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Upon reflection, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison decided it was best to publicly apologize to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
In an explosive interview that appears in August's Men's Journal, Harrison called Goodell a "crook" and a "puppet," among other things.
Following the Steelers' walk-through Friday morning, Harrison said candidly that he should not have made those controversial statements.
"The interview that I did and the comments that I made about Roger Goodell were inappropriate, at the least," Harrison said. "They were way out of line, and I was speaking out of anger and frustration at the time. Any comments that I made that offended anyone, I apologize."
Last year, Harrison was the most-fined player in the NFL, as the league began cracking down on hits to the head and defenseless players. Harrison became highly upset at Goodell after his fines totaled $100,000, leading to several controversial statements and, eventually, the tirade that appeared in Men's Journal.
Harrison said he hasn't spoken to the NFL or to Goodell about his statements, and he's not sure if it will result in any type of fine or suspension. But Harrison has talked with teammates, coach Mike Tomlin and Steelers president Art Rooney II about the interview, in which he also criticized teammates Ben Roethlisberger and running back Rashard Mendenhall.
Harrison did not seem nearly as concerned about those comments and said that situation has been handled in-house.
"That's all behind us," he said Friday. "Those comments [toward teammates] were taken out of context with a long conversation. It's not anything I haven't talked to those guys about or my teammates about."
On Thursday, Rooney told ESPN's Rachel Nichols that he has had a conversation with Harrison about the comments, and that any disciplinary action the team takes will be internal and will not result in any suspensions or the disruption of Harrison's on-field activities.
Source: AP
In an explosive interview that appears in August's Men's Journal, Harrison called Goodell a "crook" and a "puppet," among other things.
Following the Steelers' walk-through Friday morning, Harrison said candidly that he should not have made those controversial statements.
"The interview that I did and the comments that I made about Roger Goodell were inappropriate, at the least," Harrison said. "They were way out of line, and I was speaking out of anger and frustration at the time. Any comments that I made that offended anyone, I apologize."
Last year, Harrison was the most-fined player in the NFL, as the league began cracking down on hits to the head and defenseless players. Harrison became highly upset at Goodell after his fines totaled $100,000, leading to several controversial statements and, eventually, the tirade that appeared in Men's Journal.
Harrison said he hasn't spoken to the NFL or to Goodell about his statements, and he's not sure if it will result in any type of fine or suspension. But Harrison has talked with teammates, coach Mike Tomlin and Steelers president Art Rooney II about the interview, in which he also criticized teammates Ben Roethlisberger and running back Rashard Mendenhall.
Harrison did not seem nearly as concerned about those comments and said that situation has been handled in-house.
"That's all behind us," he said Friday. "Those comments [toward teammates] were taken out of context with a long conversation. It's not anything I haven't talked to those guys about or my teammates about."
On Thursday, Rooney told ESPN's Rachel Nichols that he has had a conversation with Harrison about the comments, and that any disciplinary action the team takes will be internal and will not result in any suspensions or the disruption of Harrison's on-field activities.
Source: AP