It’s been five months, but there’s still a lingering feeling among a number of Steelers fans that the team is going to miss badly the services of angry linebacker James Harrison.
Harrison has been getting more play than usual this summer, being one of the highlights so far of the first two episodes of ‘Hard Knocks,’ the series on HBO.
It was the first episode that Harrison was featured when he flipped off the camera, and even shut doors a number of times on the camera and those operating those cameras.
“I don’t feel they deserve to be here. They did nothing to be here, other than want to be here,” he said. “They didn’t put no blood, sweat and tears into none of this. All these men in here, they did that. They (the cameras) did nothing. No one deserves to see this, to come inside of this unless you’re a part of this. That’s why.”
Typical Harrison.
He never was exactly a warm and fuzzy guy, even during his time with the Steelers, winning the defensive MVP award and also taking home the longest pick return in NFL history.
So here’s the question poised to Steelers fans – how do you feel about Harrison now?
Watching ‘Hard Knocks,’ I found myself getting totally annoyed with Harrison’s childish antics. I know that his personality is such that as a person that is who he is, but let’s be real, he’s not the James Harrison of 2007 or 2008.
In his last season with the Steelers, Harrison had 70 tackles and six sacks in 13 games. He was plagued again with injuries which forced him to sit three games.
The year before, he played in 11 of the 16 Steelers regular season games.
He clearly didn’t know what he was doing when he shunned the Steelers back in March, not accepting to take less money to stay with the Black and Gold.
He instead will go to a rival and get paid $2 million less in 2013 than he would have if he would have stayed in Pittsburgh.
Harrison’s now 35, and his injuries and personality is such that it’s just a matter of time before one of two things, if not both, happens.
A: He gets hurt or B: His antics get him suspended again like they did in 2011.
So Steeler Nation – how do you feel about Harrison now that he’s gone? Are you going to give him polite cheers when he returns to the Steel City wearing stripes in December?
Or are you like me right now, feeling one thing towards Harrison – hate.
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Mike Cibulas
August 17, 2013 at 10:09 am
I haven’t seen the shows, and in full disclosure, I have never watched even one episode of “Hard Knocks” the entire time it has been on. I’ve seen some segments, ant it was enough for me. Who needs an “NFL Reality Show”? We all know “Reality” shows are anything but reflective of “reality”. Put a camera in front of someone that knows they’re being filmed/videoed, and they are no longer being candid or natural–they are “playing to the camera.
I am old-school, and of the opinion like Harrison apparently is, that they have no business in the locker room upon the premise that they are espousing. The Steelers, and from what I’ve read in the past, Mike Tomlin in particular, would never approve for an entertainment outlet like HBO to be doddling around the premises (and I do know of NFL Films’ involvement, which to me is greatly disappointing). “Hard Knocks” is NOT a documentation or profile of a team or an individual (such as the legendary “Lombardi” documentary from the mid-’60s); rather, it is a trolling expedition looking primarily for what they consider to be “good television” in 2013–i.e., conflict, antagonism, and TMZ-type revelations. I’m surprised the Bengals agreed to their team being “exposed” in such a way. All one has to look at is the circus that the New York Jets under Rex Ryan became, at least in part, due to the “scrutiny”. I’ll bet Paul Brown is rolling over in his grave, and cursing his son Mike as to why in the hell he ever agreed to go along with this charade–which is exactly what it is…
ahab
August 17, 2013 at 11:04 am
If not for lights, camera, action…no one would care about the NFL, so to deny that which makes you a well-paid, well-known celebrity is probably more of a stunt than anything else.
The reason we know your name – or care at all about what you do – is because you exist on television.
Silliness.
Mike Cibulas
August 17, 2013 at 11:40 am
Nonsense. Who hasn’t heard of the NFL before “Hard Knocks”? The League has existed since 1920, and while I grant you that it blossomed in the age of television in the 1950s and since, it is because television merely SHOWED THE GAME–not any of these behind-the-scenes stuff that “Hard Knocks” seems to espouse.
I also would differ in that, if I were talented enough to be employed by a team in the National Football League, I would consider myself to be a “player”–NOT a “celebrity”. I have a JOB to do, and anything that interferes with me doing MY JOB–which is how I believe James Harrison sees this intrusion–inhibits me from being the best I can be for myself, and for the organization which has invested in me as an employee.
Tell me–if someone was to write an autobiography of your life, would would you want that person to be a man or woman of accredited credentials, or would you want some hack from the National Enquirer to do the job? It is indeed important that the “messenger” have a legitimate, rather than a self-serving, mission in imparting any relevant information about any enterprise–whether it be a team in the National Football League, or the hardware store downtown…
Simply stated, James is not trusting of the intentions of those doing the show. I can’t say I blame him–given the state of biased “journalism” today–coupled with the unfair treatment of the media towards James in Pittsburgh (have we all of a sudden forgotten that??), his experience has taught him to be wary…I would be, too…
Mike Cibulas
August 17, 2013 at 11:42 am
to clarify, I am referring to the unfair treatment of the National media, moreso than any local entities…
ahab
August 17, 2013 at 11:48 am
I’m talking about the NFL, not the show. If the NFL and its stars weren’t on camera in the first place, no one would care enough to produce a reality show.
It’s the life of celebrity. They’re entertainers in a tv business.
