Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Obama, Harrison and duck walks


Is there a finer position in American football than linebacker?

These insanely aggressive men are the heartbeat of the game. They are brash and chatty. They find their serenity while flying through the air, parralel to the turf, moments before they wallop into a running back's spine and duck walk over his frail, twisted heap two yards back from the line of scrimmage.

Basically, they don't take any crap and don't care what you think.

Fittingly, last season's finest linebacker, Pittsburgh's James Harrison, has said that he won't be going to the White House for the Super Bowl champion's annual knee flap with the President.

His reason? He doesn't really care.

"I don't feel the need to go, actually. I don't feel like it's that big a deal to me."

Brilliant.

He did the same in 2006 after the Steelers won Superbowl XL, turning down the opportunity to be glad handed by Mr and Mrs Dubya.

Most people, The Board included, would condense themselves into swooning heaps of plasma jelly at the thought of meeting Barack Obama.

But Harrison is unmoved. If the Steelers hadn't won the Superbowl, he said, Obama would be meeting the Arizona Cardinals instead and would be just as happy.

Harrison is cold-mindedly arrogant, apathetic and blunt. That is what makes him the best.

A refreshing piece of honesty in a world running on waffle.

P.S: This is the link to Harrison's record 100-yard return touchdown in this year's Superbowl (pictured). He is so unfit that he was getting oxygen for about 15 minutes afterward. Fantastic.

2 comments:

Donna B said...

Maybe James Harrison should go and keep quiet for the sake of the team's owner. To be in the forefront of the news is disgraceful in my opinion. I would love to be invited to the White House for any reason; I'll never see it, and here's a man who has refused to go twice.

I'm embarrassed to be called a Steeler fan; and the team should be embarrassed to call him a part of the "team".

Such a spoiled brat!!!!

Isambard Chalky Brunel said...

Still, you have to admire his honesty.

He's probably the first and only man who'll ever say no to a meeting with Barack Obama.

We should celebrate such rarities, even if they're silly.