11/1/2007 10:26:46 PM
One Last Time

The last game of the season is one that is somewhat surreal when it comes too early. It doesn’t hit you until you’ve been at your offseason residence for a week or two that you’re not going to put on pads again for another 6 months or so…if at all. For the schedule makers to have had the foresight to pit Hamilton against us for the last game of the season is an interesting coincidence seeing as we’re the only two teams excluded from playoff contention. Hamilton is in a bit of a bad way it seems, but the organization has a great deal of pride and I fully expect them to show their teeth.
The game itself will be an interesting one for me being that Hamilton is the team that I last played on. Much has been made this year about my journey throughout this league, and the stops and struggles that I’ve had along the way – (oddly very little about the successes though.) I’ve been fortunate to have played in 4 of the truly great CFL cities, where the fans are passionate about the team, and prideful in how the team represents them. For whatever reason, I’ve found throughout this year that I’ve been able to establish a better connection with the Eskimo fans than I have on any other team. To me it’s not that they seem to cheer inordinately for me, or that I’m any more popular as a player than any other newcomer on this team – not that I’ve noticed at least. The main reason in my opinion that I have come to enjoy my experience playing for them, is that they have been fair to me. As much as I know that it may have made them wince when I signed in the off-season, and how I’m sure they may even still hold their breath when the ball is in flight in my direction, they have been fair. They have praised me when praise was due, and they have criticized when they found me wanting. It is that fairness that I’ve come to admire most about Edmonton fans, and it’s that same honest fairness that I covet in this place and have missed in others that I’ve been.
I can remember wanting very much to win the Hamilton fans over upon my being traded there from Winnipeg. I could feel myself pressing the issue trying to make plays out of nothing, and trying to make opportunities when there were none in a desperate attempt to give the Ivor Wynne faithful something to cheer about. While many of us that were shipped out of Hamilton keep in contact with each other and marvel at the current state of the organization, I notice the same look of relief in all who I’ve encountered this year on other teams in the same boat as I. There is a desperation that develops when playing there as of late that is difficult to describe. That desperation will make them a very dangerous team, and not one to be taken lightly.
The opportunity before us now is not one that promises glory or even another game next week. Regardless of the outcome, both teams will be packing up our lockers the following day and making plans to go home. The prospect before us is now one of pure passion, pride and professionalism. To me one of the main aspects differentiating a professional athlete from an amateur is the ability to deal with the portions of sport that are not glamorous or convenient. In theory, it should be a very easy thing to deal with great success on the field of play (although many still have trouble,) but to be able to lose and still hold your chin high and answer questions about that loss is what makes one a pro. To play this game on Saturday, is to play for the name on your back, the man beside you, those who have sacrificed to get you here, and for the colors on your jersey, which for me has never been a difficult thing – because that’s all I’ve ever played for in any sport. While post season awards, all-star votes, and home playoff games are all the pot of gold at the end of the tunnel – to me nothing is more euphoric than imposing your will on a man by using the tools of your craft.
This final game of the 2007 season for us is the last chance I’ll get to test my skill against other professionals for a few months, and I intend to relish it – as I do every week. For some of us, this will be our last game as Eskimos, for others…our last game as professionals. Sadly, many of us don’t even know this yet, but one thing is for sure though – this is the last time this team will play together. This to me is all the more reason to play this game with a childlike exuberance.
After all…it’s just recess. ©

KP8