WINNIPEG -- Wade Miller barely smiled Tuesday as he discussed the "acting" tag being removed from his title of Winnipeg Blue Bombers president and chief executive officer. Maybe it was because hes not comfortable facing a room of reporters, but more likely its because hes all business when it comes to turning around the floundering CFL club. And that wont be an easy task. The Bombers finished this season with a league-worst record of 3-15 that tied a franchise-low mark for an 18-game schedule. Theyve missed the playoffs four of the past five years and havent won a Grey Cup for a league-high 23 seasons. "Life takes you in different paths and this is the direction Im going down now and I look forward to the challenge," Miller said after he was appointed to officially oversee a team he played for from 1995-2005. The 40-year-old former fullback/linebacker was named the teams acting president and CEO on Aug. 9 following the firing of Garth Buchko. Millers first move was to fire general manager Joe Mack and elevate assistant GM Kyle Walters into an acting GM role. Millers long to-do list begins with either stripping Walters of his acting title or finding someone to replace him. "Were two to four weeks away from being able to make that determination on that position," he said. Hell also have a hand in football operations with the person who ends up with the GMs job. "The general managers got a role to do in the organization and I expect them to do that to the best of their ability, and Ill be involved in football as anybody would be when its such a critical part of our business," Miller said. The Bombers also have question marks surrounding their coaching staff. Mack had fired head coach Paul LaPolice in August 2012 and defensive co-ordinator Tim Burke took over on an interim basis until he was given the job last November. Burkes first full season was an uphill battle as Mack kept often-injured Buck Pierce as the teams starting quarterback. Pierce ended up getting injured, his young backups didnt flourish and then Pierce was traded in September. If the clubs GM decides a new head coach is needed -- the team has had five in nine years -- Miller said hell be involved in that hiring process. "Ill work with the general manager and be that second interview that you should do within any organization," he said. "Its such a key position for us." Miller co-founded Pinnacle Staffing Solutions in 2002 and helped build it into Manitobas largest recruitment firm. Hes also a partner in Elite Performance (a high-performance training centre), three Elite Sports Injury clinics and two Booster Juice franchises. Bombers board chairman Brock Bulbuck attended Tuesdays announcement and said the board didnt conduct a formal process to look outside the club for another candidate while Miller had the acting title. "We obviously kept our ears to the ground, effectively to be able to move on a Plan B if we needed to," Bulbuck said. "But we also needed to respect and give Wade the confidence that was necessary in order for him to be able to undertake the role that he had agreed to." Miller has "free rein" to hire a GM and doesnt need board approval, he added. When Miller was hired in August, it was believed he was the "right man for the job" and hes "proven" himself as a leader with good business acumen, Bulbuck said. "He brought an extreme passion and fan and sponsor focus to the organization," he said. "(He) effectively instilled a culture and an expectation of winning and us needing to do whatever it takes in order to be competitive on the field and in the business office." He wouldnt divulge Millers contract term, but said it was a typical CEO term that was "not a very short term and not an extremely long term." "We want to return this organization to the successful history that it has enjoyed in the past," Bulbuck said. "And I believe that we started to make those changes, but they will not happen overnight, just as the change we made in August was not able to translate into on-field performance overnight." Miller, a former University of Manitoba player drafted by the Bombers in 1995, defied the odds by making the CFL squad. His tenacity and football smarts carried him through an 11-year career, including twice being named an East Division all-star. He left the club as its leader in career special-teams tackles. Now hes ready to tackle many more challenges. "The football club means a lot to me," Miller said. "We need to bring this organization up to where it should be in terms of the connection we have with our community, being competitive on the football field and those are the challenges I take on." Nike Air Max Großhandel . Even if he is shooting 38 per cent from the field overall this season, the Utah Jazz rookie always feels like his final shot is going in. Nike Vapormax Plus Schweiz .5 million, two-year contract that runs through 2015. Venable, the son of former big leaguer Max Venable, will make $4. http://www.shopairmaxschweiz.com/. With one penalty, Fourcade finished in 24 minutes, 58.2 seconds, just nine-tenths of a second ahead of Timofey Lapshin, who shot clean in the cold. Air Max 720 Günstig Kaufen . Fielder has been out with a herniated disk in his neck, and surgery was recommended after a follow-up exam and another scan Thursday with Dr. Nike Air Max 720 Schwarz Günstig .A. Happ. The Toronto Blue Jays will be looking to improve the starting rotation ahead of next season and pitchers like Happ have a chance to show they belong as the disastrous 2013 campaign draws to a close.Canada 4, Germany 0First Period1. Canada, McDavid 1 (Morrissey, Petan) 4:11 (pp).2. Canada, Lazar 1 (McDavid, Petan) 12:42 (pp).Penalties — Saeftel Ger (hooking) 2:30, Domi Cda (hooking) 6:22, Ritchie Cda (goalie interference) 9:46, Wiederer Ger (tripping) 12:18, Hicketts Cda (holding the stick) 15:50.Second PeriodNo Scoring.Penalties — Ritchie Cda (interference) 7:54, Morin Cda (tripping) 15:10, Sturm Ger (checking from behind, misconduct) 18:25.Third Period3. Canada, Dommi 2 (Reinhart) 9:14.dddddddddddd4. Canada, Bowey 1 (Petan, McDavid) 15:44 (pp).Penalties — Duclair Cda (checking from behind, misconduct) 5:34, Wissmann Ger (hooking) 15:01.Shots on goal byGoal — Canada: Comrie (W,1-0-0); Germany: Reich (L,0-1-0).Power plays (goals-chances) — Canada: 3-4; Germany: 0-6.Referees — Geoffrey Miller (U.S.), Tobias Wehrli (Switzerland).Linesmen — Gleb Lazarev (Russia), Andreas Malmqvist (Sweden).Attendance — 12,733 at Montreal. ' ' '
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