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On The Office, accountant Oscar Martinez is widely regarded as the smartest person in the room.
Through the sitcom’s nine-year run, Martinez is the Yoda of the workplace, a source of knowledge and insight for those who need it.
In Season 4, when Michael Scott physically and loudly declares bankruptcy, it’s Martinez that goes to his office and interrupts him while he cuts up his credit cards to explain to him that you can’t just yell out the word and be bankrupt.
In Season 5, he explains to Scott what a surplus is.
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In Season 6, the staff huddles around his desk — he’s the only one with a Wall Street Journal subscription — as he reads a damning article about the status of Dunder Mifflin’s corporate office.
That season the corporate office makes a bold decision and creates a co-managers position. Michael is joined by salesman Jim Halpert. As he often does through the show, Martinez shakes his head at the move.
“It doesn’t take a genius to know that any organization thrives when it has two leaders,” he says, sarcasm oozing off of every word.
“Go ahead, name a country that doesn’t have two presidents. A boat that sets sail without two captains. Where would Catholicism be, without the popes?”
***
The fog has lifted in Hamilton, giving way to what might be the last warm autumn day of this year. Shawn Burke and Drew Allemang are seated near the top of the lower bowl in the stands at Tim Hortons Field, watching as their team goes through its first practice in the final week of the regular season.
The Tiger-Cats are fresh off of their 14th win and there’s an energy on the field, even though Saturday’s date with the Toronto Argonauts is a meaningless game. Under the co-managerialship of Burke and Allemang, the Ticats clinched a playoff spot and a home game on Sept. 21. They secured the Eastern Final on Oct. 12 and a franchise-record 13th regular-season win on Oct. 19. A win on Saturday puts them at 15-3 and would have them perfect at home this year.
With that kind of success, recognition follows. Brandon Banks is a MOP nominee. Simoni Lawrence could be Most Outstanding Defensive Player. Receiver Jaelon Acklin is a Most Outstanding Rookie nominee. Rookie head coach Orlondo Steinauer is up for Coach of the Year. The CFL doesn’t do an executive of the year award but if it did, you’d have to think that with the best record in the league and in maneuvering through some significant injuries this year, Allemang and Burke would be the runaway choice for it this year. You’d also think that they’d like to have a word with a certain Office know-it-all on the idea of co-managers.
Shawn Burke (left) and Drew Allemang (right) have flourished sharing an executive role this season (Ticats.ca)
“It was just naturally what we’d been doing here already last season,” Burke says of the arrangement, which was born through the contract of the Ticats’ previous GM, Eric Tillman, expiring after last season.
“We talked about that it was a committee-like approach and this year it was honed in a little tighter, probably a little more responsibility was given to each of us,” Burke continues.
“I think it’s just a reflection of what we’d already been doing. There wasn’t really a big change day-to-day in either of our workloads. We’ve always been given a lot of opportunity within the organization through everyone we’ve worked with.”
Burke, 38 and Allemang, 39, have been deeply entrenched in the organization for years. Burke joined the team in 2007 and became the assistant GM and director of football operations in 2016. Allemang had been in the organization for the past 11 years and had most recently been the assistant GM and director of Canadian scouting since 2016.
With Tillman’s departure, both were named the senior director of personnel and co-managers of football operations on Jan. 3.
“We’ve never tried to worry about (perceptions),” Allemang says. “I think if anything it promoted the collaboration inside the organization. I don’t think either of us are too concerned about titles or how we’re perceived outside the team.”
Their paths to this point twist and wind to bring them to this shared role and what has been a magnificent first season together.
Both only made it as far as high school football as kids, but found unique ways into the world of football ops.
“I was terrible (as a player),” Allemang says dryly, insisting that he’s gotten more athletic as he’s gotten older.
What helped him learn the game on a deeper level early in life was that his father, Marv, played offensive line for the Ticats. Drew and his brother Matt, the Ticats’ video coordinator, were just small kids when they saw their dad win a Grey Cup for the Ticats in 1986.
“I had a unique background, being around it because of my dad,” Allemang says.
“I would come to practices when he played and after he played I’d come and be around and got to go to meetings and things like that. It was a very fortunate situation.”
The duo of Allemang and Burke brought in Tyrell Sutton to help their injury-ridden backfield (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
In 2016, Marv told Steve Milton of The Hamilton Spectator that he remembered a young Drew making up his own rosters and creating Ticats locker rooms out of Lego blocks when they’d come back from practices.
Allemang got a foot in the door with the Ticats in 2005, when he worked as an assistant with the equipment staff. He’s climbed his way through the organization since, going from coordinator of football ops to coordinator of Canadian player development and eventually to assistant GM and director of Canadian scouting.
“You’re definitely going to have some challenges, maybe you have to learn some things that you wouldn’t know otherwise,” he says.
“There are still a lot of things you have to learn but we have a lot of people in our building, back then and now, that you’re constantly learning new things all the time. That never stops.
“It definitely posed some challenges. I maybe had to take a long-winded approach to get into personnel but I wouldn’t change that. There are a lot of things you learn along the way.”
