If the Jeff Ireland/Dez Bryant dust is going to show us anything, it is how hungry media tends to be with anything involving the NFL. It also shows that even in the off season, the NFL will continue to dominate the sports landscape when other sports are fighting for cash now in the midst of playoff scenarios. The news? I guess Jeff Ireland, Miami Dolphins GM, asked previous Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant if his mother was a prostitute in a pre-draft interview. Bryant told this to a columnist, who wrote ”a piece of opinionated outrage”. The internet loved talking about the issue. Ironically, the media reaction has become the story, not the fact Jeff Ireland asked Dez Bryant if his mother was a prostitute.
The Jeff Ireland/Dez Bryant story
The Jeff Ireland/Dez Bryant story, or the fact is a story, comes from a rich and powerful sports league obsessed with image difficulties affecting any chance for instant money. The NFL has 32 teams and 1,696 active players – which is not a large sample, but annually a couple of dirt bags will set themselves apart and the media pounces onto them with unrestrained delight. NFL teams vigorously screen prospective talent for “character issues.”
Dez Bryant suspended
Dez Bryant was suspended by the NCAA and destroyed his junior season at Oklahoma State, and also the suspension saddled him with “character issues” when he entered into the draft. This suspension happened after Bryant visited Deion Sander, previous eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback and friend to Bryant, at his home in Texas. When the NCAA grilled Bryant about the visit, he “failed to openly disclose to the NCAA the full information of his interaction…” as outlined by a statement released by Oklahoma State. Even so, most GMs, coaches, and scouts thought he was a very talented receiver. The Dallas Cowboys were ecstatic to pick Bryant as their number one pick in the first round.
Jeff Ireland and the Miami Dolphins Inquisitor
Jeff Ireland, Miami Dolphins inquisitor, no doubt also knew, as Michael Silver reported on Yahoo! Sports, that Dez Bryant’s mother, Angela, had Dez at age 15, had two more kids as a teenager, sold drugs and served a prison term. Dez Bryant has a close relationship with his mother even though he had to live with relatives and family friends when growing up. Maybe Ireland wanted to see if he could provoke Bryant to anger by asking him if his mother was a whore. Bryant continued to be calm during the interview.
Apology Jeff Ireland Miami Dolphins
After his interview became very publicized, Jeff Ireland called Dez Bryant on Tuesday and apologized for his questioning about his mother being a prostitute. Perhaps getting a short term installment loan on a personality, he released a statement published within the Miami Herald :
“My job is to discover out as much info as possible about a player that I’m considering drafting. Sometimes that leads to asking in-depth questions. “Having said that, I talked to Dez Bryant and told him I used poor judgment in one of the questions I asked him. I certainly meant no disrespect and apologized to him. “I appreciate his acceptance of that apology, and I told him I wished him well as he embarks on his NFL career.”
Jeff Ireland/Dez Bryant won’t leave
The Jeff Ireland and Dez Bryant story should end there, but do not count on it. The final preseason game of 2010, the Cowboys will play Miami at Dallas. Both teams’ starters will stay on the sidelines. The story of the game, as covered by the media, probably won’t be on the field.
Article Resources
”a piece of opinionated outrage” (via Yahoo! Sports)
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=An2SVLsiaNOzI7amLRxRxxZDubYF?slug=ms-trippintuesday042710
The Dallas Cowboys
http://www.dallascowboys.com/
Miami Herald
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2010/04/jeff-ireland-apologizes-to-dez-bryant.html
