James Harrison Punching Aaron Francisco!
Filed in Sports on Feb.02, 2009
Harrison is a dirty player. Look at this video where he pummels Aaron Francisco who is about 100 pounds smaller than him. He only gets a 15 yard penalty. He should have been ejected from the game! That could have been the difference between the Cardinals winning versus what happened. Harrison had just had anger management and counseling too for hitting his wife! I suppose he wasn’t paying attention much!
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:51 am
there sadly was no call on this, the call was on someone else for something unrelated
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:43 am
WOW! Now I know why the tv was on, but I was doing other stuff during the Super Bowl…Lord Have Mercy! If I was a Francisco family member, I’d be hauling his ass off to court!!!!!!!!!
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:26 am
Why do people always take this so seriously? I mean it’s a game, not life or death.
littledanny99@hotmail.com
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:06 am
The guy dove at his knees. Thats a cheap shot in itself and scary for players as it can cause major injury. I believe he was justified
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:29 am
This was a disgrace. They threw a flag, but even John Madden noted that Harrison should have been ejected from the game. I don’t care if this was the Super Bowl, you can’t just attack a player like that. It sullies the game when you allow that to happen and you only penalize a team 15 yards.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:14 am
Like the guy said above, Aaron Francisco dove at this knees before this play. Anyone see showing replays of that?
Harrison embarrassing Aaron after is payback for him trying to take him out of the game or even risk his career.
Have an open mind people…
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:17 am
Post possession foul….. It would not have been the difference and its a contact game any court would have thrown this out b4 it got to trail.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:21 am
Why do people take this so seriously?
Because millions of people are watching and that’s plain and unadulterated bad sportsmanship. And of those millions of people watching, millions of kids that “look up” to these people. The sad part is, I can’t believe someone on his team didn’t come out of nowhere and punk Harrison and tag his butt like a runaway truck….nice teammates.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:33 am
Seemed fine to me. It’s football not soccer. I am not a Steelers fan or a Cardinals fan. It’s a tough sport and those men would eat us for breakfast.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:36 am
There’s nothing illegal here, I see some very physical play but this is football, people. Have any of you who are so upset ever played it? You’re not supposed to be nice to the guys on the other side of the line if you didn’t realize. If you’re not aggressive you won’t win. There were no cheap shots in this video. Francisco is just a bitch and can’t hold his own, that’s the only thing I see here.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:38 am
I think when John Madden himself says you have gone too far, you have gone too far. In the end, the Steelers were given a half-the-distance-to-the-goal penalty…about 2 feet. Harrison later threw some blows at Boldin on the sidelines…I know it is an exciting, nervous game for the players and that football is a violent sport, but Harrison was not showing any self control. Congrats to him for his TD return, but it will be a few years before his behavior won’t be mentioned alongside his highlight.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:46 am
As an Australian NFL fan. I have to say that is not really a punch in my books. I know the rules in NFL for lashing out like that are tough and well it could have been ejected in regular season but seriously it was a push or a shove of the highest order.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:51 am
The flag on this was a Personal Foul on Harrison, and this is how special teams goes if you played or have watched a lot of football. He should’ve let him get to his feet then take him down again, that is why there was a flag. There isn’t a player on the Cardinals who could punk Harrison, they didn’t want a piece of him that is why no one did it. This is man football, this is why the Steelers are 6 time Super Bowl Champions. This is why the Cardinals have never won anything and never will. Francisco dove at Harrison’s knees, trying to take him out. If you don’t want the horns don’t piss off the bull.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:57 am
It’s a game. It’s over. AND they got paid more than most of us will earn in a lifetime for that one game. I’ll take a couple of beatings from a physically larger guy for that kind of bank roll!
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:58 am
Dive at the knees = bad
(Ste) Roid Rage punching = Worse
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:00 am
That is poor sportsmanship and Harrison should have been thrown from the game he purposely went after that guy and kept pummeling him. This is not fisticuffs and to let this go by is disgraceful. They should lose the title for this act.
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:40 am
Hey, look at what happened right before this starts, he tried to break Harrison’s kneee, or at least tear a CL.. Tom Brady @ Kansas City style, possibly career ending
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:49 am
What about when Francisco hit Harrison in the balls? That’s not on the replays! I can understand Harrison’s aggression, he was held on almost every play and only got a call on it a few times, then he gets hit in the balls. If anything they both should have been ejected. If someone hit me in the balls on purpose I know I would start throwing punches.
