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Dolphins GM asked Dez Bryant if mom was prostitute | Apologizes after

It think the point of the question is being missed.

Let me ask you a question, would you give 15 million dollars to a player who is A: emotionally compromised and B: mentally unable to control his actions on and off the field? IMO that was the sole purpose of the question so the Miami Dolphins do not have to deal with a Rapist-berger, Holmes, Burress, Pac Man Jones or any other player off field incident. If Bryant could answer that question, with control and positive, he passed the test. If not, if he exploded or went off, you think players on the field and reporter off the field won't ask similar questions to get a rise out of him? Say TMZ or somebody ask Bryant that same question and he goes off on the reporter and gets suspended 6 games or even for the year. who pays the 15 million back? Nobody, it's money down the drain.

Another team asked Tebow "Is God going to get in your way of being an NFL QB?"

Team asked Gerhart if he felt "entitled" because he was a "white" RB

You people need to understand, this isn't a everyday corporation. In corporate America, that question would get HR fired, but in a business where giving a player 15-25 million guaranteed is a common occurrence, that player better answer every freaking offensive and personal question I ask before I invest that kind of money in him. Like I said, he goes off his rocker off the field, I loose 15 Million on a head case...

Finally someone who gets it. People act like there haven't been tons and tons of wasted draft picks in the first round due to immaturity and off the field problems from guys who can't handle tough questions like that and can't handle unexpected things being said to them to where they end up going off and getting arrested or suspended. Especially at the WR position where there have been a ton of busts from the first round (Mike Williams, Braylen Edwards, Charles Rodgers, and etc.) who were immature and didn't know how to carry themselves and respond to adverse situations.

There was nothing wrong with that question at all. Any employer who is about to invest Millions of dollars into you and make you the face of their franchise has ever right to know anything they want to know about you or your upbringing and how you might respond to things that aren't expected.

These guys are adults and not children. Just about any company in North America would want to know about a guy's adversity and upbringing if that employer was aware or at least heard that the player had been around a ton of drugs and prostitution by his own mother growing up. Why wouldn't a potential employer want to know how that might have effected that person and how they bounced back from that?

Oh and let's not forget about the fact that the player that was just asked the question was just kicked out of college football by the NCAA and hurt his team's chances by not being around when they needed him on the field. Hell the guy's already got a checkered history regarding suspensions and not being able to play due to poor decisions. Ireland was doing his job exactly how he should have and if I were the Dolphins owner I'd be glad that I had a guy who was looking out for my investments.
 
What I want to know is if Dez Bryant's mom is NOT a prostitute then why was he drafted by the Dallas Cowboys? That is out of character for them.
 
Finally someone who gets it. People act like there haven't been tons and tons of wasted draft picks in the first round due to immaturity and off the field problems from guys who can't handle tough questions like that and can't handle unexpected things being said to them to where they end up going off and getting arrested or suspended. Especially at the WR position where there have been a ton of busts from the first round (Mike Williams, Braylen Edwards, Charles Rodgers, and etc.) who were immature and didn't know how to carry themselves and respond to adverse situations.

There was nothing wrong with that question at all. Any employer who is about to invest Millions of dollars into you and make you the face of their franchise has ever right to know anything they want to know about you or your upbringing and how you might respond to things that aren't expected.

These guys are adults and not children. Just about any company in North America would want to know about a guy's adversity and upbringing if that employer was aware or at least heard that the player had been around a ton of drugs and prostitution by his own mother growing up. Why wouldn't a potential employer want to know how that might have effected that person and how they bounced back from that?

Oh and let's not forget about the fact that the player that was just asked the question was just kicked out of college football by the NCAA and hurt his team's chances by not being around when they needed him on the field. Hell the guy's already got a checkered history regarding suspensions and not being able to play due to poor decisions. Ireland was doing his job exactly how he should have and if I were the Dolphins owner I'd be glad that I had a guy who was looking out for my investments.

Ok so if you were in an interview with a company and they ask you if your mom was a prostitute. You'd have no problem with the question? You'd have no problem that the question has no relevance to your work ethic, your accomplishments, your past job performance, or anything work related?

