Ducks Attack Message Board Forum

Tinfoilman wrote:Like MB said, he is the best athlete he has ever seen with the ball in his hands.

Let's not get carried away with hyperbole. Here is what Bellotti actually said...

"Chris Harper is maybe the best guy, with the ball in his hands, of anybody on our football team. If he demonstrates consistency throwing the football he will be in the mix."

That is far different than saying he is the best athlete he has ever seen with the ball in his hands.

Chip will do his magic with Chris. Can't wait to see it.

VinnyKnuckles wrote:

Tinfoilman wrote:Like MB said, he is the best athlete he has ever seen with the ball in his hands.

Let's not get carried away with hyperbole. Here is what Bellotti actually said...

"Chris Harper is maybe the best guy, with the ball in his hands, of anybody on our football team. If he demonstrates consistency throwing the football he will be in the mix."

That is far different than saying he is the best athlete he has ever seen with the ball in his hands.

He mentioned it a few times & he definitely used the word "ever" at some point.

dthomas=ddixon wrote:He mentioned it a few times & he definitely used the word "ever" at some point.

Sorry, I don't remember Bellotti ever making some ridiculously outlandish comment like Chris Harper is the best athlete with the ball in his hands that he has ever seen. What I do remember is the direct quote I provided above and that Harper “is one of the better guys with a ball in his hands on the team." Also that "Chris is one of the best (receivers) with the ball in his hands, we'll continue to find ways to get him the ball." Those direct quotes are supported in writing and have some semblance of plausibility to them.

VinnyKnuckles wrote:

dthomas=ddixon wrote:He mentioned it a few times & he definitely used the word "ever" at some point.

Sorry, I don't remember Bellotti ever making some ridiculously outlandish comment like Chris Harper is the best athlete with the ball in his hands that he has ever seen. What I do remember is the direct quote I provided above and that Harper “is one of the better guys with a ball in his hands on the team." Also that "Chris is one of the best (receivers) with the ball in his hands, we'll continue to find ways to get him the ball." Those direct quotes are supported in writing and have some semblance of plausibility to them.

Alright, I stand corrected as I was working off of memory - albeit foggy and rose colored at times. However Vinny, I honestly think you are focusing on the semantics of what MB said a bit here. MB has made it abundantly clear in several references that Harper is VERY dangerous with the ball in his hands. Therefore, my point is - get the ball into his hands as often as possible. I'm an underwriter, so numbers are in my wheelhouse by profession. Playing the numbers game (of ball touches) of who gets the most touches? #1 is Center and QB of course. If Chris is not our QB, we need to find the place where he can be the MOST effective. Touches arent everything, but are very important when you are dealing with a highly talented athlete. In our scheme, RB's are heavily utilized. I know that a passing attack lends to a better rushing attack...etc. But the converse is true too. Last year we had two 1,000 yard backs. Simple math tells me what I think should happen regarding Harper at RB, ESPECIALLY given our new JUCO WR's - which should go a long way towards filling the need at that post. imo Harper/Blount/James/Masoli in our backfield would only help Gaines/Holland/Dickson/N. Ward/Maehl/Tuinei/Embry/Lane/Cantu & Company shine all the brighter.

Tinfoilman wrote:Alright, I stand corrected as I was working off of memory - albeit foggy and rose colored at times. However Vinny, I honestly think you are focusing on the symantics of what MB said a bit here. MB has made it abundantly clear in several references that Harper is VERY dangerous with the ball in his hands.

I don't disagree with your general premise. If Harper is on the team next season and if he stays healthy, I would like to see him get more touches than he got last season also. My only reason for interjecting Bellotti's quotes was to temper the rhetoric a bit. At this rate, before next season starts Harper will be the greatest football player in the history of the sport and everyone will be wondering why that nimrod Chip Kelly doesn't just give the ball to Harper on every play and tell everyone else to get out of his way.

VinnyKnuckles wrote:

Tinfoilman wrote:Alright, I stand corrected as I was working off of memory - albeit foggy and rose colored at times. However Vinny, I honestly think you are focusing on the symantics of what MB said a bit here. MB has made it abundantly clear in several references that Harper is VERY dangerous with the ball in his hands.

