… this hoopla about Harrison doesn't really get me riled up.
Let me delve into the the NFL hitting controversy for a moment. First of all, the Steelers, and particularly Harrison, ARE targeted by the NFL, and specifically the commissioner, for their style of football. The Steelers don't win championships by 500-yard dazzling offensive barrages that score 45 points with a defense that can only hold a team to 42 points. The Steelers have always won by pounding the crap out of opposing offenses when they step on the field. If the Steelers can manage it, they'll sit on a 3-0 lead for a victory. They win with defense. Not very good for ratings.
Those kinds of games are NOT what the commish wants. He wants Drew Brees and Peyton Manning lighting up the scoreboard against afterthought defenses. He doesn't want Pittsburgh Steelers-style football. A Steelers/Ravens AFC championship is a nightmare for the commish. Let's be honest here. Roger Goodell hates the Steelers. He IS targeting James Harrison and the Steelers.
So, having said that, Roger Goodell is trying to make James Harrison change the very thing that has made him a very good living. $100K fines in one year? Have you seen how fast NFL games happen? Which do you think Harrison cares about more, paying out some money to the NFL or making receivers nervous when they come across the middle? We are talking about football, right? Harrison was the 2008 Defensive player of the year because he "smacks people in the mouth", not because he makes a bunch of jersey tackles every game. So James Harrison hates Roger Goodell, his boss. I know a lot of people who hate their boss. If I was getting fined by my boss for being the best at my job, I'd be probably hate him too.
As far as the Rooneys are concerned, I don't think Harrison is going anywhere anytime soon. If they stuck with Big Ben through all of his crap (which by the way, sexual assault is illegal, hating your boss and calling him names is not) then they'll stick with Harrison. It all comes back to his loyalty to the Steelers and his performance on the field. None of that has changed.
I don't know what to say about Hines Ward except that I'm so disappointed. Just disappointed. He blew it, and it pains me to see his agent saying stupid stuff like, "We are confident that the facts will show that he was not under the influence of alcohol." Stupid. Yeah, that's why he was weaving and hitting the curb, and why he refused a breathalyzer test and failed a field sobriety test. Right. I am so disappointed because I REALLY like Hines Ward and he let me down. Why do rich people drive drunk? Can anyone give me a reasonable explanation?
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