Latest news with #Maciocia
Ottawa Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
GM Maciocia content, but not satisfied, with Alouettes' record
As the Alouettes approach the one-third mark of the regular season, and although they're riding a two-game losing streak, general manager Danny Maciocia has no particular concerns with how things have played out. Article content 'I'm not unhappy,' Maciocia told The Gazette on Monday. 'Could we be a little bit better? We could all be a little bit better at this point, but I'm not unhappy with where we're at. I like the team. I like the guys that are here. You try not to get overly excited at this time of year, especially in the first half of the season. But overall I'm not disappointed. Article content Article content 'Are there areas of improvement? Yes, we all can get better. Do we have what it takes to get it done and to be that team? I think so.' Article content Article content If nothing else, the last two years have taught Maciocia the real season in the CFL doesn't begin until after Labour Day in September. The Als were 5-0 at this juncture in 2024 but stumbled down the stretch. While Montreal had the league's best record (12-5-1) and finished first, it had little momentum entering the East Division final and lost at home to Toronto. Article content In 2023, conversely, the Als had a 6-7 record following four straight defeats, only to go on an eight-game winning streak, culminating in their Grey Cup victory against Winnipeg. Article content Montreal started 3-0 this season and appeared in control of the division. But Hamilton is now on a three-game winning streak that began June 27, with a victory against the visiting Als. Although the Tiger-Cats and Montreal have similar (3-2) records, Hamilton sits first by virtue of this win last month. Article content Article content With the Argonauts at 1-4 and Ottawa in last place (1-5), the division looks like it will become a two-team race unless something drastically changes. And unless one of those two clubs starts to improve, only two teams from the division might make the playoffs. Coming off a bye in the schedule, Montreal entertains Toronto Thursday night at Molson Stadium. Article content The Ticats and Als have one more game, Sept. 6, in Montreal. Article content 'We don't know how this one is going to finish,' Maciocia said. 'Our daily message is just be the best version of yourself. Nothing has changed as far as the culture is concerned. We're winning way more than we've lost, but we have high expectations here. We're driven towards those results.' Article content Had starting quarterback Davis Alexander not suffered a hamstring injury at Edmonton on June 19, the Als might still be undefeated. Montreal's offence has struggled the last two games under veteran pivot McLeod Bethel-Thompson and has lost its swagger.
Montreal Gazette
3 days ago
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
GM Maciocia content, but not satisfied, with Alouettes' record
Montreal Alouettes As the Alouettes approach the one-third mark of the regular season, and although they're riding a two-game losing streak, general manager Danny Maciocia has no particular concerns with how things have played out. 'I'm not unhappy,' Maciocia told The Gazette on Monday. 'Could we be a little bit better? We could all be a little bit better at this point, but I'm not unhappy with where we're at. I like the team. I like the guys that are here. You try not to get overly excited at this time of year, especially in the first half of the season. But overall I'm not disappointed. 'Are there areas of improvement? Yes, we all can get better. Do we have what it takes to get it done and to be that team? I think so.' If nothing else, the last two years have taught Maciocia the real season in the CFL doesn't begin until after Labour Day in September. The Als were 5-0 at this juncture in 2024 but stumbled down the stretch. While Montreal had the league's best record (12-5-1) and finished first, it had little momentum entering the East Division final and lost at home to Toronto. In 2023, conversely, the Als had a 6-7 record following four straight defeats, only to go on an eight-game winning streak, culminating in their Grey Cup victory against Winnipeg. Montreal started 3-0 this season and appeared in control of the division. But Hamilton is now on a three-game winning streak that began June 27, with a victory against the visiting Als. Although the Tiger-Cats and Montreal have similar (3-2) records, Hamilton sits first by virtue of this win last month. With the Argonauts at 1-4 and Ottawa in last place (1-5), the division looks like it will become a two-team race unless something drastically changes. And unless one of those two clubs starts to improve, only two teams from the division might make the playoffs. Coming off a bye in the schedule, Montreal entertains Toronto Thursday night at Molson Stadium. The Ticats and Als have one more game, Sept. 6, in Montreal. 'We don't know how this one is going to finish,' Maciocia said. 'Our daily message is just be the best version of yourself. Nothing has changed as far as the culture is concerned. We're winning way more than we've lost, but we have high expectations here. We're driven towards those results.' Had starting quarterback Davis Alexander not suffered a hamstring injury at Edmonton on June 19, the Als might still be undefeated. Montreal's offence has struggled the last two games under veteran pivot McLeod Bethel-Thompson and has lost its swagger. While the quarterback arguably is the most important player on the field, the Als' defence also couldn't provide a stop late against B.C. on July 5. The visitors began their final drive on their 43 following a late misconduct penalty against guard Pier-Olivier Lestage and moved into position for a 43-yard Sean Whyte field goal on the final play and a 21-20 victory. Bethel-Thompson was intercepted twice against the Ticats and had a critical late-game fumble that was recovered in the end zone for a Hamilton touchdown. He didn't turn the ball over against the Lions, and while he passed for two touchdowns, he produced only 192 yards passing. Alexander has completed 62 of 82 attempts this season for 803 yards and five touchdowns. He has been intercepted twice. When Cody Fajardo suffered a hamstring injury last season, the Als continued winning with Alexander, who's expected to return against Toronto. While the team appears to have regressed under Bethel-Thompson, Maciocia refused to blame the 37-year-old. 'I don't think it's one person that's responsible for those two losses,' Maciocia said. 'I thought he did enough for us to win the (B.C.) game. Unfortunately we shot ourselves in the foot. That could have been a division final or Grey Cup and you would have had to sit with that in the bottom of your belly for about six months. 'But that had nothing to do with Bethel. As a team we didn't do what we were supposed to do. There's something to be said about playing complementary football. We have a couple of times this year. We have to be productive offensively. We need to be productive in the red zone.' Along with the return of Alexander, it appears receiver Austin Mack has recovered from his hamstring injury. While Tyson Philpot (knee) didn't practice on Sunday, when Montreal returned from its break, he was at Stade Hébert on Monday. Toronto QB Chad Kelly, who fractured his leg in last season's division final, has yet to play this year. That's unlikely to change this week.
Montreal Gazette
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Alouettes' top pick Tiger Shanks ‘locked in 100 per cent on the CFL'
By Tiger Shanks could have accepted a rookie mini-camp invitation from the Miami Dolphins. But even before the Alouettes made the hulking offensive tackle their first-round (fifth overall) pick in Tuesday's Canadian college draft, the Vancouver-born Shanks decided to turn his back on the NFL. 'I'm kind of a loyal guy,' Shanks told The Gazette Tuesday by telephone. 'If you're a team that shows me love, I'm definitely going to reciprocate. I like to be where I'm wanted. I'm locked in 100 per cent on the CFL. I just want to be in a place where I can really contribute, where my presence really matters. I didn't want to be just another body that they brought in for camp and felt like I had a really good opportunity in the CFL.' While Alouettes' general manager Danny Maciocia didn't say Shanks was always the team's top priority, he did speak to the player's agent before selecting him and was made aware his focus was strictly on the CFL. 'He knows what he wants,' Maciocia said. 'We knew that invite was there. It was made crystal clear to us he wouldn't even contemplate going. He was fully on board and fully committed to going to a CFL team and being there Day 1 of training camp. He didn't want to miss any time. He didn't want to miss three or four days and fall behind. He wanted to come in and compete from (the beginning). He wanted people to believe that when he got there, he was all in. That was his priority. 'That went a long way with us.' The 23-year-old Shanks, 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds, spent five seasons at UNLV and tied a school record by starting 51 games, primarily at right tackle. The Rebels went 11-3 last season and received a national ranking for the first time in school history. He became the first UNLV offensive-lineman to be named a first-team, all-conference member twice in his career, accomplishing the feat in consecutive Mountain West seasons. Shanks was born in Vancouver, but spent the first five years of his life in China before the family relocated to Lake Oswego, Ore. Maciocia said he declared late for the draft. 'The calibre of competition there is relatively high,' Maciocia said. 'This is a guy that starts, has over 3,000 snaps to his name. The production that he has, as far as giving up sacks, pressures and hurries, is limited, very minute compared to the number of snaps that he plays. For a position that he occupies, there's a certain amount of physicality that's tied into it. And he was available. He's a big, physical guy that has a high football IQ.' Shanks is considered a late bloomer who received a relatively modest five NCAA Division I offers. Counted out many times, he has used those frequent snubs as motivation. 