Allgemeines » Revival and the Toronto rematch 4.5 stars, and fan

MONTREAL -- Dan Hawkins is set to begin his adventure in Canadian football. The 52-year-old starts his first camp as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday without any previous experience in the 12-man game. Then again, his predecessor Marc Trestman had never coached in the CFL and had never been a head coach at the pro level when he took over in 2008. That didnt stop him from winning two Grey Cups. "Its football in the States and its football here," Hawkins says. "But its a whole different brand of football." General manager Jim Popp and owner Bob Wetenhall took a risk when they opted for Hawkins, who spent the last two seasons as a college football analyst at ESPN after a long career as a head coach at the university level in the United States. The folksy, enthusiastic Hawkins is the polar opposite of the soft-spoken, cerebral Trestman, who left in February to become head coach of the NFLs Chicago Bears. His coaching style promises to be a big change as well. While Trestman also co-ordinated the offence and left the defence and special teams to others, Popp likens Hawkins to Don Matthews, who coached the Alouettes from 2002 to 2006, winning one Cup. Matthews tended to leave the nuts and bolts to his co-ordinators and assistants while overseeing the operation from above. "Marc was a quiet guy, very reserved," said Popp. "Dans very energetic. "He has that rah-rah college side to him." Hawkins last coaching experience was not a resounding success. His record in five seasons at the University of Colorado, where he reportedly earned more than US$1 million per season, was 19-39. Before that, however, he was 53-11 at Boise State and his career record is a solid 112-61-1. He looks to be supported by a strong, almost completely new coaching staff, which includes experienced Doug Berry as senior adviser to the head coach. There are solid co-ordinators with Mike Miller on offence and Noel Thorpe on defence. A major change is they now have one man looking after special teams, co-ordinator Ray Rychelski. The kicking game had some awful moments last season, when special teams was one of several responsibilities for the departed Andy Bischoff. Thorpe was hired even before Hawkins, and Popp hopes he sticks around. The team had changed defensive co-ordinators in each of the previous four years. Popp said each had his own style, and wanted player changes to fit their game plan, causing confusion and a lot of turnover in personnel. Defensive players were prominent on the teams off-season shopping list, including linebacker Ejiro Kuale and cornerbacks Geoff Tisdale and Byron Parker. On offence, they picked up Canadian running back Jerome Messam, veteran slotback Arland Bruce and quarterback Quinton Porter, giving 40-year-old Anthony Calvillo an experienced backup. The camp at Bishops University in Sherbrooke, Que., will also be spiced up by the presence of some former NFL talent, including long-time Indianapolis Colts running back Domenic Rhodes, as well as receivers David Clowny and Wallace Wright. The Alouettes already have an impressive receiving corps with Jamel Richardson, S.J. Green and Brandon London. Popp said hes anxious to see how his two first-round draft picks work out, linebacker Mike Edem and running back Steven Lumbala, selected third and fifth overall respectively from the Calgary Dinos. "Edems really made an impression," he said. He also has high hopes that Kuale will fit well into Thorpes defence. "I like aggressive, physical players and he brings that to the table," said Popp. The Alouettes had nightmares at running back in 2012 after starter Brandon Whitakers season ended in midseason with a knee injury. Vic Anderson filled in nicely until he got hurt, then Chris Jennings took over. Whitaker re-signed with the Alouettes on Thursday. Another running back is Noel Devine, a prime candidate to take over kick returning duties from the released Trent Guy. "Can he have a breakout year?" Popp asked about the speedy Devine. Hes also anxious to see how veteran defensive end John Bowman does with Thorpe going back to a four-man line after the teamed used a 3-4 setup last season. "Well have a guy like Bowman in a system that benefits him more," said Popp. "Well see if he has his best year." Of course, the Alouettes fortunes sit mainly on Calvillos shoulders. The CFLs all-time passing leader will turn 41 on Aug. 23. He is coming off surgery on a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, and wont take as many snaps as usual in camp. Thats why it was important to sign Porter from Hamilton. Last years back-up Adrian McPherson is gone, while third-stringer Josh Neiswander is back. One area that never seems to change in Montreal is a solid, experienced offensive line of centre Luc Brodeur-Jourdain between guards Scott Flory and Andrew Woodruff and tackles Josh Bourke and Jeff Perrett. The Alouettes did not make it to the Grey Cup game the past two seasons despite posting winning regular season records. They were 11-7 in 2012, but were beaten at home by eventual champion Toronto in the East Division final. "We all felt we were good enough to win those games," said Popp. "We had a lot of injuries, but we also turned the ball over four times in one half and thats not how you get there. "Now coach Trestman is gone and theyll have the embrace Dan, but they still know theyre a special team with a chance to win a championship." Air Force 1 Just Do It Schwarz . