the 4th star

In a stunning move, Mike Kelly, the coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, took the blame for another loss, the latest disaster a 39-12 laugh-riot at the hands of the Montreal Alouettes last night. All kidding aside, the score actually flatters the Bombers, if you can believe it. In his post-game address to the radio listeners — an interview he could have gave after the first half as the game was well done at that point — Coach Kelly read from his familiar script.

“I’m the one that brought the players here and I’m the one that put them in those positions and so I’m apparently just not getting it done the way I should and not getting them to execute the way they are capable of.”

Hmmm. That sounds an awful like his post-game comments after a loss against Hamilton earlier this year.

“Our team played with great grit and determination. Anybody wearing a blue helmet and a white shirt didn’t leave anything out there. It’s on me. I didn’t put good enough schemes together in order for us to be successful. I didn’t do a good enough job to give them an opportunity to function.”

Kelly also shouldered the blame for the season opening loss to Edmonton, too. For those of you scoring at home, that’s three times out of the five losses that the head coach has pointed the gun on himself when explaining what the heck went wrong on the field. Of course, his insistence that his inability to match-up with the other head coaches in the CFL is just a lot of hot air. No coach in their right mind would actually believe that they are getting beat by other schemers. That’s shooting yourself in the foot, right?

So why is he pinning the losses on himself? What’s his motivation here?

This is his team. He brought in most of these players during a turbulent off-season and told anyone who would listen that all spots were upgrades from the previous year. Promises were made, not in so many words, but in bravado and swagger. Don’t like the way Kelly deals with people? Check back in when he’s won all the football games he says he’s going to win. You’ll love what he has to say then.

Things haven’t worked out, though. The players aren’t as good as advertised and his football acumen — well, it may not be on par with say an Andy Reid or a Joe Gibbs. But rather than admit he’s made more than a few errors in talent judgement, Kelly has tried to buy his guys some time by taking the heat for how they have shown on the field. Don’t blame them, blame me. They are working hard. I’m the one who doesn’t know what he’s doing. I’m the one who is responsible for this. My bad.

Each time he does this, though, it becomes clearer that Kelly’s players aren’t very good and more importantly, he is being out-coached and out-schemed by others in the league. Missed opportunities for field goals before time runs out, draw plays on second and long, the lack of a shotgun or five receiver set. The list goes on and on and each time he suggests that it is his fault, it’s hard for even the most dedicated Bomber fan to not consider what he says.

Grounds for dismissal, eh? Ah, but here’s the rub. As frustrating as it is for increasingly Blue followers, Kelly knows he can keep beating this drum for the rest of the year. He knows he can keeping “putting it on him” as the organization has no other choice but to stick with the first-year head coach right now. Friendship with Lyle Bauer not withstanding (ed note — man, how has HE avoided the bullets to this point?), Kelly — who after seven games and countless public gaffes deserves to be gassed — has the Bombers in a tough spot. The organization is already paying Doug Berry not to coach the team. There is no way they will eat another coach’s contract now, no matter how much football sense it makes.

With relatively no danger to his employment status, that’s why Kelly re-directs all the blame onto his himself after each disgusting loss. He can can buy himself and “his players” some time this season and if they finish strong and squeak into the post season at the end of the year, maybe that will do enough to call off the dogs for the 2010 season. He doesn’t want to admit he’s wrong about the guys he brought in (or the guys he kept around), knowing that he has essentially a free year to work with.

If the Bombers really cared about the product they put out of the field, if they really wanted to make a statement towards showing the fans how much they hate the current football climate in this city, they would call Kelly’s bluff. As the mob gets louder (or God forbid, starts to not care), the Bombers need to really consider making a move here. Think it would be embarrassing to pay TWO coaches to not coach the team? Tell that to the 25,000-plus who were at the game Saturday.

“…I’m apparently just not getting it done the way I should…”

You know what, Mike. You’re right. It is on you. You aren’t putting the players in a position to win each game. Thanks for trying. Where can we forward your cheques?

Take Kelly at his word and change the locks.

According to him, he’s not doing anything to earn his dough, anyway.