Taitshittysider

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/10/2008 (6563 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MEMO to the Winnipeg Blue Bomber defence: Next time you watch game film, be sure to find a seat far, far away from Kai Ellis.

This guy, you may already know, would make the toughest critic on the planet look like a big softy.

Take Friday night, for example. The Bomber defensive end had just wrapped up a dominant performance that has ‘defensive player of the week’ written all over it — three quarterback sacks and a forced fumble — when he was casually asked for his take on the club’s critical 25-16 victory over the Toronto Argonauts.

“We could have played a little bit better because I think there were some plays that were left on the field,” said Ellis, after his fifth game in Bomber colours. “Hey, I’m a guy that’s never satisfied with my performance.”

Just to repeat, three sacks and a forced fumble…

“I’m never satisfied,” said Ellis. “I’m never ever satisfied. People ask me how I played or my mom asks me how I played and I always say, ‘Well, it could have been better.'”

So, if the league were to select him player of the week, would that make him feel even a teensy bit better.

“OK, yeah… I do like free things,” said Ellis. “I’ve never had player of the week before. That would be cool.”

The Bombers finished with four sacks on the night — Gavin Walls registered the other — as part of a solid performance that saw them give up yardage through the air to Kerry Joseph and company, but protect the end zone. Joseph finished 25-of-36 for 311 yards, but didn’t throw for a score and was ineffective along the ground with just 27 yards on six carries.

The Argos’ only score came on a two-yard run by Jamal Robertson, but was set up by a 59-yard punt return to the Bomber two-yard line by Arland Bruce III. The rest of the Argo scoring came on three Mike Vanderjagt field goals.

“There’s still room for improvement. It is a ‘W’ and I’m happy with that. But we need to get some things corrected so that when we get into the playoffs we can be really sharp.”

BLUE NOTES: Bomber receiver Romby Bryant had one catch for four yards, but it was enough to put him over the 1,000 mark in his first year in the CFL. Bryant now has 52 receptions for 1,003 yards. Inching closer to the 1K mark were Derick Armstrong (now at 922) and Terrence Edwards (892)… Kevin Glenn’s two interceptions gives him 19 on the season, a career high… Walls’ sack was the 39th of his career, leaving him two back of Tom Canada and Elfrid Payton for third spot on the team’s all-time list.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca