Offtopic/fun » quarter led to a 1-yard touchd

MONTREAL -- Trying to change the "Alouette way" was what got Dan Hawkins fired only five games into his first job as a head coach in the Canadian Football League. With the Montreal Alouettes once-powerful offence sputtering, general manager Jim Popp announced Thursday that Hawkins was gone and that offensive co-ordinator Mike Miller would have a reduced role on the coaching staff. Popp will step in as head coach for the third time in his 18 years with the club, while Hawkins adviser Doug Berry will run the offence. "I wont get into specifics, but there are some issues that we felt should be moving along quicker than they are," said Popp, who made the decision along with owner Bob Wetenhall. "We feel its going very slow. "Were a veteran team. Were looking for results now. Hopefully we can get ourselves back to the Alouette way." Hawkins was hired Feb. 19 to replace the popular Marc Trestman, who left to become head coach of the NFLs Chicago Bears. In five seasons, Trestman took the Alouettes to three Grey Cup games, winning twice. The chatty, gung-ho Hawkins had been working as a broadcaster after a career of coaching U.S. college teams. He was told of the decision by phone on Wednesday night and was to meet with Popp on Thursday. Popp said Hawkins lack of experience coaching pro players was his undoing. He called Hawkins a good coach, but said "the transition hasnt been real smooth." The Alouettes, whose only losing season since returning to Montreal after a 10-year hiatus in 1996 was the last time Popp took over as coach in 2007, has struggled to a 2-3 start. The attack led by all-time CFL passing leader Anthony Calvillo, with 11-of-12 starters back from last season, looked disjointed and tentative as it adjusted to a new approach brought in by Hawkins and Miller against the advice of Popp and Calvillo. "We wanted the coaches to learn the language, instead of 12 people having to learn something new," said Popp. "That didnt take place." He didnt go into much detail on what constitutes the Alouette way, but said there were ways of doing things the team had developed that made it a consistent winner. "Its a philosophy that works," he said. "When you start swaying away too much from that, if people say, I dont care how it was done, I want to do it this way, you want to give the guy some freedom to do things. "But if it starts rubbing too many people the wrong way, and youre not getting results, it starts creating negativity, and then you worry if theyre going to lose the locker-room. "I dont think Dan lost the locker-room, but I think it was teetering. Were trying to get things back on the path of how we practice, how we do things in our locker-room." He gave one example. The Alouettes had always spent 10 minutes before practice stretching, but that was cut to seven minutes, which upset some players. "These things fester," said Popp. "And if things arent going as well as youd like, then they become a much bigger problem than they really are." Always the good soldier, Calvillo avoided any criticism of the coaching staff. He said that in his first three meetings with Miller before training camp, he was instructing the new OC on how the offence worked, but after that Miller began to make changes. Calvillo said he went along with it because of Millers credentials as former offensive co-ordinator of the NFLs Arizona Cardinals. And he said the offence had shown signs of coming around in recent games. But he also didnt question the decision to make a change. "Theres been some frustration across the board," he said. "Weve had a certain standard here for a number of years and its been very tough to swallow the direction our team was going in. "But Ill continue to trust our owner (Bob Wetenhall) and Jim Popp. Theyve decided to make a change. Ill trust in that and move forward." It was the second time in a row Montreal hired a coach with no CFL experience. But while it worked with Trestman, Hawkins did not appear comfortable with the 12-man game. "You can definitely look back and call it a mistake," Popp admitted. Hawkins bowed out a winner, however. Despite the teams spotty play, the Alouettes are in second place in the weak East Division and are coming off a nervy 32-27 win over 1-4 Edmonton. Popp said he hopes Miller will stay with the team and learn the Canadian game. Berry will become the de facto OC without getting the title for now. Berry worked for the Alouettes as offensive line coach and later as OC from 1996 to 2005, before leaving to become head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He spent two seasons as OC in Saskatchewan before returning to Montreal to help Hawkins adjustment to the CFL. Hawkins had previously coached mainly U.S. college teams, taking Boise State to four Western Athletic Conference titles from 2002 to 2005 before compiling a disappointing 19-39 record at Colorado from 2006 to 2010. Popp, whose father was an NFL coach, first stepped in as coach to finish off a disastrous 2001 campaign under Rod Rust, but Don Matthews took over the following season. He became coach again when Matthews fell ill during the 2006 season and brought the Alouettes to the Grey Cup game. He stayed on for 2007, in which the rookie-laden club that was missing Calvillo for much of the season went 8-10 and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Winnipeg. Popps CFL regular-season coaching record is 10-13, with a 1-3 mark in playoff games. He will be on the field for his first informal practice with the team on Friday. He said coaching will help him as a general manager because he will get to know the players better and help his assessment of the coaching staff as the search begins for a new head coach, likely to take over next season. He would not confirm that he will coach for the rest of this season, saying only that "ultimately there will be a new head coach."Red Auerbach Celtics Jersey . However, he did make them miss him a little less. Cundiff, who had the unenviable job of replacing Dawson last season, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $1. Kevin Mchale Jersey . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. http://www.celticssale.com/kids-dennis-johnson-celtics-jersey/ . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. Reggie Lewis Jersey . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Robert Parish Jersey . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec.BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Jerod Evans threw three touchdown passes and rushed for one to lift Virginia Tech over East Carolina 54-17 on Saturday.The Hokies (3-1) scored on their final five possessions of the first half, including all four of their second-quarter possessions, to overwhelm East Carolina (2-2) and snap a two-game losing streak to the Pirates.Evans completed 13 of 20 passes for a career-best 282 yards and rushed for a career-best 97 more. He entered the game having thrown an ACC-best 10 touchdown passes and has thrown just one interception on the season.I think hes pretty good, Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente said of Evans. Hes been judicious with the ball and hes going to the right place most of the time. Hes been pretty efficient.ECU quarterback Philip Nelson had 362 yards passing and two touchdown tosses to Jimmy Williams to pace the Pirates.We studied the film well and they had a lot of keys when they were sliding the protection, said Ken Ekanem, who had two of the Hokies six sacks. We had a lot of indicators and we knew when someone was going to be left one-on-one. We look forward to one-on-one matchups and pride ourselves on winning those. We did a good job of that today.THE TAKEAWAYEAST CAROLINA: Coming off a 20-15 loss at South Carolina and playing its third consecutive gamme against a Power 5 opponent, the Pirates looked a step slow and out of sorts from the opening kick.dddddddddddd They went three-and-out on five first-half possessions. The Pirates hope to regroup now that they have finished the non-conference portion of their schedule.That was clearly the most talented football team that we have played, ECU coach Scottie Montgomery said. And the most physical.VIRGINIA TECH: The Hokies dominated on special teams, scoring three touchdowns as a result of those units. Greg Stroman scored on an 87-yard punt return, and Cam Phillips blocked a punt that led to an Evans touchdown pass to Travon McMillian. A sack of ECU punter Worth Gregory in the fourth quarter led to a 1-yard touchdown run by backup quarterback Brenden Motley.UP NEXTEAST CAROLINA: The Pirates open AAC play next Saturday with a home game against UCF. ECU blasted the Golden Knights 44-7 last season for their first win in Orlando since 2008.VIRGINIA TECH: The Hokies are off next week before taking on North Carolina on Oct. 8 and will be looking to avenge last years 30-27 overtime loss. The Hokies have won nine of the 12 meetings with the Tar Heels since joining the ACC. ' ' '