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A few weeks ago, a fellow MyColts.netter approached me about doing a joint effort and I couldn't wait to get started. Jeffro has been a huge supporter of mine, and I know many of you are aware of his work with the VLOGs. I won't go into a lot of detail here, because Jeffro will elaborate more in detail where we hope to takes this. Please watch the video below, and I will leave my comments at the bottom of the Video.
What a controversial opening subject - but you all know me and I was never one to hold back my thoughts on such things!
I'll start with the particulars on Marvin and go from there. Marvin is currently 35 years old, but will turn 36 on August 25th. His contract, that was signed in 2004, will account for $7.6M against the cap this year, $9M in 2009, $10M in 2010 and $11.4M in 2011, for a total of $38M over the remaining life of the contract. All guarenteed money though, was paid PRIOR to the 2006 season, from what I was able to find out. This IS a huge committment by the Colts, for a player of his age.
However, Marvin does not have the body of a 36 year old, and while he often has been criticized for avoiding contact, it is what has helped him be so productive over an extended amount of time. Obviously I have no medical background, but I personally choose to believe the injury that he incurred last year, is behind him and expect to see the same production from him that we have grown accustomed to.
With that said, you have to turn to the current set of circumstances that have come about, and it gets real tricky. Everyone will have differences of opinion on something like this, and the violence aspect that goes with it. I have chosen to be supportive of him at this time, as I believe is deserving of nothing less from us. None of us know what is like to be in the spotlight like athletes today are, and few of us were probably exposed to some of the things he was during his upbringing. Should we question his committment to try and put money back into his neighborhood - whether we understand it or not? He has been the epitome of what a Colt player should be, and while he has chosen to be very private about his personal things, what crime is there in that?
Even if Marvin is cleared of any wrong doing in the shooting, he still stands to be charged with a misdemeanor for being the owner of a gun that was used in a crime (Philadelphia law). If that happens, he also stands the risk of a suspension by the NFL, which has a rule that if a player's gun is involved in a crime, the player could be disciplined by the league.
I am hoping for the best from all of this. I do NOT believe it is in the Colt's best interest to try and unload him, especially with so much doubt still attached to the cirucumstances. He is a True Blue Colt, and will remain so in my eyes, until evidence is uncovered that suggest he is not worthy of that description.
This story is far from over, but just today I found a very interesting article from Philadelphia based website (http://www.philly.com). It sounds bizarre, but hasn't the whole story from the very beginning? Here is the article - I'll leave it up to you to draw your own conclusions at this time.
6ABC sports anchor Keith Russell has reportedly supplied wholly unsubstantiated details to a Florida radio station about last week's shooting linked to Marvin Harrison, the Indianapolis Colts and Roman Catholic football star. Harrison is being investigated by Philadelphia police following the April 29 shooting in which a gun he owns was used to shoot a man who had just beaten him up.
According to ProFootballTalk. com, Russell appeared with Jason Jackson on Miami's WQAM, and said his sources told him that the man who was shot had come to carry out a gangland-style hit on Harrison. According to the Web site, Russell said during the segment that the issue relates to Harrison's father, who Russell told the radio station was incarcerated.
According to a Sporting News article from 1999, Harrison's father died when he was 2. The as- yet-unidentified 32-year-old man was shot on Thompson Street near 25th in North Philly after a fight with Harrison that took place two weeks after the victim was kicked out of Playmakers, a bar that Harrison owns, on 28th Street near Cambridge, police sources tell the People Paper's David Gambacorta.
Our efforts to reach Russell have been unsuccessful. A 6ABC spokeswoman declined comment but says the station is looking into the matter of Russell's remarks.
I want to thank Jeffro for approaching me with this idea, and I certainly hope you enjoy what we are trying to do!
GO COLTS!!
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