Even though Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison has now agreed to talk to the NFL as part of their ongoing PEDS investigation, the veteran, as you would expect, still isn’t very happy about being forced to do so.
After Thursday night’s preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Harrison did not hold back during his post-game talk with the media and it included him ripping on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and especially when it comes to the current CBA that was signed in 2011 that allows him to essentially be the judge, jury and executioner in league disciplinary situations.
“When it comes down to it, if it goes to a conduct detrimental, it leans into the hands of that crook, I mean, Roger Goodell, and he can do whatever he wants,” Harrison said after Thursday night’s game. “That’s just the Collective Bargaining Agreement the players signed, that’s why the Steelers voted no.”
Harrison, who agreed Thursday afternoon to meet with the league later this month, and after the set deadline of Aug. 25, wouldn’t mind his question and answer session with the NFL being filmed live by the media for all to see.
“Whatever evidence they think they may have, or reasoning for questioning me is out of my control,” Harrison said Thursday night. “I really don’t know. I wouldn’t have a problem with it being filmed live. That way, I’ve been prosecuted and persecuted publicly in the media by them for something I didn’t do, so I don’t see why we couldn’t have the media there and do a live interview. They can ask their questions and I can answer them and y’all can see whatever evidence they say they’ve got.”
Harrison has proclaimed his innocence several teams since being named by Charles Sly as one of several higher-profile NFL players who purchased and used PEDS during a December undercover report by Al Jazeera America. The Steelers linebacker has passed several “random” drug tests since that report surfaced.
Earlier this week, Harrison, along with other players named by Sly, were told they would be suspended by the league if they failed to be interviewed by Aug 25.
