MPS: You bring up a good point, in that it’s such a rollercoaster ride of how you’re portrayed each week.

"I would never count us out," said Chicago Bears DT Tommie Harris

TH: The crazy thing to grasp is that when you look at Minnesota or you look at Cincinnati, at all these other smaller media places, they’re job is not really to bash the athlete. But, when you look at New York and Chicago, people who have made their reputation off their media, and they have superstars in their media the same way that we do as athletes, their job is to go in and be muckrakers—like yellow journalism. They go in and look for the soap opera, and that’s just stuff that you realize comes with the territory.

I find it very unprofessional at times when you talk to somebody [a reporter] on a personal basis and if I call someone a friend, I don’t think a friend should go back and say stuff. Even if that’s your job, and you look better by downing someone else, I really think about the character of a person whose job relies on how much dirt they dig up on someone else. But, that’s what they have to live with.

 MPS: It’s interesting that you keep saying that it comes with the territory—

TH: But, the good stories only come out when you play well. When you’re playing well, you’re untouchable. When you’re playing well, the media looks crazy when they’re saying something negative about the star, about the one who’s having a great year.

MPS: You make it sound like when you sign your contract, you’re also signing over your rights to the press; that you’re suddenly at the mercy of them because you just signed a deal. Is that the case?

TH: That is the case. That’s in one of the agreements—that you have to speak to the media.

MPS: But speaking to the media is very different than signing up to get raked over the coals. Is it fair that because you have a contractual obligation to talk to the media that you also have to accept being ripped apart by them?

TH: It does give them the right to do it because that’s their job. Like I said, Chicago media are like superstars. It’s one of the biggest stages of media, and you have to look forward to it. But, the way that you fix that is to play well, that’s how you get them off your back. It’s one of those things that you try to get a positive out of somehow. I’ve never had to deal with the media until this year when we [the Bears] started going down…I don’t care what they say, I just don’t like when people put words in my mouth, but I also know that when you’re a professional athlete that comes with the territory, the scrutiny and criticism.

MPS: So then, why was this the tipping point for you? If you’re used to this, and you know it comes with the territory, what was it about this particular instance that made you speak out?

TH: Because someone put words in my mouth that I did not say.

MPS: So had they just said, “Tommie played like crap this game”, but didn’t put words in your mouth—

TH: Even if they said that, if they said “he didn’t perform,” or “he hasn’t been playing like he used to,” that’s water under the bridge. But, when you come out and say, “Tommie Harris says that it was not the D-line’s fault, but it was the secondary, that’s the difference.

MPS: How often does this happen, do your words get misconstrued?

TH: All the time, but I think that this time, it was done purposely. 

MPS: Really?

TH: All this back and forth, I think it was on purpose. If they’re doing that to make me player harder, I don’t need that, but I welcome it in, I embrace it. That’s my situation.

MPS: So, they’re temperamental?

TH: Yea, but I hate how we say “the media”. When I hear “the media” that’s like when a girl says, “My father says I can’t date football players because they do this or that.” We’re not talking about the media as a whole, but there are some people that work for the media that really give them a bad name, just like there’s guys who play for the NFL that really give us a bad name.

MPS: Do you feel like from here on out you have to be that much more cognizant of what comes out of your mouth?

TH: No, I’m not a fiery guy. Most of this stuff came after a game. I came back in the locker room and they [members of the press] all came over and said “can we talk?” and I said “let’s talk”, and I starting just venting. I try to handle you guys [the media] with respect, I don’t want to be one of those guys that walk off when you guys are doing an interview just because we lost or had a bad game. I want to be able to sit with you guys and believe that you will write a story of character, or if I did play well, state it. What bothers me is when you put words in my mouth about my teammates.

MPS: In a perfect world, how would you want the media coming at you? How would they report on things?

TH: Like they have in the past. This was the only time…I take some of the blame on myself because I’m a Communications major. I know that you don’t do an interview after a game if you’re angry because you’re thoughts are not together. I wish I would’ve taken my time to think about what I was going to say first.

MPS: So to clear the air, you don’t hate the media, you’re not upset with the media, you just don’t like it when things get twisted?

TH: I just don’t like when things get twisted. I want the media to state the facts. Do it with some character, you don’t have to demoralize a person because then you sound like an idiot when you come back and talk good about them. Before you write anything, put yourself in that person’s position. When you’re coming in there [locker room] asking questions to get laughs or get a dirty story, put yourself in that person’s position and say how would I feel if someone was asking me this. But that don’t sell…yellow journalism sells. It’s difficult for me being in this league, to try to carry the same character and dignity, and then get all these shots. Every now and then you’re gonna lose it because enough is enough.

MPS: At MOUTHPIECE, the real purpose we serve is avoid misconstruing your words and in turn, disassociate ourselves with the mainstream media, which is really who we’re talking about right now. So, as a player, is there value for you to be able to speak your mind or be pissed off about a situation without it being tainted?

TH: Yea, but see, I love the media. I’m not one of those guys that hate the media, because you need the media. I do a lot of foundation stuff—I do a lot of stuff outside of football. As athletes, we are walking billboards, so it goes hand in hand; you take the good with the bad. But, you have to know as a professional that there’s going to be some good articles written about you, there’s going to be some bad articles written about you, but you have to take all of it because you need them just as well as they need you. If I was just a person who played football and didn’t do anything outside of that, it wouldn’t matter. I could be relentless with what I say, but I try to have respect when I talk with them because I need them just as much as they need me.

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