As for Dez Bryants "checkered" past. The suspension was his first and only suspension. He hasn't had a history of drug problems. No DUI or public intoxication. No Pacman Jones Posse. There hasn't been any big grumblings about his work ethic on the field.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/042010dnspotaylorcol.3ad5f5a.html

IMO the suspension the NCAA levied was above and beyond what it should've been. Then again, I don't think any suspension should've happened. It's not like he was caught stealing shoes ala Florida State players, not like there was any scandals involving textbooks in like in Alabama ( We drafted one of those players that got suspended, Caldwell), or it' not like he received free money for supposed work ata car dealership like Rhett Bomar at OU.

He was just hanging out with Deion Sanders.

I guess I also find it funny that they had no problem taking Brandon Marshall and his antics, but gave Bryant a hard time about his mom.
 
Umm. Getting upset when someone asks if your mom was a hooker and slept with a ton of guys for money is NOT A CHARACTER FLAW! It's a rational normal reaction and asking "that" question is not a "character test", there's no way to defend that question. And don't tell me about the 15 million dollar contact B.S. Just because you're in position to hand out a 15 million dollar contract that doesn't give you the right to be a ignorant asshole.

Making someone upset by calling their mom a whore IS NOT A CHARACTER TEST and it ISN'T going to uncover any character flaws, because it's a NORMAL reaction to get upset when someone calls your mom a whore. Honestly I would have done alot worse.

Look, I know teams ask tough questions, but this wasn't a "tough question". It was a inappropriate question...a unprofessional question, that crossed the line and it should of never been asked.

I had a member in my family that became a prostitute and everybody in the town knew who she was and what she did. I used to hear about it at school all the time....do you not think Dez Bryant has never been asked that question before or has not been "tested for a character flaw" before (:rolleyes: what a load of crock), umm I'm pretty sure he heard people talking about his mom on a daily basis. Seriously THINK ABOUT IT, if he was going to flip out he WOULD HAVE DONE IT ALREADY.

The fact that he was able to keep his head on straight and make it out of that situation and make something out of himself despite the fact that his mom might have been doing those things and despite the fact that while growing up everybody knew his mom was doing "things" tells me all I need to know about his "character". I don't need some jackass G.M. showing his ass while interviewing a young NFL prospect.

Like I said earlier Roger Goodell needs to put a stop to questions like this, they don't do anything....they aren't character testers at all. These kids are smart enough to know you can't flip out...they've all been coached, their agents hire people TO COACH THEM. So the questions are just going to get more and more off the wall stupid until somebody has to hear their mom being called a whore when all he's trying to do is start a NFL career. Give me a break.
 
Genuine question... What's the difference between a politician's family tree being dragged through the mud by opponents and this?
 
Dez Bryant was asked if his mom was a prostitute. That was uncalled for. Because of this, I hope he has a great career. Doesn't mean I want the Cowboys to succeed though, because I don't. ;)
 
Umm. Getting upset when someone asks if your mom was a hooker and slept with a ton of guys for money is NOT A CHARACTER FLAW! It's a rational normal reaction and asking "that" question is not a "character test", there's no way to defend that question. And don't tell me about the 15 million dollar contact B.S. Just because you're in position to hand out a 15 million dollar contract that doesn't give you the right to be a ignorant asshole.

Making someone upset by calling their mom a whore IS NOT A CHARACTER TEST and it ISN'T going to uncover any character flaws, because it's a NORMAL reaction to get upset when someone calls your mom a whore. Honestly I would have done alot worse.

Look, I know teams ask tough questions, but this wasn't a "tough question". It was a inappropriate question...a unprofessional question, that crossed the line and it should of never been asked.

I had a member in my family that became a prostitute and everybody in the town knew who she was and what she did. I used to hear about it at school all the time....do you not think Dez Bryant has never been asked that question before or has not been "tested for a character flaw" before (:rolleyes: what a load of crock), umm I'm pretty sure he heard people talking about his mom on a daily basis. Seriously THINK ABOUT IT, if he was going to flip out he WOULD HAVE DONE IT ALREADY.

