HARRIS Resign or Not ..Wally

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CardiacKid
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I just emailed Skulsky stating that a Lions team without Harris at this conjuncture of his career, is far less enticing for renewing seasons tickets....
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DanoT
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CardiacKid wrote:I just emailed Skulsky stating that a Lions team without Harris at this conjuncture of his career, is far less enticing for renewing seasons tickets....
^^Great. I hope others do the same. :thup: :thup:
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David
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CardiacKid wrote:I just emailed Skulsky stating that a Lions team without Harris at this conjuncture of his career, is far less enticing for renewing seasons tickets....
Be careful what you wish for. The odometer is spinning like a Petro-Canada gas pump on a summer long weekend.

He'll be 29 next season and has had some fairly significant injuries including a pin inserted into his ankle last year. Of course, when he does go down we'd better hope that Shaq can be a reasonable replacement (hasn't shown me much thus far). Or maybe Pascal Lochard. We're at the mercy of whoever is playing behind him.

I am not saying I don't like Andrew. I do. He's a versatile back and a phenomenal athlete who's been woefully under-utilized in space (screens, swing passes etc). But do we want to tie up significant resources on RB who isn't likely to improve on his 2012 numbers of 1,830 yards rushing and receiving? In fact, they've been in steady decline since.


DH :cool:
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CardiacKid
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David wrote:
CardiacKid wrote:I just emailed Skulsky stating that a Lions team without Harris at this conjuncture of his career, is far less enticing for renewing seasons tickets....
Be careful what you wish for. The odometer is spinning like a Petro-Canada gas pump on a summer long weekend.

He'll be 29 next season and has had some fairly significant injuries including a pin inserted into his ankle last year. Of course, when he does go down we'd better hope that Shaq can be a reasonable replacement (hasn't shown me much thus far). Or maybe Pascal Lochard. We're at the mercy of whoever is playing behind him.

I am not saying I don't like Andrew. I do. He's a versatile back and a phenomenal athlete who's been woefully under-utilized in space (screens, swing passes etc). But do we want to tie up significant resources on RB who isn't likely to improve on his 2012 numbers of 1,830 yards rushing and receiving? In fact, they've been in steady decline since.


DH :cool:[/]

I think Harris still has some premium gas in the tank. The decline in numbers I think can be greatly attributed to the poor play calling of successive coordinators along with the recent injuries. But the way he initially rebounded at the start of the year from the rust makes me think he still has good bounce back. A fresh start with a new OC and improvement among the supporting cast will open things up for Harris; mix up how he gets the ball and get another weapon so opposition clubs can't key on him.
Both are tall orders but hey, somehow other teams manage to do it.
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KnowItAll
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DanoT wrote:
KnowItAll wrote:Harris will not resign, but he might re-sign
You really do know it all. Thanks for the correction. We are all now more enlightened.
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korey&dante4ever
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First off, I like Andrew Harris, I feel he's a great leader, and is hungry to win. Nothing but good things to say about him.

However, I do feel like re-signing him to a premium dollar figure is a mistake. He is getting up there in age, and has some significant mileage on his body. I feel like there are a ton of American backs that can do the exact same things Andrew is doing for 100-150,000 dollars less.

I get that he's a bit of a ratio changer, but how much of a ratio changer? IMO if you're going to start a Canadian running back, you almost need to be starting 8 Canadians on a weekly basis, or have a lot of quality CDN depth at WR. This is why we don't have a platoon for Andrew. It's because we can't. Yes you can sub in a Chris Rainey from time to time. But all that means is that a Rolly Lumbala would have to be following Rainey onto the field. A waste of an offensive player.

