Rodney Harrison limped off the field after Titans receiver Bobby Wade blocked him low with a helmet into his knee this afternoon in the Pats/Titans game. The Patriots are mad about the block.Harrison didn't return to the game, and his status for next week's playoff game is unknown. The same knee kept him out of nearly all of last season. And all of that is very unfortunate ... it really is.
But if you're Rodney Harrison, or you play with Rodney Harrison, you pretty much give up all right to complain about unnecessary violence. The man has built a career on it.
I'm not even trying to call Rodney Harrison a dirty player. I love Rodney Harrison. There is no bigger Rodney Harrison fan in the world than me. And because I've watched and admired him for so long, I know that if Rodney Harrison has a chance to make a hit hurt a little bit more than it normally would ... Rodney Harrison is taking that chance. I've never seen him try to injure someone. But he plays to the whistle, and then some.
"Everyone was pretty mad about it," Tom Brady said. "You keep your poise and try to let your play do the talking. I think sometimes we stooped down to the level we're playing against. We've got to find ways to overcome that type of play."Overcome that type of play? The Patriots employ that type of play.
So just save it, Tom. It's not like the Patriots are Boy Scouts and the Titans are the Crips. This is like one of Chris Henry's boys telling someone, "You know, it's really terrible when you drink and drive."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
12-31-2006 @ 9:24PM
bob said...
SHIT HAPPENS IN A GAME!
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12-31-2006 @ 9:54PM
skipper264 said...
Rodney Harrison should be fined for a dirty hit every week. He is a dirty player and should be banned from football.
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12-31-2006 @ 10:02PM
mark dew said...
The patriots like to portray themselves as setting an example of team unity and fairness. If they are so above the rest of the league, why did they call a pass so Testeverde could brake a record. The game was in hand. The professional thing to do was take a knee. I am sure the Titans team and coaches will not forget that play. Just remember what goes around comes around.
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12-31-2006 @ 10:34PM
aaron roy said...
I feel that the public is just attacking the New England Patriots because they are officially a dynasty because they have won so often for so long. Just like in any other sport where a dynasty is established, people tend to attack them because they can not beat them in competition.
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12-31-2006 @ 10:36PM
Donald Rumsfeld said...
Say what you will.... but if Rodney Harrison were running Gulf War I, there would have been no need for Gulf War II. They'd all be goddamn Christians over there now.
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12-31-2006 @ 11:07PM
Drew said...
Who wrote that first comment. your an idiot, hes not stomping on a helmentless guys face. hes not hes not hitting the qb way after he realses. hes not swinging his helment around trying to fight. so why kick him out of football when u got people doing things that would be illegal off the field.
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1-01-2007 @ 12:35AM
Matt Ronn said...
If the Titans don't like Vinny Testaverde breaking a record on their turf then they should try playing a little defense.
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1-01-2007 @ 2:01AM
mike said...
hey aaron the patroits got lucky winning by 3 points in all 3 super bowls and if it was not for that blind ref reversing the fumble call in the conference championship game against the raiders their so called dynasty would not be talked about . then tey get rid of the man who won all of those games the kicker adam v.
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1-01-2007 @ 9:50PM
Gail said...
I'm sure if the Titans or any team had someone like a Vinny Testaverde or a Doug Flutie on their team, they would have done the same thing out of respect, to give the veteran one more chance at history. The Titans defense and failure at catching key passes lost this game.
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1-01-2007 @ 9:50PM
Bob said...
Rodney Harrison is not the Dirtiest player in Football. Take a look at the Titans Center. The hit Rodney took yesterday was a legal hit. It was however the type that leads to injury 80 % of the time. Hey Mark, The Titans will remember "that". They can't remember a passing route never mind a respected QB. And you will see something remembered. Watch as these lowlife Titans come to Foxboro nest year and Rodney lays out Wade like ingram did to Brady a week ago. And the league said it was a legal hit. One last thing for you Mike, The Patriots got Lucky ? Funny how no other team " Got Lucky in those three years. Watch the Colts, They get every call there way. Last night they had ball spots a yard and a half from where the receiver hit the ground. Kudos to Jeff Fischer and the job he did with "that" team. That QB is going to be a great one and their return man is the best in the business. Oh yeah, one more thing on fairness. The Gillette Stadium field looked like what the Titans played on yesterday. The league called Bob Kraft and told him he had to replace it. Actually Bill Polian of the Colts called the league three weeks before the Colts played here. Then the league called the Pats. Don't talk to me about fair. The league has rolled over and jumped up and down for the Colts and the Refs are in their pockets but they still can't win it all. Pray for the Broncos and their Tragedy !
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1-01-2007 @ 9:50PM
Liz said...
Mike, Adam was ticked off because he had been slapped with the franchise tag. That's why he went to the Colts.... he didn't even give the Pats a chance to counter their offer. If you check back in the news clips you'll see him admit it. He's a great player but he's gone... we've moved on.
Rodney is an all out player, always has been, always will be. I think the thing that ticked off alot of people was hearing the Titans players talking on the sidelines about how they were going out to purposely hurt our guys even going as far as mentioning Maroney's ribs etc. Most players don't go out to purposely really hurt other players no matter what team they are on. Not even Rodney.
As for letting Testeverde make a little history... why the sour grapes? I think it was an awesome thing for a team to do for a player, no matter what team he was on. Congratulations Vinnie!
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1-01-2007 @ 9:50PM
Steve said...
Aren't the Titans paid to stop the opponent from scoring? Or......do I miss something here.
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1-01-2007 @ 9:50PM
Steve said...
Did I miss something? Or.....aren't the Titans paid well to stop the opponent from scoring. Did they "quit" :-)
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1-01-2007 @ 9:50PM
David Slatton said...
Hey Stupids..... A chop block by a reciever is illegal.... A helmet to the knee is a cheap shot as well as illegal...Rodney is the same type Player as Lott play to the whistle...and then some. But he has not made his fame by illegal shots. Maybe late sometimes...but not illegal. Oh yea...GO PATRIOTS
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1-01-2007 @ 9:50PM
Kevin said...
So- the Titans needed the Jaguars, Bengals and Bronco's to all lose and they had to beat the Pats to make the playoffs. Now that we know all three teams did lose, yet the Titans missed the playoffs because they couldn't hold up their end of the bargain at home(and that's what really hurts)we know what all this talk about dirty players really is. It's whinning!....so close, yet no ones fault but their own. All the rest about dirty players etc is sour grapes. P.S. Luck my misguided friend favors those who are better prepared. The PATS made their own luck, the Titans couldn't. Grow up, and be a good sport.
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1-01-2007 @ 12:38PM
Perennial Patriots said...
You know what's really lame? This same article including its comments is on both the Titans and the Pats Fanhouse page. Lazy AOL bloggers.
The Titans set out to make this a chippy game and for that, I think Asante Samuel should have run that last interception back to make the score 47 for the Pats. Remember THAT Titans.
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1-01-2007 @ 12:42PM
mjd said...
That IS so lazy! God, good call, man. The same kinds of people who post things in multiple topics also probably rape kittens. You should probably take to the streets and organize a protest march. Fight for truth and justice, man... you're a hero. And make a bunch of signs that end with clever plays on popular movie titles. That'll show 'em.
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1-01-2007 @ 12:50PM
Micky said...
Lets face it were not ready for primetime yet. Yeah, this years Patriots aren't no SuperBowl team but still they smacked us around. That we couldn't stop a 3rd string QB didn't bother me. I hated those smug NE players laughing that is was worth 15 yards to smack a titan and slapping our players and laughing knowing they could run the score up whenever they wanted. real jerks !!!!
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1-01-2007 @ 3:03PM
Perennial Patriots said...
Haha, that's awesome mjd. Except kittens have very tiny...umm...p***ies. What can I say? Wasting time unleashing my extremely witty thought processes on multiple topics is my calling. Maybe I should become an AOL blogger. After all, I wasn't even the first to hit the showers after a lame play on movie titles. Call it a Basic Instink.
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1-01-2007 @ 6:01PM
ricklL said...
Titans fans, your team thru the Gauntlet down, and the Pats hammered you with it. Hey MIKE , pats won three superbowls, by how many points???????? , doesn't matter does it, guys like you are sour about your crappy team and MAGGOTT coach........Brady is a true competitor, as are his team mates. You guys played rough, and payed a hefty price...also congrats to Vinnie, he's a great man and deserved that.
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