I don't disagree with your general premise. If Harper is on the team next season and if he stays healthy, I would like to see him get more touches than he got last season also. My only reason for interjecting Bellotti's quotes was to temper the rhetoric a bit. At this rate, before next season starts Harper will be the greatest football player in the history of the sport and everyone will be wondering why that nimrod Chip Kelly doesn't just give the ball to Harper on every play and tell everyone else to get out of his way.

Well said, and yes, man-crushes seem to be the order of the day on that kid. Point taken and duly noted.

VinnyKnuckles wrote:

dthomas=ddixon wrote:He mentioned it a few times & he definitely used the word "ever" at some point.

Sorry, I don't remember Bellotti ever making some ridiculously outlandish comment like Chris Harper is the best athlete with the ball in his hands that he has ever seen. What I do remember is the direct quote I provided above and that Harper “is one of the better guys with a ball in his hands on the team." Also that "Chris is one of the best (receivers) with the ball in his hands, we'll continue to find ways to get him the ball." Those direct quotes are supported in writing and have some semblance of plausibility to them.

If I could show you a direct quote of Mike Bellotti saying, Chris Harper is the best athlete he has ever seen with the ball in his hands.Would you still call it ridiculous and outlandish?

brich75 wrote:

VinnyKnuckles wrote:

dthomas=ddixon wrote:He mentioned it a few times & he definitely used the word "ever" at some point.

Sorry, I don't remember Bellotti ever making some ridiculously outlandish comment like Chris Harper is the best athlete with the ball in his hands that he has ever seen. What I do remember is the direct quote I provided above and that Harper “is one of the better guys with a ball in his hands on the team." Also that "Chris is one of the best (receivers) with the ball in his hands, we'll continue to find ways to get him the ball." Those direct quotes are supported in writing and have some semblance of plausibility to them.

If I could show you a direct quote of Mike Bellotti saying, Chris Harper is the best athlete he has ever seen with the ball in his hands.Would you still call it ridiculous and outlandish?

Could you actually show us a quote like that?

You don't have to agree with me but I remem ber him saying "Chris is one of the best players with the ball in his hands that I have EVER seen". He didn't say he was the best ever but one of the best ever. I don't think that is "rediculous & outlandish".

well i could if mike bellotti would actually say it lol. still i see no reason to to call it outlandish or ridiculous!!

CHarp would make a great running back... he scored a TD in his first collegiate game versus Utah St. last season on a option read play (essentially a designed "run play")... Here's the play...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FcZBu7ecpY

I agree with everyone else, I just want to see him with the ball in his hands...

GO DUCKS.

Nothing like a little give and take to break up the monotony until spring practice begins!

uodux1212 wrote:CHarp would make a great running back... he scored a TD in his first collegiate game versus Utah St. last season on a option read play (essentially a designed "run play")... Here's the play...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FcZBu7ecpY

I agree with everyone else, I just want to see him with the ball in his hands...

GO DUCKS.

He scored a TD in the game before against UW too.

brich75 wrote:If I could show you a direct quote of Mike Bellotti saying, Chris Harper is the best athlete he has ever seen with the ball in his hands.Would you still call it ridiculous and outlandish?

That is a pretty silly question considering he never said any such thing. Since we are throwing wild hypotheticals out there, would you call it ridiculous and outlandish if I showed you a direct quote by Nick Aliotti indicating that Simi Toeaina is the best defensive lineman he has ever seen?

This is the equivalent of somebody claiming Nate McMillan said Greg Oden is the greatest post player he has ever seen with the ball in his hands. Yeah, ridiculous and outlandish is an accurate way to describe it. Upon further examination, it turns out Nate actually said that Oden might be the best post player on the team with the ball in his hands. Quite a difference between those two statements.

No disrespect to Harper, but he isn't even in the discussion of the best players I have ever seen with the ball in their hands. If that was anything less than laughable, I think his high school stats against relatively mediocre competition in Kansas would have been a bit more mind-blowing than they were. Given Bellotti's age and profession, it is safe to say he has seen many more players in his life than I have, in person, on opposing teams, on film, on TV, etc. Trust me, Harper isn't the best athlete with the ball in his hands that he has ever seen and he never claimed he was.