Dear James Harrison

Can't argue with a man who has two sets of guns, and regularly decapitates receivers on the field...

via Men's Journal:

“My rep is James Harrison, mean son of a bitch who loves hitting the hell out of people,” he says. “But up until last year, there was no word of me being dirty — till Roger Goodell, who’s a crook and a puppet, said I was the dirtiest player in the league. 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.”

In the midst of any sports lockout, especially one that has no end in sight, one can expect all hell to break loose on the front of relations between the players and the league. After a certain point, the niceties that riddled early negotiations are thrown out the window in lieu of loaded rhetoric and unbridled, unapologetic, speech. That's why I have no problem with your comments on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Mr. Harrison. I added the 'Mr.' out of respect, especially after seeing you posing with huge non-muscular guns in Men's Journal. Either way, there seems to be no love lost between you and Goodell, and I, for one, LOVE it.

In today's media age where no comment can go without criticism, and no opinion is taken with a grain of salt, you have officially earned my stamp of 'Realest Dude in the Game,' James. First of all, it's no secret that you and Roger Goodell have never seen eye-to-eye. I won't sit here and say he's had it out for you, because Goodell seems to have a personal vendetta against any player who doesn't act as the NFL's personal footstool. At the same time, your comments reverberate with me because I'm tired of professional leagues trying to stomp out the (sometimes volatile) personalities that litter them. Whereas 20 years ago, a player coming out and putting a verbal bullseye on league officiating and management or speaking his mind about other players was somewhat normal, today no one wants to be 'that guy'. No one wants to have his endorsements docked and his pay suspended because he voiced his opinion. on the league.

... But wait a minute. We're in a lockout! Right now, Roger Goodell and the league can do diddly squat to you because you're technically not under the league's jurisdiction. For that reason, I say talk as much as you want, James. Don't let the prospects of ruffling the wrong feathers silence you! Speak up! Let some crazy scandal go! Air some teammates out! Seriously... If there's one thing that professional sports leagues are missing as of late, it's the trash-talking and general edginess that made them so interesting. The NBA regained it this year with the whole LeBron circus, but the NFL is just waiting for someone to come out and set flames to the entire establishment. Yes, there might be repercussion,s but imagine the precedent you'll set, with the players talking back, and reclaiming the league that wouldn't exist without them! Forget hurting feelings! You play for the Steelers, James; the guys who perfected the art of smash-mouth football. You've already enacted the smash on the field.. Why not let your mouth do some talking, to let Goodell, the owners and the league that there is no league without the players: and that is a fact that should never be punished, no matter how harshly it's put...

Dear NFL (re: Helmet-to-Helmet Hits)

There are points in history and humanity when events don't just happen, but are spoken into existence and fruition. They're called self-fulfilling prophecies, a phenomena where a prediction directly or indirectly causes itself to become true. We see it all the time in academia, when students say things like 'Man, I'm about to go fail this exam' or 'This teacher hates me'. Both of those usually result in, lo and behold, failing the exam or the teacher growing to dislike the student in question. Yet in sports, can the same thing be said? I didn't think so until this past week, NFL, where your constant queries and attention to helmet-to-helmet hits has, in my eyes caused the destructive tackles to increase tenfold.

In my decade and change of watching professional football, never have I seen more head-to-head hits than I have over the past year. I remember the day Rich Gannon of the Raiders received the concussion that would essentially end his career. I remember wondering why there was no penalty assessed. Helmet-to-helmet hits were illegal in 2002, but nothing was said. Later on, I realized that the contact was purely incidental, and that in the game, while running at game speed, there really is no way to keep from leading with the head. Football is football. And injuries are synonymous with football, whether or not we want to admit it. Ask guys like Trent Green, Troy Aikman, and other QB's whose careers were cut short because of hard hits. Though I'm sure they'd love to still be on the field, they probably wouldn't argue that the game is inherently flawed, like you are now, NFL.

NFL, trying to curb natural hitting, through whatever initiative or fine you come up with, and even making such a raucous over helmet hits is not going to help the cause. I'd be so inclined to say they'll continue. No rule, fine or speech from Commissioner Goodell isn't going to make a difference. Yes, you've got players like James Harrison who aim to make big hits, but trying to inhibit the game at its root, the hitting, is impossible. That's like trying to stop wild pitches in baseball, or hard checks in hockey or sprained ankles in basketball. There are certain parts of a sport that will never be eradicated without changing the fabric of the sport altogether.

Add to that, NFL, I see what you guys are trying to do. Over the past decade the amount of former players coming out against your medical aid for retired players has increased. Players in the 'golden era' of football (which was ironically played without helmets) are dropping like flies from the toll of the hits they've taken, either due to debilitating mental illness like depression or decreasing motor skill functioning. You'd rather try to hinder the game than help the players who built the league. That's not to say preventative measures are unimportant. It's more that trying to change the game isn't going to alter history, much less change the game in the desired way. From a fan's standpoint, I'd rather run the risk of seeing a vicious hit, than seeing players tip-toe around the field. And I'm more than sure the players don't want to have to think about something that's as natural as breathing for them. Then again, no one likes having a concussion either. I suppose the issue is multi-faceted and not for the weak of heart. But neither is football. Let that marinate...