No one's perfect. We have all said things we regretted later. We have at one time or another done things we wish we could take back. Some of us probably have unloaded on a boss at least once in their careers. But Pittsburgh Steelers LB James Harrison's comments in the upcoming issue of Men's Journal magazine shows why he doesn't deserve another dime from the National Football League.
Forget the lockout -- We know NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is not the most popular sports executive at the moment. Players and owners are far apart on several issues, but they all revolve around money. Goodell is caught smack-dab in the middle. But Harrison's outrageous comments did more than just throw Goodell under the bus. He dissed his own quarterback, the New England Patriots, and other NFL players in the process.
Here's a sample of what he said:
On Roger Goodell: "..a crook and a puppet...If that man was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn't do it. I hate him and will never respect him."
On QB Ben Roethlisberger: "...Stop trying to act like Peyton Manning. You ain't that and you know it, man, you just get paid like he does."
On the New England Patriots: "I should have another ring. We were the best team in football in 2004, but the Patriots, who we beat during the regular season, stole our signals and picked up 90 percent of our blitzes." (in the AFC title game)
On Houston Texans LB Brian Cushing: "He's juiced out of his mind."
Harrison also calls NFL commentators Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi clowns, and said Goodell was "stupid" and a "dictator."
This coming from a man who, at the end of the 2008 season, signed a six-year contract worth $51.175 million.
The 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the Year is known for his vicious hits on the field without batting an eye. He was fined more than $100,000 last year alone for helmet-to-helmet hits. "My rep is James Harrison, mean son of a bitch who loves hitting the hell out of people," he tells Men's Journal. Yet, in the same breath, he worries about his own safety, saying "Just don't hit me in the knee. That's life-threatening. How am I going to feed my family if I can't run?"
Harrison's other shining moments:
Elected not to visit the White House with the rest of the team after the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII.
In March 2008, arrested and charged with simple assault and criminal mischief stemming from a domestic altercation with his girlfriend, Beth Tibbott.
Steelers owner Dan Rooney II said he hasn't read the article or spoken to Harrison. "We will discuss the situation at the appropriate time, when permitted once the labor situation is resolved," he said.
The lockout is just one thorn in the side of professional sports. James Harrison is the other.
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