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:53 am
He’s exempt from the rules because of his touchdown. He’s not subject to our lower form of being honorable. Same goes for his wife. She must not have recognized his awesomeness.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:02 am
“Why do people always take this so seriously? I mean it’s a game, not life or death.”
You call this taking it too seriously? A gigantic, terrifying man committed assault in that video. It wasn’t even intended to help the team win; he was just taking out his anger. If it weren’t a game, he’d be in jail!
Of course I don’t think he should be in jail, but that’s because the NFL is supposed to be its own police. It’s their job to keep the culture of football under control and protect the players, and they dropped the ball here.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:20 am
Disgusting. Football is quickly going to go the way of Professional Basketball. Some players get away with murder. In basketball, Shaq can stay in the paint and not pull the foul - because he is Shaq. It’s a wink and a nod from the ref’s and the league. To nuetralize a good fottball defensive squad, don’t call any holding penalties - that will make a mediocre quarterback like Tony Romo look like a genius. What the folks that “controll” this sport don’t realize that this eventually will destroy the game. You can’t tilt the game for the story line you want. Greed will kill the goose. Harrison should have been ejected. At this point, the Steelers should be stripped of the title. Winning this way is sad - obviously the league liked the Steelers “story line” better than the Cardinals. So go pay $500 for a ticket and $10 bucks for watery beer - as it’s been said before - there’s one born every minute. SUCKER!
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:21 am
Actually the result was not a 15 yard penalty, the personal foul resulted in a half the distance to the goal from the end of the play penalty. The ball was inside the 1 yard line at the time, so almost no movement of the ball was made.
Regardless of him needing to be ejected, the penalty assessed was accurate, and should not have been called any other way.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:37 am
Punching? Come on, give me a break.
This happens on every play in the NFL. It is called taking your man out of the play. Instead of pancaking him, he just shoved him over when he tried to get up. The play was still going, it was before the whistle.
This is good aggressive football.
Ejected? You guys need to go back to watching tennis. This is football.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:39 am
Its called a block and finishing the play to the whistle. No wonder your football teams are losers.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:42 am
Boo-freakin’-hoo. What did he do? He pushed him. He pushed him, and he held him down. If you actually believe those to be punches, look at where he’s “punching” him. The armor these guys wear will stop a truck, much less a fist. Yeah, it was unsportsmanlike, but we’ve seen worse. Far, far worse.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:42 am
I don’t recall if the flag was thrown for this or not at the moment, but this was a good play by Harrison. His hand was open when he hit him, which is legal. Harrison plays tough, the guy tried to run away when he got up, love it.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:56 am
An open handed slap on the back and a push is cause for ejection? hmm…
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:57 am
Aw Jesus, some of you people who probably have never even played high school football simply don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Harrison performed a “pancake” on him to keep him out of the play. I was first taught that move as a freshman tackle in high school on the JV team. Was it illegal? No. Was his intensity a little over zealous? Probably, yes. BUT, if you try a cut block on a punt knowing full well you could jack someone’s knee up, you take your chances and wear your big boy shorts when they remind you that throwing a potential “career ending type of injury” move on another player is just not kosher. It wasn’t in high school, college nor is in the pros; where a player’s lively hood could be on the line.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:57 am
Steelers tried to give the game to the Cards. Cards need to accept that their team couldn’t get it done. Both teams had a great season and were not picked to go the distance. Hard fought classic football game.
There is no closed fist punch. He hit a down player thats what got him the appropriate 15 personal foul. Madden, who now is the worst announcer in pro football, started that closed fist emo. I am all for honoring a legacy, but Madden is wrong and/or off topic about 90% of the time.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:02 am
it’s so funny to hear people complain that the REF’s some how won this game for Pittsburgh. (i.e. not ejecting Harrison, or the fumble call at the end of the game). hmmm…have we already forgotten that they DIDN’T give Roethlisberger the touchdown dive at the beginning of the game? have we already forgotten the safety called on a holding penalty? The game was called fair, all across the board…get over your loss and quit being babies about it. The only thing worse than a sore-winner is a sore-looser!!!
