Percy's future w/ Vikings looking uncertain

[vikeinmontana]

Well, he did have an emergency appendectomy just a little over 2 weeks ago. That seems like a pretty good reason to stay home and rest.

Jim

ya there's that. but by god he's a minnesota vikings and i know what is best for the vikings and percy harving and there is no god dang way he shouldn't be on the sideline for every game. i don't care what other players around the league do. he's a viking and i know what's best for MY vikings!

[yezzir]

I'm torn on whether or not I think there's fire behind all this smoke. One part of me thinks "The guy hasn't actually missed the playoff game yet and even if he does it doesn't necessarily mean anything."

At the same time I find myself wondering if Peterson would be absent from the sidelines during a game like the one coming up tomorrow if he were injured.

Thats pretty much where I'm going. The official statement from Harvin is that he is rehabbing his ankle. The statement from Frazier is "Its up to him whether he is here or not." To me, that doesn't sound like a coach defending his player for a legit reason. That sounds lime a coach who is upset with Percy without throwing him under a bus.

[saint33]

Or it's just a coach answering a question truthfully. The Vikings policy is that a player on IR can rehab where ever he wants as long as he's in contact with the club. Frazier also pointed out there are other players in his position who are not with the team.

Would Frazier prefer if he were on the sideline? Similar to most fans, I assume the answer would be yes. However, the policy is there for a reason, once a player is placed on ir, he's no longer a part of the 52 man roster and thus is free to do as he pleases. And for that reason, I would say frazier is no more upset with Percy than he is with Demarcus love or nick Taylor.

[Mothman]

Thats pretty much where I'm going. The official statement from Harvin is that he is rehabbing his ankle. The statement from Frazier is "Its up to him whether he is here or not." To me, that doesn't sound like a coach defending his player for a legit reason. That sounds lime a coach who is upset with Percy without throwing him under a bus.

... and that sounds like a fan reading something into a statement that isn't there. I mean no insult by that but let's face it, all "It's up to him" means is "It's up to him". Anything else you see in that statement is what you put there.

Harvin is rehabbing his ankle and he had an emergency appendectomy on 12/15 and we just finished the holiday season. Those are 3 pretty good reasons to be home in FL instead of in MN. I'm sure there are players on the Vikings who would wouldn't have made the choice Harvin did to rehab away from the team and to not attend games but his choice doesn't make him a bad teammate, a disgruntled employee who wants out, a cancer, a player the coach is annoyed with, etc. IF there's really something more than meets the eye here, it will come out over the course of the offseason. Meanwhile, there's little point in continued speculation about the situation when there's no real information available to indicate a problem. Harvin's at home, his reasons for that choice are his are his own and his coach says it's okay.

We'll find out if there's more to it than that before next season. Meanwhile, this season continues!

[yezzir]

I pride myself in not judging people prematurely, but maybe I'm wrong. I hope I am, cuz Percy is a great player. I'm only speculating, but I get the impression the relationship between Frazier and Harvin are not good. If you get into multiple heated exchanges with a well known civil and calm person, it's worth investigating a bit.



"Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier and WR Percy Harvin had a heated exchanged a few weeks ago in front of some players and staff members but the details of the incident are not known. Some people believed the incident was the reason Harvin was placed on Injured Reserve but the team and Harvin's agent had been talking about Harvin going on IR to avoid further injury.
Harvin will be looking for a contract extension this offseason and has indicated he will not show up for training camp without a new contract. Next season will be the final year of his rookie contract."

[yezzir]

Mothman, Harvin was placed on IR November 4th, and then immediately darted to Florida. His appendectomy was Dec. 15.

There is plenty of good trainers here to work with so you could also be on the sideline supporting your team. Especially when you are making a potential playoff run. With that timeline, there is no excuse in my opinion.

I want Harvin on this team for his talent. But in my opinion, something stinks. Let's see what happens.

[Mothman]

Harvin was placed on IR November 4th, and then immediately darted to Florida.
His appendectomy was Dec. 15.

He was placed on IR on December 4th, not November 4th.

I want Harvin on this team for his talent. But in my opinion, something stinks. Let's see what happens.

Exactly... we have no substantial information so instead of speculating and dreading the worst, let's see what happens.

Jim

[yezzir]

He was placed on IR on December 4th, not November 4th.
Exactly... we have no substantial information so instead of speculating and dreading the worst, let's see what happens.

Jim

Crap. I meant December. Thanks for the correction. Im hoping for the best but I don't have a great feeling about him and the Vikes future. Oh well......

Skol!!

[Demi]

On this note, AD has:

Never physically attacked a coach being a big one. Never berated a coach in front of the entire team on the sideline. Never missed repeated practices because of mystery illnesses. Never asked for a trade (allegedly).

What has Harvin done to earn all this ire? People say he's a cancer? Really? Based on what?

Based on a story about a trade before the season even starts. And then the sideline spat, and then the reported exchange with Frazier in the training room or wherever it was. Based on having to be separated from his previous coach and reportedly throwing a weight at him. Based on choking his college position coach (allegedly).

This isn't speeding, this isn't being late for a meeting. This is stuff that tears teams apart. And these were just the stories that made their way to reporters. Does anything think it stops there? That these are the only instances?

Great, he plays hard, he's a great player, how much does that matter compared to the rift something like a player repeatedly causing issues with coaches? Or shutting himself down in practices? Or not buying into the offense?

Championship teams don't put up with this garbage anymore, and neither should the Vikings! SKOL VIKINGS! DOWN WITH BIG HEADED MALCONTENTS!

[Mothman]

Crap. I meant December. Thanks for the correction.

