8/31: Rodney Harrison's Complete Statement & Apology

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Dan Pires

Dan Pires

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9:44 to 9:48 PM
“Hello…can everyone hear me?”

(cross talk and static)

"This is Rodney Harrison. I'm basically here to let you all know that tomorrow the commissioner will announce that I've been suspended by the NFL for violating the league policy on banned substances. That suspension will be four games. 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 the purpose of accelerating the healing process of injuries I sustained while playing football. I haven't made excuses nor will I make excuses. I made a mistake and I'm very sorry for that. I understand that I'm a role model to high school to college, to young kids. I don't condone my decision, my behavior. I'm very, very embarrassed by it. I'm disappointed in myself and to any young person, any high schooler, any college athlete - I sent the wrong message with my actions. And I would ask and I would want to be the example for them to never jeopardize what they believe in and never jeopardize their health. And they always have to love themselves.

At this time I would like to ask all you guys [the media], because I know you guys got a 100 million questions for me, but this is a mistake. This is something that I’ve done. This is nothing that my teammates were involved in and I ask at this time for the respect of my teammates not to be violated. This is something that Rodney Harrison did (and) Rodney Harrison did alone. My teammates didn’t do it. So, as they’re preparing for the (New York) Jets and the San Diego (Chargers) game, Cincinnati (Bengals) and those games after that, I would ask if you’d just would give them the respect (and) to not badger them with questions because they don’t have any information dealing with it and as well as my family. I have kids. I have a wife and I would just ask for the respect for my family. It’s something that I did and they shouldn’t have to go through anything.

I will be absent from the team for the next four weeks – that’s the penalty that I have to serve. To which I intend to return and do my best to really help this team in any capacity that I can help this team to get back to winning a championship. It’s been a tough time for me the last week or two. Even before this, I’ve apologized to my family, which has supported me so much, my friends, and I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to my teammates. Like I said before, they never were involved in this. This is something that I did and I apologize to them for being a distraction because that’s the last thing we need going into the regular season… I never intended for that to happen.

I apologize to the entire New England Patriot organization and the fans who’ve supported me so faithfully over my past five seasons here. Through Super Bowls. Through injury. Through ups and downs they’ve supported me and I definitely, definitely appreciate that. At this time, that’s my statement. I’m not taking any questions. And like I asked before, I appreciate your patience and I just ask that you respect my teammates and my family. Thank you.”

*****

NFL's official statement @ about 10:30 PM:

August 31, 2007

STATEMENT BY AN NFL SPOKESPERSON:

Rodney Harrison of the New England Patriots has been suspended without pay for the team’s first four regular-season games of 2007 for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances.

Harrison’s suspension begins immediately. He is eligible to return to the Patriots’ active roster on Tuesday, October 2 following the team’s October 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
 
Dammit:mad:

Rules are Rules i suppose, but at least it wasn't performance enhancing drugs, i.e. a certain SD player;)
 
B_O_R: I hope you're right.

I think I have a better idea why he had some of his salary sliced off earlier this summer.
 
Crap....:shake:

I can't think of anything else to say about this.



shit.....:shake:
 
If sports are your life and you are sidelined for so long, I can understand why he did it.

Although I feel his pain, I still think I may vomit everywhere. We need that man!
 
BradyLady12 on 09-01-2007 at 12:09 AM said:
Too bad. Geez though, I can't see something like HGH being banned. Totally dumb. It's not an enhancer. Something that heals should be okay.
Click to expand...
:confused: :huh: :blink:
 
BradyLady12 on 09-01-2007 at 12:09 AM said:
Too bad. Geez though, I can't see something like HGH being banned. Totally dumb. It's not an enhancer. Something that heals should be okay.
Click to expand...

technically, yes it is an enhancer.
it lets out hormones into the body from the pituitary gland, which helps repair the body and muscles.
although seeing that is does repair muscle it can allow for vast amounts of increased muscle growth and development, not possible by normal measures.


on another note i've heard that there is 3 other players about 2 be busted
 
I see what he is doing, that crafty devil. He is setting the table to play the disrespect card. Because you know that when the media does ask his teammates about this - and they will, make no doubt about it - he can then calim he's being disrespected. I wonder if the 4 game sis worth it, but I'm sure such a crafty veteran knows what he's doing ;)
 
chef on 09-01-2007 at 12:19 AM said:
technically, yes it is an enhancer.
it lets out hormones into the body from the pituitary gland, which helps repair the body and muscles.
although seeing that is does repair muscle it can allow for vast amounts of increased muscle growth and development, not possible by normal measures.


on another note i've heard that there is 3 other players about 2 be busted
Click to expand...

I doubt it allows for vast amounts of such growth.
I heard it's only really effective if done via shots....but older folks take it to remain younger too. I just don't see it in the same vein as steroids.
 
BradyLady12 on 09-01-2007 at 12:09 AM said:
Too bad. Geez though, I can't see something like HGH being banned. Totally dumb. It's not an enhancer. Something that heals should be okay.
Click to expand...


Tell that to Lyle Alzado and Chris Benoit.
 
The Hitman on 08-31-2007 at 09:40 PM said:

My purpose was never to gain a competitive edge. Rather, my use was solely for the purpose of accelerating the healing process of injuries I sustained while playing football. I haven't made excuses nor will I make excuses.
Click to expand...

:confused: That's not an excuse? Lawyers suck (yes, you too Bolts Own You).
 
Damn Harrison. I'll like to hear from Vince Young and Steve Smith.
 
Electric Chair on 09-01-2007 at 12:50 AM said:
:confused: That's not an excuse? Lawyers suck (yes, you too Bolts Own You).
Click to expand...

Touche. I will say, as someone who quite dislikes Rodney Harrison as a player, that the statement is easily the best one I've seen from a player getting caught for this stuff. There's no, "well I eat a lot of beef and cows get fed this stuff, so I must've gotten it from hamburgers" type bs (that one really happened btw). Of course, there's an excuse in there, although it isn't meant to try and deflect total blame, just mitigate the why. I'll also totally grant that it's been prepared 100% by someone else, but still this may be the first (there may be others, but not many) that at least says, "yes I ****ing did it and I'm very sorry and ashamed." That's as close as you're gonna get to legit disclosure in an event like this and I'll give RH credit for at the very least signing off on it and hopefully for being in direction enough to say that this is what he wanted to say.

I still think what he did sucks on a massive scale, but this statement is a very good first step to rebuilding a little credibility IMO.

One last thing is I'll say that I can understand how this happens with older guys getting into it a lot more than the Canseco types. It must be incredibly hard to spend your entire life building your body for a sport and then as you're really feeling like you get the game, start to have your body crap out on you. The honorable thing is to take it strong and let your physical gifts fade, but that's gotta be as tough a psychological test as there is. I don't think it changes his actions any, but I can still empathize with RH's problems without feeling like it's an excuse. That is assuming that there's enough truth in this that he hasn't been using all along, which I'll give the benefit of the doubt on, but really it wouldn't suprise me either way. He might just have a good publicist (or the pats do).
 
BradyLady12 on 08-31-2007 at 11:35 PM said:
I doubt it allows for vast amounts of such growth.
I heard it's only really effective if done via shots....but older folks take it to remain younger too. I just don't see it in the same vein as steroids.
Click to expand...

Please take one look at a picture of Barry Bonds from the 80s and one picture of him now and get back to us.
 
There's no spinning it - he knowingly took a banned substance, and it's not some garden variety OTC stuff either. HGH is a significant performance enhancer, that carries serious health risks. I do buy his explanation that it was to heal injuries rather than to bulk up (he must have felt alot of pressure after being injured so much) - but that doesn't change the fact. I have to give him credit for coming completely clean. I don't think there has been a star athlete yet that hasn't tried to deny it, or said they did it unknowingly, or apologized vaguely for "something". At least he manned up, and you have to respect that. He'll do his 4 games, and at least he'll play more games than he did last year. All I can say is, he must've learned this nasty habit during his days as a Charger :D
 
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