Lefko promoting Tillman as Edmonton GM

Perry Lefko from sportsnet is pimping Eric Tillman as Edmonton's next GM and Rick Lelacheur is trying real hard to convince Edmonton fans that Eric should be considered. Eskimos should start with a new President...

[url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/2010/08/18/lefko_tillmantime/]http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/20 ... llmantime/[/url]

as much as I'd hate to admit it,

Tillman is the only guy currently that could bring this team back to a contender. And it's eating me up inside!

as a Riders fan I hope they decide to choose someone who's WRONG for the job and not Tillman. as I would like to see the Esks suffer for some more before recovering.

I have no problem with Tillman, in fact I wish he was here in Toronto and not the lame duck Rita.
There is no better GM.

I think Popp has proven to be a better GM but it isn't Tillman's football management ability that are in question.

Can an organization that promotes itself as the "class" of the league hire someone as toxic ? I'm not going to stick labels on the guy but we all have varying tolerance for what he did.

Also the CFL is trying to make it through a difficult situation in Hamilton and Ottawa is still not a done deal, can the league afford a GM convicted of sexual assault on a minor ?

The people at eskfans talk about “the Eskimo way”, which to me is a bunch of hogwash. I bet there are more than a few posters there with some skeletons in the closet, so their self-righteous and arrogant drivel is pathetic. They even talk about turning in their tickets if the organization hires ET… they want Ed Hervey to be the GM… if that happens, it will be a long time before the glory is restored in Edmonton.

They want someone who has had success as an Eskimo. I can respect that. There is a trust issue with the fans right now after Danny Maciocia's run. Some of them also consider Tillman's accomplishments tainted because he was over the SMS for 3 of the 4 years he ran the team (yes I know the first one didn't count)...

Again, just more drivel... the fact is that ET had to pare a significant amount from the previous regime, and then injuries took a huge bite in term of salaries. He did well to keep both years the SMS was in effect below 100K. Its just more arrogance from those fans. Its also hypocritical, for years the Eskimos never respected any kind of cap, even though those caps had no teeth.. they can be in denial all they want to, but they know what the truth really is... they can have Ed Hervey.. it just means the the circus in Edmonton will continue... karma is biting those fans in the rear very hard right now.

ya just goes to show how little knowledge many of these Esks fans have.

if they want Hervey, let them have him. he'll make zero difference and they'll continue to struggle.

note to Fans: you cannot hire someone with zero experience!

I have not seen any more evidence that they want Hervey, I've seen the name of Flemming , Higgins and a bunch of others tossed around but they all have a history with the organization.

As much as you appreciate Tillman even his boss in Saskatchewan would not vouch for him and said multiple times he was surprised by the actions of Tillman. In fact despite some good football skills he's been pushed out or let to fall out just about everywhere he's been... That says something a lot.

If Tillman wants to get back in the pro game he should earn his stripes again, go do some scouting and work his way up with humility and compassion but jumping as the football boss of a top notch organization with people and females in some cases who may be under his authority makes no sense whatsoever.

don't sentence a man who admitted to making a big mistake and has paid for it.

just cause he did this once does not mean he'll repeat.

Wow, wow and wow.

After so much has been written and said about this I can't believe there are some people who say things as if they are fact when all they are doing is taking tiny bits of bigger picture discussions and using those little things to supposedly support their inane comments.

  1. The 'court of public opinion' with the majority of esks fans is not that ET couldn't do the job, it's that it is too soon since his legal issues for any team (not just the Esks) to want him. It would be a PR disaster. The Esks having just gone through a couple of those (first Maciocia and then Kep) can NOT ignore the feelings of the fans. That is it. End of story.

  2. I know Perry he's a good guy and he's a good writer. But he's also not seeing the bigger picture. He's writing these stories as opinion pieces. And while he (and everyone else) is entitled to an opinion he has sorely missed some key facts.

  3. Yes there is a desire for Ed Hervey to rise to the GM post... but if people had bothered to READ what was being said it's agreed that that move is too soon. The folks at esksfans KNOW that EH needs to grow into that role and that he's not there yet. (BTW, when reading posts over there it's worth paying attention to whose posts you are reading!!)

  4. There are other potential candidates who have a) connections to the Esks, b) have experience in football admin and management, and c) are capable of doing the job. What's more, at least one of those names has already been mentioned on THIS board (not just at Esksfans, where some of the truly knowledgeable posters are very intrigued by the idea) - and that is Bruce Lemmerman. People can say 'oh he doesn't have current CFL experience ... but that's why the Esks have guys like Paul Jones (who was the Esks GM in job if not name not long ago and who has been celebrated for his scouting prowess), Ed Hervey (who has already shown a good eye for identifying talent) and Dan McKinnon (I'll save commenting on him until later). So why is it that people (including Perry) get stuck on ET - when there are other suitable candidates out there who would not create enormous problems with fans, sponsors, advertisers and the Esks community in general - is beyond me. It's exactly that kind of narrow-minded, tunnel-vision that the Esks need to get away from.

  5. One of the biggest areas that the Esks have had problems with has been the Canadian draft. McKinnon is the guy who is supposed to be responsible for that side. A lot of people blame him for the Esks NI woes, however, now that it has come to light that Maciocia was a very "hands on" GM, there is some thought that he may have been affecting McKinnon's role. I for one don't really buy that and think that the Esks need a new guy to evaluate Cdn talent. I've got some thoughts on that, but I think that it's too soon to go down that path.

well said!

I thought he was given a discharge? HfxTC just posted that he was "convicted" of sexual assault on a minor??

I can agree that for the reputation of the league and for the family brand it is too soon for his return... but I think your taking liberaties with the name branding HfxTC.

Well he pleaded guilty to the charge as laid...at the time the trial was going to start...

ET plead Guilty.
The court ‘Discharged’ the case (no trial - to spare the victim - and no conviction).
The accusation and guilty plea remain on ET’s permanent Police Record.

Wow. Gotta love this thread. I guess it was just an excuse to insult a team's fanbase and continue to drag a man's name through the mud. Awesome! :thup:

Thanks !

So I should word it Guilty of sexual assault on a minor.

Huh no. This thread exists because a reporter is trying to prop up a guy who pleaded guilty of sexually assaulting his babysitter for an open very high paying , high profile job while he drags on of the cleanest guys in football Coach Richie Hall through the mud.

Why can we always forgive atheletes so soon(such as big ben R. Mike V., mike Tyson, L.T., Coby Bryant, and so on). But when it comes to management forget about it. Would Anyone say no if Big Ben wanted to play for Edmonton? What about when reafer Williams played for Toronto? Managemet should get the same treatmeant. I would never trash the Edmonton fanbase. They have been the best fanbase in the history of the cfl. A stories franchise. Greatest dynasty, no telethons. The fan base has a right to talk about the Eskimo way

All I know is the court gave him an absolute discharge and the victim and her family has forgiven him.
I would say it's time for everyone to move on including ET.
I will repeat with maybe Popp being a close second, there is no better GM and Eric has unbelievable contacts in the US.
The Esks would be foolish not to hire him asap to fix the mess and have them become an instant contender.