Let’s start with the apology. It arrived this morning in my e-mail box and it’s priceless.
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS RELEASE – 2009/167
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 1, 2009
WINNIPEG, MB – “To all Bomber fans and anyone who may have taken offence to my reaction and comments to interviewers during the post game show following our game against the Alouettes, I extend my sincere apologies.”
“I could not concur nor accept the assertions made by the interviewers that our players were ‘unfocused’ and looking towards our next contest. As the Coach of these men I know the professionalism and dedication which they commit in their preparation for each and every game. This group leaves it all on the field week in and week out, regardless of the outcome.”
“The fact of the matter is that on this day we were not the better team, which I take responsibility for and congratulate the Montreal Alouettes on their win.”
“I remain steadfast in my support and defence of our players, their professionalism, and commitment to our fans and the Blue Bomber organization. This is a special group of men who have fought through significant adversity this season and a group I am very privileged and pleased to have the honour of coaching.”
“Once again, my apologies go out to those who may have been offended by my comments this afternoon.”
That’s beautiful. Kelly said “bullshit” on CJOB and 100,000 seniors wet their diapers.
I hope no one was offended. I’m a senior and I’ve played on sports teams and heard plenty of uglier epithets than “bullshit.” Damn, I heard one at the gym this morning.
Kelly’s problems with the local mainstream media continue unabated for two reasons (a) the local mainstream media asks stupid questions and (b) because the local mainstream media doesn’t know anything about football and can’t analyze the games properly, fighting with Mike Kelly fills the pages they can’t fill with analysis.
So knock yourself out kids. Despite his petulance (the content was right, but the reaction was wrong), Kelly was absolutely right, again. However, it’s clear that in this town, if you don’t kneel at the altar of the mainstream media, your life can be made very miserable. Fortunately, Kelly appears to be a guy who can handle miserable. Others on his team can’t.
And that’s why, once again, Kelly — even if he wasn’t trying — proved to be brilliant. There was so little criticism of his quarterback, Michael Bishop in today’s local fishwraps, that you get the sense Kelly did everything he could to take the ugly spotlight off a guy he needs to be in the right head-space this Sunday against Hamilton.
If the bad Michael Bishop shows up on Sunday, the season is over. If the good one shows up, the Bombers are only three weeks away from the Grey Cup. The last thing Kelly needed was another hatchet job on his quarterback, a guy who went eight-for-21 for a measly 145 yards.
In fairness, Bishop is injured. He’s playing with a bad hamstring and a hand that gets so numb, he can’t feel the football. But he was simply atrocious on Sunday and probably shouldn’t have played.
And that’s why Kelly was angry. His team got thumped, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. The Montreal Alouettes are the best home team in the CFL and they proved it again on Sunday. That’s why it’s unlikely anyone in the East — no matter how hard they try — will beat the Als at Molson Stadium this season.
So, while protecting his players, Mike Kelly said, “bullshit” on CJOB. Hope no one passed a kidney stone.
In the meantime, the franchise has to punish Kelly. You can’t rip the broadcast rights holder and get publicly angry on a medium that leads the cheers, without some repercussions. A fine is in order and then everyone should just move on to Sunday. Although I might agree with Mike Kelly, his response to the CJOB inquisitors was amateurish and his actions have hurt the Blue Bombers brand.
But yeah, he was right.
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