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His CFL tour takes one more step toward completion. Only Cgy, Wpg and Mtl to go.
Eric Tillman is back in the CFL.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced Friday that Tillman has joined the organization as a consultant. The Edmonton Eskimos fired Tillman as their general manager last November.
Tillman, 55, has an extensive CFL resume, having served as an executive or GM with the B.C. Lions (1993-’94), Toronto Argonauts (1997, ‘99), Ottawa Renegades (2002-’04), Saskatchewan Roughriders (2006-’09) and Edmonton (2010-’12).
His hiring in Hamilton isn’t a surprise as Tillman previously hired Ticats vice-president of football operations/GM/head coach Kent Austin as a head coach in Saskatchewan. They won a Grey Cup together with the Riders in 2007.
Tillman, a three-time Grey Cup winner, joins a Ticats front office that includes Danny McManus (director of U.S. scouting), Drew Allemang (director of Canadian scouting) and Shawn Burke (director of football administration).
“I’m excited about working with this group,” Austin said in a statement. “Our front office features a combination of individuals with incredible experience and bright, young minds who will contribute to the success of this team.
“I feel very strongly about the collective abilities of our football operations department.”
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
The three person team of Tillman-Austin-McManus worked very well in the Lions 1994 GC season. Let's see how well they'd do in Hamilton.
But of course, the levels are different now as Austin as VP is now the superior of his consultant, Tillman and his director, McManus.
I'm not a fan of the one guy GM/HC/VP unless there is another football personnel evaluator guy around for the GM/HC/VP guy to consult with. This could be a very good pick up for Hamilton with Tillman being able to offer excellent evaluations, but not calling the shots.
I don't know what Hamilton is thinking. Really! Forced out of Sask because of off field issues. Summarily run out of town in Edmonton because of his complete failure with that team.
Borderline personality issues if his more recent employments are any indication. Definitely and off field distraction and all round controversial figure. Why would anybody touch him at this point, especially a franchise that has had the hard times that the TiCats have had over the last decade or so? The guy has ended up being trouble wherever he went . Oh well.
Tell me how long must a fan be strong? Ans. Always.
DanoT wrote:I'm not a fan of the one guy GM/HC/VP unless there is another football personnel evaluator guy around for the GM/HC/VP guy to consult with. This could be a very good pick up for Hamilton with Tillman being able to offer excellent evaluations, but not calling the shots.
A lot of jobs tied up in one guy and Austin knows it is not a one man operation. I disagreed with ET's decision not to move to Edmonton as I do with any GM not full time living in your city FT. However, I know that the Riders President did not want to lose ET - it was optics that drove him out but that is another story.
Fans get into love-hate such as the constant attacks on Rod Black which to me defy common sense but that is how fan-atics think - but these guys in the game in the CFL see each other very differently. Wally has supported other coaches and GMs consistently despite these people like Roy Shivers being polar opposites to him.
Tillman is connected and is no dummy. Austin no doubt is loyal to a person he calls a friend.
People like Brian Burke and Eric Tillman can be divisive with some but loved by others.
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
Sir Purrcival wrote:I don't know what Hamilton is thinking. Really! Forced out of Sask because of off field issues. Summarily run out of town in Edmonton because of his complete failure with that team.
Borderline personality issues if his more recent employments are any indication. Definitely and off field distraction and all round controversial figure. Why would anybody touch him at this point, especially a franchise that has had the hard times that the TiCats have had over the last decade or so? The guy has ended up being trouble wherever he went . Oh well.
Obviously to me, it comes down to Austin's relationship with Tillman. He was able to capitalize on the opportunity that Tillman afforded him in Saskatchewan and this seems like payback, given Tillman's difficulties over his last two stops. Without this, I don't see Tillman making a living in the CFL again, this may give him a new lifeline to jobs within the CFL. Loyalty that Tillman once afforded to Austin, is being paid back now.
For many CFL fans, Tillman keeps turning up ike a bad penny ... For some he is a stain on the history of the CFL. Others find forgiveness in their hearts, and the willingness to give him "one more chance."
Tillman certainly has the ability to create loyalty in some. Including Kent Austin. Including some fans.
Well I didn't expect him to go away. At least he is not in charge in Hamilton. His involvement with the media will be much reduced from what it was in Edmonton. No midnight phone calls to reporters. No midnight deals for kickers.
This will be interesting, in a sports management sense. Will he stay out of trouble? No guarantee of that. Will he upset the organization? Will he upset the fans? Will he be front and center in the stadium owner's boxes around the league? Will he be getting air time on radio and TV, or camera time, for all the Hamilton games? Will he show good judgment?
"Consultant"? A job in name only? Will he be involved with scouting? That would seem the most likely.
