Harvin Bashing

For the past week I've been shocked by the number of negative comments made by the media and especially the fans about Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin. He was placed on the injured reserve list last week due to a sprained ankle. He injured the ankle against the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 4. The Vikings didn't make the move to injured reserve until last week because they held out hope that his ankle would come around with rest and rehab. When it was discovered that the ligament in the joint was torn that hope died. Injuries are unfortunate but they are part of football. It's certainly not Harvin's fault that he injured his ankle. He even returned to the field against the Seahawks which, as it turned out, was probably not the best idea. The injury was especially devastating as Harvin was having such a fantastic season. His versatility impacts so much of the Vikings offense and special teams. He had been the only real threat from the receiver position and in his absence quarterback Christian Ponder has struggled often.

Percy Harvin leaves everything out on the field and he plays a pretty brutal brand of football. He never shies from contact. The manner in which he plays the game has made him a fan favorite. That's why the negativity towards him is so shocking. Most of it stems from his words and actions during the offseason. He stayed away from a mini-camp due to uncertainty with his role in the Vikings offense. Some assumed that he was grumbling about his contract. Some just saw him as another prima dona receiver. He just wants to win and just wanted to know how the team was going to use his varied skills. It was a valid concern seeing as he was standing on the sideline far too often last season. Fans started to jump off Harvin's bandwagon. Most jumped back on when he got off to such an outstanding start. He really carried the team through the first few weeks. Now that he's injured and not playing, fans and media think that he has issues. Sure, he has issues. He's injured and he wants to be playing football. He's not happy right now. He's a competitor and he wants to help his team get into the playoffs. People think that he has an attitude problem because he hasn't been on the sideline like other injured players. Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher have been mentioned. Different person, different situation. People have to accept that not all players see everything exactly as we want them to. Many fans and some idiot media say that Harvin's throwing a fit because of money. I still say that he's unhappy because he's not playing. Radio announcer and former Vikings linebacker Pete Bercich thinks that Harvin has played his last game for the Vikings. I think that Bercich is an idiot. None other than the owner of the team has stated that signing Harvin to a long term contract is on the "to do" list for this offseason. I tend to believe the owner rather than a radio hack.

Percy Harvin has been an incredible football player for the Minnesota Vikings. I think that continues and that the fickle fans will forget all about their bitching about him when something new comes around to bitch about.