Also, in what other freaking sporting franchise/landscape/league does a GM have to worry about a fans reaction to a player being let go. I feel sorry for Wally in this regard that he can't make decisions that he feels are necessary without there being threats from fans to drop season tickets etc. etc. etc. It's pure garbage IMO. I get that we can second guess decisions, analyze moves Wally makes, but it shouldn't get to the point where Wally feels pressure from fans to make a move he feels is going to hurt the team.
"Well we need a face for the team." (First off, this shouldn't have to be the case in a real sports market) Well for 150,000 dollars of cap space, maybe we can find a new face for this team that isn't a dime a dozen RB.
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B.C.FAN
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I love reading all the passionate views on both sides of this issue. I still think Harris will be signed to a lucrative contract and anything said by either side in the interim is just standard negotiation rhetoric. Harris and Lulay are two of the faces of the franchise, and Lulay is a lot closer to the end of his career. Before being injured this year, Harris was an MOP candidate. When he's at his best, he is the most complete back in the league.
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korey&dante4ever wrote: Also, in what other freaking sporting franchise/landscape/league does a GM have to worry about a fans reaction to a player being let go. I feel sorry for Wally in this regard that he can't make decisions that he feels are necessary without there being threats from fans to drop season tickets etc. etc. etc. It's pure garbage IMO. I get that we can second guess decisions, analyze moves Wally makes, but it shouldn't get to the point where Wally feels pressure from fans to make a move he feels is going to hurt the team.
"Well we need a face for the team." (First off, this shouldn't have to be the case in a real sports market) Well for 150,000 dollars of cap space, maybe we can find a new face for this team that isn't a dime a dozen RB.
Fan reaction is paramount in any sport. Think New England would let Tom Brady go, Pittsburgh letting Sidney Crosby walk ?
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One of Wally's biggest shortcomings is that he has little respect for the paying public. Always has.
TheLionKing
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Solar Max wrote:One of Wally's biggest shortcomings is that he has little respect for the paying public. Always has.
Soon he and his coaching staff will be the only ones watching the Lions play.
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Solar Max wrote:One of Wally's biggest shortcomings is that he has little respect for the paying public. Always has.
Don't know about that. I was wearing my Lions jacket and waiting for my luggage in the Phoenix airport a couple years ago. I sensed someone approachining from my left. It was Wally. He'd seen my jacket and came straight over, hand extended to shake mine and thanked me for wearing the colour and supporting the team. On another note I heard hi getting interviewed by the Calgary radio crew at halftime 2 weeks ago. He was asked if it's been frustrating this year. He said sure it has. It's been frustrating for the fans, frustrating for the players, frustrating for the coaches. Of note the fans were the first group he mentioned.
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WestCoastJoe
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Tough job for Wally for sure.

Mistakes? For sure.

Re Harris.

As I have noted numerous times, INT RBs are pretty much a dime a dozen, and there are so many outstanding ones. Easy on the budget.

And, as noted many times, even on this page, we do not have ratio flexibility. We cannot rotate 3 INT RBs. If Andrew sits, we drop off drastically at NAT RB. Not easy to sub in an INT RB, as noted by kd4e. This ratio problem can be attached to the leadership of the organization. Drafting. Drafting. Drafting. And developing. Our team has been a wasteland for thrown away picks. We make curious selections, off the wall. We gamble when we should play safe. And for 12 years we have failed miserably at building in the best place for NAT talent, the O Line. 12 freaking years of a wasteland. Oh yes, lots of excuses. Injuries. Desperate need for an experienced QB, who is then discarded the year after. But it is the same for every team. And we must be in about the worst shape in the league with our very thin National roster.

I hope Harris re-ups with us, re-signs. Maybe some others in the organization will resign. LOL

As with any RB, Harris would benefit greatly from a strong RB group. We do not have that. We have Andrew Harris, on his own. Too much of a load to carry. Too easy for defences to key on him with even more than one player. "Everyone know at all times where Andrew Harris is. He is very dangerous from any part of the field." Harris might get a better situation ($ and support and others to carry the load) with another team.

Wally is doing his job. Yes. And his fingerprints are all over every dysfunctional aspect of this team. 13 years. And sliding.
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WestCoastJoe
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IR and PR ...
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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CardiacKid
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Gary Lawless on TSN has written that Tedford and Harris have a "disconnect" and that Harris will not return to the Lions if Tedford is back. His piece had some other suppositions that were a little out there (Jim Popp to the Riders, Eric Tillman returning to the Riders) so I find his certainty a little dubious.
But I do have to admit that I have been concerned with Tedford and Cortez's use (or lack there of) of Harris for stretches this year.
maxlion
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CardiacKid wrote:Gary Lawless on TSN has written that Tedford and Harris have a "disconnect" and that Harris will not return to the Lions if Tedford is back. His piece had some other suppositions that were a little out there (Jim Popp to the Riders, Eric Tillman returning to the Riders) so I find his certainty a little dubious.
But I do have to admit that I have been concerned with Tedford and Cortez's use (or lack there of) of Harris for stretches this year.
If this is true, then it's time for Andrew to move on. First of all, he's the CFL's leading rusher. What more does he want? And, second, no player can be bigger than the team. I like Andrew a lot, though, and hope Lawless is blowing smoke.
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