Moderator: Team Captains
Check the video on the url above. 
"I was prepared to take a diminished role but not on (that) level," Simon said. "That's where the disconnect was."It was a like a marriage that had run its course. Better to get a divorce now while the two sides remained friends than risk turning into enemies.
But if the Jason Clermont case had come to his mind - this might not be pretty other than he will have a lot more money even though he'll need a place to live on it. I felt they marginalized Clermont too soon. Made a big deal of his signing and then IIRC - Clermont went from what a team guy who was organizing REC meetings at his home to riding the pine with only a few shots (far short of his talent level) at actual playing.Simon isn't sure what role Saskatchewan has in mind for him. "That's the risk you take when you change," he said. "Change can be a good thing and it can be a bad thing. I was willing to take that risk.
Simon says he is excited to be a Rider
By Rob Vanstone, The Leader-Post
Geroy Simon already has a touchdown as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The CFL's career receiving-yardage leader landed at Regina International Airport on Sunday afternoon, whereupon he was welcomed by an enthusiastic coterie of Rider fans.
The immediate, impassioned response offered a hint of what Simon can anticipate today, when he will be the central figure in a whirlwind tour of Regina. In addition to meeting with the Riders' staff, Simon will conduct interviews with the media and interact with fans.
"I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm excited,'' Simon, whom the Riders acquired from the B.C. Lions on Thursday, said following a flight from Vancouver to Regina.
"I was excited to get up this morning and get to the airport. I'm usually the last one to get to the airport. Today, I was there almost two hours early, just to get settled in and ready for the flight. I'm really excited about the opportunity.''
Saskatchewan fans will have their first formal opportunity to meet Simon today at the Mosaic Stadium branch of the Rider Store. An autograph and picture session is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., and last 90 minutes.
"I'm looking forward to it,'' Simon said. "It has been kind of up and down the last couple of days, but I was looking forward to the opportunity to get here. Now that I'm here, I'm anxious to see what tomorrow brings.''
Some fans were so anxious to see Simon that they headed to the airport on Sunday after making an educated guess as to when he might arrive.
Simon offered a hint on his Facebook page on Sunday, posting a message that read "Regina I'm ready for you! See you in a few hrs.''
Carmen Buschow saw that posting and promptly visited the Regina Airport Authority's website. She noticed that a non-stop Air Canada flight from Vancouver was to arrive at 4: 31 p.m., and impulsively altered her day accordingly.
"I was in the front shovelling snow and she said, 'Let's go to the airport,' '' said Lennie Pander, Buschow's husband.
Lennie and Carmen were joined at the terminal by their eight-year-old daughter, Rema Buschow-Pander, who was the first to get Simon's autograph when he reached the arrivals area.
For the record, Rema's mother was the first fan to have her picture taken with Simon.
"I loved him as a player even when he was in B.C.,'' Buschow said. "When I heard that the Riders had traded for him, I thought, 'Fabulous!'
"This is epic for the Riders.''
Her husband was quick to concur.
"So what if he's 37?'' Lennie said. "This is a huge signing. He'll be great working with the young guys and he'll make everyone better.
"He's a true gentleman.'' True to form, Simon handled his departure from B.C. in gentlemanly fashion.
Some other players in Simon's situation may have responded with vitriol, the byproduct of a bruised ego. Simon, by contrast, took the high road - as in 38,000 feet - out of Vancouver.
"This opportunity is strictly about football,'' he said. "In this city, football is king and this is a place that I wanted to play, and hopefully we can bring a Grey Cup to this city.''
The process of bringing Simon to this city began in December, when the Lions and Roughriders first discussed a possible deal. By then, it was clear to Simon and Lions general manager Wally Buono that there were contrasting expectations regarding the receiver's role and remuneration. When a compromise could not be reached, Buono gave Simon and his agent (Dan Vertlieb of Core Sports Group) permission to contact other teams.
Roughriders general manager Brendan Taman ended up presenting an opportunity that intrigued Simon. Taman then acquired Simon for receiver Justin Harper and a third-round pick in the 2014 CFL draft.
"I'd be lying if I said that it's going to be an easy transition,'' Simon said on Sunday. "I've been a Lion for 12 years and now to make the switch, it's going to take some time, but I'm really excited about it and I'm really excited to see what Regina has to offer.''
Simon is already familiar with Regina, having visited Mosaic Stadium on a regular basis since making his CFL debut with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1999.
After two seasons with Winnipeg, Simon signed with B.C. as a free agent and began charting a course that will ultimately lead to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
As a Lion, he registered nine successive 1,000-yard seasons (beginning in 2003) and was named a West Division all-star on seven occasions. A six-time CFL all-star, he was decorated as the league's most outstanding player in 2006 - when he also played for a Grey Cup champion for the first time. He again helped the Lions win Earl Grey's mug in 2011.
Along the way, Simon has heard from vociferous Roughriders fans, who customarily save some of their best lines for the most prominent members of rival teams.
"Even though I get booed a lot when I come here, the fans have been really great to me, being a player that's on the opposing side,'' Simon said. "Anytime that I've met anybody who's from Regina or cheers for the Riders, they say, 'We hate you because you've done well against us, but we love you because you've been a great player over the years.' ''
Simon's greatness is reflected by the numbers.
He is atop the league's all-time receiving-yardage list, with 15,787. With 989 receptions, he is poised to leapfrog Terry Vaughn (1,006) and Ben Cahoon (1,017) and move into first overall in that category.
At one time, it was inconceivable that Simon would establish the receptions record in any uniform but that of the Lions. But this is the CFL, and professional sports, so the unforeseen can materialize. Simon attributes the upheaval to the "business side of things.''
His arrival will certainly be good for business from the Roughriders' perspective. They will derive some additional revenues when he appears at The Store today. The team's profile will be further enhanced when he reaches the 1,000-catch milestone en route to bypassing Vaughn and Cahoon.
Simon may hit the magical 1,000 figure today, based on the number of autographs signed or photographs taken. You can tell that he is prepared to immerse himself in football, Saskatchewan style. When asked what excited him the most about playing here, he responded: "The fans. They're all about the Riders.''
That was obvious at the airport on Sunday. rvanstone@leaderpost.com
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Regina, the Riders and Riders fans being the way they are, they are already earning back some of the extra dollars going Geroy's way.SammyGreene wrote:Geroy has told Regina media today he will soon be moving there with his family. I haven't seen it reported yet but two of his best friends happen to live there — Barron Miles and Jason Clermont. I believe he was in JC's wedding party. The Miles and Simon families are also very close. They coached their two boys in Cloverdale Minor Football until Barron got the job with the Riders last year.
