Steelers spoke with James Harrison about domestic violence

[tube517]

The Steelers talked to James Harrison about his domestic dispute in 2008 before bringing him out of retirement and signing him to a contract to rejoin his former team, coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday.

Harrison was charged in March 2008 with assaulting his girlfriend, Beth Tibbott, in a domestic dispute at her Ohio Township home.

The assault charge eventually was dropped when Harrison completed anger-management counseling, and Tibbott declined to prosecute.

Domestic violence has become a major issue in the NFL because of the recent and highly publicized incidents involving Ray Rice, Greg Hardy and Ray McDonald. Commissioner Roger Goodell has come under fire for his handling of those incidents, especially the one involving Rice.

Steelers president Art Rooney II and New York Giants owner John Mara were appointed by Goodell to oversee a private investigation of the league’s handling of the Rice matter.

In regard to re-signing Harrison, Rooney said Tuesday:

“The NFL’s new policies on domestic violence apply to all of our players and all employees.

“Everyone in the league is now more aware of the seriousness of domestic violence, and I am hopeful this awareness can be turned into a positive for the entire league and possibly society in general.”

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/09/24/Steelers-spoke-with-James-Harrison-about-domestic-violence/stories/201409240111

[X-Terminator]

I'm probably going to take some heat for this, but I'm going to ask anyway. Even though this incident happened 6 years ago, does anyone think that Art II should recuse himself from the investigation into the league's handling of the Ray Rice case since his team became the first to re-sign a player with a domestic violence incident in his past?

Again, just throwing it out there. Because I'm sure Florio and others in the media are going to jump all over this, like the vultures that they are.

[zulater]

I'm probably going to take some heat for this, but I'm going to ask anyway. Even though this incident happened 6 years ago, does anyone think that Art II should recuse himself from the investigation into the league's handling of the Ray Rice case since his team became the first to re-sign a player with a domestic violence incident in his past?

Again, just throwing it out there. Because I'm sure Florio and others in the media are going to jump all over this, like the vultures that they are.

Wasn't Dan still in the captain's chair when that situation was handled?

[X-Terminator]

Wasn't Dan still in the captain's chair when that situation was handled?

Art II was running the day-to-day operations at the time, but hadn't officially been named President. I believe that didn't happen until 2009. So as far as I'm concerned, that still counts.

[Craic]

I'm probably going to take some heat for this, but I'm going to ask anyway. Even though this incident happened 6 years ago, does anyone think that Art II should recuse himself from the investigation into the league's handling of the Ray Rice case since his team became the first to re-sign a player with a domestic violence incident in his past?

Again, just throwing it out there. Because I'm sure Florio and others in the media are going to jump all over this, like the vultures that they are.

No, and here's my reasoning: Harrison is the example of someone who has done it right. He went through the programs, paid his dues, and has never repeated the offense. Also, the fact that he saw fit to sit Harrison down and talk to him about it, clarifying (we can only hope) the Steelers' zero-tolerance policy regardless of what the league might do goes even further in making this a vastly different scenario.

[Butch]

No, and here's my reasoning: Harrison is the example of someone who has done it right. He went through the programs, paid his dues, and has never repeated the offense. Also, the fact that he saw fit to sit Harrison down and talk to him about it, clarifying (we can only hope) the Steelers' zero-tolerance policy regardless of what the league might do goes even further in making this a vastly different scenario.

Well stated and my feelings as well.

I do wish Art was not a part of this investigation. IMHO the investigation is going to be a sham anyway. I don't know how far this thing is going to go, but if the investigation clears goofdel of any wrong doing, and then explodes in the media things could get very messy. It will affect the way the outside sees the honor of both Rooney's and Mara's.

[steelreserve]

I think it's gotten to the point where just about everyone is tired of the fact that 90% of sports stories are now about some scandal or other.

So-and-so broke the law. So-and-so made an offensive remark. omg the outrage.

wait I know, let's all try to learn some profound lesson about equality and morality every time some idiot is drunk off his ass and gets arrested. Cue the articles from 20 writers trying to turn it into a clever point about society, blah blah blah Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.