Blue27stl
August 17, 2013 at 12:25 pm
Ahab, you’re talking chicken or eggs. TV did not blow football up, football blew football up. TV stations bid to have the NFL on their channels so let’s not act like TV made the sport what it is, all it learned to do is make money off of the sport. People are following the game not the channel because If the NFL went to PBS the people would go there to watch it. Sports teams are not in the TV business but there are some higher ups that believe in making money through TV and getting the product out there. In every franchise there is a person trying to sell a jersey but it’s not the players. Whether it be the owners or the media, these are the ones who are trying to make money off of the athletes not the other way around. If the media is responsible for the success of the NFL have’em try making Hacky Sack the number one sport in the world and lets see how that works.
Blue27stl
August 17, 2013 at 12:25 pm
Ahab, you’re talking chicken or eggs. TV did not blow football up, football blew football up. TV stations bid to have the NFL on their channels so let’s not act like TV made the sport what it is, all it learned to do is make money off of the sport. People are following the game not the channel because If the NFL went to PBS the people would go there to watch it. Sports teams are not in the TV business but there are some higher ups that believe in making money through TV and getting the product out there. In every franchise there is a person trying to sell a jersey but it’s not the players. Whether it be the owners or the media, these are the ones who are trying to make money off of the athletes not the other way around. If the media is responsible for the success of the NFL have’em try making Hacky Sack the number one sport in the world and lets see how that works.
Milliken Steelers
August 17, 2013 at 1:56 pm
Go watch honey Boo Boo then ahab. smh We don’t need this garbage in the NFL.
James was a great player here and I enjoyed watching him play. He took less money at the end of his career to play for the Bengals. That is his choice. I feel it was time to move on. Injuries and age catch up to every body.
Mike Cibulas
August 17, 2013 at 11:56 am
There will be 52 other players on the team that the show can focus upon. Some people do not want the spotlight. One of the players on the Steelers I admire the most is Heath Miller, and a major component of that is that he does not want to bring attention upon himself. I am part of a team, that’s the way I would look at it. For a camera to follow a player around for the purpose of “goading” him–which is how it sounds from James’ perspective as relayed on his Facebook page–I believe all he wants them to do is leave him alone, and let him do his job. Let’s just say it this way. If it is getting to the point of a paparazzi/stalking type of situation, then I believe Marvin Lewis, who I do respect, should put his foot down as well. I would be surprised if he was in favor of the Bengals allowing “Hard Knocks” to be following the team. To me, it would be (as a head coach) a huge distraction…
Burfict
August 17, 2013 at 3:06 pm
Remember Joey Porter when he left, what he was going to do to the Steelers when he return. We are still laughing.
PJ
August 17, 2013 at 3:23 pm
James plays with reckless abandon. It doesn’t strike me as odd that he slams doors in camera men’s faces. He wasn’t the brightest individual in Pittsburgh and he sure didn’t become a Rhodes scholar in Cincinnati. What I gained from the authors article was whether or not we will welcome the dumb dumb back to Pittsburgh with cheers or whether he should get the good old fashioned boo fest he deserves. I personally respect him as a player with his tenacity and bone headed disregard for his body (as well as others) and will just sit silently. He doesn’t deserve cheers because he’s now a main ingredient of the enemy. But if the fans of Pittsburgh chose to boo or cheer I understand both ways. As for hard knocks… it’s entertainment. Albeit edited and coerced entrainment. Football is entertainment too. We as fans get the choice of whether to engage in it or not. Do cameras have the right to be in players faces? That’s a personal boundary issue. He probably could’ve asked kindly to not be followed. But hey what do you expect from a numb skull that elbows receivers in the head?
Derek
August 17, 2013 at 4:35 pm
Still one of the all-time Steeler greats… Sad to see him go! Good luck James, just not against us!
Nathan
August 17, 2013 at 5:56 pm
Exactly Derek. A man who didn’t care about anything but football. We loved him here, we will miss him, and i wish him great success in 14 of his 16 games this year.
TriCitySteell
August 18, 2013 at 4:11 am
Just remember, if hard knocks were to disappear from the airwaves today, never to be seen again, the NFL wouldn’t be affected at all.
jalen
August 18, 2013 at 1:48 pm
If you or anyone feels hate toward Harrison, you’re a complete myopic moron! I’m so sick of this homer attitude…And I live near Philly and trust me, their radio shows are the most “homerish” in the world! If someone defects, then they defect and go somewhere else….Big fucking deal! There needs to be more people like him with principles who flip off idiots who leech off of existing institutions to make a buck or to sensationalize something via coattail riding! I hate reality shows with a type of visceral loathing and applaud Harrison for ANYTHING he would decide to do namely shove the camera, enema-style up the producer’s ass! Ahab, you’re a silly muslim—the NFL was doing well before HBO’s circus and will do after, Also Ahab, you’re obviously commenting from a neophytes perspective so let the football talk up to football people, not tabloiders like yourself! FYI everyone…think of all the compensatory picks the Steelers will have next year due to them letting guys like Harrison walk. The movement came from the Rooney’s…i.e.., they’re the ones who said get younger and, like ef hutton, when the rooney’s talk, the underling staff better listen!
blkandgold4Life
August 18, 2013 at 8:58 pm
I think James will have a productive season ..still rather have him on our side
Josh
August 18, 2013 at 10:49 pm
He’s opposition now… As soon as he left I stopped following him on facebook. I hope he has a terrible year and somehow inflicts damage to the Bengals via salary cap or any other manner possible.
Ray
August 19, 2013 at 3:37 pm
I’m still inconsolable.