Retirement? I know most people’s initial first thoughts about Harrison are that he’s out of his mind or that he’s blowing this situation up for effect, and both may be true. But this is exactly the situation I was talking about when I first talked about the changing NFL.
First and foremost, let it known that Harrison has the least to complain about out of the guys that were fined… The two hits he’s being fined for were blatant, but that’s not the point. The point is they’re changing the game and I don’t doubt that Harrison and probably a few other NFL players are wondering whether they can still play their game and be effective if they have to think before they act. It sounds stupid to the lay-person, but consider just how fast the game is happening on the field. Aside from Quarterbacks, if you’re actually taking time to think and process every situation, you’re too late. At some point the game boils down to instincts and pure reads, that’s all there’s time for. And Harrison’s instincts have always been to knock someone’s head off, it’s part of what makes the Pittsburgh defense so formidable.
This is ugly to say, but when Harrison puts receivers running across the middle on a stretcher, that’s how the Steelers win games. Suddenly, the next receiver isn’t so gully, a ball tips off his hands that he maybe could have made a bigger play on, but he doesn’t want to die because he’s got a family to feed and now it’s a pick 6. Slight exaggeration and over simplification, but you get the point.
Brian Urlacher was quoted as saying in a Chicago Tribune article, ”It’s freaking football. There are going to be big hits. I don’t understand how they can do this after one weekend of hitting. And I can’t understand how they can suspend us for it. I think it’s a bunch of bull (crap). “You know what we should do? We should just put flags on everybody. Let’s make it the NFFL — the National Flag Football League. It’s unbelievable.” I’m sure he wanted to add an extra F in there to make it the National Flag Fucking Football League which sounds more appropriate.
Here’s my secondary concern, unhappy players heading towards a collective bargaining agreement is not a good thing. The last thing online gaming needs is a football strike, though I’m sure gamblers would still bet if they used replacement players, but not as much. I mean how far do they want to push the players? 18 games, now this?
Here’s some food for thought. Do you think Harrison is out of his mind like a bully that doesn’t want to play anymore if he can’t hurt people? Or is there really some credence to what he’s saying, does he really have to change the way he plays the game or does he just have to stop headhunting, are both one in the same?
Anyone got odds up whether or not James Harrison retires from the NFL for not being allowed to headhunt?