You're welcome. It's easy to make a mistake like that when typing.

Im hoping for the best but I don't have a great feeling about him and the Vikes future. Oh well......

Skol!!

Vikings fans have a knack for expecting the worst... let's hope in this case it's unjustified.

[NextQuestion]

We have to realize that we can't expect to go into 2013 with the same cast and just ride AP and have Ponder throw for 150 and 1 TD. We absolutely need a guy like Harvin and need to build our outside WR help. If anything, getting Harvin/Bowe (let's just pretend) on the field this should AP out a gang load.

[Cliff]

We have to realize that we can't expect to go into 2013 with the same cast and just ride AP and have Ponder throw for 150 and 1 TD. We absolutely need a guy like Harvin and need to build our outside WR help. If anything, getting Harvin/Bowe (let's just pretend) on the field this should AP out a gang load.

Not that I disagree with you ... but didn't the end of the 2012 schedule kind of prove that idea wrong? This team is capable of beating good teams without such a WR.

I'm not saying that they should go that route mind you ... just that they're able to win games in that mold.

[VikingLord]

Never physically attacked a coach being a big one.

So Harvin has physically attacked coaches and yet he's never been fined or suspended... I find that hard to believe.

Is it possible that these instances might have been blown a bit out of proportion?

Never berated a coach in front of the entire team on the sideline. Never missed repeated practices because of mystery illnesses. Never asked for a trade (allegedly).

So players who get into a heated exchange with their coaches on the sidelines are cancers? There are many non-Harvin examples of similar exchanges between other players and their coaches and those players don't get labeled cancers any more than their coaches do.

There is no mystery to the illnesses - Harvin has a well-documented history of debilitating migraines, as does his mother from what I understand. He underwent a lot of testing and other procedures to come up with a plan to prevent/treat them.

As for the trade, AD might not have asked for a trade per se, but there were discussions that he missed the OTA to signal he would play hardball for a new contract.

Based on a story about a trade before the season even starts. And then the sideline spat, and then the reported exchange with Frazier in the training room or wherever it was. Based on having to be separated from his previous coach and reportedly throwing a weight at him. Based on choking his college position coach (allegedly).

The fact is, none of us know exactly what happened in the training room, with the previous coach, or the college position coach. Like I said, if Harvin really did assault someone I would expect some documented consequences for that.

This isn't speeding, this isn't being late for a meeting. This is stuff that tears teams apart. And these were just the stories that made their way to reporters. Does anything think it stops there? That these are the only instances?

I don't know. Heck, I don't even know if these actually occurred given that they are coming out second hand from people who weren't there. Have any of these actually been confirmed by someone who was there when they happened?

Great, he plays hard, he's a great player, how much does that matter compared to the rift something like a player repeatedly causing issues with coaches? Or shutting himself down in practices? Or not buying into the offense?

I haven't seen that. All I ever saw with Harvin and coaches was his outburst with Frazier during the game at Seattle. Other than that, the guy plays his heart out. If he's not buying into the offense, it sure doesn't show when he's on the field.

Championship teams don't put up with this garbage anymore, and neither should the Vikings! SKOL VIKINGS! DOWN WITH BIG HEADED MALCONTENTS!

I think you've convinced yourself that Harvin is a malcontent based on a bunch of 2nd-hand reports and one sideline blowup, but I'm not convinced. Until I start hearing Harvin's teammates failing to endorse him, or Frazier comes right out and says Harvin is not in the long-term plan, or Harvin himself says he wants a trade, this is all innuendo and circumstance IMHO.

[Demi]

So Harvin has physically attacked coaches and yet he's never been fined or suspended... I find that hard to believe.

At one point during the 2008 season, multiple sources confirmed that Harvin, now a prominent member of the Minnesota Vikings, physically attacked wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales, grabbing him by the neck and throwing him to the ground. Harvin had to be pulled off Gonzales by two assistant coaches—but was never disciplined.

When asked about the Harvin incident, Gonzales—now offensive coordinator at Illinois—said, "I think it’s a little overblown. I mean, every great player wants his voice to be heard."

Said Meyer: "Something did happen and something was handled. I don’t think it’s fair to Percy Harvin or Billy Gonzales to talk about it.

So what, people are just out to get Harvin? Repeatedly making up similar stories...for what purpose? Who are these mystery men feeding bad intel? Why are they doing it? If it was one report fine. But 3? And the sideline blow up?

I think you've convinced yourself that Harvin is a malcontent based on a bunch of 2nd-hand reports and one sideline blowup, but I'm not convinced. Until I start hearing Harvin's teammates failing to endorse him, or Frazier comes right out and says Harvin is not in the long-term plan, or Harvin himself says he wants a trade, this is all innuendo and circumstance IMHO.

Then you're never going to be convinced. Because no teammate or coach is every going to come out and say anything. All we get is reports that leak out, reports that are never refuted, reports from sources that were likely there given the specifics involved.

But if people want to bury their heads in the sand, be my guest! Just don't act all upset when they do move him for whatever they can get, because they SEE what kind of cancer he is for this team!

[saint33]

So what, people are just out to get Harvin? Repeatedly making up similar stories...for what purpose? Who are these mystery men feeding bad intel? Why are they doing it? If it was one report fine. But 3? And the sideline blow up?
Then you're never going to be convinced. Because no teammate or coach is every going to come out and say anything. All we get is reports that leak out, reports that are never refuted, reports from sources that were likely there given the specifics involved.

But if people want to bury their heads in the sand, be my guest! Just don't act all upset when they do move him for whatever they can get, because they SEE what kind of cancer he is for this team!

And when this all blows over and he gets extended I hope you won't act upset