Fake News, James Harrison, and Sports
The phrase “fake news” has become the “it” phrase of 2017. Our President uses it weekly, if not daily to describe any news he does not like or agree with, whether it’s fake or not. The President’s base uses the phrase to describe pretty much all news that comes from CNN, MSNBC, or anything they deem “mainstream media”.
James Harrison of the Steelers has been bitten by the fake news bug twice over the course of the last two NFL training camps and pre-seasons. James Harrison has had multiple quotes attributed to him dealing with his fellow teammates not standing for the anthem and what he would do to them if they did not stand. The quotes weren’t true, and Harrison has a pretty common sense approach to protests, “it’s their right”. Meaning if a player chooses to protest by kneeling for the the National Anthem, it’s their right to do so, and he’s not judging.
Many people look at Harrison as a tough guy on and off the field, a no nonsense guy, a hunter, a fisherman, a 2nd amendment advocate (assuming based off of his gun collection), and a symbol of hard work. If you follow Harrison on Instagram, you can see his sweat drenched workouts, with crazy weights, in a full sweat suit issued by the team, year round.
While Harrison is all of the above and many fans somehow find him relatable because of these things, he has not bought into the conservative rhetoric. Harrison doesn’t speak much on politics if at all other than to say players can choose to protest or not, “it’s their right”.
Part of the issue is conservatives, and the “fake news” crowd know they have an optics issue centered around race. The left constantly accuses the conservatives of being racists and white supremacists, so the right will go to far lengths to promote non-white and especially black conservatives, to say “see we’ve got black friends too”. In the instance of Harrison, they will go as far as to attribute quotes to a black pro athlete that they think might align with their views, even though he’s said nothing of the sort.
The left is guilty of this as well, and both sides have bad actors, willing to lie and deceive to further their respective agendas. We as citizens and consumers of media have to be able to watch and listen with the “third eye and ear”. We have to look beneath the surface, and ask the basic questions of validity.
If those pushing a narrative against the likes of Colin Kaepernick are willing to make up quotes and use Photoshop to attribute them to a man like James Harrison, what else are the capable of doing? What other lies are capable of trying to pass off as truth?
LATROBE, Pa. — On the field, it is known that James Harrison will knock the hell out of an opponent. On the internet, it is known that the veteran Steelers linebacker will knock the hell out of a teammate if he sits or kneels for the national anthem.
Only one of these statements is true.
Harrison, who has victimized plenty of opponents during his 14 years in the NFL, has twice in the past year been a victim of the Fake News epidemic that has reared its head in the sports world. Last September, at the height of Colin Kaepernick hysteria, Harrison was believed to have said that he would break a teammate’s leg if he didn’t stand for the anthem. And earlier this week, word spread that Harrison proclaimed a Steelers teammate better be in a wheelchair if he’s sitting for The Star-Spangled Banner.
Harrison’s true thoughts on a player sitting for the anthem are rather simple.
“That’s up to the individual,” Harrison told The MMQB on Thursday. “If they feel like that’s something they want to do, that’s their right.”
I feel the need to tell you that James Harrison really did say these two sentences about the national anthem protests. I asked him the question. He said those words in quotes above. I can play you the audio later if you still don’t believe me.
He never tweeted “if you are on my team and not standing for Anthem better be because a broken leg or I’m gonna give you one. #EyesonuCK” last year. What you saw was a Photoshopped tweet. A poorly Photoshopped tweet. And he did not tell an author who shares a name with the title character of an Adam Sandler film, working for a generically named sports outlet, that “anyone on my team sits for the anthem, they better be in a wheelchair.”
The fake news didn’t irk Harrison, necessarily, but it puts the focus on a greater issue we’re facing.
“I mean, I guess it speaks to the gullibility of people,” Harrison says. “Just because you read something on social media doesn’t make it true. If you were to do that and believe everything that you hear or see, written or there, the world would be in a real bad place. And we’re already in a tough place now.”
Steve
Steve is an affordable multifamily housing professional that is also the co-founder of Whiskey Congress. Steve has written for national publications such as The National Marijuana News and other outlets as a guest blogger on topics covering sports, politics, and cannabis. Steve loves whiskey, cigars, and uses powerlifting as an outlet to deal with the fact that no one listens to his brilliant ideas.
