Week One: Expect the Best
Media paranoia. Abrasive candor. Misplaced arrogance.
Those are just some of the character traits Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans and followers have noticed through the first few months of the Mike Kelly era. We now get to see if the database head coach is as smart as he thinks he is when his charges take on the Edmonton Eskimos at Commonwealth Stadium tomorrow night.
Before that, though, a new quality has emerged: Expectation manager.
The Bombers head coach has remained pretty consistent with his message leading up to the game with the Eskimos, telling anyone who will listen that his club will “work hard and play their butts off” when the games get underway. Or some version of that statement. Terrific. So that’s what it has come to in Bomberland this season. While camps in Calgary, Montreal, and Edmonton set their sights on a Grey Cup, Winnipeg hopes to just perform the job they are paid to do with an intensity that is standard for the position.
To put it another way: Forget about quenching that 18-year Grey Cup thirst.
But hey, it’s early. So here are three easy questions heading into the season:
1. Did you hear the Bombers have a new quarterback for this season?
It’s true. The left-handed Stefan LeFors comes into the Winnipeg QB frying pan with little experience and a weak arm. He replaces Kevin Glenn, who had a boatload of experience and a weak arm. Reports have LeFors with a good head, a coolness in most situations, and liked by his teammates. Goody.
2. If LeFors stumbles out of the gate, say for the first three games, will Kelly yank him?
Doug Berry’s first mistake last season was going to the bench too early in the season. He listened to the fans. On the surface, Kelly doesn’t appear to give a shit what the Bomber fan thinks, so it would be easy to say that he’ll ride LeFors for a long time. But the pressure for quality quarterback play in this town is immense, and the calls for change will rain down on Kelly with each passing poor performance. This will be something to watch.
3. How many games in does Kelly agree to the term ‘rebuilding?’
Eight. They could be 2-6 at that point. The coach may have to concede what everyone around the club already knows. When you start over with 25 new players (and watch 38 bodies from the year before move on), it’s rebuilding.
Photo, Winnipeg Free Press
