Cowardice Countdown at 10 Days for Rooney, Steelers
Dan Rooney and the Pittsburgh Steelers are cowards.
This is the most disgusting thing I have ever had to write, but it's true. Back on April 29th I blogged about the James Harrison fiasco. As my blog entry states, I wrote to the team, not so much expressing my dismay at the team's inept handling of players who beat women, but at team President Dan Rooney's unpardonable comments regarding Harrison's motive for hitting the mother of his child.
Now I know as well as anyone that the Pittsburgh Steelers have a whole office full of people who answer letters and emails from fans, disgruntled and otherwise. But apparently my email fell through the cracks. It's ten days and counting, with not so much as a form letter from the Iron City.
I can only think of two possible explanations: first, Rooney has had ample time to think his idiotic comment through, and has decided to stick by it. This can't be true, of course. I do not know Mr. Rooney, but even if he possessed the intellect of a grapefruit, he certainly has handlers to tell him he should at least pretend he misspoke.
The second possibility, and the one I find more believable, is that the team have decided it's better to sing dumb than to admit you were wrong. Say nothing, act normal, and the whole thing will blow over. That's what they're doing. They're dodging the whole issue, pretending that it's OK for an NFL linebacker to hit a woman as long as "it was really well worth it."
Rooney looks like a coward. The team look like cowards. And who are they dodging? Why, your very own Perfect Fool. Now that is cowardly.
Agree violence against women is always wrong.
Still, what i'd like to know:
1) How badly was she hurt
2) Has he ever done this before
3) Charges that were laid
his motives are indeed sad, but well, what is the chance of re-offence, does he know what he did was wrong.
Fact its motivated by his religion is sad but said religion doesn't to my mind condone violence against anybody. (Even if more violence has been done in the name of christianity than any other, including Islam, I contend Christianity is an INTOLERANT but peaceful religion)
Anyway, ...
The Fool Replies:
The three questions are not relevant to the original blog entry. I am not upset with the player, in this context, at least. Professional athletes typically possess oversized egos to go with their bodies. It's one of the characteristics that help them rise to the top of the sports world. It should not surprise us that some of them think they can do whatever they like (a la Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress or O.J. Simpson). Harrison will get what's coming to him if he hasn't already.
My beef is with the comments (and double standard) of the team President--the multi-millionaire businessman and non-pro athlete Dan Rooney. At age 76, he is presumably old enough to know better than to call violence against women "well worth it.". In my view, he gave James Harrison a pass on domestic violence because Harrison is an excellent playmaker. I'm not the only one who thinks so. Bill Steigerwald of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (a "homer," not a national commentator) said, "It's obvious the Steelers showed more tolerance for Harrison [than wide receiver Cedric Wilson, who was released by the team after his domestic violence arrest] because he's a more valuable player."
Harrison is an ass, and if he's found guilty, I hope he does community service until he's a little old linebacker. But my blog entry was about Dan Rooney's botching of the subsequent damage control. The truth is, Rooney stepped on his dick in his handling of this situation, and he owes me--and every other life-long Steeler fan--an apology.
Reply to this