From gutwash to Glenn-livet

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This article was published 19/07/2009 (5928 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HAMILTON — He was cast out, cut adrift, punted to the curb — use whatever analogy you like — but Kevin Glenn’s exit from Winnipeg and the Blue Bombers this spring was about as cordial as taking a steel-toed boot to the private parts.

And Saturday night the longtime Bomber quarterback got a measure of revenge by punching back and helping lead his Hamilton Tiger-Cats to a 25-13 win over his old squad in front of 24,292 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium with two second-half touchdown strikes.

Yes, irony may be especially delicious to Glenn, but it’s a rotting plate of crow to the organization he served for five years before being dumped.

"I told everybody at the beginning I’m not a vengeful person, but it does feel good to get a win on this night," said Glenn, his face seemingly stuck in an ear-to-ear grin. "I’m not just saying it, but you want to treat every team the same. But I’ll be honest, it does feel nice it happened to be Winnipeg.

"It’s a pretty good script. You always think it could happen like that and sometimes it don’t. But tonight, it did. When they came to me at halftime (to make a QB change) it was like, ‘It’s about to play out how everybody envisioned it.’"

Well, maybe not everybody.

But for Glenn and two of his big protectors on the O-line who also came east — Alex Gauthier and Dan Goodspeed — this one was especially sweet. And that’s why they were among the last to leave a jubilant Ticat dressing room afterward.

Glenn, who replaced Quinton Porter at halftime, completed 11-of-19 for 146 yards and TD strikes to Dave Stala and Chris Davis and was also picked off twice — one returned 30 yards for a score by Siddeeq Shabazz. But he also scrambled, yes scrambled, for 27 yards, including a 22-yard run on a second-and-20 in the third quarter.

After the strike to Stala that put the Tabbies up 23-13, Glenn turned to the Bomber bench and, in a 10-second flurry of gestures and emotions, unleashed about five-months worth of pent-up frustration.

"Ahhh, I think I was turning to the crowd," said Glenn. "It’s just that (both benches) are on the same sidelines and it looked like I was turning to the Bomber bench. I don’t think I was turning to the Bomber bench… oh, maybe I was. I don’t know.

"It was an emotional game for the guys that did come from Winnipeg. More importantly, the team made some believers out of people tonight."

The Bombers, meanwhile, turned some believers off after looking so impressive in knocking off the Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders a week ago. Winnipeg managed just 260 yards offence, with just 124 through the air.

As well, head coach Mike Kelly said starting QB Stefan LeFors — who struggled in completing just seven of 19 passes for 99 yards — was yanked from the game not because of ineffectiveness but because "he couldn’t rotate his upper body very well" after taking a shot in the second half.

"Our team played with great grit and determination," said Kelly. "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.

As has been the case through three games this season the Bombers were able to run the ball effectively, racking up 137 yards along the ground. But when you pass for a grand total of 124 and both Terrence Edwards and Adarius Bowman don’t register a single catch — but Jon Oosterhuis and Riall Johnson (on a fake) do — then the offence doesn’t need some tinkering, it needs a team of mechanics banging away.

Afterward Kelly was asked if Bryan Randall, who completed two of his five attempts for 25 yards, might be considered as the starter if both pivots are healthy. But before the question could even be completed, the head coach interrupted:

"Stef is the quarterback here," said Kelly. "Period."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

the fifth quarter c3

KEY PLAY

Ticats lead 16-13 when ex-Bomber QB Kevin Glenn connects with Dave Stala for an 11-yard TD that seals the deal.

KEY PLAYER

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Glenn threw for two TDs in the second half to rally the Ticats to their second straight win — a first for Hamilton since September of ’06.

KEY STAT

Winnipeg starter Stefan LeFors was just seven of 19 for 99 yards before being pulled and replaced by Bryan Randall. Ugly numbers. Ugly loss.