crimes, as is the case with Rice. Diamondstein said he expects a decision on whether Ric

MONTREAL -- After leaving the presidents office vacant for 18 months, the Montreal Alouettes opted to hire from within. The Canadian Football League club announced Tuesday that Mark Weightman, the former Chief Operating Officer, will be the new president and CEO. Weightman, 41, had been filling the presidents duties anyway since Ray Lalonde stepped down in May 2012 after only 14 months on the job. "We asked Mark to lead our franchise," said Andrew Wetenhall, the son of owner Bob Wetenhall who was unable to attend the announcement due to a flu. "Hes proven himself time and again." Weightman has been with the franchise since 1995 when he worked for the defunct Baltimore Stallions. The native of St. Andre dArgenteuil, Que., moved with them to Montreal the following year and stayed on when Wetenhall bought the team from Jim Spiros in 1997. His first priority will be to fill Percival Molson Stadium, which has had empty seats since it was expanded from 20,202 seats to 25,012 in 2010. The Alouettes used to sell out the smaller stadium every game, but have generally drawn about 23,000 since the expansion. "Its a pretty high priority," said Wetenhall, a New York investment banker who is a CFL governor. "Its a marker of our commercial success and our on-field and community success to secure that support. "At the same time, were not in an at-all-costs type of mentality. We need to correctly approach the marketplace and put a winning team on the field to enable people to say Ive got to go to that event." The Alouettes went 8-10 this season and lost the East Division semifinal to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. They have not won a playoff game since winning back to back Grey Cups in 2009 and 2010. The empty seats suggest the Alouettes popularity is waning, but Weightman said the future looks bright. The season ticket base has remained at about 17,000, but they hope to increase sales through partial season tickets, family packs and other offers. "Were still going through a transition where we have a bigger stadium and people think were not doing as well because the stadiums not full," said Weightman. "We had 23,000 where we had 20,000 for 10 years. "If you look at TV ratings and how much were followed on social media, youll see our fan base is as strong and healthy as ever. But we need to do a better job of reaching out to all our fans." He also hopes to boost the teams community involvement and its support for minor football in Quebec, which are priorities for the Wetenhall family. "In reality, we didnt have a president, so I cant say my role will change a lot, other than that Ill have to get some new business cards," added Weighman. "The important thing is the transition weve done over the last year or so. "Weve refocused on the things weve done well over the last 15 years -- winning on the field, the great experience in the stadium, and being involved in the community. Now we have to bring that to the next level." A large media contingent turned out to the news conference expecting an announcement on whether general manager Jim Popp will remain as head coach after taking over from the fired Dan Hawkins five games into the season, or on whether 41-year-old quarterback Anthony Calvillo will retire. Instead, it was a day for the men in suits. Weightman said there is no timeline for a decision on the coach, although they would prefer to make one soon so that preparations can start for the 2014 season. The future of veterans like Calvillo, who suffered a season-ending concussion in August, all-star guard Scott Flory or defensive end Anwar Stewart are not expected to be decided until after the CFL expansion draft on Dec. 16. Flory lauded Weightmans appointment. "Theres a lot of stuff going on around the league," said Flory. "Its not just our team. "The thing is, to have leadership from the top, you have to have the right people in place. The Alouettes have got it right so many times over the years. Ive been here 15 years and played in eight Grey Cups, so were doing something right." The experiment with Hawkins, who joined the team without any pro coaching experience, was a setback. Another may have been Lalondes one-season tenure as president and CEO. He left citing personal reasons, but there were reports the former Montreal Canadiens marketing guru was feuding with Popp and former coach Marc Trestman. Lalonde had replaced popular former Alouettes player Larry Smith, who left after the stadium expansion was completed in 2010 to try his hand at politics. Andrew Wetenhall said his familys commitment to the Alouettes and the CFL is as strong as ever. "I certainly am," he said. "We make decisions like this one in a family format. Were very committed to this league and its success. Weve invested 20 years almost in Montreal and were hopeful there will be another 20 or 50 to come." Billy Price Bengals Jersey . Or how his team has defended Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. 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Unlike last year when nobody got in, there have been estimates of as many as five getting voted in this time around and as few as one, Greg Maddux.MAYS LANDING, N.J. -- Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice pleaded not guilty Thursday to assault charges stemming from an incident with his then-girlfriend in an Atlantic City casino elevator. His lawyer said Rice is "ashamed" and "sorry" about his conduct but would not specify exactly what Rice did. After the five-minute court hearing, Rice applied for New Jerseys pretrial intervention program, which allows for charges to be dismissed against first-time offenders who participate in the program and meet certain conditions. The county prosecutor will decide whether Rice is allowed to enter the program. If not, prosecutors have offered Rice a plea bargain that would spare him jail time if he participates in anger management counselling. "Hes ashamed of his conduct and hes sorry for what he did," attorney Michael Diamondstein told reporters outside the courthouse. "There was a disagreement between him and his wife," Diamondstein said. "He made a mistake. He loves Janay and wants to move forward. This was a momentary lapse of reason." Security video obtained by TMZ Sports shows Rice removing the motionless body of Janay Palmer from an elevator at Revel Hotel Casino on Feb. 15. She did not comment as the two walked into the courthouse. The couple married a day after Rice was indicted. If convicted, Rice could face three to five years in prison. The former Rutgers star walked to the courthouse holding hands with Palmer. He said he is a "happy father and a happy husband.&quuot; When asked by reporters what he hoped would happen, Rice responded, "for you all to have a blessed day.ddddddddddddquot; Originally, Palmer and Rice were charged with simple assault, but the Atlantic County prosecutors office reviewed the case and dropped the charge against Palmer. A grand jury lodged the more serious charge of aggravated assault against Rice. Through her lawyer, Palmer has indicated she does not want the case to proceed. But prosecutor Diane Ruberton said Palmers co-operation is not crucial to it. "Im confident with the evidence we have that I could secure a conviction at trial, with or without her," Ruberton said. She said prosecutors have additional video evidence beyond what was published by the website, but she would not describe its contents. Ruberton said Rices celebrity played no role in the case, adding that plea deals are routinely offered to defendants charged with third-degree crimes, as is the case with Rice. Diamondstein said he expects a decision on whether Rice will be allowed into pretrial intervention within the next few weeks. "Hes an excellent candidate for it," he said. "Hes just a high-character individual. Hes a good guy." The conditions of pretrial intervention would include staying out of trouble for a year, as well as undergoing counselling and remaining gainfully employed, the attorney said. "Theyve been going to counselling and working on some of the issues they have," Diamondstein said. "Theyre very happy." Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '