Rick Moffat
CFL.ca
It’s true that the best things in CFL life are free – witness Montreal’s last two Grey Cup parades – but do the best things come in threes?
Truth is the Montreal Alouettes may be a better football team in 2011 than either of their back-to-back championship squads. But the salary cap era is a perpetual motion machine with an unrelenting direction headed towards parity.
General Manager Jim Popp denies the biggest enemy facing the Als is complacency.
“We’re capable of winning as many (games and Grey Cups) as we allow ourselves to, but I don’t think this team has to worry about complacency. We’ve got new blood that came here just for the shot at the ring.”
While the Alouettes may miss the vocal attributes that were usually supplied by Avon Cobourne, free agent acquisition Dwight Anderson will likely be able to fill in that role.
During the team’s visit to Hamilton last week, Anderson was spotted wearing a piece of jewellery that caused some heads to turn: His 2008 Calgary Grey Cup ring, won against the Alouettes at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
Anderson denies he committed a fashion faux-pas on his first road trip of the pre-season.
“I wanted my teammates to know that I’m a champion too and we all have championship expectations,” says the spirited DB. “I want a ring with them this year.”
The defence can, and must be, more devastating this year. The Grey Cup champs cannot overlook the fact that in 2010, the East Division cellar dwelling Blue Bombers allowed only 10 points more than Montreal.
Newly-promoted defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar is part of that solution. He’ll be taking over for Tim Burke who left this off-season for Winnipeg.
One thing that hasn’t changed for the Alouettes is their head coach. Marc Trestman has reached star-status around the league thanks to his many mottos.
Mantras like “Win the Day” and “Everything Matters” were taken to heart by his players. “Stay the Course” worked in 2010 but the truth is, Trestman could get away with nothing more profound than “Que sera, sera” in 2011.
“He has the will and the know-how to keep his message new,” says Popp. “We all understand what we’re shooting for and that everybody’s shooting for us.”
He also has Anthony Calvillo shooting footballs at his lankiest set of receivers ever, not to mention at the loftiest legends ever.
After completing 416 passes for 33 touchdowns and 5,037 yards per season under Air Trestman, Calvillo will shatter the all-time records for completions, touchdowns and yardage at some point throughout the season. The test of humility could be tougher than the weekly test of reading opposing coverages and blitz packages.
Helping Calvillo along the way to the Hall of Fame this season will be Brandon London, who has the talent and build to be the next SJ Green. Green, in turn, is hoping to solidify his status as the next Jamel Richardson.
’J-Rich’ is the undisputed swagger on offence right now. It was he, alongside Cobourne, who insisted fans raise their hands to form a letter D, while chanting “Dynasty!” at the victory parade last December.
“Can we be better? No question,” said Popp. “I feel good about our receivers and about having (Kitwana Jones) in the mix (on defence and special teams) but I don’t know if I have a ‘feel’ yet for this team.”
The Als of 2011 may be so good that even revolving doors at tailback and kicker should not derail their drive towards a three-peat. Brandon Whitaker will not win the CFL rushing crown, but he’ll provide some velvet even if he has to step aside to allow Emmanuel Marc to provide the velvet hammer from time to time.
Sean Whyte and Sandro DeAngelis are entirely capable of proving the Als were right to draft their kicker of the future in the first round this year. They may also prove to be solid “human garage sale” finds.
Truth is, the leadership on special teams will come from the saws-all attitude of Walter Spencer, who feels blessed to back from a knife wound near the heart.
He and Anthony Calvillo know to take nothing for granted and will play like it could be their last shot at the ring.
To become the first CFL team since the Eskimos’ five-in-a-row Dynasty from 1978-82 will absolutely take that daily diligence.
