James Harrison's Latest Loudmouthing Just Desperate Attempt to Stay Relevant?

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison has proven again that he has absolutely no fear of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. 

But in going on the offensive against Goodell once again this week, was Harrison just searching for more headlines? A way to stay in the spotlight during an offseason of NFL turmoil?

Or did he simply answer a question posed to him with what he thinks is a reasonable argument?

The latter likely makes more sense considering the long history of disagreements Harrison has had with the commissioner. 

According to Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Harrison went back on the attack of the NFL's most powerful man Wednesday.

When asked about the defamation lawsuit handed down to Goodell by New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, Harrison called the the suit a "win-win" for the players. 

“If (Vilma) loses, it shows Goodell does have too much power,” Harrison told Brown. "And if he wins, it opens up the floodgates.”

Vilma is suing Goodell after the commissioner suspended the veteran linebacker for his role in the Saints' bounty scandal, which stretched over three years and included several key players. 

Harrison is obviously against the ruling, and he's been very forthcoming about the lack of evidence that Goodell has turned over to the players regarding Vilma's role in the bounty scandal. That lack of transparency has led Harrison, among others, to question the unyielding power of Goodell to bring down any kind of punishment he sees fit without a system of checks and balances in place.  

This week certainly isn't the first time Harrison has opined that Goodell possesses too much power with too few checks. 

According to Brown's story, the Steelers were the only team to vote against the collective bargaining agreement last summer—which Harrison attributes partly because Goodell's powers were not reined in when the NFL and NFL Players Association agreed to the CBA now in place. That kind of thinking obviously applies again in this situation.

Of course, Goodell and Harrison have rarely agreed on topics of player punishment. Harrison knows all too well how mighty the governing hand can be for the commissioner.

Likely the biggest adversary of Goodell, Harrison has been fined by the NFL commissioner on several occasions for amounts totaling over $100,000. He was also suspended for a game last season when he knocked Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy out of a game with a helmet-to-helmet hit. 

Overall, I doubt that Harrison voiced his opinion on Vilma's case just to get his name back into the headlines. If there's anything we know about the Steelers' linebacker, it's that he's been very consistent in his disagreements with Goodell. ESPN's Jamison Hensley outlined that consistency from Harrison nicely here. 

When Harrison opens his mouth about Goodell and the way he's running the NFL, he seems to genuinely mean it. To call this a publicity stunt or headline grab from Harrison wouldn't be understanding his relationship with the NFL commissioner.