the 4th star

Great headline. Stupidly great. I can’t believe he’s denying it. Not that you need to read further, the rest of story can be found right here. I’m still in shock. An accused football player is saying he didn’t have anything to do with it. Yo, Michael Vick. Yeah, you on the right of the page. Any comment on this? I need to seek clergy.

“When I was a professor (of sports management at Drexel University), if I had an exam that was given where the highest grade was in the 70s or low 80s… then I failed those kids; I didn’t recognize that they weren’t picking up the style of teaching that I was using. So now I have to find another way to communicate those same thoughts because if your whole class fails that’s on the instructor. So you go back and say, ‘Obviously they’re not understanding this.’

That was Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike Kelly explaining how he invented the concept of teaching. Pretty impressive. Makes one wonder why he’s in the Canadian Football League. Here’s more, relating his findings to the football Titanic team he’s currently guiding through the iceberg-laden waters:

“I’m being very open here… through the first part of some of our teaching here I thought players could conceptualize easier than they could. Now I’m finding with our group they learn better if I actually draw out everything, they follow it better then. You have to learn who you’re dealing with also and what is their learning pattern and how they learn best. That’s all part of the process.”

What’s not as impressive as discovering the concept of instruction is the following timeline: We are heading into Week 4 in the CFL season. Prior to that, there were two weeks of exhibition games. Prior to that there were two weeks (or so) of training camp workouts. During the majority of that time, quarterback Stefan LeFors — who has spent the last year and a half with Kelly in Edmonton — has taken the majority of the reps. Lots of time to learn a few things from a teacher you’re familiar with.

Hmmm…I’m getting why the Bombers were running the ball on second and long last Saturday. Or maybe I’m starting to see why Winnipeg kept running the ball into a Hamilton defence that was loaded up to stop the run. Yes, someone’s not understanding this. Maybe it’s me. The Blue Bombers (1-2) are at home against Toronto (1-2) tomorrow night. Here are the three questions:

1. Are the Argos the perfect cure for what ails the Blue and Gold?
You bet. The Toronto defence has given up 90 points in the last two games and do not look like they can stop anyone right now. Should provide the perfect confidence boost for LeFors and the Winnipeg attack. Of course, if the visitors show up ready to play and the Bombers don’t move the ball, well then look out: Kelly may have to make a change at quarterback to at least pretend that he’s trying to win the game. He won’t, of course. If the Bombers do lose, at least we’ll get to hear how the loss was on him.

2. No Arland Bruce?
TSN is reporting that Bruce, an annual Blue Bomber killer, did not travel with the club yesterday. That hurts the Argos offence. It also gives the Winnipeg defence the advantage of not worrying about the vertical ball. Look for them to sneak a quick peak into the box and gang up on all runs and short passes Joseph orchestrates.

3. What exactly is the mood in Winnipeg right now?
Can’t put my finger on it. I hear a lot of people unhappy with the Bombers, unhappy with Kelly, and unhappy with the direction the club is headed. This is professional sport, they say. Win or find someone who can. On the other hand, there are those who are preaching patience. That everything will be OK. That’s a tough sell for Bombers fans, though. They sat through how many years of Kevin Glenn’s development? They don’t have the time to wait for LeFors this time around. Especially when they think he’s not going to be the answer anyway.

Tensions are high. Excuses are everywhere. Bad time to be a Bombers fan. Good time to be a Bomber watcher.