rooms into the Indiana countryside this week. But its going to feel big-time between now and Sunday, as it welcomes two of the NFLs colossal markets and Madonna as well. And a week from now they can turn their attention full-time to the Manning saga and the inevitable arrival of Andrew Luck with the first pick in the upcoming draft, who will – either right away or very soon – inherit the torch as quarterback. Its been a fine NFL ride for Indianapolis, with two state-of-the art stadiums built in its downtown core, hosting a Super Bowl and the chance to snag its second generational franchise player in a row. Youd almost think this city has horseshoes somewhere. James Harden Navy Jersey . The Missouri Tigers Defensive End and SEC Defensive player of the year is eligible for the upcoming NFL draft in May. Clint Capela Jersey . 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As the lowest-ranked of nine unseeded European qualifiers, France was expected to go in the Africa-dominated draw pot — meaning it could not be placed in the same group as a top-seeded European team.MONTREAL -- Anthony Calvillo isnt sure where hell be when the Montreal Alouettes open training camp in June. He just knows that for the first time since 98 he wont be on the field in his teal-coloured No. 13 practice jersey throwing balls to S.J. Green, Jamel Richardson and the other receivers. The 41-year-old who rewrote the CFL record book for quarterbacks announced his retirement Tuesday following an illustrious 20-year career. Its an end Calvillo knew was coming when he missed the final 10 games of the regular season with a concussion. "My mind was pretty much made up at the end of the season that I wanted to retire," said Calvillo. "I went on holidays to think about it but I was 99 per cent sure. "In my mind Ive moved on. The process of being hurt helped me go through the transition. So when June comes around, I dont know where Ill be." Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, who got a crash course on Canadian football after signing with Montreal in August, is pegged as the new starter. Thats a position Calvillo held since 2000 after signing with the Alouettes as Tracy Hams understudy two years earlier. Calvillo leaves as pro footballs most prolific passer (79,816 yards) and the CFLs all-time leader in completions (5,892), attempts (9,437) and TD strikes (455). A spot in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame surely awaits. The five-time CFL all-star also holds records for completions in one game (44), most 300-yard contests (125) and 4,000-yard seasons (11). Calvillo also holds most Grey Cup game records, including passing yards (2,470). Calvillo led Montreal to eight Grey Cup appearances, winning in 2002, 2009 and 2010. Owner Robert Wetenhall called Calvillo a "good and decent man" who was "arguably one of the great players in the history of professional football." In a statement, CFL commissioner Mark Cohon called Calvillo "more than one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. He is one of the most remarkable people to ever grace our league." The Los Angeles native who has made Montreal his home wont be going far. Calvillo has a spot waiting for him on the Alouettes coaching staff, but he plans to take the summer off before looking at coaching in 2015. For now, he is working on two online courses to get the final credits he needs to complete the degree he started at Utah State University before he turned pro. He will also do a 180-hour internship in the Alouettes scouting department and front office for credit. He wants to finish his BA in general studies by April and bring his wife and two young daughters to Logan, Utah, for the graduation ceremony. Leaving due to injury was not how Calvillo expected to end his career but he found he wasnt enjoying the game or playing up to his own standards in his final season. Calvillo didnt play after suffering the second major concussion of his career on what looked like a routine hit by Saskatchewans Ricky Foley in a 24-21 loss on Aug. 17 in Regina. "The thing that stood out to me is that my tolerance to take a hit had gone down and the hit that caused it wasnt a hard hit," said Calvillo, now symptom-free. " That concerned me. "At the end of the day, I just didnt want to put my head at risk any more." Now, the Alouettes will see what life is like without the player who has long been the face of their franchise. "This organization has always put the right people in pllace, so I feel confident," Calvillo said.dddddddddddd "To see what Troy Smith did in half a season, not knowing anything about this league, was very impressive." Jim Popp, who has been general manager since the team returned to Montreal in 1996, said the Alouettes got a taste of what life without Calvillo will be like during his injury. "Our locker room had to learn to function without Anthony," he said. "There was a real growing process for our veterans and our new players that were looking up to Anthony. "This is real, and weve got to take a step forward and depend on other people." Popp stepped in as head coach when Dan Hawkins was fired only five games into his first CFL season and is expected to remain in his dual role. But the team put out a release last week saying its still looking at head coaching candidates. Popp said Calvillo will likely begin as a quarterbacks or receivers coach in 2015. But Popp sees Calvillo being an offensive co-ordinator and head coach in the future. Calvillo was very emotional as he addressed the media and a large group of past and present Alouettes at his farewell news conference. Popp sobbed even more as he went over what the steady, six-foot-one quarterback meant to the organization. Calvillo was just 21 when he made his CFL debut with the Las Vegas Posse in 1994. He went to Hamilton the next season after the Posse folded but following three struggling campaigns with the Tiger-Cats, Calvillo joined the Alouettes in 1998. He was considering an offer from the Saskatchewan Roughriders but opted to sign with Montreal for the chance to learn from Ham. "The reason I did not sign with Saskatchewan is that I knew if I had another bad year that my career was over and I couldnt risk that," he said. "I wanted to take a step back and learn from an experienced quarterback." Injuries that forced Hams retirement put Calvillo into the starting lineup earlier than expected and he excelled from the outset. The winning seasons piled up, but it wasnt always easy. In 2007, he took the final five games of the season off to tend to his wife Alexia, who was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma only a week after giving birth to their second daughter. Then in 2010, a cancerous lesion was found in Calvillos neck. Thankfully, the scare passed with successful surgery to remove his thyroid gland. Calvillo also endured criticism for not playing well in championship games. The Alouettes win in 2002 under coach Don Matthews was largely due to the clubs defence but the repeat championships in 2009-10 under Marc Trestman offered redemption. "I never gave up on myself," said Calvillo. "It was tough when you have spectacular regular seasons and then things dont work out for you in the playoffs, especially in championship games. "But I never doubted myself or quit. I refocused and got ready for the next year." Video messages from Trestman and Calvillos long time go-to receiver, Ben Cahoon, were played during the announcement. Guard Scott Flory said the Alouettes will have to learn to move on without Calvillo. "I got drafted in 1998 -- Cahoon went first and I was the next pick and we all showed up together," said the all-star guard. "When you have an opportunity to play with these amazing players, its just surreal. "You really appreciate what hes done. The legend will just grow." ' ' '
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| Beitrag vom 10.12.2014 - 03:52 |
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