The fact that he was able to keep his head on straight and make it out of that situation and make something out of himself despite the fact that his mom might have been doing those things and despite the fact that while growing up everybody knew his mom was doing "things" tells me all I need to know about his "character". I don't need some jackass G.M. showing his ass while interviewing a young NFL prospect.

Like I said earlier Roger Goodell needs to put a stop to questions like this, they don't do anything....they aren't character testers at all. These kids are smart enough to know you can't flip out...they've all been coached, their agents hire people TO COACH THEM. So the questions are just going to get more and more off the wall stupid until somebody has to hear their mom being called a whore when all he's trying to do is start a NFL career. Give me a break.

Repped.

Let's see...Ditka one of the biggest disciplanarians and hard asses in the history of the league thinks it is b.s. yet people here think it is a normal question because a guy, who has never committed a crime or drank or done drugs, was late a few times and hung out with Deion. Nice rationale.
 
Genuine question... What's the difference between a politician's family tree being dragged through the mud by opponents and this?

I don't think it's ever OK to walk up to someone and ask them if their mother is a prostitute.

For a person seeking public office, they're going to know that this sort of thing is going to come up if there's even a hint of impropriety in their parents' pasts. They know it's coming and they've prepared for it. (Even though I think it's in extremely poor taste regardless of the circumstances.) In a public servant, having a parent of questionable morals like that would be seen as probably opening the would be public servant to possible blackmail attempts and would leave their judgment in question.

But for an athlete? I don't see a any reason to ask this. They can have investigators dig up whatever dirt they can find from someone's home life and they can let that questionable upbringing weigh into their decision on whether to sign/pick a guy or not. But to me, it's despicable to come out and ask a kid this. The only reason I can see to do it is to try to get a rise out of the kid. If you think the kid's got issues, then you've got to expect him to go ballistic when you ask something like that. It speaks well for the kid that he didn't but he shouldn't have been put in that sort of situation during an interview. IMO.
 
I don't fault the Dolphins. If I'm going to pay someone millions of dollars, no matter for what job, I need to know that they can perform well under stress and won't allow their emotions to affect their decisions.

Dez Bryant will hear a lot worse on the field.
 
I don't fault the Dolphins. If I'm going to pay someone millions of dollars, no matter for what job, I need to know that they can perform well under stress and won't allow their emotions to affect their decisions.

Dez Bryant will hear a lot worse on the field.

But you're prepared for it on the field.

You're walking into a "business meeting" and you're hoping to make a good impression on a guy that may be your future boss and he asks about your mother being a whore? That has nothing to do with performing well under stress. You're not ready for that. You're not expecting that. That's an ambush.
 
I don't fault the Dolphins. If I'm going to pay someone millions of dollars, no matter for what job, I need to know that they can perform well under stress and won't allow their emotions to affect their decisions.

Dez Bryant will hear a lot worse on the field.

I will say it once again. If you are going to ask a question like this for the shock factor, then once you see the result you explain yourself. This guy was just a douche bag and if he did not think it was wrong, he would not have apoligized.
 
How about simply asking Dez Bryant if he would please tell them all about his struggles in life. And, how has he overcome those? What has he learned from those situations? Etc., etc.

I bet you'd get some very good responses. And if you don't, then you ought to know when someone is B.S.'ing and when they are truthful and sincere in their answers about things.

What we have here is a person's desire to try and crush a guy in the interview to get a reaction. It was an ambush, as someone else said. And it was an ambush by someone the player is supposed to WANT to play for.

Everyone talks about the $15 million payday and how hard it is to write that check to someone who might flake out. I say this: How hard is it to accept the $15 million and work your ass off for it, play through pain, avoid getting into trouble now that you're rich, make all the meetings and all the demands for your time on and off the field, all the while knowing that your boss slimed you in the interview?

LOL. Dez Bryant is more of a man than the Dolphins GM.
 
I mean, if someone asked ME this... There is no way in hell I would work for this person. I don't care how much money the guy was thinking about offering me and whether no one is going to offer me as much. I would tell him to go to hell and I'd stand up and walk out.

