Public Retraction: Unfortunately a source that has proven reliable in the past released information prematurely. In the sports world, reliable sources are key. Due to the timing of the release of info, our team rolled the dice. In this instance, we were only able to get full verification early this a.m. We strive to provide the most accurate information possible and apologize for this unfortunate event. Here is the verification we received today from Burt Lauten, PR manager of the Steelers:
Last season James Harrison started the season watching games from his television set.
He ended the year arguably as the Steelers best defensive player.
Because of that, reports are the 36-year-old (he’ll be 37 May 4th) has agreed to a deal to come back to the Steelers on a one-year deal.
Last season he returned to team after walking away and retiring for just 18 days. He came back in week five after the team was bit hard by the injury bug. The team lost linebackers Jarvis Jones (right wrist) and Ryan Shazier (right knee) in a week four win at Carolina, prompting the team to get on the line and offer Harrison a deal.
The deal that brought him back was “a simple and easy decision” for the Steelers according to coach Mike Tomlin, who probably thought a return for him in 2015 was an even easier choice based on how he played in 2014.
He put up 5.5 sacks in 2014, and was a force again on the outside for the Steelers. With the uncertain return of free agent Jason Worilds, getting Harrison back, even for one season, makes even more sense.
Harrison’s most memorable play will go down as the one that was a huge part of the Steelers last title in 2008, as he took a Kurt Warner pass and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown to end the first half in the eventual Steelers 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
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DaveB.
February 12, 2015 at 6:11 am
This means one thing . It means the Steelers think resigning Jason Worilds is not happening . It sounds as if the Steelers are heading down the same road traveled in 2014 . This was done as insurance , but its bad buisness with no long term success coming from it . Instead of trying to turn the page and get younger , the Steelers are content bringing back a player thats best days are long behind him . All in all , a bad move .
j. hackers
February 12, 2015 at 7:41 am
i disagree dave. the steelers have no out/l.b. none. worilds is gone. jones is what we all know he is. he has girl hands and college body. harrison can stop the run with the best of them. no one in the nfl is stronger. with a good camp the rush will be there.
mark
February 12, 2015 at 12:50 pm
What “reports”? I tweeted this article this morning, but it’s almost noon, and I haven’t seen anything official from Harrison or the Steelers.
*in my best Cris Carter voice* COME ON MAN!
Christina Rivers
February 12, 2015 at 3:47 pm
Please read the retraction. Whether out of spite or another motivation, the source released information that was misleading to our team as a whole. We use all possible methods to verify information but there are sources that, at times, sensationalize information. The fact remains that James Harrison may return in 2015, but it was premature that he has signed. I know that Matt Loede would never post something without trusting a source and is discouraged by the fact that a previously reliable source misled him as us as a team. We all know that the Steelers are not always the first to confirm information (see Dick LeBeau telling local Ohio newspaper). Our site isn’t interested in sensationalizing information based on unsubstantiated rumors. The source is no longer considered credible and will not be used in the future.
Stan
February 13, 2015 at 4:04 am
Christine Rivers, where it would be so very exciting for any one of the writers for this blog to have out-scooped some of the larger and more reliable News outlets that report on the Steelers happenings, the truth of the matter is and always will be that no story should ever be released without proper confirmation regardless of how “Reliable” this source has been or has claimed to be for you in the past. This is the golden rule of journalism, something that should be known by any and all journalists. Rushing a story just for the sake of being the first to report it is not worth the embarrassment of being wrong. To be completely honest here, I have never heard of this site until a Facebook group I am a member of posted your report of James Harrison being signed to a one year deal that had Steeler Nation all in a tizzy! So the first impression I have of this site is to not trust anything written here until it has been verified by a legitimate source of Steelers News, not a legitimate source to you or your team. Writing a retraction wouldn’t nor should it have been a necessity! This is all it takes to lose anyone who actually comes to this site… Good luck, you’re going to need it.
j. hackers
February 13, 2015 at 7:45 am
i disagree stush, i like this site and read it every day. big deal of a mistake. how about clown at espn, 7 leaving steelers. do you think people are not going to keep reading that site. oops, my mistake maybe it was nfl net. attn. do not read this comment.
