CFL looking into possibility Bomber impersonated Ticats staffer on Spec blog
The Canadian Football League is investigating the possibility a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers organization impersonated a Hamilton Tiger-Cats staffer when posting a comment to a Spectator blog.
Call it Blog-gate, if you must.
On Thursday morning, The Spectator’s Scratching Post blog received a comment regarding the trade of quarterback Steven Jyles from the Blue Bombers to the Argos. It was signed with the name of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats media director Scott McNaughton and included his email address.
While each comment to the blog includes a name and an email address that’s entered by author — there’s nothing to prevent people from entering fake names and addresses — it also includes an IP address that is collected by the blogging software. An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a numerical label assigned to each computer on a network.
Using online tracking software, the IP address shows an origin of Winnipeg and a host name of mail.bluebombers.com — the official site of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The CFL has contacted the Blue Bombers about the incident and director of media relations Darren Cameron was asked for comment Thursday afternoon.
“The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are aware of this situation and management is currently reviewing this issue,” Cameron wrote.
The Ticats declined to comment.
This isn’t the first time the Blue Bombers have been accused of clandestine nefariousness in regard to the Ticats. In July 2009, a Bomber scout was caught diagramming plays during a Ticat practice and ejected. While acknowledging the scout, identified as Ron Trentini, had done work for the club, the Bombers denied any knowledge of a spying scheme.
Nor is it the first time someone from the Blue Bombers organization has commented on The Spectator blog regarding Jyles. On Feb. 23, someone using the same IP address posted using the name Doug Jarvis and the email address of “chubby_butt40@hotmail.com” to correct some stats on the quarterback.
dedwards@thespec.com
