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Dunlap: Conflicted About James Harrison

PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) - I am conflicted.

Categorically quarrelling with myself on how to feel about the latest turn in the James Harrison-can't-stand-the-NFL saga that has dragged on and on and on.

And, let's make no mistake here: James Harrison can't stand the top brass at the NFL. He just wants to play football and doesn't have a whole lot of time for the men in the suit who he perceives have been out to get him for a little while.

Anyway, the latest chapter …

The league crafted and sent out a letter to Harrison, Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers of the Green Bay Packers, as they are three active players linked to a PED documentary by Al-Jazeera America.  Quite simply, the league wants to interview the players about their role --- and if there's any fire to the smoke --- in the documentary that asserts the players could have been involved in PED use.

Harrison isn't too keen on it as he's refused to respond to any correspondence from the league about the matter since January.

The NFL, however, now says Harrison must sit down with them on the first day of training camp in Latrobe next month or else.

Again, Harrison isn't too keen on this, as he's offered back, via Instagram, the way he says things must go down if he's going to be a party to any of it.

First, the interview must take place at his home here in Pittsburgh before camp opens.

Next, he will have the latitude to select the date.

And, lastly, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell must be there.

Harrison seems firm on these three tenants.

After all, in the time he's played here in Pittsburgh, has anyone ever known James Harrison to not be serious about something?

I know I wouldn't want to be the one to try to call his bluff – because something tells me he ain't bluffing. He wants those stipulations met or this might turn into a real mess.

But here's where part of the confliction comes in with me: Why are things always so tough for Harrison?

That is to say, why does he seemingly find himself taking the hard road here when there was an easy road?

It is just like when he demanded to videotape his urine screening not too long ago. Of all the other players who had a real or perceived problem with the way the test were administered --- or the countless who didn't --- why was it Harrison who was the one who found himself at the center of attention, locked into some verbal tussle with some guy who came to get a bottle of his pee off him?

Who knows?

All I know is it can never be easy for Harrison; he seemingly always selects the hard road. It seems like it's always him.

And the crazy part of it is, I believe he is 1000000 percent innocent here. I honestly don't think --- this is just opinion --- that he has ever taken one iota of a substance in violation of the NFL's performance enhancing drug policy. I believe he simply works out like a maniac and also has a DNA gift from God to be built to be ultra strong.

That's the short way of saying, also, I don't think he has anything to hide. Since January, at any time, Harrison simply could have complied with the NFL, welcomed their meeting and cleared the air so as just to get this behind him. But now it lingers on and hangs over him.

But that's the rub in all of this and the deepest part of the conflict for me when I look at the situation.

In another way, I admire the hell out of this man. James Harrison might be looked at as hardheaded, but he's deeply entrenched in his convictions and principles and isn't giving any indication he's willing to budge.

That, seemingly, is a pretty honorable quality. I mean, don't we always tell our kids to stand up for what they believe in, even if that belief is unpopular? And in this case, a belief for James Harrison that he's willing to carry out all the way through.

So there's a lot to be conflicted about with this latest James Harrison situation.

Surely it would be nice for it to be all over.

But no one can expect a guy like Harrison --- of all people --- to ever do something he truly doesn't want to do.

Colin Dunlap is a featured columnist at CBSPittsburgh.com. He can also be heard weekdays from 5:40 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sports Radio 93-7 "The Fan." You can e-mail him at colin.dunlap@cbsradio.com. Check out his bio here.

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