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. Air Force 1 Schwarz Schweiz . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. http://www.airforce1justdoitschweiz.ch/sf-air-force-1.html . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. Nike Air Force 1 Bestellen Schweiz . Tevez, who has had conflicts with coaches in the past, has not been called up since Sabella was named coach in 2011. Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria. Air Force 1 Outlet . Belfort (24-10) needed just 77 seconds to down Henderson in the headlining bout of Saturdays "UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson" event at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Brazil. The fight served as a rematch of the pairs 2006 meeting, which Henderson won by decision. At NXT TakeOver Toronto, #DIY defeated The Revival to win the NXT tag team championships. It was the second consecutive TakeOver special in which those four men stole the show among heavy competition, and the looks of pure joy on the faces of the new champions was undeniable.It was never supposed to happen this way.When Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano made their first appearance together on NXT programming, as part of the inaugural Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, few expected them to pull off a shocking first-round victory as unsigned outsiders. After they pushed Baron Corbin and Rhyno to the brink in the second round and won over the Full Sail University crowd for the first time, they couldve disappeared like any number of other independent wrestlers getting a brief look. Instead, they stuck around and made a number of appearances on subsequent episodes of NXT, split their time between the WWE and the independents, and continued to amass a larger and larger audience.As a pairing, Gargano and Ciampa used their underdog status as their calling card, and with each step theyve taken, the crowd has bought in more.I feel like thats kind of been why we gained such a following, Gargano said. People feel they can live through us. Theyre kind of watching us scratch and claw and work our way up the ranks.After a tag team championship win, a pair of instant classics with The Revival, two Dusty Classics and an unbelievable match against one another in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic, Gargano and Ciampa have run the full spectrum in just over a year in NXT. If they stopped to process just how much theyve accomplished in that time, it might overwhelm them, but another key to their success has been their ability to both appreciate the sentiment and compartmentalize it.It just doesnt seem real yet, Gargano said. I dont think we live in the moment like some people do. [But I think] were going to look back at how we got here and our story and everything that went into it, and were going to think its pretty cool.Both men agreed on that point, but Ciampa pointed to the NXT tag team championship match as a defining line between everything theyve done in the previous year and all that lies before them.I think [becoming] tag team champions, it gives you kind of a moment to hit the reset button and kind of look back at the year and appreciate it, Ciampa said.#DIY isnt just a gimmick that was slapped onto this pair when they started their ascent through NXT. Each man forged his unique path before they converged for the first time at the start of this storybook NXT run.Ciampa, 31, was trained in Massachusetts by the legendary Killer Kowalski (the man who trained Triple H and a lengthy list of big names in the wrestling industry) and began his career with independent companies in that region. After a brief stint in WWE developmental, most of his biggest pre-WWE moments came in Ring of Honor, where he spent the better part of five years as one of the top competitors. He had memorable feuds with former world champion Jay Lethal and several others and was a one-time ROH television champion, but he also had a devastating ACL injury that cost him more than a year of his career. He left the company in March 2015.Gargano, a Cleveland native, got his start with local promotion Absolute Intense Wrestling in 2008 and continued to appear for them for the next nine years. He also served as the head trainer for the companys wrestling school. The 29-year-old made his name all over the country but truly rose to prominence as one