For those of you who remember, 1970's popular culture was profoundly influenced by the the difficulty of the era. The end of the Vietnam war, the energy crisis, Nixon's resignation, even the break up of the Beatles had led to an entrenched sense of cynicism in popular culture. Sardonic wit drawn from a growing mistrust of authority and established institutions became chic. Much of this was reflected in popular films of the era like M*A*S*H, Smokey and The Bandit, Convoy even Star Wars. These were movies that pitted their heroes against the established authority.
Standing apart from this trend was Superman The Movie. The big screen rendition of the idyllic comic book superhero turned the box office on its ear. In a time when heroes were anything but clean cut, morally centred men in tights, the film seemed to strike a chord with audiences. The tenor of the story pitted the acrimony of the day against bright-eyed optimism and a veneration of core values such as courtesy, respect and humility. One of the most telling moments in the film came when Margo Kidder's Lois Lane asked Superman what he believed.
He replied without hesitation, "I stand for truth, justice and the American way."
That line universally drew titters and sometimes outright laughter from the audience. It also caused more than a few viewers to pause and ponder why such a statement had become so laughable.
In the moments after last night's Grey Cup victory, Anthony Calvillo was pulled aside by a television reporter to comment on his team's success. Calvillo began, as he had in similar occasions by saying, "First of all I want to thank my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
That line drew more than a few laughs among the Alouettes faithful with whom I had gathered to watch the game. As a person who has devoted much of my own life to a local church, admittedly the statement drew a mild cringe.
The euphoria of the Alouettes Grey Cup win soon turned to shock and surprise when Calvillo later admitted that he had been keeping a health related issue a secret. In August of this year, when doctors examined him after suffering a bruised sternum, it was discovered that the Als' quarterback had a lesion on the thyroid gland in his neck. A biopsy was inconclusive, so surgery to remove the lesion became necessary. Despite the gravity of the discovery, physicians told Calvillo he would be able to complete the season prior to the operation. Thyroid cancer is among the more treatable forms of the disease, with a 97% success rate, but until any one of us has to face such unimaginable news, percentages don't have much meaning.
Calvillo has known about his condition since August, but virtually no one on the team was aware. This makes the Grey Cup victory all the more incredible and somewhat bittersweet. It is also a testament to his faith.
Cynicism is easy. It's been said that it's better to be an pessimist than an optimist because most of the time you are right, and even when you're wrong, it's a pleasant surprise. Faith is hard. To believe in something so deeply is one thing, but to profess it publicly is another thing entirely. You risk mockery and derision. Your credibility is called into question as is your judgement.
The mixture of faith and sports has never been a comfortable one. There have been players in the past who have accredited their success on the playing field to their relationship with the divine. In Calvillo's case, he has never given credit to God for his success, but he has always taken the opportunity to thank God. There is a difference.
Humility is the cornerstone of many faiths. Secular society has often regarded this quality as weakness, but true humility requires significant courage and strength. Humility comes from accepting that much of what we experience and have received in our lives does not come from us. That our lives, our abilities, our talents, are all gifts, things that we did not acquire on our own, that help define who we are. This is not to say that humility cannot coexist with confidence and determination. In many ways, those qualities are enhanced by humility. What we achieve in life is dependant mostly on what we do with the gifts we have. It is those choices that determine how we are perceived by the world. Do we use them solely for the benefit of ourselves or do we share them for the benefit of others?
Calvillo himself is nonplussed about reactions to his public acknowledgements of grace. It is a reflection of his character that is in part fierce and determined competitor and a humble, thankful human being. Whether we find his statement to be laughable or cringeworthy, to borrow a line from a lesser known movie, "you don't have to believe." Whatever we might think of his chosen faith, or religion in general, Calvillo has consistently demonstrated exceptional qualities both on and off the playing field. Any one who might want to question his priorities ought to recall his decision to walk away from the game in 2007 to support his wife Alexia in her battle with B-cell lymphoma cancer.
I suspect that back in August, when he first learned of his condition, Calvillo's first thought was not why me? Knowing what we know of him, he was probably thinking it was a good thing he got injured, otherwise he might not have known about the lesion sooner. These things we will likely never know, but one thing is certain, he spent the rest of the season, and playoffs, keeping the news from his team-mates so as not to become a distraction. It doesn't get much more selfless than that. Although typical of Calvillo, he was honest enough to admit that playing the game had kept him from thinking of the road ahead. Still, it would have been easy to use his condition as a rallying point for the team, making the season all about him, or perhaps to build-in an excuse if the season didn't end well. Clearly, that was not how he wanted this to play out.
Winning a second straight Grey Cup, under circumstances that we now know were significantly more challenging than any of us saw on the field, Calvillo could have been forgiven for wanting to take at least a modicum of credit. Instead, he did as he has always done, shown grace for his blessings ahead of everything else, including his own remarkable courage.
In a society in which professional athletes brag and trash talk one another, where celebrities are exalted and bask in the limelight for achieving little else than being born into a good gene pool, Calvillo's attitude is refreshing and much needed. I firmly believe his faith will carry him through the challenges ahead, and because of the strength of his character built upon a foundation of humility, each and every one of us touched by his life will carry the weight as well.
Blessings, Anthony.
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