Calgary Stampedes head coach Dave Dickenson wanted to be proactive and apologize for the comment picked up by a hot mic in the West Final against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“I thought I would be proactive. I do need to address my poor choice of words that I used at the Bomber game. I let my emotions get the best of me and I talked to my players a lot about having poise, and I lacked poise, I did. I just want to make sure that people know that at no time were my comments directed at the Canadian people or the CFL,” Dickenson said at the Grey Cup head coaches press conference on Wednesday morning.

TSN camera’s caught Dickenson saying expletive Canadians which was later explained by the Calgary bench boss as being in reference to a “Canadian Mafia” nickname for the Bombers brass led by Canadians Mike O’Shea, Kyle Walters and Wade Miller. Dickenson was fined by the CFL for his language.

“I really truly believe I am Canadian, not by birth certificate, but by choice. I’ve lived up here for 22 years, I got a Canadian wife, two Canadian kids and Calgary’s home. So at no time were those comments ever directed towards Canadians and I do want to apologize for my remarks,” Dickenson said.

“I have apologized to Mike himself, sometimes in football, you maybe cross the line and I certainly apologize for that and I own those remarks and I’m hoping that we can just move forward and talk about football.”