When the news broke that Indianapolis wide receiver and perennial All-Pro Marvin Harrison was allegedly involved in a shooting incident, I'd wager I wasn't the only one surprised. Harrison is one of those soft-spoken, borderline boring athletes that you never hear anything about. He shows up, works hard and stays out of trouble off the field.

Or so I thought.

The sports blogosphere is ablaze this morning over an article by ESPN the Magazine's Shaun Assael and Peter Keating that blows the lid off that notion.

"For years, though, Harrison has offered clues that he is serious about protecting his turf, and a more complicated man than we see in games. On Jan. 4, 2003, before kickoff of an AFC wild-card game at the Meadowlands, Harrison was catching passes from Manning as Jets ball boys shagged punts from New York's Matt Turk. One of them, a 23-year-old Long Islander named Matt Prior, threw a ball downfield that bounced near Harrison. According to a New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority report--and two people on the field--No. 88 felt the toss violated his personal space. He charged Prior, bumping him in the chest.

"You threw the ball at me!" Harrison screamed. "You're a professional! You should do your job better than that!" Everyone on the field froze. Prior asked Harrison to back away. Instead, Harrison grabbed Prior by the throat and lifted him off the ground. While fans watching on the stadium's video screen chanted for their ball boy to fight back, players and workers tried to separate the two. As Harrison argued with security, Prior was taken to a medical station, where marks were found around his neck.

Really just an astounding read and definitely worth your time.

You Have No Idea   (ESPN the Magazine)