Friday column: A question of context Not really

James Harrison wants us to know that context is important.

“I did make comments about my teammates when I was talking about the emotional Super Bowl loss,” the Steelers linebacker said in reference to a controversial Men’s Journal story. “But the handful of words that were used and heavily publicized yesterday were pulled out of a long conversation and the context was lost.”

Hmmm.

So, what context would make calling Rashard Mendenhall a “fumble machine” sound better, I wonder.

Or what frame of reference are we lacking to correctly assess Harrison’s words about his quarterback, Ben Roethlsberger: “Hey, at least throw a pick on their side of the field instead of asking the D to bail you out again. Or hand the ball off and stop trying to act like Peyton Manning. You ain’t that and you know it, man; you just get paid like he does.”

Then there’s the anti-gay slang word Harrison used to describe NFL boss Roger Goodell, whom he also called “a crook” and “the devil” and whom said he “hated.” There was worse, actually, but you get the picture.

Harrison teammate Lawrence Timmons doesn’t. According to Timmons, James is a really great guy who’s just … wait for it … that’s right — misunderstood.

The misunderstanding is all Harrison’s.

At 33, Harrison’s no child. If he lets resentment and ego open his mouth and says stupid things to a national publication, he should expect as much “understanding” as a receiver gets going across the middle of the Steelers defense.

* * *

Harrison teammate Rashard Mendenhall wants us to know the importance of free speech.
Free speech is why he’s suing the parent company of Champion, the sports apparel maker; the cool million he’s seeking in damages has nothing to do with it.

Mendenhall, you see, lost his endorsement gig with Champion after tweeting offensive nonsense about the killing of Osama bin Laden.

“For Rashard, this really is not about the money,” his lawyer said. “This is about whether he can express his opinion.”

Well, yes, Rashard, you can express an opinion, and so can Champion — by ending your employment.

* * *

North Korea wants us to know that sometimes things happen beyond our control.
Its loss to the U.S. in the Women’s World Cup, for instance, was the result of five of its players being struck by lighting at practice.

Really.

Oh, and so was the fact that several of its players tested positive for steroids. It has to do with musk deer and glands and traditional Chinese medicine but it all started with that darned lightning strike.

Lightning strike — the sort of thing usually referred to as an Act of God, a legal term for events outside of human control. But as North Korea imposes atheism on its people and doesn’t believe in God, I wonder how they …

Must be a contextual thing. Perhaps James Harrison can explain it.