Lions lose a legend
By Eric Wilkins, Staff Writer
And just like that, the Lions all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns was gone. Geroy Simon was shipped off a few weeks ago to the hated Roughriders for receiver Justin Harper and a third-round pick. Wally Buono has done a bit of housecleaning lately and Simon wasnât the only one getting a ride to the airport. Joining him are Arland Bruce III and Mike Reilly. Thereâs only one real loss there.
Go ahead and throw your rotten tomatoes at me, but not only is trading Simon not a bad thing, what they managed to get in return makes it a good move. A receiver who can step right in and contribute along with a draft pick for a guy that clearly didnât have it last year? Letâs face it: if it were any other 37-year-old who put up that mediocre season, fans would be over the hill about this trade. And thatâs really the way you have to look at things. Itâs not about what players have done in the past because legacies mean nothing. Itâs all about what they can do now. It seems like after years of watching how being âloyalâ to his players only succeeded in screwing him up (see: Casey Printers and Dave Dickenson fiasco), Buono has finally realized that personal attachment has no part in building a team. The club is instantly better for it.
Coming back to Simon though, you have to feel for the guy. As much as one wants players like him to realize theyâre done and hang up their cleats, you have to admire the level of fight heâs still got in him. He refuses to give up. Doesnât want to believe itâs over. Itâs a defiant cry that will ultimately be drowned out by a miserable season. Yes, for some this will be an ugly end to a great career, but try not to see it that way. Itâs his last stand; a chance to prove to himself that heâs still got it. Itâs that heart that separates the great receivers from the good ones.
Is it a foregone conclusion that heâll fail with Saskatchewan this year? Yes. While (for Simonâs sake, not those damned watermelon-headed Roughrider fans) I hope he proves me wrong, thereâs little doubt about it. Simon has always thrived as a smart speed player. He doesnât have an incredible vertical. He doesnât have the best hands. Heâs just been one of the smoothest and fastest players on the field who knows where to be. I canât count the number of times heâs dropped an easy catch, and any Lions fans who try to think otherwise are just fooling themselves. Simon rarely made those ballsy catches over the middle; he didnât even put himself in the position to do so. Itâs for that reason that heâs been able to have such a long and successful career. If you never take a big hit, itâs hard to get hurt. But the negatives aside, gosh was he good. Whether reeling in a long bomb or dancing through defenders, Simon was a force to be reckoned with. And now, in Saskatchewan, heâs finally had age catch up to him. He was injured for parts of last year and never quite looked the same. He was missing something in his step. He was nowhere near as effective. He might have a 500 yard year for the Riders but not much more.
The Lions lost a legend in the trade with the Roughriders, but it was for the best. A solid prospect and a draft pick came to BC in the trade and Buono found out how to run a team. As for Simon, thereâll always be Geroyâs Corner waiting for him when retirement finally rolls in.
