Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Sayonara, Marvin

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good bye!

It is definitely not, "don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!"

The sad fact about sports and salary caps is that sometimes teams have to let go of the players you hate to see go. But sports teams ARE a business and they have to do what is best for the business and not necessarily what fans want. Even if that player is a future Hall of Famer. Marvin Harrison's salary cap price was just too steep for the amount of output he was expected to generate next season. With Reggie Wayne becoming Peyton's favorite target and Anthony Gonzalez growing in his second season, Marvin became expendable. Not to mention the fact that the last two seasons were below par, mainly due to injuries and partially due to age.

I would love to see Marvin stay with the Colts and there is some small hope that he could re-sign with the Colts if no one chooses to sign him. Marvin will be 36 and just does not seem to be the player that he was before his injury in 2007. I think Marvin could still be quite a contributor to a team, but his $13.4 million cap figure was too much for a #3 or #4 receiver. I cannot blame Marvin for asking to be released. He thinks he can get more than what the Colts were offering. More power to him.

Fans can be mad if they want. I'm sure just as many would be upset if they had resigned him.

Marvin will be missed. They ought to enshrine his spot at the end of the Colts' bench that he would occupy by himself while not on the field. Marvin was not a flashy or attention-getting player like T.O. or Ocho Cinco, but he let his playing on the field speak for himself. It is interesting in that while Marvin was never one for interviews or talking much with the media, the media never really vilified or hated him for that.

I know everyone will have their favorite memories of Marvin and I am sure we will share those often down the road when he is elected to the Hall of Fame and inducted into the Colts' Ring of Honor. However, the two memories that quickly come to mind are the one-handed diving catch against the Titans a couple of years ago and the playoff game against the Broncos where Marvin caught the ball, no one tagged him and he got up and ran for a touchdown.

I hope Marvin is able to get a couple of more productive years in the league, but sadly it will not be in a Colts uniform.

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