WoodysGirl
05-19-2009, 03:24 PM
Posted by Mike Florio on May 19, 2009, 3:40 p.m.
Steelers linebacker James Harrisonhttp://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/mag-glass_10x10.gif (http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/#) won’t be accompanying his team to the White House for a visit with the President. It’s one of the benefits of winning the Super Bowl. But Harrison’s initial comments on the matter suggested that it would have more meaning to be invited if they hadn’t claimed the NFL’shttp://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/mag-glass_10x10.gif (http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/#) championship.
“This is how I feel – if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelershttp://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/mag-glass_10x10.gif (http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/#), invite us when we don’t win the Super Bowl (http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/05/16/james-harrison-wont-go-to-the-white-house/),” Harrison said. “As far as I’m concerned, [Obama] would’ve invited Arizona if they had won.”
Peter King of SI.com called Harrison’s explanation ”quite possibly the most nonsensical quote ever uttered by a professional athlete (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/peter_king/05/17/nfl/1.html).” (We still think there’s at least one sentence (http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/01/10/pacman-thinks-hell-be-a-cowboy-again-admits-he-likeded-the-scrip-clubs/) slightly more nonsensical, especially since all of the words used by Harrison can be found in a dictionary.)
Harrison elaborated on his comments Tuesday, albeit reluctantly.
“Let me ask you a question (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09139/971216-66.stm?cmpid=steelers.xml),” Harrison said. “Why is it a big issue now that I’m not going if it wasn’t a big issue the last time?”
He then was reminded that he has a higher profile this time around. (And, moreover, he didn’t provide one of the most nonsensical quotes ever uttered by a pro athlete the last time, either.)
“Hey, James ain’t changed,” he said. “I guess my profile did but I didn’t change. I’m not going because I don’t want to go.
“They’re making a big deal out of this: ‘Oh, my, James Harrison is not going to the White House, he must be a devil worshiper!’”
(And . . . at least eight percent of the audience now thinks that James Harrison is a devil worshiper. Not including all the Ravens fans.)
But here’s the truth, reportedly. According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a “well-placed source” says that Harrison has a fear of flying, and that he’s a “wreck” whenever he is required to fly on football business.
So why not just say so? If more people who are afraid of flying would acknowledge it to the rest of the world, then maybe some of the rest of us who don’t like to fly (e.g., me) wouldn’t feel like something that gets left on the floor of the hen house when the fox shows up with a napkin tied around his neck and a collection of sporks.
Really, what’s worse? Acknowledging a fear of flying, or making up ridiculous alternative reasons for avoiding a trip that would require a flight on a plane?
Steelers linebacker James Harrisonhttp://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/mag-glass_10x10.gif (http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/#) won’t be accompanying his team to the White House for a visit with the President. It’s one of the benefits of winning the Super Bowl. But Harrison’s initial comments on the matter suggested that it would have more meaning to be invited if they hadn’t claimed the NFL’shttp://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/mag-glass_10x10.gif (http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/#) championship.
“This is how I feel – if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelershttp://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/mag-glass_10x10.gif (http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/#), invite us when we don’t win the Super Bowl (http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/05/16/james-harrison-wont-go-to-the-white-house/),” Harrison said. “As far as I’m concerned, [Obama] would’ve invited Arizona if they had won.”
Peter King of SI.com called Harrison’s explanation ”quite possibly the most nonsensical quote ever uttered by a professional athlete (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/peter_king/05/17/nfl/1.html).” (We still think there’s at least one sentence (http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/01/10/pacman-thinks-hell-be-a-cowboy-again-admits-he-likeded-the-scrip-clubs/) slightly more nonsensical, especially since all of the words used by Harrison can be found in a dictionary.)
Harrison elaborated on his comments Tuesday, albeit reluctantly.
“Let me ask you a question (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09139/971216-66.stm?cmpid=steelers.xml),” Harrison said. “Why is it a big issue now that I’m not going if it wasn’t a big issue the last time?”
He then was reminded that he has a higher profile this time around. (And, moreover, he didn’t provide one of the most nonsensical quotes ever uttered by a pro athlete the last time, either.)
“Hey, James ain’t changed,” he said. “I guess my profile did but I didn’t change. I’m not going because I don’t want to go.
“They’re making a big deal out of this: ‘Oh, my, James Harrison is not going to the White House, he must be a devil worshiper!’”
(And . . . at least eight percent of the audience now thinks that James Harrison is a devil worshiper. Not including all the Ravens fans.)
But here’s the truth, reportedly. According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a “well-placed source” says that Harrison has a fear of flying, and that he’s a “wreck” whenever he is required to fly on football business.
So why not just say so? If more people who are afraid of flying would acknowledge it to the rest of the world, then maybe some of the rest of us who don’t like to fly (e.g., me) wouldn’t feel like something that gets left on the floor of the hen house when the fox shows up with a napkin tied around his neck and a collection of sporks.
Really, what’s worse? Acknowledging a fear of flying, or making up ridiculous alternative reasons for avoiding a trip that would require a flight on a plane?