NFL Lockout: Harrison's Rants Don't Speed Up the Process

Article first published as NFL Lockout: Harrison's Rants Don't Speed Up the Process on Blogcritics.


As the NFL lockout continues, and the owner's deadline of July 21 gets closer and closer, things do not look good for a resolution any time soon. Add to that the recent rant by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, and we get to see how this thing could get ugly and drag on and on. This is not good news for the owners, the players, and certainly not the fans.

Harrison, in an interview with Men's Journal, said negative things about some of this teammates, but reserved his most incendiary comments for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, whom he calls a "crook," "devil" and someone he "will never respect." Harrison's words are a far cry from someone like New Orleans Saints' quarterback Drew Brees, who seems to be trying to be a real negotiator in this mess.

NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith has been anything but hopeful, and Goodell has had nothing positive to say about the negotiations. Of course, they are ongoing (mostly between the lawyers for both sides) but the writing may be on the wall. I guess this Jets fan is going to have to rethink how to spend Sundays this fall, which probably wouldn't bother my family one bit.

It does seem that neither side wants to give anything here, and it just doesn't make sense to me how the players or owners would want to risk losing the 2011-2012 season. Football, the most lucrative sport in the universe, should have enough money for everyone to go around, but issues like rookie contracts, signing bonuses, and free agency seem to still be the big problems here.

I do not know about you and your team merchandise, but I am not breaking out any of my Jets material until I know there is going to be a season. If the lockout does manage to derail the season, I am going to think long and hard about how much I need NFL games.

I mean, if I can survive one season without football (and anyone else with season tickets or just their team colors running in their blood can too), maybe it is time for a transfusion and a new winter sport to spend my hard earned money on getting crazy about. Now, if those NY Islanders could just get their act together, I'll get out to those games, and at least they are actually played in New York!

Photo Credits: espn.com