After Super Bowl XLVI, many athletes turned to Twitter to share their reactions. Although most of the posts centered on congratulating the New York Giants for beating the New England Patriots with a final score of 21-17, James Harrison had a different reaction. This linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers posted a comment on his official Twitter account that has drawn a lot of hate.
Response from James Harrison
At the conclusion of the Super Bowl, James Harrison posted, “Told you, cheaters never win!!!!!!!!!” The comment initially appeared on his Twitter account and was also seen on his Facebook account. Harrison later apologized for his response by adding that he was “sorry” and congratulated the Giants on winning the Super Bowl. His comment on Feb. 5 was related to a previous post he made on Feb. 4 while trying to predict the outcome of the game. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker also expressed his wish to see the Giants win the Super Bowl.
Loving the Hate
James Harrison seems to be enjoying the reaction from fans. Some people have responded to his posts on Twitter and Facebook with negative comments. Harrison has been called a “hater” and has been criticized for posting on Twitter. On the other hand, Harrison has also found support for his reaction to the Super Bowl. Some fans agreed with his views of the Patriots and reminisced about the controversial “Spygate” incident.
Harrison has actually been encouraging the hate from fans by posting more comments on Twitter. Apparently he has failed to reach his goal of becoming a trending topic. He posted, “Wow! I didn’t even trend with that, come on people love or hate me more!” James Harrison is obviously not fazed by negativity.
Remembering “Spygate”
The Patriots’ loss at Super Bowl XLVI, has reminded many of “Spygate.” It was a 2007 controversy that involved the Patriots illegally videotaping their opponents to study their signals. Bill Belichick was eventually fined $500,000, and the team had to pay an additional $250,000. Despite winning three Super Bowls before “Spygate,” the New England Patriots have not won the championship since the incident.
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Lana has a B.S. degree in Biology and Chemistry. She is an avid athlete, youth coach and follows several sports. Follow @Lana_Bandoim on Twitter.