Steelers’ James Harrison: Jonathan Vilma’s lawsuit is ‘win-win’

James Harrison

Steelers linebacker James Harrison, notorious for his questionable hits as well as criticism of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, said Wednesday that Jonathan Vilma‘s lawsuit can help the players even if the Saints linebacker loses.

“It is really a win-win, whether [Vilma] wins the case or if he loses it,” Harrison told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review following an OTA. “If he loses it, it shows that Goodell does have too much power, and if he wins it, it opens up the floodgates.”

Vilma’s lawsuit is another extension of the NFL’s bounty scandal, in which the Saints set up a system that encouraged and rewarded players for harming opponents. The lawsuit claims Goodell’s statements about Vilma were false and damaging to his reputation.

Harrison criticized the penalties handed down to Saints coach Sean Payton and Vilma, saying they were much harsher than the punishment given to the team as a whole.

“He only gave the team a half-million dollar fine and two second-round draft picks, and that’s a billion-dollar organization,” Harrison said. “But yet you take a whole year’s pay away from the guy that is below him and you take a whole year’s pay away from the head coach. But the actual team themselves, you slap them on the wrist.”

Harrison has been fined by the NFL on multiple occasions for dangerous hits. He was suspended in December for an illegal hit on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy.

One Comments for “Steelers’ James Harrison: Jonathan Vilma’s lawsuit is ‘win-win’”

1. Cindy Says:
   May 25th, 2012 at 5:38 pm

   How does losing the law suit prove Goodell has too much power?

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