If this guy is that much of a jerk, then he's going to do other things much, much worse than asking me about my mother's sexual history. Things that I don't want to have any part of. This is not a person I would work for.
 
I would let any one of you "people" ask me about my mothers whorish ways if I knew there was 15million bucks coming afterwords. And hey, you don't even have to apologize to me!

People are getting upset that a prospect for the game of football could have possibly gotten his feelings hurt by some words.

I wonder who asked Ray Lewis about his mother when he was going to be drafted.
 
Thank God the NFLPA gets it more than some here

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/news/story?id=5143497

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said Wednesday the treatment of Dallas Cowboys first-round pick Dez Bryant and other prospective draft picks needs to be conducted in a professional manner......

"We need to make sure the men of this league are treated as businessmen," Smith said in a statement. "During interviews, our players and prospective players should never be subjected to discrimination or degradation stemming from the biases or misconceptions held by team personnel. NFL teams cannot have the free reign to ask questions during the interview process which can be categorized as stereotyping or which may bring a personal insult to any player as a man."
 
I mean, if someone asked ME this... There is no way in hell I would work for this person. I don't care how much money the guy was thinking about offering me and whether no one is going to offer me as much. I would tell him to go to hell and I'd stand up and walk out.

If this guy is that much of a jerk, then he's going to do other things much, much worse than asking me about my mother's sexual history. Things that I don't want to have any part of. This is not a person I would work for.

Ok step down from your moral high horse and come back to reality. No freaking way you would get up and walk out of a room and leave 15 million dollars on the table.

You would do what 98% of the people in America would do, sit there, take the questioning and go cash your 15 million dollar check.

It is so easy for you or anybody else to say cause you have never been in that situation so please just stop...
 
How about simply asking Dez Bryant if he would please tell them all about his struggles in life. And, how has he overcome those? What has he learned from those situations? Etc., etc.

I bet you'd get some very good responses. And if you don't, then you ought to know when someone is B.S.'ing and when they are truthful and sincere in their answers about things.

What we have here is a person's desire to try and crush a guy in the interview to get a reaction. It was an ambush, as someone else said. And it was an ambush by someone the player is supposed to WANT to play for.

Everyone talks about the $15 million payday and how hard it is to write that check to someone who might flake out. I say this: How hard is it to accept the $15 million and work your ass off for it, play through pain, avoid getting into trouble now that you're rich, make all the meetings and all the demands for your time on and off the field, all the while knowing that your boss slimed you in the interview?

LOL. Dez Bryant is more of a man than the Dolphins GM.

Not hard at all, give me 15 million dollars you can ask every freaking question in the book because at days end, they are just questions and nothing more. GM wants to know if my mother was a prostitute, my sister was in porn, my brother likes men and if my daddy is a alcoholic....

I would look at him, smile and say the following....NO,NO,NO,YES
anything else you would like to know?

Then calmly get up, cash my check if/when they drafted me and go play ball. Like I said 98% of America would do the same thing....

Maybe I am just thicker skinned than most but I don't sweat the petty things and I don't pet sweaty thing....
 
Not hard at all, give me 15 million dollars you can ask every freaking question in the book because at days end, they are just questions and nothing more. GM wants to know if my mother was a prostitute, my sister was in porn, my brother likes men and if my daddy is a alcoholic....

I would look at him, smile and say the following....NO,NO,NO,YES
anything else you would like to know?

Then calmly get up, cash my check if/when they drafted me and go play ball. Like I said 98% of America would do the same thing....

Maybe I am just thicker skinned than most but I don't sweat the petty things and I don't pet sweaty thing....

I agree with your line of thinking, but I also think Dez is a horse of a different color and came from a broken house and bad circumstances which changes everything.

You and I who had normal upbringings, and our mom's who werent whores, sure you can ask that, and I can say no. But if your mom was a whore when you were growing up, that might really have affected you mentally, you might feel differently.

