Joe Pascucci Calls It Play by Play

Author: Joe Pascucci

November 4, 2009

Joe Pascucci's E-Take is sponsored every Wednesday by Biotech Laser, who utilize a low intensity laser that stimulates the natural healing of tissue. www.biotech-laser.com.

Well before the Bombers even started training camp head coach Mike Kelly had run afoul of the fans, media and CFL.  As we sat in his office and discussed some of the errors of his first few months on the job he told me that his job was to “Shut up and win football games.”

Of course that didn’t happen when the season started.  But the change in the fortunes of the Blue Bombers (4 wins in their last 6 games) neatly coincides when Kelly decided to relinquish some of his duties as offensive coordinator to his assistant coaches – Manny Matsakis, Charlie Carpenter and Bob Dyce – and take a less confrontational approach to his dealings with the media and the fans.  But in the last couple of weeks leading up to his lashing out at Bob and Mitch on CJOB’s post game show - some of the old Kelly had resurfaced.  His apology, that had to be forced on him by CEO and President Lyle Bauer and the two thousand dollar fine from the CFL may help Kelly get back in line.  Remember your own words Mike.  Your job is to shut up and win football games.

Despite the season of turmoil for Kelly and the Bombers – they will be playing for second place in the East Division when they take on the Tiger Cats on Sunday at noon.  That seemed far fetched back in late September after the Bombers had lost twice to the Saskatchewan Roughriders and were then, (and doesn’t this sound familiar,) dismissed by the Alouettes in Montreal.  Have to admit I was expecting a better performance by the Bombers in Montreal but I was also expecting an Alouettes win as they needed to make a point after their being tossed around the week before by the Bombers.

Now I’m not ready to bail on the 2009 edition of the Bombers.  They have a defense that is championship caliber and better then average play from their special teams.  What they don’t have is an offense.  However with Michael Bishop at the controls its one that can catch lightning in a bottle – as they did against the Als just two weekends ago.

The last two Grey Cup winning quarterbacks for the Bombers were Tom Burgess and Sean Salisbury and like Bishop - they also had their challenges.  What they did, or should I say didn’t do, en route to leading the Bombers to the Holy Grail was turn the ball over.  If memory serves me correctly each had only one interception in the playoffs and was error free in the Grey Cup.  So don’t write off the Bombers just yet.  Stranger things have happened before and I’ve seen it.

Moving on – I spent Halloween Saturday in Grand Forks with Bob Cameron watching the UND Fighting Sioux football team against the Cal Poly Mustangs.  Bob’s son Brett is in his first season with UND and is the team’s secondary punter.  He was only allowed to punt once in the game and the St. Paul’s graduate made the most of it with a thunderous kick for 55 yards with a one yard return.  Next season Brett will likely do all the punting.  UND upset the 16th ranked Mustangs 31-17.  Cameron has punted just 8 times this season and has a 44.9 yard average.  The Bombers better draft this kid when he becomes eligible in a couple of years.  Brett is one of three Canadians on the Fighting Sioux team and CFL fans should remember the name Ismael Bamba.  The Montreal native is a sophomore receiver and Bob Cameron fully expects Bamba to play in the CFL.  67 hundred and change turned out and that is the smallest crowd for the Fighting Sioux since they started playing their games indoors at the Alerus Center.  So the Manitoba Bisons are not the only university football team having trouble attracting fans to their games.

Have to feel for head coach Brian Dobie, his coaches and players for having their season end in the boardroom.  The Herd used an ineligible player for the first five games of the Canada West season.  The player in question was receiver/returner Julian Hardy.  To the credit of the football program they reported their error to the CIS.  Now back in 2001 Hardy was also making headlines as a rookie with the Ottawa Gee Gees he was suspended by the CIS for four years after testing positive for a banned substance.

The Bisons won their last two games to qualify for the playoffs. But they have been dropped to 5th place as a result of having two of their wins overturned because of Hardy’s participation in the games.  For the 5th year players on the Bisons it’s a sad way to end their CIS careers and it is a black eye for Dobie and his program just two years after their Vanier Cup victory.

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