Bombers’ prez & CEO Bauer a real smoothy

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/11/2009 (6034 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

So Mike Kelly is staying.

Not because the Bombers head coach said so, either — but wouldn’t that be nice if that’s the way it worked in real life? — but because president and CEO Lyle Bauer has made public that Kelly deserves to stay, based mostly on the positive "cultural change" within the dressing room and improved performance in the defensive secondary, among other reasons.

So it’s true: Beauty isn’t in the eye of the beholder, it’s in the eye of the guy who hired you in the first place.

Of course, Bauer intimated that powers above him — the Bombers board of directors — could have other ideas. For example, the board could insist that Bauer fire Kelly after a tumultuous 7-11 season. Or just fire them both.

But we’re pretty sure a group of well-intentioned community individuals are not going to set in motion a chain of events that would result in Bauer leaving the Bombers — not smack in the middle of intentions to change to private ownership and build a new stadium.

Of course, that process appears stalled at the very least, but perhaps that means Bauer’s presence moving forward will be required even more. That’s another column for another day.

This is about Bauer, and his insistence that Kelly should be given the opportunity to continue his dream job.

In fact, Bauer doesn’t believe it’s an issue at all. Kelly is under contract for two more years. What’s the problem?

Nothing has changed in that regard. After all, Bauer has had Kelly’s back all season, right back to the first of several issued public apologies.

Bauer has been what you’d call The Smoother.

No matter how much fuss has been created, no matter how many noses out of joint, Bauer will be pulling strings behind the scenes to soothe the offended.

And that’s been a full-time occupation during Kelly’s rookie season as a CFL head coach. Clean up on aisle three!!

You gotta give Bauer points for loyalty. But what do you expect? Bauer fired Doug Berry after the 2008 season — even though the Bombers knew they’d have to eat the salary — with every intention of bringing in Kelly to execute the massive changes that were being demanded by every segment of the team’s society.

The masses weren’t happy. They wanted a new quarterback. They wanted a Grey Cup. The Bombers seemed stagnant, and led by veteran players on the back half of their careers.

Naturally, this kind of metamorphosis can be painful.

It can be made even more painful if the new head coach comes in talking such a brash game. Bauer will just call that growing pains. You know, a rookie head coach and all. Just being passionate.

The Smoother.

Let’s not forget that the 2009 Bombers, without much in the way of quarterbacking the entire season, did come within a victory of a playoff berth.

 

Indeed, you can bet Kelly is convinced that by either acquiring or developing a more consistent QB, the Bombers would be a legitimate Grey Cup contender. Perhaps Bauer is, too.

And that’s peachy keen in theory. Really, is there a CFL team with a decent, healthy proven quarterback that isn’t a Grey Cup contender? Besides, it’s not like Kelly didn’t have an entire year to find one, and the one he did find (Stefan LeFors) seems to have fallen off the Bombers’ radar.

So it comes down to faith and perception in a lot of ways. As stated in this space, the vast majority seem to have fallen into camps when it comes to the Bombers. There’s folks who believe Kelly is a charismatic, heart-on-his-sleeve football coach who just needs some more time to achieve his vision. And there are those who believe Kelly is a ticking time bomb who has done absolutely nothing to justify a second chance.

Me? I got tired of that debate a while ago. The same debate raged at mid-season. Some thought the Bombers were in free-fall, others thought they might rebound under Kelly to salvage the season. We got a little of both. In the end, a convenience store record and no playoffs.

The same tug-of-war perception is happening right now. But Bauer, the man who makes the decisions, is really the only opinion that counts. He will sell the board of directors on Kelly. He’ll lay out every reason to keep the coach he hand-picked. Heck, Bauer might even be right.

In the end, however, either Kelly will get the job done or he won’t. It’s not a debate. It’s not about perceptions or words.

A 7-11 record isn’t an opinion. It’s a fact.

Take whatever side you want.

Bauer already has.

randy.turner@freepress.mb.ca