And we call this assault? Seriously? Francisco tried a cheap shot on Harrison that could have taken him out of the game. At least Harrison has the nerve to get up in face and challenge him!!!
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:08 am
The NFL should fine and suspend him. Also he was not chopped blocked…I’m not sure which game some of you were watching.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:19 am
Now, while this looks pretty bad, you all do need to consider that before this well edited footage, there was a pretty bad shot taken at Harrison. If someone tried to break your knees, you might want to retaliate, just a little, don’t you think?
Football is a rough sport, and ALL of the members of BOTH teams know that. Should he have hit the guy? I think so…. Should he have let it go on so long? Maybe not. But, honestly, people….”A gigantic, terrifying man??” None of these guys are tiny, or wimpy. They knew what they were getting into when they started playing pro.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:20 am
James Harrison was on his way to becoming MVP of the Super Bowl before this outburst. It’s amazing how quickly he went from hero to villain. He is an embarassment to football. So much god given talent but nothing between the ears to control his emotions.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:35 am
The bottom line is Football isn’t about punching. It doesn’t matter how rough and tumble the sport is, punching people clearly doesn’t belong in it.
I can say this. I’m an amateur boxer, so I play a sport where the ultimate goal IS to punch the other person. If someone goes down, and I hit them in the back like that and acted that way in the ring, I would be disqualified in a heartbeat. It doesn’t matter if I’m in some no name local tournament or the Olympic qualifying tournament. That kind of behavior is unacceptable.
Besides. Hitting someone when they’re down and in the back is pretty cowardly. Especially when you outweigh him by a 100 lbs. I can’t believe the people in here really think they can justify that. It’s probably the only way you’ve won all your fights too.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:36 am
If you have never had someone hit or try to hit you in the knees while playing football, then you have no idea how angering it can be. It is such a cheap and dangerous move for the player getting hit. I believe he was kind of justified. But still deserves the penalty.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:54 am
I am a Steelers fan and I don’t think Harrison’s actions were justified but football is a game of toughness and violent acts on every play not a tennis match. I don’t think we should be going to court over it or getting so upset. How many other scuffles didn’t the camera catch? And to lost the title but this one act…come on!! get real. Watch golf if you can’t handle it.
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:09 am
What Fransisco did was within the rules, what Harrison did wasn’t. Plain and simple.
“Don’t piss off the bull” When a bull starts goring people it gets shot. When Harrison starts punching people he should be ejected. Thank you for proving everyone’s point Mike.
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:13 am
He did nothing wrong. I play college ball and I’m told that If I’m in that situation, I’m supposed to do exactly what Harrison did. Knock them down, let them up to their knees, and knock them down again. You have to let them up because if you don’t its considered a holding penalty. He did nothing wrong.
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:23 am
I’m a Steelers fan, and was extremely happy that they won the Superbowl, but his behavior is unacceptable, and he should’ve been ejected from the game.
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:25 am
Its football - a violent sport. I’m not condoning Harrisson’s actions - that is a flag for sure. But blocking a guy while he’s down and the play continues, is perfectly legal. For you geeks who’ve never played the sport - this type of block happens ALL THE TIME. The punch is uncalled for, and the refs didn’t see it, so he got away with it. You know what goes on underneath a pile in a fumble recovery? This is tame compared to that. And Harrisson doesn’t outweigh Francisco by 100lbs either - he weighs 250… Francisco comes in at around 200. If a guy goes for your knee, like Francisco did, it is an unwritten rule that retaliation is a fair just dessert. And “linda” - having the title taken away for action like this just shows how much you really know about football. Puuuhhhleeezze.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Remember going for the knee as a block is legal. It is sad when this is how you have to win Super Bowls, illegal hitting and acting like a thug on the field ie… Tedy Bruschi and is gang of thugs. The NFL will catch up with him as they always do.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Might have been nice to see the whole video. Players don’t take well to dives at the knees.
But notice the open hand contact - that’s why he wasn’t ejected. No fist. Tossing him down was a little much, but had he closed his first to actually punch him, then he should have been ejected.
it looked like Ike Taylor and Anquan Boldin did throw closed-fisted punches on the sideline later… now they should have been tossed, according to the rules…
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:15 pm
To patrick - February 3rd, 2009 at 10:02 am
Before you start talking about reffing, you need to go read the rules. Roethlisberger didn’t get a touchdown, because he didn’t make it there! I saw it the first time around, and couldn’t believe that they gave him a touchdown at first. It was a blatant and obvious call that he was short of the end zone.
