Kelly Bombs Out Of Winnipeg Gig

Those of us at OSG HQ have enjoyed, for the self-serving reason of moving the bacon here on the wires, now-former Winnipeg Blue Bomber head coach Mike Kelly...

He never took any crap from the local media. And if he didn't want to answer a question, Kelly would remind you that he was moving on to the next question...

Now...

BUT... hours after being arrested and charged with assault following a domestic dispute in the morning at his home near Philadelphia, Kelly is looking for work.

The firing, which is now being looked at for a just-cause dismissal, came hours after Bombers CEO Lyle Bauer announced he was checking out...

Most CFL coaches have code-of-conduct clauses in their deals. If Kelly's arrest is deemed a violation of his deal, then the Bombers will look to tell their ex to perch-and-rotate on the remainder of his US$500,000 on the table.

Bank on that idea...

The Free Press's Gary Lawless and Aldo Santin found out what went down on Kelly's arrest back in Pennsylvania.

Bridgeport Police Sgt. John Cane said when officers arrived at Kelly’s home, they found a woman they later learned to be his former girlfriend outside on the front steps.

"When the officers got there, she (the victim) said that Mike Kelly had hit her," Cane said. "She showed us her neck, which was red, she had a small cut on her knuckle, and she had a small abrasion or some type of cut on her lip."

Cane said that Kelly told police that the woman had come to his house to pick up her personal belongings.

"She confronted him in an upstairs bedroom and an argument broke out and it turned physical," Cane said of the explanation offered by Kelly. "He grabbed her, she ended up hitting him in the face, according to him, and he had some evidence of being hit there too, and he grabbed her and pushed her to get her out of the house."

Kelly is due in court next week to answer the charges. Apparently, Kelly's relationship had ended a few weeks ago...

The HQ thinks it really never ended after all...

Here's the rather interesting day the Blue Bomber brass had...
((HT: WInnipeg Free Press))

Coach Calls Hosts Comments Media "BullS***"

The head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Mike Kelly, has been a real treat as a rookie head coach in the CFL this year.

He doesn't take any crap when it comes to questions...
If the question is stupid, he'l tell you... it's somewhat refreshing in an age where everyone is ready for the challenge...

The Blue Bombers are 7-10 and, as Coach Kelly was getting ready for his talk to the play-by-play man Bob Irving, he heard a bunch of "garbage."

He then called out the play-by-play guy on air during Q and A on a postgame show...
Priceless stuff...
((HT: CJOB-AM 68 Winnipeg))

Kelly was somewhat defensive considering the Bombers lost to Montreal 48-13...

Randy Turner of the Free Press newswpaper was less than pleased, but not surprised...

Kelly proceeded to apologize in print, thanks again to the Free Press...

"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."

All the above story does is give us the chance to show another one of Kelly's Greatest Hits from July and alleged cheating by his scouting staff...
((HT: Winnipeg Free Press))


Non-issue, handled internally, not talking about it...
Got it...???

"Don't Ask Questions About Pac-Man Jones!"

((HT: Winnipeg Free Press))

And the local press went ahead and asked Blue Bombers Head Coach Mike Kelly about it anyway... forget the salvo that was started by Director of Football Operations Ross Hodgkinson...

Funny stuff...



"Hold your horses right there and use your eraser..."

This coming on the heels of Coach Kelly deciding he wasn't going to take phone calls anymore during his coach's show...

Kelly says the calls have deteriorated and have no posi­tive effect on the team or fans. The coach will entertain emails and live questions at his show on location at the Upperdeck Sports Bar at McPhillips Street Casino...

The level of awesomeness is only exceeded by the level of hubris...

Winnipeg Coach Doesn't Answer The Question, Wants The Next Question...

