James Harrison: Why Pittsburgh Steelers Should Dump the Dead Weight

James Harrison doesn't like Roger Goodell. So much so that he ripped the NFL Commissioner to shreds in a recent interview with Men's Journal and even threw in a gay slur. 

He also ripped a few of his teammates in the process, which is a sign he has issues with this stage of his football career.

It's time the Pittsburgh Steelers get rid of their biggest headache. Harrison is a great player, but he causes too many problems for the Steelers.    

A lot of people don't like Goodell, but Harrison took it too far here. There's plenty of people that don't like their bosses out there, but that doesn't mean you should call them a "crook" or the "devil". 

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Up until last year, there was no word of me being dirty — till Roger Goodell, who’s a crook and a puppet, said I was the dirtiest player in the league. If that man was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn’t do it. I hate him and will never respect him.

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Harrison was fined $100,000 last year for violent hits on opposing players. Goodell made it a serious issue to crack down on illegal hits in the NFL, and Harrison was the one player scrutinized the most. 

The Steelers linebacker even contemplated retiring from the game last year because he felt Goodell and the league were telling him how he had to play. 

He took shots at Rashard Mendenahll, calling him a "fumbling machine" while completely ignoring the fact that Mendenhall was the running game for the Steelers last year and single-handedly won them games. 

The other player Harrison blasted was his quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He didn't go below the belt with Roethlisberger's off-field issues, but rather he discussed Big Ben's on field performance during the Super Bowl. 

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Hey, at least throw a pick on their side of the field instead of asking the D to bail you out again. Or hand the ball off and stop trying to act like Peyton Manning. You ain't that and you know it, man; you just get paid like he does. 

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Calling out the commissioner is one thing, but cutting down your teammates is just too much. Roethlisberger told Merril Hoge that he is "fine" with Harrison. 

I chuckled when I read that because often times when a person says something is "fine," it's a big fat lie. Roethlisberger is obviously distancing himself from Harrison's dramatic antics.

Yeah, I'm really buying that Big Ben is fine with a teammate who is basically saying to stop throwing the ball.

Harrison has said that some of his words about his teammates were misused, which is the standard response when you don't like what a reporter says about you.  

Head coach Mike Tomlin and owner Art Rooney cannot be happy with this. They don't want the negative image that Harrison is placing on their franchise.

Not only did Harrison say all of this, drop a gay slur and offend multiple people, he also posed for a picture holding two guns. If the league weren't in a lockout right now he would be receiving a hefty fine, and possibly a suspension.

However, nobody can do anything right now. Because Harrison crossed the line with the gay slur and picture, either the Steelers or the NFL will do something once the lockout is over. They can't just let this go, because it has already outraged so many.

Still, others believe that Harrison is in the right for calling out Goodell. I agree that Goodell has tried to act as a dictator of the league, but the NFL needed it to some extent. 

The Steelers won't sit well with Harrison's actions. They're known for great defense, and Harrison has contributed to that. However, Harrison just keeps pushing the envelope, and it's time the Steelers part ways with the linebacker.

Harrison isn't the type of guy to apologize for anything he said in the interview. He signed a six-year deal in 2009 for $51 million.

He'll serve as great trade bait once the lockout is lifted because the rest of the team isn't going to be pleased with Harrison once they are finally able to report to training camp. Obviously the linebacker has problems with the team, and instead of trying to fix things, the Steelers are better off moving him. 

Harrison is only going to cause more problems in the future. His value is high despite being 33-years-old. The linebacker can still play, and he is a force on the field. Though he is a problem off the field, some team will take the risk on him.

One smart thing Harrison did in all of this was turning down a chance to be on the six o'clock live broadcast of SportsCenter. He agreed to at first, but then backed out of the deal, according to Pro Football Talk. 

The bashing of Goodell and teammates is just further proof of why this lockout must come to an end soon. Once the season begins, the Steelers have to do the right thing by riding themselves of Harrison and all the problems he creates.