Farewell Marv

As a native of Indianapolis, I would have to say that the departure of Marvin Harrison from the Colts organization is pretty bittersweet. As a fan of the Colts it’s hard to see anyone leave, especially someone such as Harrison, who after being drafted in ’96 has been a key contributor to bringing the organization out of its embarrassing funk of the early ‘90’s, and turning into a perennial contender.

Marv (as he’s known locally) had the ability to reel in anything within a ten foot radius (think back to the ball he tipped to himself falling out of bounds against the Patriots in the ’06 playoffs). But that’s not the only thing that made him special. I could venture to say that as a receiver of such high stature, put on the same level as guys like T.O. and Randy Moss, Marv consistently did it the right way. Name one time you saw Marv really talking trash. Name one time you ever saw him celebrate a TD. That’s right; you can’t, because that was never his game. In fact, other than when he was being thrown to, you may have had a hard time finding him. He always had a way of blending in, not letting his status as an elite superstar receiver separate him from the concept of team.

You could throw around stats all day, like his 1,102 receptions for 14,580 yards and 128 TDs (all among the top stats for a receiver in league history), but it would never fully encapsulate what Marvin Harrison has meant to his team, the city of Indianapolis, and the NFL.

Because the league is a business first, all of us as fans get to experience these bittersweet moments. Knowing that he wasn’t going to get the money he felt he deserved, and seeing his role as number one receiver starting to fade, Marv decided to ask for a release from the colts. To fans that may be upset with Harrison for appearing to be about the money, I ask you this: If you were on the back end of your career, still sacrificing your body, and possibly your post-football health, wouldn’t you want the most you could get? That brings me to the flip part of the bittersweet sentiment I issued earlier. As a fan of Marvin Harrison the person, it’s nice to know that Marv will be able to catch on somewhere and get the money he deserves, while continuing to do things the right way on behalf of the league and as an example for a new batch a teammates to follow.

On behalf of the city of Indianapolis, I would like to say thank you Marvin, and good luck! You will be missed.


Indeed,


Mr. Dixson