And even more so, you need to read up on your rules of penalties in the end zone. A holding call, or intentional grounding, that happens in the end zone is a safety! That wasn’t the ref’s choice. That’s the rules of the game. Sorry if you don’t like it, that’s how it is.
I went into the game rooting for the Steelers, and came out happy that they won. However, during the game, I was rooting for the Cardinals, because they did have the Refs against them. It wasn’t absolutely terrible calls, but it was by no means a fair game. So just because your team wins, does not automatically make it fair game!!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Now that I’ve seen it a few times, I don’t think it was a cheap shot by Harrison at all. First off, he wasn’t punching him, his hand was open, his palm was what hit Franscisco’s back. Second, he “did” get penalized for the excess shoving, so it wasn’t without consequence (and 15 yards is the maximum, people). And third, do you really think Francisco didn’t say/do something to cause Harrison to do that? I want to see video 30 seconds to a minute before that happened. I would also like to add that listening to John Madden say he should have been thrown out is basically a joke to me. Madden doesn’t make any sense half the time anyways, why listen to his opinion when he said it after he only saw what happened once (it being live).
If you pick at “any” game you’ll find stuff like this, it’s just because it was the Super Bowl that people complain. So I say let it go, Steelers won, maybe the Cardinals will win next year. Good game overall!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:52 pm
For all the morons justifying his actions by claiming its a violent sport i have one piece of advice to you. Do not have kids, because you people will be by far the worst parents for the youth of America. Punching a player in any sport besides obvious fighting sports such as boxing, MMA, etc is unacceptable and he needed to be ejected from the game for such a disgusting display of “sportsmanship.” He dove at his knees? Guys lose balance, he didnt try to injure Harrison but Harrison obviously tried to hurt Fransisco.
Mike: Are you blind or just dumb? he was PUNCHING him not knocking him down. Maybe youve been hit in the head too much or something but that is not how you play football. You call this a mans game? well Harrison just acted like a boy not a man. A Man wouldnt try to punch someone mid game and lose his cool.
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Penality worthy…sure. Dirty…hmmmm. Ejection worty…No.
OK…technically, it was a ‘punch’ but, in a very loose sense. The video clearly shows it was with an open palm (black glove, white fingers). It was more like a thrust. Other than being in the back…it was no different than what the lineman do every play of every game.
Sure it was to his back; but, it certainly wasn’t dirty as it was open palmed and he hit the scapula pad of his shoulder pads. It’s not like he stomped on his hand or kidney punched him.
My guess is the only reason the flags were thrown because Harrison didn’t let up after the play ended. The first “push” after he got up was legal…I believe the play was still going on and it was technically a block.
I think the play had ended by the second time Francisco got up (where he put the hand on harrison’s chest). Even if Harrison didn’t push him again, I think he would have gotten called for taunting as first flag comes in as Harrison is looming over him. The other two flags appear as he is pushing him.
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Yeah, but did you see Francisco tried to kill Harrison’s family before all of this. I would be pretty pissed if someone tried to kill my family so I can understand Harrison being so pissed. Plus I heard Francisco killed his dog and spit on his car. Good job James Harrison.
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:33 pm
FRANCISCO DID NOT TRY AND BREAK HIS KNEE CAPS! I’ve been playing football all my life and that was the lamest, softest chop block I have ever seen, he basically laid down slowly to act as a speed bump…trying to break someone’s kneecaps, you dive at their knees head first….Harrison should have been thrown out.
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Punch? That wasn’t a punch. He pushed him. The penalty came because he pushed him again without letting him up. Harrison showed restraint after being cheap shotted, but this video is obviously biased, only showing one side of the story. And it’s laughable that people say he should have been ejected, ever seen a football game?
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Anyone who says Francisco dove at his knees clearly does not understand football. Francisco was on the coverage team, trying to get around the BLOCKER (Harrison) to get downfield and tackle the punt returner. It is in Francisco’s best interest to AVOID contact, not initiate it. Go to youtube and watch the whole play from an objective point of view. If he had been trying to take out Harrison’s knees, that’s what he would have done. He had the chance to but he didn’t because he was trying to get around him and lost his footing. This was just plain dirty.