((HT: Winnipeg Free-Press/Ed Tait))

Canadian Football League commissioner Mark Cohon has issued the following statement on the Winnipeg Blue Bomber-affiliated scout who was kicked out of Hamilton Tiger-Cats practice on Tuesday:

"The Commissioner has fully reviewed the incident that was brought to his attention yesterday. The Commissioner has informed the Winnipeg Football Club, and all Member Clubs, that this type of practice is unacceptable and similar incidents in the future may result in disciplinary action.

"Yesterday’s incident involving Winnipeg is being managed internally."

The Bombers will issue their own statement once practice is completed later this afternoon.

Robert Trentini, a Hamilton-based scout, was ejected on Tuesday after being spotted taking dozens of pages of notes during the Ticat workout. He was previously accredited by the Bombers for the Toronto Argonaut-Saskatchewan Roughrider game last Saturday and for a Ticat preseason contest.

This was "That Statement" from Head Coach Mike Kelly...
He channeled Drew Rosenhaus like nobody's business...
Here's Kelly answering the question about a "non-issue..."


Non-Issue...Handled Internally...Not Talking About It...
Next Question...
Got it, thanks...

Blue Bombers Coach Explains "Crotch" Comment

((HT: CP))

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have apologized to Saskatchewan for a derogatory remark made at the CFL team's fan forum Tuesday night.

During the annual event attended by some 300 Bomber fans, one fan referred to Regina as "the crotch of Canada." And later when new Bombers head coach Mike Kelly ((pictured, thanks Phil Hossack/Winnipeg Free Press)) was talking about the trades made with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Eskimos, he picked up on the reference.

"We kind of raided the toothless, green, watermelon-helmet-wearing people from the crotch of Canada," Kelly said, according to the Winnipeg Free Press.

While the fans apparently laughed at Kelly's remarks, it wasn't a laughing matter for long.

Bombers president and CEO Lyle Bauer issued an apology after receiving some e-mails from upset Saskatchewan residents.

"The Winnipeg Football Club apologizes to the residents of Saskatchewan and Roughrider fans for comments which emanated at the Blue Bomber fan forum," Bauer said.

"The Winnipeg Football Club holds our partners to the west in a very high regard, as we share similar corporate cultures and values in our respective status as community-sponsored teams. The comments by a fan and our head coach were truly meant in the playful spirit of our great rivalry. We do recognize that some might not have received it in the context in which it was made."

Bauer also pointed to his own roots.

"As someone who was born and raised in Saskatchewan, I share the pride of the residents," he said. "However, I know there is no disrespect meant by those who made the comments."

Mike Kelly got the opportunity to 'splain himself on NewsTalk 980 CJME in Regina on Wednesday on the "Dave Arnold Show." The audio is from the "Drew Remenda Show" and it's really wild stuff.

Those of us at OSG HQ listened to the interview closely. The one thing that's still missing is an actual apology for making the comment- even if Kelly explained the "context" of the whole usage of the deal. We also wonder why the CFL hasn't taken any stance and fined or discplined Kelly at all...

It's "not a matter we ((the league)) are investigating..." is their official response...

Nice...

Coverage from the Free Press is in black...
Rob Vanstone's commentary in the Regina Leader Post is in black...

Coach Not Named Kiffin Starting War Of Words Up North

((HT: Regina Leader-Post/Ian Hamilton))

Before he has even coached a game in the CFL, Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike Kelly ((pictured, thanks Winnipeg Free-Press)) has started the war of words with his team’s main rival.

At the Bombers’ annual fan forum Tuesday night, Kelly took a run at Saskatchewan, the Roughriders and that team’s fans.

During the course of the evening, one of the Bombers supporters on hand referred to Regina as “the crotch of Canada.” Later on, Kelly talked about the offseason influx of players into Winnipeg from the Roughriders and Edmonton Eskimos by saying: “We kind of raided the toothless, green, watermelon-helmet-wearing people from the crotch of Canada.”

(As an aside, if Saskatchewan is the crotch, what does that make Manitoba?)

Labour Day oughta be fun.

Ed Tait from the Winnipeg Free Press has other parts of the Q and A...