July 27, 2011
Rose Mary Phillip
ESKS.com
If the Eskimo Empire is an army, then Kavis Reed is a five-star general.
The gridiron is the battle field and first down markers are the front lines. A balanced attack on the ground and through the air has defended their season against all would-be invaders.
4 – 0. Enough said.
Despite some shared lingo, football is not actually warfare (although it did start as a way to train Chinese soldiers). Teams fight for the Grey Cup, while those who bravely serve our country fight for life and limb. War is deadly serious. Football is a game.
There are similarities.
According to receiver Fred Stamps, football players and soldiers share character traits. “You’ve got to be dedicated and you really can’t be afraid.” Not to mention both require intense physical preparation, mental stamina and a stockpile of maneuvers.
Still, Stamps admits he is not cut out for the service.
“The closest I get to war is Call of Duty with the fellas.” He says the team meets regularly online via PlayStation to duke it out in the simulated combat game. The only real risk is a bruised ego and hurt feelings.
“Soldiers are over seas, fighting, away from their families so everybody can live comfortably. I am thankful for everything they do.”
Several members of the Stamps family are veterans or active serviceman, including his younger sister, Marchelle, who is serving in the U.S. Navy.
Before her last deployment, friends and family gathered to say goodbye. It was one of a handful of times she’s spent with her nineteen-month-old nephew Fred Jr. It was almost the last time too.
Marchelle and her naval ship left their Japanese base just two weeks before the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and 33-foot tsunami killed thousands.
It can be difficult for military families to adjust to the seemingly constant close calls. Just ask running back Calvin McCarty. His dad is a member of the Unites States Armed Forces. So are the aunt and uncle he lived with in Alabama when he first picked up the pigskin.
“I have a great respect of them,” says McCarty. “We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the military.”
The Eskimos will dedicate Friday’s match up against the Toronto Argonauts to those serving. Nearly 800 tickets were donated to military families for the game dubbed Military Appreciation Night and presented by Capital Power.