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This article was published 17/07/2009 (6021 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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One day after attracting attention for all the wrong reasons after a rogue scout affiliated with the Blue Bombers was caught diagramming plays at a Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ practice, the home side was back on the field and head coach Mike Kelly and the media were actually playing nice in his daily press session afterward.

In fact, after the interview — in which all questions were requested to be limited to football — Kelly grinned and remarked:

"See, that wasn’t that hard, was it fellas? Hugs and kisses to everybody."

The Bombers head out to Hamilton this morning for Saturday’s suddenly intriguing matchup with the Tiger-Cats at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Before the season many predicted this would be a battle between two 0-2 squads who have served up some complete dogs for games in the past. But with both teams at 1-1 — the Bombers after knocking off the Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders; the Ticats having exited Vancouver with a win over the B.C. Lions — there is a whole lot more meat on the bone this week even without the "Spygate" sideshow.

"Speaking for our team, I don’t think that’s that big an issue… what happened or what they’re saying happened," said Bomber quarterback Stefan LeFors. "Coach Kelly approached the team and said, ‘Listen, it’s a non-issue. It’s something that happened that’s unfortunate but it was nothing we can control. So let’s not worry about it and focus on the task at hand.’ But on their side I’m sure they’re using that, maybe, as a little bit more motivation. I’m sure they’re going to be fired up.

"Stuff like that, that happens throughout the week, might affect the first handful of plays. But after that you forget about all that stuff and you just try to beat the guy in front of you. We’ll be ready for whatever they bring at us."

As for Kelly, he was back cracking one-liners with the press and preaching the same message about the work in progress that is his squad: He wants to see growth from week to week.

"I want to see us keep playing with emotion and that chip on our shoulder that we have," he said. "I don’t want a letdown. I want to play at a high level of play in all three facets of the game. And I hope we learn that we have to play all 60 minutes and not think that the game is over with and allow another 12 points to be scored against us (as the Stamps did late in last Friday’s 42-30 Bomber victory). That’s just isn’t acceptable. Our guys have done a good job this week of studying the Tiger-Cats and honing in and trying to build on what we hopefully established a little bit last week."

As for the reaction the Bombers might expect from the Ticat faithful on Saturday, Kelly recalled that his introduction as a CFL coach to the three-down game actually came at Ivor Wynne. For the record, back on July 9, 1992 the Bombers trailed 32-15 after three quarters in that game before Matt Dunigan — playing his first game as a Bomber — rallied the troops to a 36-33 win.

"My very first regular-season game in this league was in Hamilton and it went to overtime," said Kelly. "From that day on it’s always been a fun place to go play."

Added Kelly, with just a hint of sarcasm:

"I obviously have a great affection for hard-nosed eastern-coast people and we’re looking forward to the gracious fans of Hamilton welcoming us into their fine city."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca