I'm not sure about you, but I am sick to death of seeing, hearing and reading about Michael Irvin's Hall Of Fame acceptance speech. Does anyone believe a word of it with the exception of himself and his boys (the young ones from the fruit of his loin, not the posse or the Cowpokes)? I mean really! It all really speaks back to the Paul Zeise piece I did last week. How much press did you see this week about anyone other than 88? None? That's about right. Bruce Matthews and Thurman Thomas played right in my "wheelhouse" of NFL fandom. Both were extremely classy and very professional. Instead of the networks and the NFL pushing these two fine gentlemen on us, we got Irvin and his crocodile tears shoved down our throats. So, much like Mr. Zeise said last week - had Bruce Matthews been with hookers while snorting cocaine among other things - and then made a tearful speech to his family....maybe he would have had more face time. It's disgusting. I know in my bones that Michael Irvin will screw up again. It's in his DNA. He can be lumped in with Lawrence Taylor, Dexter Manley, Doc Gooden and Steve Howe in my book. These guys get caught numerous time and make a plea to be forgiven...saying they made "bad choices"...and within a year they are back in the news for the same transgressions. One final note, when you snort coke and bang hookers, get pulled over for speeding with a crack pipe in the car....whatever.....why do sportscasters interview them with kid gloves on? Why does Chris Collinsworth have to say "Michael, you've made some bad choices.....do your kids forgive you?" Why can't he say "Michael, in the prime of your career you liked to party with Nate Newton, get you some bitches and snort cocaine off of strippers asses......what will you say to your kids when they read that on the Internet in a few years?" I wouldn't treat that smiling preacher freak any different than I'd treat a murderer. And for every guy on a panel who acts all "buddy-buddy" with him..like Deion...who knows him "beyond the persona"....would they allow their 20 year old daughter to go to Irvin's "studio" so he could help her prepare for a job in telecommunications? I think not. Playmaker? Hell yeah if the play is to lie to everyone including himself. He's not sorry for one blessed second of his past "transgressions" and "poor choices". The only thing he's sorry for is that he got caught. Believe that.