And to top it off the phins GM asked him the question, dez calmly answered the question and they STILL didnt draft him. So just because you were Mr. Nice and took his bullshit doesnt mean he is going to cut you a check.
 
Ok so if you were in an interview with a company and they ask you if your mom was a prostitute. You'd have no problem with the question? You'd have no problem that the question has no relevance to your work ethic, your accomplishments, your past job performance, or anything work related?

As for Dez Bryants "checkered" past. The suspension was his first and only suspension. He hasn't had a history of drug problems. No DUI or public intoxication. No Pacman Jones Posse. There hasn't been any big grumblings about his work ethic on the field.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/042010dnspotaylorcol.3ad5f5a.html

IMO the suspension the NCAA levied was above and beyond what it should've been. Then again, I don't think any suspension should've happened. It's not like he was caught stealing shoes ala Florida State players, not like there was any scandals involving textbooks in like in Alabama ( We drafted one of those players that got suspended, Caldwell), or it' not like he received free money for supposed work ata car dealership like Rhett Bomar at OU.

He was just hanging out with Deion Sanders.

I guess I also find it funny that they had no problem taking Brandon Marshall and his antics, but gave Bryant a hard time about his mom.

Not one bit. Know why? I am not emotionally compromised. If I applied to a beer factory and they asked me if any member of my family was an alcoholic and if that would effect my work performance? Even though THAT question is absolutely none of their business, I would answer honestly and calmly because I know who I am and I know what my father is. I wouldn't get all bent, go to the press and try and out the company, for what? If a GM wants to prod and probe into my personal life a little, so be it. I am thick skinned enough not to get all bent about stuff like that. But that is me....

At the end of the day, it is a question, an unmoral one, but a question none the less. That question is not going to define me or my work ethic and the question that was asked of Bryant isn't going to define him either. It was a question asked to most likely test his emotions. He passed, move on.

Like I have ALWAYS said, I never said it was right, I just understand why it was asked.
 
I agree with your line of thinking, but I also think Dez is a horse of a different color and came from a broken house and bad circumstances which changes everything.

You and I who had normal upbringings, and our mom's who werent whores, sure you can ask that, and I can say no. But if your mom was a whore when you were growing up, that might really have affected you mentally, you might feel differently.

And to top it off the phins GM asked him the question, dez calmly answered the question and they STILL didnt draft him. So just because you were Mr. Nice and took his bullshit doesnt mean he is going to cut you a check.

Brother, I didn't have a normal up bringing. I came from a very dysfunctional family, more than what Bryant had. I should be so lucky if the only problem in my family was my mother being a prostitute, but that is another story for a different day...

To answer your question, that was my point. If he is messed up emotionally by this, how is he going to handle himself with 15+ million dollars in the bank and basically free reign of the world? How is he going to handle when a TMZ or a player on the field throws this in his face. That is all I was saying about the question. I know it was morally wrong and unprofessional and in the "real world" a question like that may never come up, but in a world where handing 15 million dollars to a 21 year old kid that has yet to prove himself on a NFL field, I can understand the reasoning behind the question, as wrong as it was...

And you are correct, it doesn't mean jack because they haven't drafted you but I think the way he handled the question may have shot him up on the draft board. The Fins may have had him next on their list before the Cowboys took him. Don;t know, just speculating...
 
Not one bit. Know why? I am not emotionally compromised. If I applied to a beer factory and they asked me if any member of my family was an alcoholic and if that would effect my work performance? Even though THAT question is absolutely none of their business, I would answer honestly and calmly because I know who I am and I know what my father is. I wouldn't get all bent, go to the press and try and out the company, for what? If a GM wants to prod and probe into my personal life a little, so be it. I am thick skinned enough not to get all bent about stuff like that. But that is me....

At the end of the day, it is a question, an unmoral one, but a question none the less. That question is not going to define me or my work ethic and the question that was asked of Bryant isn't going to define him either. It was a question asked to most likely test his emotions. He passed, move on.

Like I have ALWAYS said, I never said it was right, I just understand why it was asked.

That is because beer companies and alcoholism go hand and hand. Many beer comapnies let you test the goods. If you have alcoholism in your family then there is a chance you could be trouble. The question would still be illegal but it would make sense. Playing football and your mom being a whore have nothing in common.
 
Not hard at all, give me 15 million dollars you can ask every freaking question in the book because at days end, they are just questions and nothing more. GM wants to know if my mother was a prostitute, my sister was in porn, my brother likes men and if my daddy is a alcoholic....

I would look at him, smile and say the following....NO,NO,NO,YES
anything else you would like to know?

Then calmly get up, cash my check if/when they drafted me and go play ball. Like I said 98% of America would do the same thing....


Maybe I am just thicker skinned than most but I don't sweat the petty things and I don't pet sweaty thing....

I think you have the stats backwards.

Judging from the responses in THIS thread, I'd say 98% wouldn't be as cool with the whore question as the 2% on here who say they would.

Without accusing you in an outright manner, I wonder if this is an issue of worshipping money. The idea that a person has a price, and so anything is in play if we're talking about a potential $15 million payday.

You say it's a petty thing. I disagree, and so do 98% of the people posting here. A small sample size? Yes. But a good indicator of how this issue is trending.
 
sounds like people are a bunch of overly-emotional high-strung doofuses, then. it's a simple question, get over it, jesus.
 
sounds like people are a bunch of overly-emotional high-strung doofuses, then. it's a simple question, get over it, jesus.

Obviously its not just a simple question. But this is the kind of response I would expect from a biased Dolphins fan.
 
That is because beer companies and alcoholism go hand and hand. Many beer comapnies let you test the goods. If you have alcoholism in your family then there is a chance you could be trouble. The question would still be illegal but it would make sense. Playing football and your mom being a whore have nothing in common.

Point taken but alcoholism is not hereditary, it is not a trait passed through the genes, so why would I be trouble?


Playing football is also about emotions and how you handle those emotions on and off the field. If a player is emotionally compromised, and Bryant may or may not be, how is that player going to handle himself when a reporter from say New York, and we all know what jackasses they are, pushes and pushes about his mother? Reporters have not filters, they rarely have limits on what questions can and cannot be asked.

That was my whole point was that though the question was morally and professionally wrong, and it was no doubt, I understand why GMs would go to that length and ask those questions because allot of money is at stake and giving money to a 21 year old kid that might do something to warrant suspension and such, is not good business...
 
Point taken but alcoholism is not hereditary, it is not a trait passed through the genes, so why would I be trouble?

You are dead wrong. I am not saying you will be an alcoholic because your mom or dad was, but that you do have a much higher chance of becoming addicted.
Researchers Identify Alcoholism Gene

Alcohol Addiction, High Anxiety Linked to Same Gene

May 26, 2004 -- A new study links a gene to alcohol addiction -- backing up a long-recognized pattern showing that alcoholism runs in families.

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20040526/researchers-identify-alcoholism-gene

http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa18.htm
 
You are dead wrong. I am not saying you will be an alcoholic because your mom or dad was, but that you do have a much higher chance of becoming addicted.
Researchers Identify Alcoholism Gene

Alcohol Addiction, High Anxiety Linked to Same Gene

May 26, 2004 -- A new study links a gene to alcohol addiction -- backing up a long-recognized pattern showing that alcoholism runs in families.

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20040526/researchers-identify-alcoholism-gene

http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa18.htm

Man, F that! You are an alcoholic cause you choose to be. I will NEVER be an alcoholic because I choose NOT to put a bottle to my mouth over and over. Every alcoholic that ever lived and died had a choice and made that choice when they took their first sip and they will die by that choice. Just like drug addicts made the choice to put a needle in their arm. It is the choices in life that will make you or break you. Don't ever let anybody tell you different.

please let's not start with this BS and keep the football talk going...Save this for another thread...
 
Man, F that! You are an alcoholic cause you choose to be. I will NEVER be an alcoholic because I choose NOT to put a bottle to my mouth over and over. Every alcoholic that ever lived and died had a choice and made that choice when they took their first sip and they will die by that choice. Just like drug addicts made the choice to put a needle in their arm. It is the choices in life that will make you or break you. Don't ever let anybody tell you different.

please let's not start with this BS and keep the football talk going...Save this for another thread...

Hey you are the one who brough Alcoholism into the conversation. But ok we will move past that.

I just want to hear ONE GOOD reason why the Dolphin's GM would need to know or verify that Dez's mom is a prostitute.
 
Hey you are the one who brough Alcoholism into the conversation. But ok we will move past that.

I just want to hear ONE GOOD reason why the Dolphin's GM would need to know or verify that Dez's mom is a prostitute.


just don't want this thread to turn into an Oprah moment...

Playing football is also about emotions and how you handle those emotions on and off the field. If a player is emotionally compromised, and Bryant may or may not be, how is that player going to handle himself when a reporter from say New York, and we all know what jackasses they are, pushes and pushes about his mother, since it is so known now? Reporters have not filters, they rarely have limits on what questions can and cannot be asked.

If he were to act out, and I bet dollars to donuts this will be the FIRST question the New York Press will ask when the Cowboys play the Giants, and get himself suspended, hypothetically, put yourself in a GMs shoes, wouldn't you be mad at yourself for not investigating further into this players emotions to maybe see if this was a sore subject and help him handle it in public.Like I said, media has no filter or limits...

you don't think that the GM that took Ryan Leaf wishes he investigated his emotional and mental stability more before the draft, not saying he did or did not but clearly the kid had issues. Bryant has never shown that kind of emotion, maybe because he is stable, in which I think so, or maybe nobody ever hit that button. Dunno, would just hate to see this kid go bad because he is emotionally unstable due to a childhood he had no control over and be added to a list of unstable players in the NFL...

As a GM, before I give millions of dollars my franchise my never see again to any player coming in, I want to know those answers...I do not condone the action, but I understand the reasoning behind it...
 
Umm. Getting upset when someone asks if your mom was a hooker and slept with a ton of guys for money is NOT A CHARACTER FLAW! It's a rational normal reaction and asking "that" question is not a "character test", there's no way to defend that question. And don't tell me about the 15 million dollar contact B.S. Just because you're in position to hand out a 15 million dollar contract that doesn't give you the right to be a ignorant asshole.

Making someone upset by calling their mom a whore IS NOT A CHARACTER TEST and it ISN'T going to uncover any character flaws, because it's a NORMAL reaction to get upset when someone calls your mom a whore. Honestly I would have done alot worse.

Look, I know teams ask tough questions, but this wasn't a "tough question". It was a inappropriate question...a unprofessional question, that crossed the line and it should of never been asked.

I had a member in my family that became a prostitute and everybody in the town knew who she was and what she did. I used to hear about it at school all the time....do you not think Dez Bryant has never been asked that question before or has not been "tested for a character flaw" before (:rolleyes: what a load of crock), umm I'm pretty sure he heard people talking about his mom on a daily basis. Seriously THINK ABOUT IT, if he was going to flip out he WOULD HAVE DONE IT ALREADY.

The fact that he was able to keep his head on straight and make it out of that situation and make something out of himself despite the fact that his mom might have been doing those things and despite the fact that while growing up everybody knew his mom was doing "things" tells me all I need to know about his "character". I don't need some jackass G.M. showing his ass while interviewing a young NFL prospect.

Like I said earlier Roger Goodell needs to put a stop to questions like this, they don't do anything....they aren't character testers at all. These kids are smart enough to know you can't flip out...they've all been coached, their agents hire people TO COACH THEM. So the questions are just going to get more and more off the wall stupid until somebody has to hear their mom being called a whore when all he's trying to do is start a NFL career. Give me a break.

He has NEVER faced what he is about to face in the NFL from the media. We're not talking about some pimple faced kid writing for the school paper. We are talking New York, Philadelphia, Washington, etc. Reporters that will bring up stuff on you, you didn't even know existed and now that THIS is out there, it is ammunition for places like that. those outlets have no limits. they want the story that nobody has, even if it means pushing buttons and talking about a very sore subject to get it...