*SNORT* Who's there? oops, sorry, I fell asleep after the 10,000th time you told me it's not about race, it's about morality, or it's not about gender, it's about equality. I get it, I get, we're all racists or sexists or promote rape culture, and are generally horrible people, and shouldn't watch sports or drink beer or something.

Really, I am so over all of this. Go beat your wife with a stick in the middle of a shopping mall, or chug a fifth of Johnny Walker and ram your car into a schoolhouse, or fuck it, blow up the moon; I really DON'T care anymore. There are probably 50 stories a day about Kim Kardashian's ass that are less repetitive, and at least I can read those without getting a lecture. Call me when it's time for the game - which I may or may not watch because they're making that into a fucking soap opera too.

[zulater]

So if the Steelers never had parted ways with Harrison two years ago is this even an issue? This happened years ago. Sorry, but the league and society as it pertained to sports didn't view this in the same way. Many football players (unfortunately) had an incident of spousal abuse in their history. If you want to call it the bad old days fine by me. But trying to equate how the Steelers handled Harrison's situation then and what's going on with the Ravens, and the league as a whole now is like lambasting teams that housed their black players in separate hotels from their white players back in southern cities during the Jim Crow era.

You can't rewrite history and you can't hold current standards as a guideline to yesterday's players or owners. The Steelers acted within normal standards for the time.

This is one instance where I prefer today's standard over yesteryear's. But just as I can't condemn many of the forefathers of this country for being slaveholders. I can't condemn the Steelers for their handling of Harrison at the time, when they acted within normal parameters for the time.

Also as has been pointed out already on this thread; Harrison has flown right ever since to the best of our knowledge, so he deserves another chance if his talent still loans itself to him being in this league.

[X-Terminator]

I think it's gotten to the point where just about everyone is tired of the fact that 90% of sports stories are now about some scandal or other.

So-and-so broke the law. So-and-so made an offensive remark. omg the outrage.

wait I know, let's all try to learn some profound lesson about equality and morality every time some idiot is drunk off his ass and gets arrested. Cue the articles from 20 writers trying to turn it into a clever point about society, blah blah blah Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.

*SNORT* Who's there? oops, sorry, I fell asleep after the 10,000th time you told me it's not about race, it's about morality, or it's not about gender, it's about equality. I get it, I get, we're all racists or sexists or promote rape culture, and are generally horrible people, and shouldn't watch sports or drink beer or something.

Really, I am so over all of this. Go beat your wife with a stick in the middle of a shopping mall, or chug a fifth of Johnny Walker and ram your car into a schoolhouse, or fuck it, blow up the moon; I really DON'T care anymore. There are probably 50 stories a day about Kim Kardashian's ass that are less repetitive, and at least I can read those without getting a lecture. Call me when it's time for the game - which I may or may not watch because they're making that into a fucking soap opera too.

I really can't blame you for feeling this way. What the media does ends up having the exact opposite effect - it makes people cynical and uncaring rather than enlightened and empathetic. Now I'm sure if I asked you what your real opinion is, it would be the latter, but let's face it...the media and the internet has given everyone a voice, and with that comes oversaturation. That is the real problem. Just report the news, point out the idiocy, and move on.

[fansince'76]

I think it's gotten to the point where just about everyone is tired of the fact that 90% of sports stories are now about some scandal or other.

So-and-so broke the law. So-and-so made an offensive remark. omg the outrage.

wait I know, let's all try to learn some profound lesson about equality and morality every time some idiot is drunk off his ass and gets arrested. Cue the articles from 20 writers trying to turn it into a clever point about society, blah blah blah Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.

*SNORT* Who's there? oops, sorry, I fell asleep after the 10,000th time you told me it's not about race, it's about morality, or it's not about gender, it's about equality. I get it, I get, we're all racists or sexists or promote rape culture, and are generally horrible people, and shouldn't watch sports or drink beer or something.

Really, I am so over all of this. Go beat your wife with a stick in the middle of a shopping mall, or chug a fifth of Johnny Walker and ram your car into a schoolhouse, or fuck it, blow up the moon; I really DON'T care anymore. There are probably 50 stories a day about Kim Kardashian's ass that are less repetitive, and at least I can read those without getting a lecture. Call me when it's time for the game - which I may or may not watch because they're making that into a fucking soap opera too.

