Fans on different wavelengths

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/09/2009 (5931 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Blue Bombers coach Mike Kelly has made the decision to no longer take phone calls on his Monday night radio show on CJOB. Kelly says the calls have deteriorated and have no posi­tive effect on the team or fans. The coach will entertain emails and live questions at his show on location at the Upperdeck Sports Bar at McPhillips Street Casino. We asked for your comments.

There were 40 emailed responses to feedback@freepress.mb.ca by Monday’s late-afternoon cutoff (plus 70 on the paper’s website).

Fifteen agreed with coach Kelly’s position to stop taking fan phone calls.

Seventeen disagreed and believed Kelly should continue to take fan phone calls.

Eight gave no clear position, just criticism of the show or the coach himself.

Here are a selection of your responses:

Coach, you’re right

Good move by the coach. Most of the callers were morons. Either support the team or don’t listen or watch. There are a ton of entertainment options for the people who call in to complain. They can watch Dancing With the Stars, or Oprah, because they obviously don’t know or care about football.

Fans need to support the teams in Winnipeg. Our lack of support cost us the Jets, we didn’t sell out the stadium for the Bomber playoff game last year, we only supported the Moose when they were in the Calder Cup finals, and history has shown that the Goldeyes will have their worst crowds when they are in the playoffs.

— Dave Petrishen

I totally agree with coach Kelly. I stopped listening to the show years ago because of the "crazies," the fans who think they’re experts and get angry if the coach doesn’t agree with them. Coaches make good and bad decisions throughout the course of a season, but having nameless people berate them in a public forum seems a little over the top. If a "fan" is unhappy with their coach, let the organization know. I, for one, may now start listening to the show again!

— Corina Mark

I agree with Mike Kelly and think he did the right thing by cutting off the phones on his talk show. Too many people think that (they) can be abusive when they are hiding behind a telephone. Mike is a very passionate guy and lives and breathes the Bombers. He will get the job done and has made some very good changes… Leave the coach alone and let him do his job.

— Al Fletcher

It is called the Mike Kelly Show isn’t it — I guess that it is his call to do so. While I might miss the odd opportunity to call in (which I have done) to discuss the team and its progress, I will not miss the loud-mouth, bashing idiots that do phone in. Unfortunately, the majority of the callers were such. I did not enjoy listening to their rude remarks that shed absolutely no light on our team’s progress or gave any insight into what the plans were for the future. Not one time did coach Kelly "bash back" to anyone that didn’t deserve it. I say kudos to you, coach Kelly, for taking a stand here and good luck with the rest of the season.

— Catherine Keating

I am 100 per cent with Kelly. I no longer listen to the show because I do not enjoy the rants from individuals who couldn’t run a hotdog stand. If those self-appointed "experts" are cut off, I might even start listening to the show again.

— Vern Nelson

I completely agree with the coach here. The present format allows for "baiting" Kelly. Answering email questions on the air is a reasonable solution to the problem. That way, concerns involving the club could be addressed without personal attacks coming into play. Kelly makes many valid points about the behaviour of some of "brave" critics.

— Denis Bartlette

I support the Blue Bombers’ team decision to nix the phone in portion of coach Kelly’s radio show on CJOB Monday evenings. I listen regularly and admire the way the coach responds. Which is in kind. Treat him honestly and with valid questions, receive the appropriate reply. Attack him, or the team unfairly and confrontationally; expect the same in return. Mike Kelly is passionate about football and winning. And doing both in Winnipeg.

— Jerry Firman

Kelly, you’re wrong

I have been a Blue Bomber fan for over 50 years. I have been a regular listener of the Coaches Show and on rare occasions have called. I, for one, am extremely disappointed that Mike Kelly would turn his back on the fans of this city.

Mike, you should do the right thing, apologize (to) the fans of this team and rescind this ridiculous decision before you lose their respect. Realize that it is perfectly all right for people to disagree with you, whether they have the same level of understanding of the game as you or not, it is their right as fans to express their opinion.

— Brian Hoover

So Kelly doesn’t want to have to take tough calls? Hey, it’s part of the job, dude. And as a professional, you have to be able to deal with those calls in a professional matter without getting your hackles up!

Bad choice.

— Alex and Cheryl Fedorchuk

Criticism can be hard to take and it sounds like coach Kelly has reached his breaking point. If we were 5-3, the phone lines would be open for a few more weeks.

— Rob Preteau

Passion goes many ways and Mike used all his motivational tools to ignite the fan base here in Winnipeg. Regrettably he is not walking his talk and when he hears about it, he either comes back nasty or he’ll dismiss you with his favourite line "those that understand football blah blah blah." I wasn’t raised to attack people Mike, but I was taught to live up to my word and be accountable and be respectful of other people’s opinions, especially those that give Lyle Bauer the resources so he can put pen to paper and sign that cheque.

— Gary Hook

Whatever happened to freedom of speech? Coach Kelly has limited this now, what’s next — freedom of the press? All he has done is limited or screened his calls to his satisfaction. Is this the way to show your support towards fans of the team? When they play good or bad, we the public have a right to express our views. Welcome to Russia, folks.

— Jerry Lysy

Football is a business, it sells a product: entertainment. Customers have an inherent right to register an opinion about the quality of the product they purchase. Mike Kelly says he won’t allow you to do that over the phone. What if all the attendees at a certain sports bar offer up critical complaints, in person? Will that behaviour also be declared out-of-bounds by the Great Arbiter?

— Tom Sherbrook

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If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen! It appears that coach Kelly has let the usual bozos get under his skin. Rather than stoop to their level, can he not take the high road? Also, whatever happened to call screening?

— Craig Ross