Mike Kelly bawling out television reporters.Mike Kelly threatening to shut media out of practices.

Mike Kelly bad-mouthing the previous administration for the use of paper napkins.

Mike Kelly insinuating that any coach using a shot-gun might be better off in Pop Warner.

Mike Kelly flaunting CFL rules pertaining to quarterback workouts.

Enough already.

Seriously, if the goal of the new Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach was to divert attention and pressure on himself, while discombobulating the previous roster (R.I.P.), then mission accomplished.

Hey, we're not dissing Kelly. The man is a reporter's dream. As the immortal comedian Kenny Bania blurted to Seinfeld, "That's gold, Jerry. Gold!"

In fact, Kelly's brash entry into a marketplace that historically puts a premium on a stoic,, understated approach to business has created an environment of anticipation not seen in these parts in years. Really, I can't recall a Bombers head coach eliciting such an emotional response -- positive and negative -- well, ever, before the man has even stepped onto the field for a regular season game.

You don't have to like it. The media don't have to like it. But it sells, for better or worse.

Call it a gift. Call it a curse. But it's real.

Say what you want about Jeff Reinebold, who turned out to be a disaster, but flip-flop boy had everybody drinking the Kool-Aid. Most of the media, too. Why not? It was great copy.

Hell, Reinebold's Bombers won just four games in 1997. They didn't win their first game in 1998 until September -- and fans went Looney Tunes. They swarmed the Winnipeg locker-room in the rain after the victory -- we repeat, in SEPTEMBER -- to celebrate.

Question: Do you think Kelly will get that kind of prolonged and inexplicable honeymoon? Absolutely not. There's already too many folks waiting in the weeds, hoping Kelly will get his comeuppance. And that's too bad, in some ways.

Because this should be about the Bombers who will be going out to battle, not the guy in the headset. It should be about how Stefan LeFors handles the pressure of debuting in, of all places, his old haunt, Edmonton. This should be about whether Fred Reid can begin to make Bombers fans forget about Charles Roberts. This should be about whether a reconstructed offensive line can provide the holes for Reid and the time for LeFors to execute a brand new offensive scheme.

I don't care what Mike Kelly has said. I want to see what he's done.

Hence the unprecedented anticipation. Look, we're not expecting the world here. The Blue Bombers are taking an overhauled team with a wet-behind-the-ears starting quarterback and a couple dozen new faces into Commonwealth Stadium to face Ricky Ray and the boys. The odds clearly aren't in the visitor's favour.

So, sure, a victory would be monstrous in validating the massive overhaul Kelly has undertaken in the last few months. I mean, you take a team where the paint hasn't dried into Edmonton on Week 1 and win? That will instantly alleviate many reasonable concerns.

Indeed, an argument could be made that, outside of a devastating butt-kicking, there will be no need to let Chicken Little out of the coop. It's only one game, after all.

Regardless, after Thursday night (fingers crossed), at least it's going to be about football. It's going to be about whether LeFors is up to the task, only with hard evidence. It's going to be about whether all these changes did breathe new life and enthusiasm into a franchise that was a tepid 8-10 last season and going nowhere.

In many ways, it's been like waiting for a trial where all the parties have been posturing and floating testimony, with legal analysts prattling on endlessly about hypothetical scenarios and possible smoking guns.

That can be intriguing, but sooner or later there comes a time when court is in session.

Don't get us wrong: We love the drama. We relish feuds. Controversy is our BFF. We wouldn't suggest for a moment that Kelly change his ways. After all, we've got papers to sell.

But the best games should be left for the field. At least, that's the only place that verdicts can ultimately be decided.

So the jury awaits, perhaps more than ever.

randy.turner@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 2, 2009 C3