POSTED 9:34 a.m. EDT, September 1, 2007
HARRISON APPARENTLY DOESN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT "CHEATING" MEANS
On Friday night, Patriots safety Rodney Harrison addressed his recent suspension for violation of the league's policy on anabolic steroids and related substances. Harrison acknowledged using HGH.
Said Harrison: "I want to make it clear that not once did I ever use steroids. I did admit to the Commissioner that I did in fact use a banned substance. My purpose was never to gain a competitive edge. Rather, my use was solely for accelerating the healing process of injuries I sustained while playing football. I haven't made excuses, nor will I make excuses."
And, of course, Harrison says he hasn't made excuses . . . right after making an excuse.
You see, there's no difference between using banned substances to gain a competitive advantage and using HGH to accelerate the healing process. Accelerating the healing process is, by definition, a competitive advantage in a league where injuries undermine the ability of an individual and a team to be competitive.
NFL players who are always injured, or who can't return quickly from being injured, are at risk of becoming former NFL players. So, yes, using HGH is cheating -- even if it's "only" to speed the healing process.
Meanwhile, we're told by a couple of readers that Sean Salisbury of ESPN was spouting off on Friday night that he condones Harrison's behavior. Which further confirms to us that Salisbury is a complete moron who must have pictures of something other than Lil' Sean on his cellphone in order to remain employed.
Harrison will miss the first four games of the 2007 regular season. We also think he's suddenly at risk of being released, even if doing so would draw a grievance. Harrison is due to earn $2 million in base salary in 2007.