Marvin Harrison Not Playing For a Reason

by Bruce Raffel on Mar 20, 2010 6:00 AM EDT

Former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison let his game do the talking for him while on the receiving end of so many Peyton Manning passes. Never known as a speed demon or a demonstrative performer, Harrison used his great route running skills and hands to do the talking for him. Quiet and reserved on the field as well as in the locker room, Marvin was rarely in the spotlight, but always in the highlights.

Now entering his second season without an NFL team to call home, Harrison's name seems to come up in discussions, yet he still hasn't been able to find a home after playing 13 years in Indianapolis and catching over 1100 passes, with eight Pro Bowl selections. You might be wondering why no NFL team is interested in adding his skill set and experience to their roster and this might very well be why.

Marvin Harrison made a lot of money in his NFL career, yet instead of moving to the cushy suburban lifestyle of the rich and famous, he still resides in the same area of downtown Philadelphia that he grew up in. Most of his family is either dead or in jail, with multiple brushes with the law, enough to have a very shady reputation with law enforcement officials in town. A while ago, there was a shooting in the neighborhood and according to many sources, depending on which you decide to believe, Harrison's gun was involved and perhaps even Marvin himself pulled the trigger.

For the first time since the altercation, eyewitnesses are speaking out and doing that in the 'hood usually is a one way ticket to an untimely meeting with a bullet in retaliation for speaking with the law. Gentlemen's Quarterly (GQ) Magazine's February issue has the story and interview with one of the eyewitnesses, who was hit by a stray bullet and feared for his life after the incident, thereby not speaking about what he saw that day. Now under witness protection, he is spilling the beans about what may implicate Harrison as a person that most football fans and especially Colts' fans, never expected from the mild mannered and professional demeanor of the player they knew, respected and even loved.

Without further comments from me, who just finished reading the article, check out the story in GQ by clicking here. After reading it yourself, perhaps you will alter your impression of the guy who most say is without a doubt a first ballot Hall of Famer, but might find his way into a prison before he gets into the Hall. To get a better idea of what he accomplished in the NFL, check out his career stats here. It's amazing about what we find out about the person under the helmet once they come off the field for what appears to be the final time in Harrison's case.

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Marvin Harrison

The speed and quickness that made Harrison special had left him during the 2007 season. The Colts wanted him to return in 2009 but in a reduce role and Harrison was too prideful. The reason no one pick him up was the fact that he was no longer explosive and he wanted a big contract.

The Philly “situation” may have played a role in Harrison remaining on the sidelines also. It is very interesting that Harrison has remained in the neighborhood where he grew up given all the money he has made in pro football. I have read somewhere that Harrison is referred to as the “God Farther of Philly”. Souds like this Philly story is a made for TV event or an HBO Philly version of The Wire.

by Ravens One on Mar 20, 2010 3:32 PM EDT reply actions

Maybe Harrison should show Burress thing or two about gun control

Because it sounds like he’s got it down.

"I kill myself in small amounts"

by StuckInUtah on Mar 20, 2010 4:16 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Why is this just a spin-off of the GQ article?

I have to say Mr. Raffel, I was very disappointed that you got all of your analysis and opinions based off of one reporter’s body of work (not your own) that was clearly one-sided and was more-likely-than-not asked to be done by the mother or family member of Dwight Dixon, the guy who started this whole mess simply because he wasn’t allowed into Mr. Harrison’s bar. People forget he started it all over something so petty. And if you actually read the article in full, it doesn’t support some of the things that you laid out in yours as fact. Mr. Harrison does not live in the city of Philly, he hangs out there, but lives in the suburbs. Yes, Mr. Harrison has a couple of family members that have unfortunate connections with the law, and a couple have lost their life. But he has a pretty large family and most of them are outstanding citizens and very much alive. You are edging on the side of slander. You may want to be more careful.

Also, the guy who is pointing the finger at Marvin in the GQ article, Robert Nixon, is not under witness protection (as far as I know)… he’s in JAIL! The article clearly states that the interview was done with the dude behind bars! What a source there! Do you really think he would finger someone who can’t pay for any operations he needs or pain and suffering as opposed to a millionaire that everyone else is blaming? Really?

Lastly, and this is classic didn’t-do-your-homework stuff, if you actually read the article that referred to Mr. Harrison as the “Godfather of Philly” as I did, you definitely start off reading it thinking they are going to detail him as some crime-lord, but instead they detail how he bought up a lot of the rental property in the area and became the dream landlord for all of his tenants. If they have any problem, he’s known for getting it straightened out immediately and in some cases doing the work himself (I’m sure when he couldn’t get a timely response from a contractor). That’s why they call him the Godfather of Philly. Because he literally takes care of so many of them. They love him for that. And as you have seen through this whole whack circumstance surrounding him, some hate him for that. Jealousy is a poison and it is being used to try and kill his star. But here you are trying to mischaracterize him yet again by taking the godfather reference out of context and putting it on the internet as official. Once again, slanderous. And once again, you may want to be more careful with that moving forward. Just some friendly advice. :-)

by KP88 on Apr 8, 2010 2:06 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs

by "Everyone"

… and to be clear, by “everyone else” in the last sentence of my 2nd paragraph, I mean the late Dwight Dixon and the a few other “witnesses” who apparently all had shady backgrounds and ALL had different accounts of what really happened (according to the former Philly District Attorney, not a fashion magazine reporter). They couldn’t put one of them on the stand, not one. So now we’re supposed to believe a proven criminal/hustler that is looking for a pay day. Right.

I pray they clear him of this nonsense sooner rather than later. I’m sure he can do without the stress and the continuous smearing of his name. I’m also sure the rest/break has done his body good and I’m sure he can still be a valuable asset to the right NFL team.

by KP88 on Apr 8, 2010 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Well said, sir... Rec'd.

This is an old story that keeps resurfacing every time there’s a slow news day and someone wants to inflate their number of readers with what amounts to little more than overhyped BS.
I mean, come on, there’s a reason why this “exposé” is in GQ magazine instead of Sports Illustrated.

*And it’s libelous, not slanderous, but, yes, it is.

"What do you mean 'Flash Gordon approaching'?" General Kala from the movie "Flash Gordon"

by peytonsurdaddy on Apr 9, 2010 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions