You can call him Giordano or you can call him Gio, it doesn’t seem to matter much to him.
Where Giordano Vaccaro’s name gets called in the CFL draft next Tuesday, though, has much broader implications.
kAmx7 E96 aa\J62C\@=5 (:??:A6886C 8@6D 7:CDE @G6C2==[ H96C6 D@>6 92G6 9:> A68865[ :E’D 36=:6G65 96’5 36 E96 7:CDE |2?:E@32? E@ AF== E92E @77 – BF:E6 E96 32586 @7 9@?@FC 7@C 2 8FJ H9@ FD65 E@ AC676C 9@4<6J 3642FD6 7@@E32== H2D E@@ >F49 DE@AA:?8 2?5 DE2CE:?8]k^Am
kAm“xE H@F=5 36 AC6EEJ 4@@= E@ 5@ E92E 2D 2 (:??:A6886C[” ‘2442C@ E@=5 E96 k6>m(:??:A68 $F?k^6>m @? uC:52J] “x7 x H6?E 324< E@ >J J@F?86C D6=7[ 6G6? >J `g\J62C\@=5 D6=7 6?E6C:?8 4@==686 2E E96 & @7 |]]] x H@F=5 92G6 ?6G6C E9@F89E x H@F=5 36 😕 E9:D A@D:E:@? 2E 2==]”k^Am
kAm(96C6 96’== 36 @? %F6D52Ji 2E 2 5C27E A2CEJ @C82?:K65 3J 9:D A2C6?ED[ H:E9 D@>6 a__ 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D 7C@> E96 xE2=:2? 2?5 7@@E32== 4@>>F?:E:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 7@C>6C E62>>2E6D 2?5 4@2496D[ 😕 2EE6?52?46 2E E96 r23@E@ r6?EC6]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 AC6EEJ DFCC62=[” ‘2442C@ D2:5] “v6EE:?8 >J ?2>6 42==65[ @3G:@FD=J[ @? E96 3:8 D4C66?] p?5 E96? F=E:>2E6=J ;FDE 92G:?8 2== E9@D6 A6@A=6 2C@F?5 J@F E92E 92G6 DFAA@CE65 J@F @G6C E96 J62CD 2?5 AFE 😕 E:>6 2?5 677@CE]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2H6D@>6 2?5 x’> 8@:?8 E@ 46=63C2E6 :E H:E9 6G6CJ3@5J E92E x =@G6]”k^Am
kAm%96 e\7@@E\a[ b_g\A@F?5 @776?D:G6 =:?6>2? H2D?’E 24EF2==J DFAA@D65 E@ 4@>6 9@>6 7@C E96 3:8 ?:89E] w6 925 2 4@?7=:4E H:E9 2 >2E9 6I2> 2E !FC5F6 &?:G6CD:EJ[ H96C6 96 DA6?E 9:D 7:?2= J62C @7 4@==686 27E6C E9C66 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |2?:E@32]k^Am
kAm#62=:K:?8 E9:D H2D E@@ 8@@5 E@ >:DD[ ‘2442C@ 8@E E96 6I2> >@G65 FA 2 76H 52JD[ 3FE 5:5?’E E6== 9:D 72>:=J[ AC676CC:?8 E@ DFCAC:D6 E96> H96? 96 D9@H65 FA 2E E96:C 5@@C 62C=J 😕 E96 >@C?:?8]k^Am
kAm“x E@@< E96 6I2> 2?5 E96? x 5C@G6 9@>6 W%9FCD52JX ?:89E[” 96 D2:5] “u:CDE x H6?E E@ >J 8C2?5>2’D 9@FD6] $96 H2D @? E96 H2J[ D@ x DE@AA65 E96C6] %96J H6C6 D9@4<65]]] >J 8C2?5>2 H2D 4CJ:?8]”k^Am
kAm%96? :E H2D @77 E@ DFCAC:D6 9:D A2C6?ED]k^Am
kAm%96 EC@F3=6 :D[ p?86=@ 2?5 {:D2 ‘2442C@ 925 DFDA64E65 D@>6E9:?8 >:89E 36 FA]k^Am
kAm“(6 H6C6?’E `__ A6C46?E DFC6[” 525 D2:5] “(6 D6?D65 D@>6 E9:?8D H6C6 2 3:E H6:C5]”k^Am
kAmu@C @?6[ E96:C D@?’D 286?E 925 E@=5 E96> E96 <:5 H2D >66E:?8 H:E9 E96 q=F6 q@>36CD @? $2EFC52J]k^Am
kAm“w@H 😀 96 8@:?8 E@ >66E H:E9 E96 q@>36CD @? $2EFC52J :7 96’D 😕 !FC5F6n” p?86=@ 2?5 9:D H:76 H@?56C65] “%96C6 H6C6 2 76H =:EE=6 42ED >2J36 =6E @FE @7 E96 328] p?5 E96? 2E f E9:D >@C?:?8 E96 5@8D DE2CE65 32C<:?8[ 2?5 E96C6 96 H2D] |@> H2D 56=:89E65 E@ D66 96C =:EE=6 @G6C\D:K65 3@J H2=< E9C@F89 E96 5@@C]”k^Am
kAm%92E ?@E\D@\=:EE=6 3@J AC676CC65 D<2E6D 2?5 2 9@4<6J DE:4< 7@C `b J62CD]k^Am
kAmw:D 525 DE:== C6>6>36CD H92E 9:D D@? D2:5 23@FE E92E J62C @7 4@>>F?:EJ\4=F3 7@@E32== H:E9 E96 r@CJ5@? r@>6ED]k^Am
kAm“x’> ?@E DFC6 23@FE E9:D 7@@E32== E9:?8[” 😀 9@H p?86=@ C642==65 :E] “%96C6’D E@@ >F49 DE2CE:?8 2?5 DE@AA:?8]”k^Am
kAm(96? ‘2442C@ D9@H65 FA 2E $E] !2F=’D w:89 $49@@=[ 7@@E32== 4@249 $E24J s2:?2C5 DE66C65 9:> 2H2J 7C@> E96 C:?< 2?5 E@ E96 7:6=5[ H96C6 9:D 3C@E96C[ |2EE6@[ H2D EH@ J62CD 29625 @7 9:>]k^Am
kAm’2442C@ 3682? E@ E2<6 E96 82>6 >@C6 D6C:@FD=J 2E $E] !2F=’D[ 3FE DE:==[ q:D@?D 9625 4@249 qC:2? s@3:6[ H96? 96 3682? C64CF:E:?8 9:>[ 4@F=5 E6== 7@@E32== H2D?’E E96 <:5’D E@A AC:@C:EJ]k^Am
kAms@3:6 8@E E96 D6?D6 96 H2D >@C6 :?E6C6DE65 😕 9F?E:?8 2?5 7:D9:?8]k^Am
kAm%92E 492?865 27E6C 9:89 D49@@= H96? ‘2442C@ DA6?E 2 J62C 2E r=62CH2E6C p4256>J[ 2 AC6A D49@@= 😕 r=62CH2E6C[ u=2]k^Am
kAmuC@> E96C6 :E H2D E9C66 J62CD H:E9 E96 q:D@?D[ 4F=>:?2E:?8 😕 ‘2442C@ H:??:?8 E96 y]!] |6EC2D %C@A9J 2D E96 36DE 4@==686 =:?6>2? 😕 r2?252]k^Am
kAm%@52J[ s@3:6 42?’E D2J 6?@F89 23@FE 9:>]k^Am
kAm“v:@’D 2EE:EF56 😀 7C:88:?’ E9C@F89 E96 C@@7[” E96 4@249 D2:5] “%92E <:5 H:== ?6G6C E2<6 2 C6A @77] xE 😀 2 H2C K@?6 @FE E96C6 H:E9 9:>] w6 😀 :?4C65:3=J 288C6DD:G6] w6 H2D =:<6 E92E 😕 AC24E:46] w6’D C62==J :?E6==:86?E] w6 2=H2JD H2D H2J 29625 @7 E96 4FCG6] w6’D ?@E 3:8] qFE 96 A=2JD H2J 3:886C] w6’D D@ 288C6DD:G6 2?5 D@ E649?:42=] w6’D DF49 2 8C62E =62C?6C]k^Am
kAm“w6 8@33=6D :E FA]”k^Am
kAmp y6 – ?2DEJ 2D ?2:=D @? E96 EFC7[ 86?E=6 @77 :E]k^Am
kAms25 AFE :E 2?@E96C H2J] “w6 =:E6C2==J 😀 E96 3:886DE 2CD69@=6 E@ 36 282:?DE @? E96 7:6=5] p?5 96 4@>6D @77 2?5 J@F E9:?< E9:D 8FJ 😀 2 E655J 362C]”k^Am
kAmpD< ‘2442C@ 23@FE E9:D 5:49@E@>J 2?5 96 A@:?ED E@ 36:?8 2? F?56C5@8 E9C@F89@FE 9:D 42C66C] w6’D ?@E E96 3:886DE @C 72DE6DE ~\=:?6>2?[ 3FE F?56C6DE:>2E:?8 9:> 92D?’E 8@?6 H6== 7@C @AA@?6?ED]k^Am
kAm“(92E6G6C v@5 82G6 >6 x 925 E@ >2<6 E96 >@DE @7 :E[” 96 D2:5] “$@ x ?6G6C C62==J D2E 324< 2?5 4@>A=2:?65[ x ;FDE AFE >J 9625 5@H? 2?5 H@C<65] *629[ @? E96 7:6=5 x’> 2 ?2DEJ A6CD@?] x C62==J EFC? @? 2 DH:E49 H96? x’> @? E96 7:6=5] x ;FDE 86E 😕 >J K@?6]”k^Am
kAm(96? 96 DEC2AD @? E96 A25D[ 96 D66D E96 5676?56C @AA@D:E6 9:> 2D 2 E9C62E]k^Am
kAm“xE’D >6 G6CDFD 9:>] pE E96 6?5 @7 E96 52J[ E96 5676?D:G6 =:?6>2? 92D E@ 86E E@ >J >@?6J 369:?5 >6] p?5 x’> ?@E 8@:?8 E@ =6E E92E 92AA6?] (96E96C E92E 36 >J BF2CE6C324< @C CF??:?8 324<] x ;FDE EFC? :?E@ 2 >2F=6C]”k^Am
kAm%92E’D @?6 @7 E96 C62D@?D 6G6CJ ru{ E62> 92D 42==65 ‘2442C@ 2?5 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ FA F?E:= %F6D52J]k^Am
kAm(9:496G6C @?6 42==D 9:> E92E ?:89E E@ D2J E96J’G6 A:4<65 9:> H:== 36 ;FDE 7:?6 H:E9 9:>[ H96E96C :E’D 7:CDE[ D64@?5 @C E9:C5 @G6C2==]k^Am
kAmp?5 J6D[ 96 92D 2==@H65 9:>D6=7 E@ H@?56C H92E :E’5 36 =:<6 :7 :E’D E96 q@>36CD[ H9@ 92G6 E96 7@FCE9 A:4<]k^Am
kAm“%92E’5 >2<6 E96 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D G6CJ 92AAJ[” ‘2442C@ D2:5] “%@ 4@>6 324< 2?5 A=2J 7@C 2 AC@76DD:@?2= E62>[ E96 E62> J@F 8C6H FA H2E49:?8[ :E’5 36 C62==J 4@@= 2?5[ 282:?[ DFCC62=] xE’5 36 2H6D@>6]k^Am
kAm“%96 3:886DE E9:?8 :D[ 2?5 x’> C62==J ECFE97F= 23@FE E9:D[ x C62==J ECJ ?@E E@ 7@4FD @? :E] x’> 8C2E67F= 7@C 2?J @AA@CEF?:EJ]”k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ>2:=E@iA2F=]7C:6D6?o<=6:?>65:2]42Q E2C86ElQ03=2?65:2]42k^2mk^Am
kAm)i o7C:6D6?DF?>65:2k^Am
Winnipegger Giordano Vaccaro, who played this past season with Purdue University in Indiana, is expected to be one of the top picks in Tuesday’s CFL draft.
Photo: supplied