:applaudit: and :lol:

[Dwinsgames]

he did his time ... debt paid move on nothing to see here

we have murders celebrated by the game

manslaughter guys playing the game

dope dealers playing the game

dog fighters guys playing the game

not trying to minimize what James did or domestic violence in general but for me all the things above are as bad or worse and James did his time 7 years ago for it ....

at some point we have to forgive and move on , his lesson has been learned as he has a clean record for 7 consecutive years ( statute of limitations would have ran out by now )

[steelreserve]

I really can't blame you for feeling this way. What the media does ends up having the exact opposite effect - it makes people cynical and uncaring rather than enlightened and empathetic. Now I'm sure if I asked you what your real opinion is, it would be the latter, but let's face it...the media and the internet has given everyone a voice, and with that comes oversaturation. That is the real problem. Just report the news, point out the idiocy, and move on.


Yeah, the constant barrage is a big problem. The other thing that pisses me off is all the righteous dogpiling by Johnny-come-lately types that drives it from a normal conversation to a feeding frenzy mentality. Once it turns into this kind of mob mentality, anything positive mostly stops being accomplished, and it's mainly people talking just to hear themselves talk and screaming for blood because they know nobody's going to disagree with them. Is domestic violence wrong? Of course, duh. Was it exactly the same problem two years ago as it is now? Well, where were the fuck were you then, dipshit?

You're exactly right - if you're talking about the problem on a personal level, it's a different story. My own wife was with an abusive guy in the past, as was my mother-in-law, and suffice to say it's a subject that hits close to home. Is anything about this current media circus on the subject particularly helpful? No, not at all.

What I really see going on here are two things that really bother me. First, there's the mob-rule mindset that's reminiscent of feminism gone out of control on a college campus. Again: Domestic violence, horrible thing - gotcha. Completely with you on that. But now you're basically demanding trials without evidence, public shame as the law of the land, and God help anyone who questions it? ... well, wait a second, that doesn't sound so good. And ultimately, once the frenzy wears off, it doesn't help much in the long term, and a lot of people probably wind up being alienated from each other. The second thing is that as of right now, because of that mob mentality, the media is basically running sports, dictating punishments and roster moves, even sales of franchises, and that is not a good thing. In the process, they've taken REAL problems like racism and violence and made them into a caricature for click-bait, which is perhaps the worst little finishing kick of the whole bunch.

[Craic]

Yeah, the constant barrage is a big problem. The other thing that pisses me off is all the righteous dogpiling by Johnny-come-lately types that drives it from a normal conversation to a feeding frenzy mentality. Once it turns into this kind of mob mentality, anything positive mostly stops being accomplished, and it's mainly people talking just to hear themselves talk and screaming for blood because they know nobody's going to disagree with them. Is domestic violence wrong? Of course, duh. Was it exactly the same problem two years ago as it is now? Well, where were the fuck were you then, dipshit?

You're exactly right - if you're talking about the problem on a personal level, it's a different story. My own wife was with an abusive guy in the past, as was my mother-in-law, and suffice to say it's a subject that hits close to home. Is anything about this current media circus on the subject particularly helpful? No, not at all.

What I really see going on here are two things that really bother me. First, there's the mob-rule mindset that's reminiscent of feminism gone out of control on a college campus. Again: Domestic violence, horrible thing - gotcha. Completely with you on that. But now you're basically demanding trials without evidence, public shame as the law of the land, and God help anyone who questions it? ... well, wait a second, that doesn't sound so good. And ultimately, once the frenzy wears off, it doesn't help much in the long term, and a lot of people probably wind up being alienated from each other. The second thing is that as of right now, because of that mob mentality, the media is basically running sports, dictating punishments and roster moves, even sales of franchises, and that is not a good thing. In the process, they've taken REAL problems like racism and violence and made them into a caricature for click-bait, which is perhaps the worst little finishing kick of the whole bunch.

I've heard of baiting.

I've even heard of Jailbait.

But Click-bait is a brand new one on me! :chuckle:

Other than that, I'm completely with you.