the 4th star

Three and a half days. That’s how long it took the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to step in it once again. To erase the good feelings from a home opening win. To show that the sideshow off the field will be just as much (or even better) a story as the action on it.

Poof! Gone. Just like that.

A Blue Bombers scout caught at a Hamilton Tiger-Cats practice. No problem if he’s there just observing. Can I get you a water? Weekly workouts are open to the public. Come back again real soon. However, not fine if he’s taking pages of notes, drawing up “plays Hamilton was running during practice” and is working for the Blue Bombers.

A snippet:

(Ron) Trentini isn’t well-known in CFL circles, but a Ticats employee said Hamilton assistant coach Danny McManus sat next to him in the press box at Rogers Centre during last Saturday’s game in Toronto between the Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders. Trentini was reportedly scouting the game while wearing Blue Bombers apparel.

In addition, a member of the Bombers media-relations staff this week sent a credential request to Hamilton under Trentini’s name for Saturday’s game at Hamilton between the Bombers and Tiger-Cats. Trentini was accredited for the Argos-Riders game as being associated with the Bombers.

The Bombers have distanced themselves from Trentini, saying he abused his credential and that he was taking his own notes for a team in the Ontario Varsity Football League. “It was his own doing,” director of football operations Ross Hodgkinson told The Globe.

Further down, here’s Ticats president Scott Mitchell, beautifully sarcastic:

“I think the Bombers and this guy are taking our league marketing campaign of ‘accessible and affordable’ a little too seriously. To be honest, we probably made a mistake by escorting him out. Considering how quickly he gave up his contacts and his reason for being there, we probably should have bought him lunch and asked him some more questions, who knows what we would have found out? Its unfortunate, but the Bombers are a great organization, so I’m sure it’s something they’re not proud of.”

And now a new low for the Bombers. Having Hamilton think they’re better than you.

Over at the Blue Bombers message board, the blue bleeders are giving the expected reaction. Some wonder what the big deal is, ignoring the fact that they would be going absolutely ballistic if a Ticats scout was caught at Canad Inns Stadium, while others say Hamilton deserves it (whatever that means).

The 4th Star first reaction: While we doubt they will originate from Winnipeg, we’re hoping for more details to emerge in the next couple days. People observe practices all the time. They are open to the public, so you have to assume a guy from the other team is in the stands. It’s a different story, however, when that guy from the other team gets caught taking notes and drawing up diagrams. Regardless of what comes out (and really does it even matter given the admission from the Bombers?), M. Kelly continues his impressive streak of embarrassing the club. Everything crosses his desk, putting him as the man responsible. Nice double standard, too. The same man who flips out over television cameras at practice for fear of other clubs picking up schemes on the limited highlight coverage is now one step away from taping opposition practices.

Oh wait, sorry. It was Trentini’s own doing. He only works for the Blue Bombers as a football scout. He doesn’t actually scout football for the team.