I really don't see him contributing much. If he gets too involved it would upset others in the organization. Can he help with management? Hmmm ... Not his strong suit. What is his strong suit? Personnel? Mixed results there. Media relations? Hmmmm ... Some disasters there. IMO It has been his Head Coaching hiring decisions that brought him success. Dave Ritchie. Don Matthews. Kent Austin. Is scouting really a strength of his, evaluating players? It seems to me his "scouting" has been based on his contacts, not necessarily his own acumen. He has shown an ability to network, in US scouting, and especially as it has saved his career a number of times. It seems to me he badly over-rated Steven Jyles, a key part of his demise in Edmonton. It seems to me his evaluation of Kerry Joseph overlooked that Kent Austin was there to guide Joseph that year. It seems to me he underestimated the abilities of Ricky Ray. He didn't have success building a team from scratch in Ottawa. He made mind boggling personnel decisions in Edmonton. A very mixed bag ...
At the time of his legal troubles in Regina, in an interview with Brian Williams, Tillman suggested that he had had some very depressed thoughts (possibly even suicidal), something along the lines of "what's the alternative?" This move by Austin at least saves, to some extent, Tillman's ability to work.
As BCFAN points out, Tillman has the many career lives of a cat. He is a large part of CFL history, a very mixed part. Many fans are truly disgusted with him. And now we will see if he is able to rehabilitate his reputation somewhat with this opportunity.
I am thinking that Austin should have put a clause in Tilllman's contract limiting his interactions with the media. And I am thinking that some in the Hamilton organization will be thinking: OMG, we should have insisted, in hiring Austin, that a certain someone would not be hired later.
Sir Purrcival wrote:I don't know what Hamilton is thinking. Really! Forced out of Sask because of off field issues. Summarily run out of town in Edmonton because of his complete failure with that team.
Borderline personality issues if his more recent employments are any indication. Definitely and off field distraction and all round controversial figure. Why would anybody touch him at this point, especially a franchise that has had the hard times that the TiCats have had over the last decade or so? The guy has ended up being trouble wherever he went . Oh well.
Obviously to me, it comes down to Austin's relationship with Tillman. He was able to capitalize on the opportunity that Tillman afforded him in Saskatchewan and this seems like payback, given Tillman's difficulties over his last two stops. Without this, I don't see Tillman making a living in the CFL again, this may give him a new lifeline to jobs within the CFL. Loyalty that Tillman once afforded to Austin, is being paid back now.
Good point. I guess as a consultant, there should be no reason for him to be in the public eye which is usually where his troubles begin.
Tell me how long must a fan be strong? Ans. Always.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats Vice President of Football Operations Kent Austin today announced the team’s football operations structure.
Joining Austin in the front office will be Director of U.S. Scouting Danny McManus , Director of Canadian Scouting Drew Allemang, Director of Football Administration Shawn Burke and Eric Tillman as a consultant.
McManus has spent the previous two years as the Ticats Head U.S. Scout after serving as their Southeast Regional scout for two seasons. As a player, McManus suited up for 17 seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Edmonton Eskimos, Ticats and Calgary Stampeders.
Eric Tillman will be a polarizing guy to people but lost in this ET back stuff is the alignment under Austin who is also GM and HC.
Has there been this kind of structure in the CFL in other teams before?
Is this an elevated role or just title change for McManus?
I always thought McManus would be a good coach as I think Anthony Cavillo would be if he goes that route - and similarly the now successful OC Dave Dickinson.
It will be a weird year for Hamilton this season - temp stadium.
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
Given he's being hired as a consultant that could mean many things. It could be little more than a part time gig where Austin could call on him when he needs an extra resource for any number of activities or when he needs a sounding board or for access to Tillman's network of contacts.
You're as old as you've ever been and as young as you're ever going to be.
Hambone wrote:Given he's being hired as a consultant that could mean many things. It could be little more than a part time gig where Austin could call on him when he needs an extra resource for any number of activities or when he needs a sounding board or for access to Tillman's network of contacts.
Yeah - that could well be and hopefully (IMO) that's the extent of it; and sure, he could be of some assistance to Austin. But then - why the need to announce it officially?
IMO - the CFL has seen more than enough of that over-rated, egomaniac legend in his own mind Tillspin; and just IMO again - it's an embarassment to the league that this little weasel gets hired and re-cycled over & over again, and after his legal issue in Regina and then getting to screw-up the Esls with idiot moves. I was kinda pulling for the Ticats to put together a much improved team with Austin; I now hope they go 0 & 18 - sorry Kent; and not sure I should feel sorry for Bob-o Young there - great that he's a rich guy who is willing to pour money into owning a CFL team, but rich guys who know zip/squat about the sport they are involved in as owners, and repeatedly make moron moves, is often par for the course.
