The Tillman Conspiracy

Quick someone call Matt Damon, we have a role that he may be familiar with.

A thriller, where human assets are moved into place and then handled by a spymaster with his own personal agenda...

We'll call it...

The Tillman Conspiracy...
.

.
Give me a call, Matt, We'll talk...

The dismissal last week of Eric Tillman from the Eskimo managerial ranks has CFL conspiracy theorists working overtime this week, with many offering up the dark ops thought that Tillman apparently sent Ricky Ray to Edmonton earlier this year. In part, to lay the foundation for his own trip to the big city.

An unlikely outcome we suspect, but it's the CFL so, you just never know.

First a little background on last weekends dismissal

Edmonton Journal-- Former Eskimos GM Tillman reflects on successes, missed opportunities
Edmonton Journal-- Edmonton Eskimos vague on reasons for firing GM Tillman
Edmonton Journal-- Distractions ultimately sank Eskimos' Tillman
Edmonton Journal-- Organizational dysfunction under Tillman too profound to continue
Edmonton Journal-- Who should be next general manager of the Edmonton Eskimos?
Edmonton Journal-- Business as usual for Eskimos players and coaches in wake of Tillman firing
Edmonton Sun-- Playoffs overshadow firing of Eric Tillman for Edmonton Eskimo players
Edmonton Sun-- Edmonton Eskimos head coach has an all-business plan in wake of GM's dismissal
Edmonton Sun-- Fired Edmonton Eskimos GM Tillman had his reasons for living in Regina
Edmonton Sun-- Esks GM Tillman fired, president Rhodes exposed

As history has since recorded in 2012, the trading of Ricky Ray to Toronto is perhaps the single biggest error ever made by a General Manager in CFL history...

Considering the anemic Eskimo offensive play of the year and the success Ray had when healthy in Toronto, the trade will forever be archived as a one sided transfer that left the Eskimos damaged for much of the season.

As though to reinforce that fact, the trade is still the topic of conversation in November, helpful reminders provided daily it seems.

Edmonton Sun-- Ricky Ray trade will overshadow everything else in former Edmonton Eskimos GM Eric Tillman's tenure
CBC-- Ray will get revenge on Eskimos
Edmonton Sun-- Toronto Argonauts kicker Noel Prefontaine says Edmonton Eskimos should not have traded Ricky Ray

The best part of the fall out from the Tillman dismissal however are the rumours percolating that he's destined to be the next GM of the Double Blue, something that may be more than a little annoying to the current office holder Jim Barker.

The denials are flowing fast and furious at the moment, Tillmangate threatening to overshadow the Argos first home playoff appearance since 2008. At times becoming the kind of plot that Ludlum would have loved.

Edmonton Journal-- Argonauts General Manager shoots down Ricky Ray conspiracy theories
Canada.com-- Argos CEO says club not eyeing Tillman
Toronto Star-- Argonauts' playoff date would have been better with Esks GM Tillman on hand
National Post-- Argos give coach Scott Milanovich a contract extension
Toronto Sun-- Contract extension for Milanovich

And while this is a league that at the moment has one owner holding two franchises and in the past has provided for any number of bizarro world events, including spiking the Ottawa franchise twice with guys named Chen and Glieberman.

With all that colourful, er history?,  even the idea that the Argos would be allowed to offer Tillman a job in the off season seems wild beyond any yardstick.

That, if for no other than the image of the league, he most likely will have to scratch Toronto off his wish list of employment for 2013 maybe even longer.

It's often said that this uniquely Canadian game is truly one of the great sports of the land, it has to be to survive some of the craziness that sometimes surrounds it...