On the field, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison is known for taking no prisoners.
Apparently, off the field, he’s the same way.
The NFL sent letters to three active NFL players linked to PEDs in an Al-Jazeera America documentary, and, as one of the players named, Harrison fired back. In an Instagram post, Harrison wrote that he’d speak to the NFL about the PED allegations — on a couple of conditions.
Harrison wrote, “I’ve never had a bully in my life and I’m DAMN sure not about to have one at this point.” He said that, because of his respect for the NFL shield, he’ll do the interview, as long as the league follows a few of his ground rules. First, the interview must be done at Harrison’s house before the Steelers’ camp opens July 29 (he gets to pick the interview date). Second — and here’s the kicker — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell must be present.
(Harrison captioned a previous photo of a letter regarding scheduling a meeting, “@nflcommish @nfl When you say ‘jump,’ I don’t ask how high…I ask ‘Why?’”)
Harrison and Goodell already have a rough history. In an interview with Men’s Journal, Harrison called the commissioner a “crook” and a “puppet.” Harrison went on to say, “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.”
A photo posted by James Harrison (@jhharrison92) on
So, if Goodell does meet up with Harrison at the linebacker’s home in Pittsburgh, a lot of people would kill to be a fly on that wall.
The meeting itself comes after the December report that linked several athletes, including Harrison, Peyton Manning and Green Bay Packers linebackers Julius Peppers and Clay Mathews, to PED use. The man who originally made the allegations, Charlie Sly, has recanted his story.
The NFLPA released a statement condemning the interviews:
“The NFL has chosen to initiate an investigation of these players based upon now-recanted statements that appeared in an Al Jazeera report,” the NFLPA said. “The NFLPA requested from the NFL any additional evidence supporting an investigation of the players; the NFL did not provide any such evidence, nor did they inform the NFLPA or the players that any such evidence exists.”
Hey @NFLPA, maybe the @NFL considers this “additional, credible evidence.”
A photo posted by James Harrison (@jhharrison92) on
This isn’t the first time Harrison has found himself in trouble with the NFL. In the course of his career, the Steeler has been fined more than $150,000 for hits. And, more recently, Harrison found himself in hot water after documenting the drug testing process.
Harrison said he was just trying to share the inside process with fans.
On Instagram, Harrison said: “To clarify – I never have a problem being tested. I wasn’t videoing the test because I was suspicious of the process. I was only videoing leading up to the actual test to post it on IG for what I think is interesting behind the scenes content for the fans, which I had done when I was tested earlier this year, with no notice of wrongdoing. If the league can invade our space and interrupt our preseason training with shows like ‘Hard Knocks’ because it’s interesting behind-the-scenes content for the fans, why can’t I post this?”
Image credit: Steelers.com
