Darrell Davis: Dickenson apologizes for berating fellow ‘Canadians’

Nobody asked Dave Dickenson what he calls head coach Rick Campbell and his Ottawa Redblacks staff.

That question may have gotten some chuckles and a decent, self-effacing response from Dickenson, head coach of the Calgary Stampeders.

Alas! Nobody asked it Wednesday morning during the head coaches’ opening media conference of Grey Cup Week in Edmonton. Dickenson, who’s Stampeders meet Ottawa in Sunday’s CFL championship game, used his opening statement to nip in the bud any such leading question.

During a playoff game last week, Dickenson had angrily called the Winnipeg Blue Bombers staff the “(expletive) Canadian mafia.” He subsequently apologized to the Bombers and expanded his apology by saying, although he’s American, he felt like a Canadian and didn’t intend to disparage his fellow Canadians.

Dickenson took responsibility for losing his composure and crossing the line. He apologized again and hoped that all subsequent questions would be about football. The assembled media granted his request. Sadly.