of the top guys for two World Wrestling Network companies: Dragon Gate USA and Evolve.The opportunity each man received was earned through years of sweat equity, and when they got their chance, they clung to it and did the most with it every time out.Very surreal, Gargano said when asked to summarize his experience. I think its something that we both wanted. You talk to any wrestler, and they want to be in this spot. NXT is the hottest thing going right now.The men had the chance to slowly wind down their independent wrestling careers, and neither took that rare opportunity for granted. As they continued to gain traction, though, each could sense the writing on the wall, and while both Gargano and Ciampa relished the opportunity to ply their craft on wreestlings biggest stage, it came at the cost of a way of life that each had come to love.ddddddddddddWhen we started with NXT, there were no issues as far as taking independent bookings, Ciampa said. Then we could kind of sense it was getting to that point, and then once we got confirmation [of going full-time in the WWE] but the news wasnt made public, I think [for] both of us, that was the hardest part. It was four or five weeks of us knowing this is probably our last time in this town for this federation, for this group, but the fans didnt know.A lot of times our opponents didnt know. The promoters didnt know. That was a tough four-to-six-week stretch, but once the announcement was made, it was just ... fun. I enjoyed those last eight to 12 independent bookings, just took them and appreciated them for what they were.Ciampa had one heckuva wind-down to his independent career, with his final match on U.S. soil coming against Cody Rhodes, and he enjoyed an unexpected final opportunity to participate in Pro Wrestling Guerillas Battle of Los Angeles. That wrapped up with Ciampa taking on Zack Sabre Jr. in a two-out-of-three falls match for Englands Progress wrestling.Gargano got his sendoff in multiple parts as well. He said goodbye to his WWN compatriots in a tag team match that also, interestingly enough, involved Rhodes. Garganos finale with AIW came in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, in a show dedicated specifically to him. He got to wrestle his wife, independent star Candace LeRae, in a two-out-of-three falls match and then join her in a tag team match.Weve watched guys throughout the years having their final indie moments, Gargano said. To be able to have a [farewell] tour was pretty cool.This all happened after Gargano and Ciampa tore the house down at Barclays Center at NXT: TakeOver Brooklyn II. In a match that had more near-falls then most could count -- each one bringing the audience to another level of fervor -- #DIY found themselves on the losing side of the match, but they were perhaps the biggest net winners as far as recognition and appreciation, as far as the crowd was concerned.Seeing that turnout was mind-blowing, and as an independent wrestler, this is where you want to be. This is your goal, Gargano said. I think my favorite moment working at Barclays Center was when we walked in and saw the [empty] building for the first time. We both looked at each other and looked up, and were like, There are going to be people up there?As reverent as they are about the experience of the walk out to the ring, once they stepped between the ropes and started the match, it was like every other match theyve had (albeit with a slightly louder crowd reaction).Honestly, it didnt feel any different, Gargano said.Energy is energy, Ciampa echoed.If were working in front of 50 people or in front of 15,000 people, were going to perform [as well as] what we get out of the crowd, Gargano said.The results and the reactions (from the live crowd and fans at home alike) speak for themselves. Veteran wrestling writer Dave Meltzer gave both the Brooklyn match with The Revival and the Toronto rematch 4.5 stars, and fans have been overwhelmingly positive in touting those performances. As Gargano and Ciampa move forward with their NXT tag team championship reign and everything that lies ahead, they hope that kind of good will and fan support will continue.The reactions are amazing, but we dont take that for granted, Gargano said. We dont walk through the curtain being like, Were going to get cheered through the roof tonight. Its unexpected every single time we come through the curtain.The spirit of what they do -- their never-ending desire to prove themselves, to have fun in the ring and to provide the fans with an unforgettable moment -- is clear every time they step foot into an NXT ring. No matter what the future holds -- a lengthy title reign, a run in the WWE, a chance to perform as singles wrestlers in the cruiserweight division or whatever else might happen -- their connection to the fans is simple and undeniably pure.Were two independent kids who just loved wrestling, Ciampa said. All we ever wanted to do is wrestle. ' ' '