After listening to the Mike Kelly Show on CJOB last night I can now definitively answer the question I posed last March: Yes, Mike Kelly is a jerk. Huge one.
Kelly heard from several callers who were pissed off at the team’s performance in Edmonton last week, pissed off at his changes to the roster, and pissed off at his handling of the Derick Armstrong situation.
I can understand that he might get a bit defensive, but rather than playing it cool and asking fans to give the team a chance (they’ve played one game after all), Kelly lashed out at his critics. Toward the end of the show he actually challenged several callers by saying “Tell me ____, what you do for a living? Do you manage people?”
I think a better question for Kelly himself is: Do you understand people?
The folks who tune in to a CFL coach’s radio show at 7:00 pm on a Monday aren’t doing so because they’re bored, it’s because they care. And the people who actually call in to that show aren’t doing so because it gives them a kick to take a run at the coach, it’s because they’re passionate about the football team. These people are all fans, and more importantly, they’re paying customers.
And like any well run business, when these customers have a complaint or concern they deserve better than to be put down by some tool of a coach/manager/chief fry cook.
I don’t care how he handles himself in the locker room. And if players respond to his abrasive, no-nonsense, “I’m the boss and don’t you forget it” attitude, then great. But the folks who pay your salary, and (for the time being) own your team, should be treated with a little more respect. So Mike, if you’re not mature enough to take a few shots from the peanut gallery and keep a stiff upper lip, then get off the air.
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I bailed on my season’s tickets after suffering through about 15 years of sometimes acceptable football in a horrid stadium. The team has been reduced again to “free space” on the “CFL Bingo Card” again, so I won’t pay to watch terrible football in a terrible stadium. Having said that, I do still care about the Bombers and read the papers to see how this new roster is doing.
Mike Kelly is so very Jeff Reinbold (pardon the spelling?) in his relationship to his players but seems to be an arrogant turd on top of that. Some of the things he says serve like a neon sign that both his position of authority and his public profile in the media are extremely new to him. He just says too many things that anyone with a snippet of media or workplace savvy would never say out loud – only he says this to reporters. He comes across as a very stupid and arrogant man. If his style works, it might be excusable to some, but my hunch is we’re in for another “Blue and Bold” kind of season once again and he will be gone after one season.
Any team with a quasi-QB and quasi-kicker is doomed in the CFL. We’ve had 2 years of sub par performance in both positions, and no substantial improvement. The Bombers are the CFL’s Cubs now?
At least the folks in Hamilton will be happier..
I’m so glad the shine is off this guy and the cracks are starting to appear. Ever since his first practice where the media was pretty much banned, it seemed that this guy was on the slippery slope downward. I have never supported athletes who don’t play, but Armstrong looked like he had a case and deserved more respect.
Hopefully, Lyle Bauer is next to go…
This is on Bauer’s head. After all the talk about Berry and “that’s not the Bomber way of doing things”, Kelly is just as bad.
Remember Mike Riley? Not only was he a fantastic coach, but was kind, respectful, and polite. And still is. And he won.
Mike Kelly can alienate aliens.
Any as anyone who read his mea culpa on bombers.com knows, he’s also functionally illiterate.
I meant “And” not “Any”. Me can’t spell neither ha
Mike Kelly is responsible for porkgate!
I don’t feel Mike Kelly acted as a jerk on CJOB last night at all. I would not let customers I service tell me how to do my job, especially knowing that they have no idea how to do my job. I don’t care how much the people call in care, some of them are rude and Kelly returned the favour and I don’t blame him. When people called in with good questions and smart comments he answered very respectfully. Everyone is allowed their opinion and can express it as they please, but don’t be shocked when a rude comment is replied to with a rude comment. How is he supposed to react when someone says to him that he’s a poor choice for the job or has no class? He stood up for himself and I wouldn’t expect anything less.
Don’t bring your bacon issues into this.
As someone who has a lot of experience in football, I was able to play till I was 22 thanks to the BC Junior Football League and am now coaching, I have been around a variety of different types of coaches and team atmospheres. I will say this about Kelly, I wouldn’t react like him on air and challenge people like that, but I was very interested in this team and went and watched quite a few training camp practices, as I have done for the last few years since I’ve been back in Winnipeg full-time. I haven’t seen a team so well run, so attentive and so efficient in a training camp. Judging by the first game, these guys have a lot of fight, and IMO there is a good amount of talent on the roster. Its gonna take a bit of time given the roster turnover and coaching change, but IMO this team is headed in the right direction re discipline and accountability. I also think they have a very competent personnel guy in John Murphy.
Kelly in his role too as the face of a franchise, and he’s experiencing some growing pains. I don’t particularly care about his media image, more about the product on the field. Its headed in the right direction, and Kelly will continue to grow into his role re the media and outside stuff like that.
So its all right for people to call up, spew rude, obnoxious comments and then hang up?
Can someone please explain to me what’s so GREAT about “Community ownership” of this football team?
Can someone please explain why after 19 Grey Cup-less years everyone in Manitoba is not *screaming* for NEW OWNERSHIP?
The Blue Bombers organization is old and tired. The Stadium (Canad Inns Stadium) is undoubtebly one of the WORST sporting venues in North America.
Why does this franchise still have a large fanbase?
Wake me up when the Blue Bombers play in a NEW, comfortable stadium… and have NEW young, passionate ownership (*cough*Asper) with new, bold ideas…
Until then, this franchise is a waste of anyone’s time and money.
Want your sports fix in the summer in Winnipeg? Go to a Goldeyes game.
Well Jack, if everyone had your attitude there would be no Bombers and no possibility of a new comfortable stadium.
Let me see if I can explain this to you. Some of us enjoy the game of football. In my case it developed over years of playing, coaching and reffing the game.
We find that watching football played live by highly skilled players is very entertaining, and willingly part with substantial sums of money for the privilege of doing so.
The comfort level of the stadium and the age or passion level of the owner don’t really enter into the equation. Would I prefer a newer, more comfortable stadium? Sure I would. But am I going to hold my breath, stamp my feet and refuse to support the “home team” until these things magically appear? No, I’m not. Thankfully there are many more like me, because as I said, if everyone was like you, there would be no Bombers. I sense this would be fine by you, but would be a huge disappointment to many people in Wpg,
All sports teams need good solid fans such as Jack.
Everyone enjoy the game on Friday? Our team showed what all the hard work in practice does on the field while the fat and happy Stamps look like they think they can sleepwalk through the CFL this year. The two late TD’s are a bit of a concern, but I was happy to see our coaches and players mad about giving them up.
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well there!!! dont be made just because you no nothing about football and he dose…..cry cry cry………….. Mike kelly will take this team to the max by the way he not a jerk he strong and wants his team to be strong that why he rised his voice….this team will go places
just you see