Mike Kelly gets fined for his less-than-fine performance while standing in front of the media.
Hell hath no fury like the media and the watchdog protecting it.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike Kelly incurred the wrath of Canadian Football League commissioner Mark Cohon on Monday for "confrontational language, demeanor and tone, and continued pattern of disrespectful behaviour towards the media," saying it reflects poorly upon the Canadian Football League.
Kelly has been hit in the pocketbook once already this season for unprofessional remarks, this however is the first for something he said to the media. Kelly has had a running battle all season with the Winnipeg football media, trying to dictate on his terms the news and the dispensation of it. Ironically, much of the news surrounding the Bombers this year is directly related to Kelly. In essence, he has created the news and then tried to downplay it.
His recent outburst stemmed from his anger towards the Bombers' broadcast crew, specifically veteran play-by-play caller Bob Irving and his rather innocuous question concerning the team's focus in its blowout loss to the Als in Montreal. It was a legitimate question after the Bombers destroyed the same team a week before in Winnipeg. Of course, the Als didn't have quarterback Anthony Calvillo in their line-up.
Kelly issued a long-winded apology on Monday in advance of the fine, whether or not he knew it was about to happen. The Bombers media relations department has been earning its pay this year in damage control over Kelly's outbursts, most of them confrontations with the local media.
If the Bombers succeed in making the playoffs this year -- and they can do it with a victory at home on Sunday against Hamilton -- Kelly will be spared the likely criticism that will surely be coming from the Winnipeg media.
For years the Winnipeg media has had a good working relationship with the Bombers, largely because of Brendan Taman, the team's former football boss. He resigned earlier this year rather than work for Kelly, who made some unflattering public remarks about him. Taman had planned to take a year's sabbatical to recharge his batteries, but an opportunity in Regina with the Roughriders' football operations presented itself. He has found peace of mind in Riderville.
Meanwhile in Bombertown, Kelly has put himself in the direct fire of the media. And like Kelly's head, it ain't pretty.
