Bombers Equal Lame Duck

As a Winnipeg sports fan, I can remember the term "Lame Duck" with utter disdain. In October 1995, The Winnipeg Jets, a team that I loved to the point of crying for on occasion, entered their last season in Winnipeg, and due to the fact it was clear that Richard Burke and Dr. Steven Gluckstern would move the team after that season, everyone referred to that season as "Lame Duck Season". The Jets, led by Keith Tkachuk, Alexie Zhamnov, Teemu Selanne for half of the year, a rookie named Doan, a goalie named Khabby, and a slew of players with under appreciated value went on to defy the odds, and qualify for the playoffs. To me, though as sad as it was, and remains a scar for me to this day, that was a fitting end to a hockey franchise that was never the best in the league, or even top half of the league, but they were an identity for Winnipeggers. Just making the playoffs was a success in my mind.

Since the departure of the Jets, Winnipeggers have embraced The Winnipeg Blue Bombers as their team. There have been tough times, IE The Jeff Reinbold era, or the losing of two Grey Cup games, that we were probably good enough to win, or Jim Daley's tenure where the team just seemed to have no hope. But for those low points, we had Milt Stegall, who will go down as probably the most beloved athlete this City has ever seen in modern times. There was Khari Jones who recorded back to back record setting seasons. There was an atmosphere at Canad Inns Stadium that made you proud to say "These are the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and they are MY Team". Now fewer and fewer Winnipeggers want to admit that, and whether you thank Mike Kelly, or Lyle Bauer, or Michael Bishop, or a fluke that made this team a laughing stock, its a reality of the current situation.

Since last weeks blog, I've had a few stones thrown at me. Some accuse me of not being a true blue Bomber fan, asking how many games I've been to, to see the team. Some have said that nobody should care about my opinion, because it's just so negative, and nobody needs more negative. To those people I say, you are not "true blue Bomber fans" you are strictly fans of Mike Kelly. And it doesn't make you a better a fan if you go to 9 games and see 6 losses that are painful to watch, you are enabling this franchise to stay the course. If you can't look at this season and admit this guy is a failure, you don't want what is best for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, you want what is best for Lyle Bauer and Mike Kelly. And to those fans I wish you luck, but you will be left heart broken with the results. Google Mike Kelly, he hasn't had good results or even pretty good results anywhere else.

The Bombers have become Winnipeg's newest "Lame Duck Franchise". Its true. David Asper's offer to buy the team has not met a deadline, blamed on the Global recession, and will now have a 6 month extension to secure the funds needed. I personally hope Asper comes through, because he is more than capable of making the Bombers the most well managed franchise in the league, without Lyle Bauer. But as of today, it's anything but a definite. So the team remains community owned, and as long as it does Lyle Bauer will remain club President, with absolutely no fear of accountability from the Board of Directors. Here in lies the problems. The team supposedly cannot afford to make a change at Head Coach, or General Manager even if it wants to. They owe Doug Berry money through next season after firing him on the first year of a three year contract extension. Mike Kelly is the third highest paid football coach in the CFL, behind Wally Buono and John Huffnagel, and his contract carries through the next two seasons after this one. On a side note, I wish that Mike Kelly could deliver even a fraction of the results of Buono and Huffnagel, but it's clear he can't and won't.

So here we are. In dire need of a new and qualified direction for the CFL team. Last week I suggested if we could quote Cher, and Turn Back Time, everything would be better. I was WRONG. Taman is gone, and Bomber fans need to move on. Dave Ritchie is older, and still lovable as a hard ass players coach, that won't build a winner. Khari is a nice guy, but not a solution. And honestly, there won't be an effort to solve this problem, the Community based ownership will not fire Lyle Bauer, and Lyle will not fire Mike Kelly. If he were going to, it would have happened right now. At the end of the season The Bombers won't make the playoffs. In the off-season, The Bombers WILL lose out on every important free agent, whether that free agent be currently on the Bomber roster, or be on the Bombers wish list. Milt Stegall, an ICON in Winnipeg I might add, glanced over the problem yesterday on the TSN broadcast, when he said both Romby Bryant and Arjei Franklin were happy to leave Winnipeg. I think if they quietly asked every member of the Bombers, they'd all agree a change of scenery would be welcomed. Thanks Mike Kelly, you did this. You are the only person who thinks you are a football genius, oops forgot, Lyle Bauer thinks that too. You two didn't contribute to building an East Division power house, you built a complete Lame Duck Franchise that cannot be fixed in the next three years. Nobody, and I repeat NOBODY wants to play for you. Hell, I doubt if Bob Irving wants to interview you at this point.

The Mike Kelly era will be the cherry on the cupcake of the Lyle Bauer era of The Winnipeg Blue Bombers. And just to review, FAILURE!

So a correction from last week, where I said it would be as simple as Taman-Ritchie-Khari, I was WRONG. Those moves would contribute to the Lame Duck status of The Bombers.

Last season, Hamilton put Charlie Taaffe, a far more likable guy than Mike Kelly out of his misery late in the season. They promoted the Offensive Coordinator, Marcel Bellefeuille and they are a team moving in the right direction. I wish Lyle Bauer had the foresight to take a page out of Bob O'Billivich's playbook.

So my newest prediction, Bombers will finish 6-12. That's right, they will win 3 more games this season. The off-season will be spent talking about the few bright spots and the improvement noticed after the Banjo Bowl. Ya that's right, Jim Bender tried to say Winnipeg ran with Montreal yesterday, I guess the beer must have been flowing in the press box in Percival Molson Stadium yesterday. Mike Kelly will coach the team next season. They will suck. David Asper will continue to strive to secure this team, and that will amount to the level of hope that the "Fair Weathered" Bomber fans have.

Was it just me, or did Casey Bramlet do as well as a Quarterback as Mike Kelly has proven to do as a Head Coach?

It's sad. Just sad. I'd rather be a "Fair Weathered Blue Bomber" fan, then ever be mistaken as a "Mike Kelly Loyalist" fan.

So who would make a better coach for this team? Tom Higgins? Danny Barrett? Cortez? The Montreal OC? Does it really matter, it's idle speculation of a turn of events that won't happen. We're stuck with Mike Kelly, so we better learn to live with it.

Those Winnipeggers who want a new identity, try the Goldeyes. My friend Jeff Wallace will help point you in the right direction when it comes to merchandise and tickets.