The Hamiton Tiger-Cats, who play Winnpeg on Saturday, reportedly confiscated more than 12 pages of notes on formations from a visitor at their open practice who later said he was scouting for the Bombers. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)The Winnipeg Blue Bombers may have gone the extra yard in preparing for Saturday's game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The Ticats (1-1) reportedly confiscated more than 12 pages of notes on formations from a visitor at their open practice who later said he was scouting for the Bombers.
Tiger-Cats staff members saw the man in the stands at Ivor Wynne Stadium and questioned him under the suspicion he was with Winnipeg (1-1).
At first the man claimed he was taking notes for a summer league team, but when pressed, he confessed to being a friend of the Bombers director of player personnel and said his notes were for the Bombers.
The man identified himself as Ron Trentini.
He took notes that included full diagrams of plays Hamilton was running during practice, all of which were confiscated before he was escorted out of the stadium.
"Its unfortunate, but the Bombers are a great organization, so I'm sure it's something they're not proud of," Ticats president Scott Mitchell told The Globe and Mail on Tuesday. "We're all looking forward to a great game Saturday."
The Bombers said they never asked Trentini to take notes.
"It was an open practice and this guy does some [Canadian university] scouting for us in the Toronto area," Winnipeg director of football operations Ross Hodgkinson told the Globe.
"He was overzealous and he took it upon himself to make some notes. It was his own doing and as soon as it was reported to us we sent an apology to the Ticats."
With files from The Canadian Press