'My best football is definitely ahead of me,' he said. 'If I can just develop a little bit more and come into my own, I feel like I have a really good shot of becoming a good player. Throughout high school, I definitely felt like a guy who was maybe slept on a little bit, a little bit under the radar. That has been my motivation pretty much my whole life. I kind of have that chip on my shoulder and like to prove people wrong. 'I think they're getting a smart football player. Something I take a lot of pride in is being very intelligent on the field, knowing what the defence is doing, knowing what they're running. I'm a film-room guy.' The Als had nine picks in total and selected Calgary safety Nate Beauchemin in the second round (14th overall). The 6-foot-2, 204-pound native of Kelowna, B.C., had four interceptions and a forced fumble last season for the Dinos. Montreal native Damien Alford, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound wide receiver went first overall to Calgary. Maciocia, who came to the Als after coaching at Université de Montréal, selected three Carabins, including quarterback Jonathan Sénécal in the seventh round. His teammate, defensive-lineman Jeremiah Ojo, went seventh overall to Toronto. 'We got some talent, addressed some needs,' Maciocia said. 'We got a little bit deeper with our Canadian content. We got a little bigger and more physical when it comes to special-teams play. We just checked off a few boxes. We were looking for particular body types for special teams that have a component to play on one side of the ball or the other.' Training camp begins May 11 in St-Jérome. Alouettes Canadian college draft picks
Ottawa Citizen
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Alouettes' top pick Tiger Shanks 'locked in 100 per cent on the CFL'
Article content Tiger Shanks could have accepted a rookie mini-camp invitation from the Miami Dolphins. Article content But even before the Alouettes made the hulking offensive tackle their first-round (fifth overall) pick in Tuesday's Canadian college draft, the Vancouver-born Shanks decided to turn his back on the NFL. Article content 'I'm kind of a loyal guy,' Shanks told The Gazette Tuesday by telephone. 'If you're a team that shows me love, I'm definitely going to reciprocate. I like to be where I'm wanted. I'm locked in 100 per cent on the CFL. I just want to be in a place where I can really contribute, where my presence really matters. I didn't want to be just another body that they brought in for camp and felt like I had a really good opportunity in the CFL.' Article content Article content While Alouettes' general manager Danny Maciocia didn't say Shanks was always the team's top priority, he did speak to the player's agent before selecting him and was made aware his focus was strictly on the CFL. Article content Article content 'He knows what he wants,' Maciocia said. 'We knew that invite was there. It was made crystal clear to us he wouldn't even contemplate going. He was fully on board and fully committed to going to a CFL team and being there Day 1 of training camp. He didn't want to miss any time. He didn't want to miss three or four days and fall behind. He wanted to come in and compete from (the beginning). He wanted people to believe that when he got there, he was all in. That was his priority. Article content The 23-year-old Shanks, 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds, spent five seasons at UNLV and tied a school record by starting 51 games, primarily at right tackle. The Rebels went 11-3 last season and received a national ranking for the first time in school history. He became the first UNLV offensive-lineman to be named a first-team, all-conference member twice in his career, accomplishing the feat in consecutive Mountain West seasons. Article content Article content Shanks was born in Vancouver, but spent the first five years of his life in China before the family relocated to Lake Oswego, Ore. Maciocia said he declared late for the draft. Article content 'The calibre of competition there is relatively high,' Maciocia said. 'This is a guy that starts, has over 3,000 snaps to his name. The production that he has, as far as giving up sacks, pressures and hurries, is limited, very minute compared to the number of snaps that he plays. For a position that he occupies, there's a certain amount of physicality that's tied into it. And he was available. He's a big, physical guy that has a high football IQ.' Article content Shanks is considered a late bloomer who received a relatively modest five NCAA Division I offers. Counted out many times, he has used those frequent snubs as motivation. Article content 'My best football is definitely ahead of me,' he said. 'If I can just develop a little bit more and come into my own, I feel like I have a really good shot of becoming a good player. Throughout high school, I definitely felt like a guy who was maybe slept on a little bit, a little bit under the radar. That has been my motivation pretty much my whole life. I kind of have that chip on my shoulder and like to prove people wrong.
Calgary Herald
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Alouettes' top pick Tiger Shanks 'locked in 100 per cent on the CFL'
Article content Tiger Shanks could have accepted a rookie mini-camp invitation from the Miami Dolphins. Article content But even before the Alouettes made the hulking offensive tackle their first-round (fifth overall) pick in Tuesday's Canadian college draft, the Vancouver-born Shanks decided to turn his back on the NFL. Article content 'I'm kind of a loyal guy,' Shanks told The Gazette Tuesday by telephone. 'If you're a team that shows me love, I'm definitely going to reciprocate. I like to be where I'm wanted. I'm locked in 100 per cent on the CFL. I just want to be in a place where I can really contribute, where my presence really matters. I didn't want to be just another body that they brought in for camp and felt like I had a really good opportunity in the CFL.' Article content Article content While Alouettes' general manager Danny Maciocia didn't say Shanks was always the team's top priority, he did speak to the player's agent before selecting him and was made aware his focus was strictly on the CFL. Article content Article content 'He knows what he wants,' Maciocia said. 'We knew that invite was there. It was made crystal clear to us he wouldn't even contemplate going. He was fully on board and fully committed to going to a CFL team and being there Day 1 of training camp. He didn't want to miss any time. He didn't want to miss three or four days and fall behind. He wanted to come in and compete from (the beginning). He wanted people to believe that when he got there, he was all in. That was his priority. The 23-year-old Shanks, 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds, spent five seasons at UNLV and tied a school record by starting 51 games, primarily at right tackle. The Rebels went 11-3 last season and received a national ranking for the first time in school history. He became the first UNLV offensive-lineman to be named a first-team, all-conference member twice in his career, accomplishing the feat in consecutive Mountain West seasons. Article content Article content Shanks was born in Vancouver, but spent the first five years of his life in China before the family relocated to Lake Oswego, Ore. Maciocia said he declared late for the draft. Article content 'The calibre of competition there is relatively high,' Maciocia said. 'This is a guy that starts, has over 3,000 snaps to his name. The production that he has, as far as giving up sacks, pressures and hurries, is limited, very minute compared to the number of snaps that he plays. For a position that he occupies, there's a certain amount of physicality that's tied into it. And he was available. He's a big, physical guy that has a high football IQ.' Article content Shanks is considered a late bloomer who received a relatively modest five NCAA Division I offers. Counted out many times, he has used those frequent snubs as motivation. Article content 'My best football is definitely ahead of me,' he said. 'If I can just develop a little bit more and come into my own, I feel like I have a really good shot of becoming a good player. Throughout high school, I definitely felt like a guy who was maybe slept on a little bit, a little bit under the radar. That has been my motivation pretty much my whole life. I kind of have that chip on my shoulder and like to prove people wrong.
