Two off-seasons ago, the Alouettes were told by then head coach Marc Trestman that he would be leaving to take a job with the Chicago Bears. Trestman had led the team to Grey Cup championships in 2009 and 2010 so it is not a stretch to think that ownership in Montreal was looking for the next Marc Trestman when they got the news. The search for a new head coach began immediately, and there were some big names on the list of potential candidates. However, whenever there is a coaching change with an organization, time is of the essence because there are only so many jobs each off-season, and coaches have to take the opportunities while they can, or lose them, and be out of work. Montreal settled on Dan Hawkins and everyone knows how that worked out. The plan was for Hawkins to run Trestmans offence, and Anthony Calvillo would be asked to coach the coach. For a variety of reasons, that didnt work, and Hawkins tried to implement his own system, which also failed, and he was let go early in the season. Against some tough odds, general manager Jim Popp was asked to step in and try and pull things back together. Popp would have to put in a new system, change the terminology, find some assistants that could help, get an inexperienced Troy Smith up to speed, and find a way to make the playoffs. It was a goal that seemed almost impossible, but the Als got there, and in fact were one controversial play away from advancing to the Eastern Final. Fast forward to this past off-season. Now ownership is trying to decide if Popp should continue to coach the team and have the dual role or if they should go back to the proven model of hiring two separate people as their GM and head coach, which has been the formula that got them to five Grey Cups in the last 10 years. Also while this is happening, the organization is trying to fill other vacated holes in the staff. Remember Trestman took a lot of his assistants with him to Chicago. Scott Milanovich had moved on to Toronto earlier, and Marcus Brady had gone with him. In fact, it has been estimated that there are over 60 front office staff, coaches, and players currently working in the CFL that went though Montreal; a compliment to the organization, but over the last two years, an issue that is catching up to them. So this past off-season, ownership is contemplating whether Jim Popp should continue coaching, while they are compiling a list of possible candidates, and time was again slipping away. When Tom Higgins was finally announced, which was a decision by ownership, not by GM Jim Popp, a reporter asked if Higgins reminded ownership of Marc Trestman, and Bob Wetenhalls son Andrew answered in the affirmative, which suggests that ownership was taking their time because they were looking for the next Trestman. Now Higgins assembles his staff and hires Rick Worman to be his offensive coordinator to work with a young Ryan Dinwiddie whom has shown great potential, but is inexperienced as a coordinator. Worman again changes the terminology, and the offence, but depending on which story you believe, butts heads with staff and some players, and doesnt work out. So prior to the team kicking off the regular season, Dinwiddie, who again many think will be a great coordinator some day, is forced to leave the spotters booth, head to the sideline and, once again rework the offence. So the Als head into the regular season with an inexperienced Troy Smith who has been asked to learn three different offences in a span of about 10 months. Not surprisingly, the team starts the season 1-4 and struggles putting any points on the board. Interestingly enough, it is Smith that takes all the heat for the teams problems, with many people, including his head coach Tom Higgins, saying he just isnt playing well enough to give the team a chance to win. It is interesting because in last weeks loss to Toronto, Smith was pulled and Alex Brink went 9-for-23 for 60 yards and an interception, which would indicate that, while jury still may be out on Smith, he certainly isnt the real problem. On Monday, Montreal announced that former Stampeder Jeff Garcia was being brought in to help kick-start the offence, and joins Don Matthews and Turk Schonert, as consultants. Garcia should help Troy Smith in a huge way, however the new coaches also means that there will be yet again a new offensive system for the Heisman Trophy winner, and both Tanner Marsh and Alex Brink to learn. The fact that so much is being done to help Tom Higgins shouldnt surprise anyone; remember Higgins was hired by ownership so clearly they want to give Higgins as much help as possible before even contemplating another mid-season head coaching change. So it will be the fourth offensive system in 10 months, new terminology, and back to basics for three quarterbacks whose heads must be spinning. The good news for Montreal fans is that the East is up for grabs and a couple of wins can get you on top of the division in a hurry. However, the struggles that the Als are facing have less to do with an inexperienced quarterback and more to do with ownership trying to hire the next Trestman. Marc Trestman is a great coach; a quarterback expert that was an excellent communicator and humble enough to understand that you are always learning. However, there is only one Marc Trestman and trying to find the next one has put this team in catch-up mode for going on two years now. Roger Staubach Womens Jersey . The Toronto Argonauts (11-7) look for an opportunity to repeat as CFL champions when they host the surging Hamilton Tiger-Cats (10-8) on Sunday. Dak Prescott Womens Jersey . The 48th-ranked Williams made her first appearance in Dubai since she won her second straight title here in 2010. Shed missed the last three years either because of injury or Sjogrens Syndrome. https://www.cowboyssportsgoods.com/Women...nverted-Jersey/. Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the club. Clemons spent his first five NFL seasons with the Miami Dolphins, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2009 draft out of Clemson. Tony Dorsett Youth Jersey . In a matter of days, he went from unwanted to wanted, from fired to hired, from discarded by the Philadelphia Eagles with reputation tarnished to rock star treatment and a new fat contract from the Washington Redskins. Darren Woodson Jersey .com) - The Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics both entered Wednesday nights game riding lengthy losing streaks.TORONTO - Masai Ujiri remembers being a boy attending a basketball camp in his native northern Nigeria, and the excitement of being given an Hakeem Olajuwon T-shirt.It was a small gesture with a big impact.My eyes were so wide, to get that T-shirt was unbelievable, Ujiri said.Ujiri speaks passionately about the power of sports to change lives. Hes seen it first-hand through his Giants of Africa camp and Basketball Without Borders, and is himself living proof as the president and general manager of the Toronto Raptors.Its a determination he shared with the late Nelson Mandela, who Ujiri and the Raptors will celebrate Friday in an all-star benefit.How many people in those kinds of positions ever have any kind of relations with sport in some ways other than being like a guest of honour or something? Ujiri said in a phone interview Thursday. But Nelson Mandela, with what he did with rugby, the way he supported sports, I thought it was so impactful because he said it best: sports has the power to impact people and society, and youth. And so I think its a great message for us, its not only a great game, but its a great day to spread that message around the world that we are blessed to have sports and we are blessed to participate in something fun like this.When South Africa won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Mandela famously donned the Springbok sweater, a gesture he hoped would help unite his racially-fragmented country.Friday marks the one-year anniversary since Mandelas death at the age of 95.Ujiri has assembled an all-star lineup for the event, including NBA legends Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson and Dikembe Mutombo, along with UN Goodwill Ambassador and 1999 Miss Universe winner Mpule Kwelagobe. Other guests include Raptors alumnus Tracy McGrady, Toronto Maple Leaf goaltender Jonathan Bernier and Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, former Toronto Argonauts star Michael (Pinball) Clemons, deputy commissioner of the NBA Mark Tatum and Amadou Fall, vice-president of NBA Africa. Funds raised will go to both the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Ujiris Giants of Africa.Ujiri founded Giants of Africa in 2003, both as a means to enrich the lives of children in Africa, and to shine a spotlight on the abundance of untapped talent there.He signed a deal with Nike to outfit the players. He sees himself in the kids he helps.You see these kids, their faces when you give them shoes and you give them gear, socks and shorts and jerseys and T-shirts, its remarkable how that affects them in some kind of way, and how they want to play the sport more, and even dedicate themselves more, Ujiri said. But its come to a point where I look at myself, and say: We have to look at it even beyond playing. I say How do we really use basketball as a tool? Because now sports has become so general, its important to expose Africa and kids to other aspects of sport.What about sports medicine, and sports journalism, and sports agencies, coaching, and all the different thinngs that you can do in sports, he said.dddddddddddd. It doesnt have to be making the NBA or it doesnt have to be playing. You can figure out how you can use basketball as a tool and guidance to maybe do something very very reasonable and very very good for your life, and to grow.It doesnt necessarily have to be playing basketball. Im the prime example of that.The six-foot-four Ujiri played basketball in the U.S. at Bismarck State College, and then spent six years playing professionally in Europe. He virtually chiselled out a post-playing career for himself, working as an unpaid scout for the Orlando Magic. He paid his own way on trips at times, and bunked with other scouts and players.He went on to be an international scout for Denver and Toronto, then won NBA executive of the year in 2013 with Denver, where he was the first African-born GM of a major North American sports team. He returned to Toronto to be the teams president and GM in 2013.Ujiri said his summer trips to Africa are the times he looks forward to most. Going spending it in the grinds of not only travelling in Africa and seeing different cultures and different people, but seeing different communities and people, and what makes them tick and what makes them live, and how they live happy, and some of the struggles that they have. It puts life in perspective, Ujiri said. Its a huge part of who I am and what I want to do.Our concentration is sports and how we can build sports, and going into communities to help, whether its teaching basketball, whether its us figuring out charities or foundations that we can help, or us figuring out little courts that we can build, or give them a net, give a basketball team basketballs . . . those are the things we want to continue to build and grow over there. Thats the impact it has on me when I go back in the summer, he said.A big believer in never forgetting where youve come from, Ujiri said his experiences in Africa remain with him in his daily work back in Toronto with the Raptors.Honestly, it puts things in perspective, he said. We take things for granted a lot of times, and I would never forget to be humbled by the position that I am in, and the blessings that I have to be in this position, with such good people around me that give me that opportunity to go help other Africans, and other youth.I have to be a voice, and I have to make an impact on other people. If not, what Im doing here means really nothing.Fridays celebration will begin with a panel discussion. It will continue into Fridays Raptors game versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, with video tributes. The Raptors will wear special edition shooting shirts and management will don Giant of Africa lapel pins. The Giant of Africa T-shirts will be for sale, featuring Mandelas five pillars; being a leader, fighting for freedom, creating a better future, committing to the community and using sport to inspire change. Proceeds from sales go to Giants of Africa. ' ' '