As was reported a few days ago, the NFL is doing their best to interview three of the league’s higher profile defensive players — James Harrison, Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews — named in an Al-Jazeera America report more than six months ago linking them to performance enhancers and other drugs. On Sunday, Harrison shared a copy of his strongly worded letter from NFL senior VP of labor policy and league affairs Adolpho Birch on Instagram and it included a message for commissioner Roger Goodell.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHI4jrXB7s7/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHI5UWMhvZ3/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHI45lDh4o3/
As you can see, the league wants to discuss things with Harrison on July 28, which is the day the Steelers are scheduled to report to Latrobe for training camp.
The NFLPA issued a response this past week and stated that the NFL has yet to provide them with any evidence that backs up the claim in the aforementioned report that the players named did anything wrong. Additionally, that response indicated that the NFLPA would continue to advise the players in question of their rights and that they will continue to hold the NFL accountable.
It will be quite interesting to see if Harrison winds up conducting an interview with the league when he arrives at Latrobe and especially if the league fails to provide any evidence to back up the original claim.
If Goodell shows up in Latrobe for that interview, he better hope that he never catches on fire as Harrison will likely just let him burn.
“If that man was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn’t do it,” Harrison said in a 2011 interview with Men’s Journal.. “I hate him and will never respect him.”
This is turning into quite a standoff, or should I say, “witch hunt.”
UPDATE: Harrison just took a big swing at Goodell, firing back with his own stipulations over the terms of the interview.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHJIqRAhajp/?taken-by=jhharrison92
If, for whatever reason you can’t view the photo, here are Harrison’s conditions verbatim.
“The interview will be done at MY house. BEFORE training camp. On a date of MY choosing. AND…Mr. Goodell must be present. – James Harrison”
