DALLAS • As the angriest man at the Super Bowl, James Harrison is in no mood for diplomacy. There's brisket being smoked all across Texas that isn't as hot Harrison right now.

This is probably an encouraging development for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who will send Harrison after Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Super Bowl XLV.

But you get the idea that Harrison would rather sack NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The Steelers' pass-rushing steam engine has been burning up all season, still livid over the $100,000 in fines levied by the commissioner for illegal hits. Harrison was so upset during the regular season that he took a day off from practice to contemplate retirement. He returned. And he resumed sacking.

"Damn right I'm bitter," Harrison said. "If you had 100 grand taken out of your pocket, wouldn't you be bitter?"

And in the final countdown to Sunday's kickoff, Harrison displays no signs of cooling down. Harrison believes he's been singled out by the commissioner's office to dissuade NFL defensive players from dropping quarterbacks, receivers and other vulnerable offensive players with vicious helmet-first shots.

"They might have been looking for a poster boy to implement their rule and they just chose me," Harrison said.

Wednesday, when asked about Goodell's judgment on these matters, Harrison did not conceal his contempt.

"I don't know if he even played peewee football," Harrison said.

Harrison mocked Goodell and the new rules by suggesting he'd offer a pillow to the Packers on Sunday so they could have a soft and safe landing when he tackled 'em. Harrison also pointed out the inconsistency of a league that says it wants to protect the players' health — while at the same time pushing to implement an 18-game regular-season schedule.

"Contradictory," Harrison said. "Just making it through a whole season without sustaining injuries is hard enough when it's only 16 games, and they want to add two more. It's not really player safety that they're worried about. They want to do whatever makes them more money, and adding two more games makes them more money."

There's something unsettling and scary about Harrison.

I listened to him twice this week and watched him as he spoke. I don't know how to explain it. You had to be there. But he doesn't shout. He doesn't pound the table. He's in control of his emotions. He speaks calmly but forcefully. But the undertone is ominous. He's smoldering. Harrison has things on his mind. And you do not want to mess with this man.

I'm thinking of the James Brown song "The Payback."

"Revenge," Brown barked. "I'm mad."

Yep, that's James Harrison.

If Harrison can't get his money back from Goodell, then he's going to make someone pay. Did we mention that Rodgers suffered two concussions earlier this season? He also seemed to be a little woozy after being clocked by Chicago's Julius Peppers in the NFC Championship game.

Rodgers has a history of concussions, so ...

"A history of concussions has nothing to do with it," Harrison said.

Uh-oh. Mr. Harrison didn't like the question. I'm going to go ahead and back up a few feet and give him some extra room.

"You want to get after a quarterback," Harrison said. "If the quarterback can sit back there and pass like it's seven-on-seven, then you're not doing your job. We need to get pressure to him to throw him off his timing, throw him off his game. It has nothing to do with concussions."

Perhaps. But Steelers linebackers are instructed to aim high on tackles instead of striking low. The Packers run a lot of five-wideout sets, which leaves Rodgers exposed.

This is why Chad Clifton may have the most thankless job at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday. Green Bay's veteran left offensive tackle will be lined up against Harrison on most passing downs.

"Harrison is a phenomenal player," Clifton said. "He is like a pit bull out there. You have to really admire the way he plays the game and the passion he plays with. He's going to give it 100 percent on every play."

And Clifton thinks flattery will slow Harrison down?

Over the last four seasons, Harrison has 45 sacks, 111 quarterback knockdowns and hurries, six roughing-the-passer penalties, two other personal fouls, 25 forced fumbles and five interceptions.

And he was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2008. Harrison capped off the '08 season by rumbling 100 yards with an interception return for a touchdown in Pittsburgh's Super Bowl win over Arizona.

That was special, eh Mr. Harrison? Must have been a great thrill. The kind of moment all players dream of.

It must have changed your life forever. …

"I don't really remember the play," he said.

(I guess he didn't like this question either.)

"We got a pick and some guys were blocking and I was running and we scored a touchdown and I needed some oxygen," Harrison said. "That's it. It didn't change my life at all. It changed the outcome of the game, but that's really about it."

Here's a sizzling sampling of the Best of Harrison during the media sessions this week:

• Why is he sounding off now? Why didn't he criticize Goodell earlier? "I might've been a little more quiet about the fines and everything because I was hoping to get a little bit of money back," Harrison said. "But now I have 100,000 reasons to speak my mind."

• On the notion that all of these illegal-hits fines reinforced the Steelers' image as an intimidating defense: "Listen, you're going to get hit if you play football. So I guess you could say 'yes.' And if you're scared, then maybe you don't need to be out there."

• Harrison doesn't understand the fuss over concussions:

"I've had concussions at the pro level. It wasn't bad enough to where I needed to come out of the game. I'll put it like this: If you don't tell them, they don't know unless you get knocked out and you're sitting there with your arm stuck in the air."

• Does Harrison expect to be fined for ripping Goodell during Super Bowl week? "If you ask me a question, I'll give you an answer. I'm not worried about anything. This is a free world. I can say what I want to as long as I don't cuss you or anything else. It's my opinion. I've never seen a rule in the NFL rule book that says I can't speak my opinion as long as I didn't use any perverse words."

Memo to the Packers: If you know what's good for you, then you must find a way to block this man.