It's not often you see the thrill of victory AND the agony of defeat from the same team in a matter of seconds, but that's exactly what transpired in the 97th Grey Cup.
The least penalized team in the CFL this season committed one of the most critical errors in championship game history, giving Damon Duval and the Montreal Alouettes a second chance at history. Duval made good on that chance and the Alouettes exhaled as champions.
And while the spotlight continues to shine on the Riders mistake, the reprieve allowed Anthony Calvillo to carve out his rightful place in Canadian football history.
Calvillo is one of just four men to capture the league's Most Outstanding Player Award three times in his career. Yet with the Als poised to fall to 1-6 in their impressive seven Grey Cup appearances this decade, Calvillo was on the verge of becoming simply the lovable loser.
That is until he did what the great ones always seem to do ... will their way back.
Down 27-11 with less than 10 minutes left in the game, the Als maestro simply orchestrated TD drives of 74 and 55 yards to get within two.
But the best was yet to come. With just 40 seconds left on the clock, Calvillo marched 40 yards to set up the ultimate drama.
The lines of history are often blurred by interpretation. Without the win, Calvillo is just another great athlete who couldn't win the big one. Instead, with some miscommunication and a couple flags in the endzone, the 16-year veteran's legacy was cemented as one of the best ever.
The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, depending on which side you stand on.
