Harrison Speaks

[SCMom]

Harrison speaks
November 3rd, 2010
http://blog.triblive.com/view-from-t...rrison-speaks/

Outside linebacker James Harrison talked about his meeting Tuesday with commissioner Roger Goodell on illegal helmet to helmet hits. Here is a transcript of what he said to reporters after practice.

Q: Was the meeting productive?

A: “I guess so. It was just for him to hear my side of things, my understanding of the rules and for them to (help) me understand exactly what the rules are as far as the concerns with helmet-to-helmet contact. So, I spoke my mind. They said what they had to say, and I guess it was a semi-productive meeting. I came away with a better understanding, and I think they got a better understanding of how I see things."

Q: Do you feel like you are a marked man?

A: “I don't know, but at times it might seem like it. But I don't know.”

Q: How tough is it considering you have played a certain way for so many years?

A: “I guess you have to adapt, but it's not really that much of a change. The only thing that I have a real issue with is trying to adjust to an adjustment that an offensive player has already made. That's what I have an issue with, there being consequences and repercussions for something that (the defensive player) can no longer control. If a guy ducks his head at the last minute, right as you're about to hit him, you can't really adjust to that.”

Q: How did Goodell react when you expressed this to him?

A: “The response was that I'm a defensive player, and I'm responsible for whatever happens when I make contact with an offensive player. So, hopefully, we now have a better understanding.”

Q: How much does the support from your teammates mean to you? A: “It's what I would you expect from my teammates. (And) it’s not like I did anything blatant or was trying to injure someone, so it’s what I expect from my teammates. And I would do the same for them.. There's going to be certain circumstances where you might back off from a certain play when you consider what the outcome might be.”

Q: How about the support of fans who have sent money to the league for you as part of a Facebook campaign to protest your fine for the hit on Browns receiver Mohamed Massaquoi?

A: “It’s great, but it’s really not about the money. It’s about the actual act of fining me. The amount is not the issue. You're fining me for what I didn't think was an illegal hit. That’s the Massaquoi hit. As far as the most recent hit (on Drew Brees), it may have been a little late. So, I can understand and see if I was fined for that. But if it wasn’t for the Massaquoi hit, I don't think I'll get a call in concerning the Brees hit.”

Q: How serious were you when you said you were considering retiring a couple of weeks ago?

A: “I was dead serious, but after you sit back and think about it, it was off an emotional charge. And I didn’t really have time to do what I needed to do, and that was think about the whole situation. So, after sitting back and thinking about it, it wasn't a good idea."

[MACH1]

Q: How did Goodell react when you expressed this to him?

A: “The response was that I'm a defensive player, and I'm responsible for whatever happens when I make contact with an offensive player. So, hopefully, we now have a better understanding.”

Translation : Your screwed, you will be fined and/or suspended.

[Steeler4life1972]

I totally agree with Harrison...YOU CANNOT CONTROL IF AN OFFENSIVE PLAYER DUCKS HIS HEAD AT THE LAST SECOND PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!!! Sorry for the caps but this absolutely enrages me and if we have harrison and now polamalu already speaking publicly about this then we are screwed because we are gonna be gunshy! Our last 2 superbowl victories were basically on our defense....no disrespect to ben and our offense but its the truth! Defense wins championships!!

[stb_steeler]

So why is Harrison the target of comment, Is Goodell going to call out others that make a so called bad hit. I dont see others being named for the same situation.

[Steeler4life1972]

Im beginning to believe that the league is anti-steelers since everyone wrote us off bec of the Ben suspension and now see we could be SB contenders...very suspicious!!!

[Fire Arians]

the guy who went helmet to helmet on hines won't get fined but i bet money if hines laid him out in a block, he'd have been fined already

[OX1947]

Goodell can eat (bleep) and die. Im sick of talking about the commissioner every (bleep) damn week..

[Whodis]

I find nothing productive in any of that

[TRH]

meeting was semi-productive = meeting went nowhere and was a waste of time

The league is just wrong on this one. They pick and choose who they fine.
They "pick" the hits they "deem" as illegal. Its seems ok for an offensive player (running back, ST unit, etc) to ram a defensive player head-first and "no problem", and what the hell do you do when you're a defensive player and at the last second the person w/the ball ducks and you mistakenly hit him with your helmet? You gonna get fined for that?
It's ridiculous....being in the front office you can't get in someone's head and judge somebody or ducking players, etc. They're really playing God on this one. It's both disgusting and frustrating at the same time.

[zulater]

Tomlin needs to get this teams focus off New York and commish Feckall and onto our next opponent the Bengals. We're allowing this puke to be a distraction. If I'm Tomlin I tell the boys play hard, play fair, I've got your back, and we'll let the chips fall where they may. But let's not speak that mf'er in New York's name again until we're on the podium accepting our next Lombardi!