NFL Rumors: How James Harrison Will Affect the State of the NFL

James Harrison, the Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker, was fined $75,000 this week for ugly hits which took Cleveland Browns receivers Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi out of the game with serious concussions.

But this is common knowledge already, just like the announcement he put out shortly after the fine was announced that he was considering retirement.

James Harrison is just one of the many players currently caught up in the NFL's crackdown on illegal hits to the head, joining Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson and New England Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather in a trio of fines that totaled a combined $125,000.

Harrison, however, received the bulk of that fine, as the League considered him a repeat offender, which is absolutely true, after being fined for a hit on Vince Young in Week 2.

This is, to some degree, a reflection not only of the kind of player that Harrison is, but also the way the Pittsburgh Steelers (as well as many other teams in the League) play defense. They love to play with borderline brutal physicality, and they are always looking not just to bring players down but dislodge the ball by any means necessary.

This is a culture that is permeating throughout the NFL right now, which is a big reason why zone blitzing schemes are becoming so popular. If a quarterback throws a rainbow pass, or doesn't manage to place it in the correct spot, a player roaming in a nearby zone has the chance to get a good running start before a bone-crunching collision with the receiver.

In this way it is hard for James Harrison to be faulted, since that is the way that he has been taught to play football. While the fine was absolutely necessary, considering that the League must start doing more to protect the health of their players, Harrison, like Meriweather, Robinson, and a score of other players, are simply making tackles the way they were taught to.

The part about this story that makes it ridiculous is the way James Harrison chose to handle the situation. As previously stated, Harrison quickly shot back at the League by threatening to retire.

Now, doesn't that seem a little immature?

Wow, quite a lot of you seem to agree (I assume it's fair to jump to that conclusion). That's what I thought.

This, to me, seems to resemble the way the owners are going about handling the negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

From an outsiders perspective, it seems like the players aren't the ones making things difficult. In the never-ending drive to make more money, the NFL owners are driving hard on the 18-game season, which seems to be the breaking point for the players.

An 18-game season would shorten careers, increase injuries, and would ultimately only benefit the owners.

The NFLPA and some current NFL players presented this argument on several occasions.

Instead of considering, the owners said they were prepared for a lockout.

Now, flash back to the illegal hits to the head.

The NFL is trying to protect their players by stopping hits to the head.

James Harrison, a physical player who has been fined on more than one occasion for that offense, is fined once again during this recent crackdown.

Instead of apologizing (like Brandon Meriweather), he publicly mulls retirement.

Something seems wrong with this picture.

The worst part, though, is that this will affect the state of the League.

If the NFL continues to hand out massive fines to players for laying the brutal hits that they are so accustomed to, it has the potential to start a walk-out, especially considering the players they would likely be targeting (anyone from James Harrison to Brandon Meriweather to Hines Ward).

If the fines extend to some of the big players in the League, especially those heavily involved with the NFL Players Association, don't be surprised if players start quitting on the owners before the owners start quitting on them.