Stan
February 15, 2015 at 4:38 am
Christina, first and foremost, I never “Inferred” any such thing as it pertains to Steelers Gab being the “Only” site who was guilty of “Catching a bad tip” that James Harrison had signed a one year contract with the Steelers. I was very direct as to how it was I came across this site and why it was I came here to read the article in question. I am not going to debate you that “Other sites” also caught the same bad tip and jumped the gun to report it first as I have not read this report anywhere else, just here. However, if plagiarism is being used by other sites, who’s to say that these other sites didn’t plagiarize Steelers Gab? I did what many fans did when we read the article, I went out and looked everywhere I would normally look to confirm this report and found nothing to verify it’s validity. I’m not calling you a liar mind you, I am just saying that I have not gone looking to see if there were indeed other sites who reported the same thing and will take your word at face value that there were others.
It’s also more then just a little presumptuous to infer that people get more upset over sports news more so then we do about more important world news and events that are reported incorrectly. That’s just not even a little true. I cannot speak for anyone but myself when I say that I care a whole lot more about most of the garbage that our Government gets away with then I’ll ever care about a favorite player getting resigned to a one year deal. I won’t even get into how nasty I have gotten when it comes to politics on sites intended for those types of discussions. All that matters here is that this IS a source for Sporting News, not for World Affairs and Events.
Where I absolutely agree that Steelers Gab showed a lot of class by retracting the story and not just removing it from the site like many other sites do, I think you have completely missed the only point I was trying to make to begin with. That point was that no report should be released until it has been confirmed. Many News outlets have a minimum number of confirmed sources before a story is allowed to be released and I’ve heard that minimum to be as high as three confirmed sources and as low as two confirmed sources. Never have I heard of it being acceptable to release a story with just one source without at least one confirmation. Only the top brass of the Steelers would be considered a good enough of a source as to report this as a “Right from the horses mouth” type of report. So unless you or your team have a direct line to Keith Butler, Mike Tomlin, Kevin Colbert or the Rooney family, then the report should have been confirmed before your writer posted it online for the whole world to see. Sorry, but that is journalism 101 and it is always better to be out-scooped as opposed to reporting something that isn’t true. Speaking of Matt Loede, it is he who should have been the one replying to these complaints and not you, even if he is your subordinate. The truth of the matter is I had no interest in making any comment whatsoever until I read the, (I assume Tweet? I am not a Twitter user.) that had you asking Burt Lauten to confirm or deny that Harrison was signed to a one year deal. That was all it would have taken to have the rumor confirmed, then Matt could have written that it is being “Rumored” that James Harrison has signed a one year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s still New worthy only he would have to include that this has come from a reliable yet “Unconfirmed” source. That would have put Steelers Gab way above those other sites that reported it was already a done deal, making them all look the fool. Sorry for the length of this reply, but I did not want you to again misunderstand the intent or purpose of my comments.
Last, has it ever occurred to anyone that James Harrison himself may have asked this source to leak this information to get Steeler Nation to start talking about him maybe to pressure the Steelers front office into giving the fans what they want? Did you think those clips of his pressing 135 Lbs. with one arm got onto the internet by accident? He put them out there just like he did with the push-ups with a player on his back last year, even though it was unsuccessful as the Steelers started their season without him. Things that make you go hmmmm….
Christina Rivers
February 16, 2015 at 6:59 am
Stan,
I understand. Thank you.
sdean
February 16, 2015 at 10:33 pm
I think it is time to put this issue to bed. This discussion could last to infinity. Discussing the nuances of intentions, whether or not journalistic ethics were met or not and personal opinions are not helpful. I think everyone understands that sports create heated and passionate discourse, but there is no need to veer from the fact that if we are visiting or working for this site, it means we have an interest in the Steelers. Please be respectful. Right now is that time of year when speculation and rumors are rampant. We don’t have to resort to finger pointing or nitpicking to share our vision of the team.
DrGeorge
February 17, 2015 at 2:31 pm
Actually, the Steelersgab staff and the fans who blog here should take considerable pride in the quality of this discussion. C. Rivers, a good writer and valued contributor, acknowledged the inaccuracy of her usually reliable source on the Harrison story and quickly printed a retraction. Stan observed that those who write for public consumption ought to check their facts, especially when a local phone call would have done the trick. SDean calls for civility and mutual respect. All of them are right.
In an age when internet blogging typically descends into vituperative and obscenities, the exchange above strikes me as intelligent and articulate. There are very few NFL fan sites that ever rise to this level of impassioned, but reasoned and well-expressed thought — which makes it a pleasure to visit and comment here. I commend you all for your insight and your restraint in discussing such a serious subject. Other internet sites should be so lucky.