A Dark Time for Marvin Harrison: A Colt in Turmoil

It's fairly obvious by now that everyone has heard of the fiasco that has overwhelmed Marvin Harrison of the Indianapolis Colts.

The shooting that took place on April 29 outside the bar Harrison owns has been turned into the talk of the town for the NFL. It seems like only yesterday that we were still talking about the shocking trades that occurred during draft weekend (and to some extent the trades that didn't happen, e.g. Chad Johnson, Lito Sheppard, Jason Taylor, and Jason Shockey to name a few).

Even the entire New England Spygate controversy is battling for air time every couple of days, though that is dying down to some level as well.

In all honesty, I'm not a Colts fan. I have respect for their consistency and their production week in and week out. Peyton Manning, is in my eyes, the best quarterback in the league. Reggie Wayne is the receiver who I most emulate my playing style after (not the fastest, but has sure hands and runs great routes).

The way the media has put all this negativity behind what has happened with  Harrison is ridiculous, especially given his track record since he has been in the league. 

How many times has he had run-ins with the law? How many times has he complained about his contract or threatened to hold out? Has he ever been suspended for off-field conduct or anything else that would draw attention to himself? Not to my knowledge.

Depending on the result of the current police investigation, a suspension could possibly be over the horizon. However, Harrison comes to work with a smile on his face and produces for the game to become one of the all-time greats at his position.

As ESPN's Chris Berman has stated, "Terrell Owens is a guy that has to go out there and get recognized for his antics and celebrations, while a guy like Marvin Harrison wants to be recognized for his play on the field, not his antics or celebrations. That's the kind of receiver you want on your team."

How many of us have ever thought that we would wake up to hearing news of Marvin Harrison being involved in a shooting? The silent demeanor of the 6-foot, 185-pound wide receiver has always been the first thing that came to mind when it came to his off-field behavior.

So why have news reporters gone out of their way to follow this man as he goes about his day-to-day business? It's purely ludicrous in the eyes of this football fan.