Announces 'Rally to Restore Hitting' on the National Mall in December
PITTSBURGH - Saying Roger Goodell has "too much power and is taking our league in the wrong direction," Troy Polamalu vowed today to create change, starting with a mass rally in Washington on December 23.
"I had a lot of hope for Goodell when he was elected in 2006," the Steelers safety said today. "But I think he is taking us down the wrong path. He won't even reach across the aisle to work with the players' union. A lot of football fans want change."
Indeed, the NFL Commissioner's approval ratings have fallen since his historic election, as he became the tenth-straight white guy to lead the league. But after a series of unpopular policy decisions, polls show Goodell's support has dropped to below 40 percent.
Polamalu is expected to be joined on the mall by the FEA Party ("Fined Enough Already"), an informal group of NFL players led by James Harrison. Alaska's Dick Butkus, a FEA Party favorite, tweeted his support, saying, "It's time to restore hitting and insanity to our league."
Polamalu is expecting crowds of 200,000-300,00 people. "We need to unite despite our political or religious differences and restore hitting," he said. "We even welcome non-Steelers fans, few as they may be."
Critics immediately pointed out that Polamalu's rally will occur on the 38th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, one of the most storied plays in Steelers' history. Polamalu called the scheduling "merely a coincidence," but promised to include and honor Franco Harris and Frenchy Fuqua during the event.
