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It’s been more than a week since former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison appeared on Barstool’s ‘Going Deep’ podcast. But it was only yesterday that Harrison’s interview provoked a full-blown controversy, one big enough to inspire a reaction from Steelers team president Art Rooney II, who stated: “I am very certain nothing like this ever happened. I have no idea why James would make a comment like this but there is simply no basis for believing anything like this.”
Likewise, James Harrison’s agent, Bill Parise, weighed in too, telling the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the incident “never happened. I would have known that. It didn’t happen.”
What Did James Harrison Say That Was So Provocative?
In a nutshell, Harrison said that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin gave him ‘an envelope’ after the NFL fined Harrison $75,000 for what it deemed an illegal hit on Cleveland Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi. Harrison was not flagged on the play, which took place during an October 2010 game at Heinz Field.
Specifically, Harrison told the podcast’s hosts: “I ain’t gonna lie to you, when that happened, right? The G-est thing Mike Tomlin ever did, he handed me an envelope after that…. I ain’t gonna say what, but he handed me an envelope after that.”
Harrison seemed to be implying that Tomlin reimbursed him for the fine—or at least a portion of it.
But some have wondered if Tomlin was compensating Harrison for the hit itself, as if it was a bounty. And this appears to have gotten Harrison hot under the collar.
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James Harrison Reacts Via Instagram
In an Instagram post addressing the reaction to his claims, Harrison wrote: “Wow y’all really comparing what I said to BOUNTYGATE?!? Mike T. Has NEVER paid me for hurting someone or TRYING to hurt someone or put a bounty on ANYBODY!”
Harrison goes on to rail against the fine he received for the Massaquoi hit, calling it a “BS fine for a Legal Play [that] wasn’t even penalized during the game,” arguing that “the league was getting pressure because the first concussion lawsuits were starting and they had to look like they cared about player safety all of a sudden.”
Ultimately, Harrison goes on to reiterate that “… AT NO TIME did Mike T. EVER suggest anybody hurt anybody or that they’d be rewarded for anything like that. GTFOH with that BS!!!”
What Comes Next?
While paying a player for a vicious hit isn’t the same as reimbursing a player for a fine, it’s still potentially problematic for Tomlin and the Steelers, as NFL rules don’t allow a team (or anyone else) to reimburse a player who has been punished and fined.
To date, Tomlin hasn’t commented on Harrison’s claim, and the NFL hasn’t commented either.
On the other hand, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has had plenty to say about it—and doesn’t think the NFL will spend much time looking into what happened. (If you recall, in 2012 the NFL suspended Payton and ex-Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams for a year over what has been dubbed “Bountygate.” It’s a suspension that has scarred Payton for life, apparently.)
In an appearance on Sports Radio 105.7 The Fan, Payton said: “If people are waiting for the league to investigate that, they shouldn’t hold their breath…. I would be shocked [if the league investigates the Steelers]. That’ll be something that’s tucked away under the rug [in the NFL’s New York office] at Park Avenue. They’ll look into it briefly. Listen, don’t get me started on that,” he continued. “I lost $6 million in salary and honestly it was something that I’ll never truly get over because I know how it was handled and how it was run and the reasons behind it….”
Stay tuned for more fireworks surrounding this story.
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