It should come as no surprise that Steelers linebacker James Harrison is pleased that Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma is suing NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Harrison, who trashed Goodell in an interview last year only to apologize and say his comments were way out of line, seems to agree with Vilma’s contention that Goodell was way out of line in his public comments about the Saints’ bounty scandal. And Harrison thinks Vilma’s attempt to sue Goodell for defamation is a “win-win,” even if it is unsuccessful.
“If [Vilma] loses, it shows Goodell does have too much power,” Harrison told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “and if he wins, it opens up the floodgates.”
Harrison said he believes the players shouldn’t have signed off on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement last year unless the commissioner’s powers had been curtailed. When the CBA was formally approved last summer, the players in Steelers camp voted 78-6 against it, making them the only team to oppose the new CBA.
Asked if he thinks players on other teams now regret agreeing to the CBA, Harrison answered, “I would hope so.”