After James Harrison was cut by the Steelers the thought was that the Baltimore Ravens would be a good fit for him moving forward. Staying within the same division is good for players because they already know the other teams so going to the Ravens made sense. Harrison’s agent set up a meeting between Harrison and Baltimore, but before that date came the Ravens had signed Elvis Dumervil.
At that point Harrison became a cold commodity on the free agent market and there was some talk about a possible return to Pittsburgh. However, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert stated that the Steelers had already made their decision and moved on. Reports then came out that the Cincinnati Bengals were interested in Harrison and they brought him in for a visit.
Following his visit with the Bengals Harrison talked about really enjoying his time with the coaches and team and the team said the same about him. Rumors came out during their second meeting that they couldn’t agree to a deal and that negotiations had ended. However, the next day the Bengals and Harrison agree to a two year deal and Harrison was officially a member of one of the Steelers’ division rivals.
After he had signed with the Bengals ESPN’s John Clayton said that Harrison’s revenge factor played into signing with the Bengals. He said that Harrison wanted to get back at the Steelers and would be able to do so twice a year with the Bengals.
Then Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap was quoted as saying the following: ”He hates the Steelers now, and that’s somebody we need on our side of the football.”
Many ran wild with that statement wondering why Harrison hated the Steelers. He has no reason to hate the Steelers they gave him a chance in the NFL when no one else did and he went to three Super Bowls with the team and won two rings. Harrison has had a very productive NFL career and it all came from the Steelers giving him a chance as an undrafted free agent. Did a failed negotiation on a salary cut really cause him to become a Steeler-hater?
It doesn’t seem like it. Today Harrison has been adamant that he does not hate the Steelers: ”I don’t have a chip on my shoulder against the Steelers,” Harrison said. “I don’t hate the Steelers. All the things they’re saying, that the media is blowing it up to be … am I disappointed? Yeah, I’m disappointed. But when the negotiations first started, I basically knew the situation was going to be what it was going to be.
“I wish them the best, except for when we play. And I’m assuming they wish me the same, except when we play them.”
That second quote is the exact way I am taking this situation and I urge my fellow-Steelers fans to do the same. Harrison did so many great for the Steelers during his time with the team and I hope Steelers fans can welcome him back to Pittsburgh with cheers rather than boos. It was not his choice to leave, but he had to do what was best for him and staying in the division was exactly that.
So I urge all of you to wish Harrison the best, except, of course, when he is playing the Steelers, and hope that he can end his career on a high note. There is no reason to hold anything against Harrison and if you ever feel like he wronged Steeler Nation just remember all of the good times:
http://youtu.be/uZK5OYteEaI