Burke finished Durham College’s sports administration program and landed a job with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. He spent two years there working for the Raptors and another two working for the Maple Leafs on their community programs.
Ticats president Scott Mitchell hired Burke in 2007. He was in charge of community relations and communications when he crossed paths with a CFL legend, in Ron Lancaster, who was loosely involved with the organization. Lancaster invited Burke to watch film with him and it opened Burke up to a world of information and new opportunities.
“That was a huge help when I first got here,” Burke says.
“Quite honestly, I didn’t have the background that Drew did in being around the game my whole life, so I had to understand the game first.
“I don’t even think Ron at the time realized what he was doing. He thought we were just spending time together shooting the breeze.”
Lancaster would make community appearances and would show up early to sit down with Burke and watch some film.
“It probably took away some work time for me,” Burke laughs, “but it obviously paid dividends. Getting to be around guys like (Bob O’Billovich), Kent (Austin), Eric (Tillman), all these guys we’ve worked with, you take something from everyone that they do great because everyone’s been in that position for a reason.”
Burke went into a director of football administration role, then the director of football operations before becoming the assistant GM and director of football ops.
“We’ve had an opportunity to work with some very good people,” he says.
“You get a different landscape. Scott (Mitchell) being a CEO, having been in the CFL his whole life basically with his father (Doug) being the commissioner. When you’re around passionate people that love what they do, it just sort of becomes you.”
The duo added to their staff when the moves were made in January. They brought Spencer Zimmerman in from the Argos as their director of U.S. scouting, and another well-known name in the CFL, in Jim Barker, as a football ops consultant.
“We talked about that it was a committee-like approach and this year it was honed in a little tighter, probably a little more responsibility was given to each of us. I think it’s just a reflection of what we’d already been doing. There wasn’t really a big change day-to-day in either of our workloads.”
– Shawn Burke on sharing responsibilities with Drew Allemang
While the wins quickly started to accumulate for them this year, Allemang and Burke have had to deal with some serious injuries. They’ve been decimated at running back and are currently on their sixth player at that spot, but have found success with Tyrell Sutton. They’ve managed their defensive line as they’ve lost Adrian Tracy and Jamaal Westerman for the season.
Most significantly, Jeremiah Masoli went out for the year in a Week 7 first-place showdown with Winnipeg when he tore his ACL. Backup QB Dane Evans — whom was signed in April through the 2021 season — has played at a MOP level in Masoli’s absence.
“I would say what we’re (most) proud of, the biggest thing is we have a great amount of depth, both nationally and American-wise,” Burke says.
“I think you’ve seen it through lineups. The next thing is stuff that isn’t seen, (the work done) behind the scenes. The plan in place to continue being able to recycle that depth through and the amount of work that our staff and the personnel department does behind the scenes that often goes unnoticed but pays dividends when it matters.”
Having come through the organization together and worked closely for the last few years together, there’s a strong mutual respect built up between the two managers.
“We started at various different levels at the bottom of things and kind of worked our way through,” Allemang says. “I think we’re proud of each other for how hard we’ve worked to reach similar goals.”
How much success this season will hold remains to be seen, but you have to assume that the wheels are already turning around the league, with team presidents and GMs thinking about the future. Teams will need new GMs and there are two very capable ones working in Hamilton. Teams will want coaches and the staff on the field run their team through practice is a great one. Finally, the players on the field — and Masoli, who continues to heal — will undoubtedly be targeted by other teams when free agency opens in just over four months’ time.
“From the player side and coaching side, change is always inevitable,” Burke says.
“There are decisions being made in every league but I think if you have the right people that are in it for the right reasons…you can definitely keep the strong pieces together and the foundation together.
“At the end of the day, if you’re doing things the right way and leaving a legacy for the organization, it’ll work out no matter what.
“We want Bob Young and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats organization to be successful long after us. At the same time, I think we’ve been given an opportunity here and with opportunity, both of us are very loyal people.
“I can’t speak for Drew but I think we both hope to be with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for a long, long time. Successful seasons like (this one) hopefully ensure that.”
Allemang sits, listening to his colleague. He’s nodding to what he says, his eyes fixed on the field. They’ve hardly left the field through our entire conversation, really. The line from his father, Marv, about him drawing up rosters as a little kid resonates. Some people just seem like they’re built to do certain things.
“I think we both have a lot of respect for Bob Young and really enjoy working here,” Allemang says.
Allemang vaguely remembers the celebration that took place in Hamilton when the Ticats won that Grey Cup in 1986. He was in the third grade. He remembers the tree in the family’s front yard being toilet-papered — in a good way, he makes clear. From that night, it’d be 13 years before Hamilton would see another Grey Cup. It’s been 20 since that one.
What would it mean, it’s put to them, to end this drought? To be a part of the team that brings the Grey Cup back to Hamilton? It’s the one question they don’t want to go near.
“I’m only focused on Game 18 right now,” Burke says, grinning. “You’re not going to get that one out of me.”
“I’ve got to go to the University of Buffalo tomorrow,” Allemang says immediately after.
And with a perfectly executed duck-dodge combo, the co-managers went back to work, putting the finishing touches on their first year working together.
