If the Jeff Ireland/Dez Bryant mother dust-up shows us anything, it’s how hungry the media is for any kind of news coming out of 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 within the midst of playoff scenarios. What is this excellent news? 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 mentioned this to a columnist, who wrote ”a piece of opinionated outrage”. The internet loved talking about the issue. Ironically, the question is no longer the story, and the media is a lot more of the story.
The Jeff Ireland/Dez Bryant mother of a story
The fact is the Jeff Ireland/Dez Bryant story comes from a rich and powerful sports league obsessed with image difficulties that are affecting the chance for instant money. The NFL has 32 teams and 1,696 active players – which is not a large sample, but yearly a couple of dirt bags will set themselves apart and also the media pounces onto them with unrestrained delight. The NFL screens prospective players for “character issues.”
Dez Bryant suspension
The Dez Bryant suspension with the NCAA saddled him with “character issues” when he entered 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 select Bryant as their number one pick within the first round.
Miami Dolphins inquisitor, Jeff Ireland
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 a lot more children as a teenager, sold drugs and served a prison term. Dez Bryant has a close relationship with his mother although he had to live with relatives and family friends when growing up. Perhaps Ireland just wanted to provoke Bryant by asking if his mom was a whore. Bryant remained calm in the interview.
Jeff Ireland Miami Dolphins apology
Tuesday, Jeff Ireland apologized to Dez Bryant for asking about his mother being a prostitute after his interview became very public. Possibly getting a short term loan on a personality, he then released a statement published within the Miami Herald :
“My job is to find out as much data 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.”
This Jeff Ireland/Dez Bryant thing won’t leave
Although the Jeff Ireland/Dez Bryant story should be over with, it won’t. Cowboys could be playing Miami at Dallas for the last preseason game in 2010. It is likely that both teams will leave starters on the sidelines. As covered by the media, the story of the game won’t be on the field.
Sources
”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
