Esks vague on reasons for GM Tillman’s firing
EDMONTON — Len Rhodes said there was “no specific reason” why he fired Eric Tillman on Saturday.
The Edmonton Eskimos president and CEO wouldn’t go into a defined list of grievances that Tillman had accrued over his 26 months as the Eskimos general manager. At a news conference on Saturday afternoon, Rhodes stuck to a generic mantra of his vision of his team’s future in the CFL and that Tillman didn’t have a place in it.
“Officially this afternoon at approximately 1:30, I met with Eric Tillman and informed him that we were going in a different direction with the Eskimos in the future and that it had a direct impact on his job,” Rhodes said when he sat down in front of Edmonton media.
Tillman leaves Edmonton defined by the Ricky Ray trade. On Dec. 12, 2011, Tillman dealt Ray to the Toronto Argonauts for quarterback Steven Jyles, kicker Grant Shaw and a first-round pick in the 2012 CFL draft.
The move was highly criticized in the months that followed, as Jyles struggled as a starter. Backup quarterback Kerry Joseph officially took over starting duties on Oct. 5, but at 39 years old, doesn’t provide the long-term plan at the position that Tillman pointed to in the wake of the trade.
Matt Nichols, 25, moved into the backup role when Joseph was named the starter, but has only played two full games this year.
Rhodes said the Ray trade wasn’t the reason for Tillman’s dismissal.
“The Ricky Ray trade got a lot of headlines and continues to do so,” Rhodes said. “That’s not the reason why I relieved Eric today. It’s the overall scheme of things in my specific decision.”
Rhodes was 11 days into his role with the Eskimos when he signed off on the trade.
“I approved the trade, so why would I relieve someone (because of the deal) when I approved the trade to begin with?” he said.
Rhodes said Tillman handled the news with class.
“Eric was a total gentleman. He’s a human being, we’re all human beings and these are never easy decisions,” he said. “It’s a business decision, it’s nothing personal against Eric.”