I am quite sure it has come up, but I bet it hasn't been addressed like it might be in those cities...
 
Ok step down from your moral high horse and come back to reality. No freaking way you would get up and walk out of a room and leave 15 million dollars on the table.

You would do what 98% of the people in America would do, sit there, take the questioning and go cash your 15 million dollar check.

It is so easy for you or anybody else to say cause you have never been in that situation so please just stop...

The thing here is that you're acting like this guy's choice here is 15 million or go live on the streets. And that's bullshit. The choice here is to get 15 mil or 10 mil. The choice here is do you get selected in the teens or the twenties. Do you go to a team where you're not going to like the FO or do you go to a team where they may not be such assholes.

I've been in plenty of situations where I could have made more much money in situations I didn't like and I've turned them down and walked away. And I'm still making a lot of money. You only need so much money to be happy. Anything over that doesn't make you any happier.
 
I would bet that Rick Smith has never asked any kid a question like this and I'm sure he's seen all kinds of guys from all sorts of backgrounds.
 
I would bet that Rick Smith has never asked any kid a question like this and I'm sure he's seen all kinds of guys from all sorts of backgrounds.

If even Ditka thinks this was over the line, I'm pretty sure at least 30 GM's do also. I can just imagine what McNair would say if someone that worked for him pulled this BS.
 
Ok so if you were in an interview with a company and they ask you if your mom was a prostitute. You'd have no problem with the question? You'd have no problem that the question has no relevance to your work ethic, your accomplishments, your past job performance, or anything work related?

I'd have not problem at all with that especially if I knew that there were rumors circulating around the media that my mom was a drug dealer and a prostitute. Common sense would tell me that every GM and scout is wondering about that and how it effected my life. If this was for a football career and something that I had worked my entire life towards, I'd answer any question they threw at me.

Many of you seem to forget how many owners have got completely screwed out of their first round investments with these players. I literally find it pretty amazing that so many people have such a soft mentality about this and expect these "MEN" to be treated like Junior High children when they're about to have every temptation and distraction you could think of thrown at them. At the WR position there are so many of these talented guys that end up being busts more than any other position. MIke WIlliams, Charles Rodgers, Braylen Edwards, Roy Williams, and so many more. Then you guys act like you forget about guys like Pac Man Jones and Lawrence Phillips types of guys who can't control themselves any more than a wild animal at the zoo. Shoot, we're talking about some of the dumbest athletes in the entire world here. Hell, usually like 2 or 3 potential first rounders every year fail a freaking drug test at the combine. These guys aren't even smart enough to stay clean before the most important interviews of their lives, and you guys don't expect these team owners to due their extra dilligence now days when they're cutting huge signing bonus checks and making these guys the face of their franchise? Please, they have every right to find out what these guys are about.

As for Dez Bryants "checkered" past. The suspension was his first and only suspension. He hasn't had a history of drug problems. No DUI or public intoxication. No Pacman Jones Posse. There hasn't been any big grumblings about his work ethic on the field.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/042010dnspotaylorcol.3ad5f5a.html

IMO the suspension the NCAA levied was above and beyond what it should've been. Then again, I don't think any suspension should've happened. It's not like he was caught stealing shoes ala Florida State players, not like there was any scandals involving textbooks in like in Alabama ( We drafted one of those players that got suspended, Caldwell), or it' not like he received free money for supposed work ata car dealership like Rhett Bomar at OU.

He was just hanging out with Deion Sanders.

I guess I also find it funny that they had no problem taking Brandon Marshall and his antics, but gave Bryant a hard time about his mom.

You may not think that what Bryant did in college was a big deal, but it was a big deal. He got kicked out of college football for god's sake. On the forefront it may not have been a violent crime or anything major, but it was still an offense that got him kicked out of college football and immediately ruined any chances his team had at having the big season that they expected to have. OSU lost their star player in what was supposed to be his final big season. Regardless of what you think about it, he hurt his team by that and he has already shown the ability to make poor decisions that effected his team. So yes, he should looked at a lot harder by teams who are making a big investment in a player like that and obviously he was, because that's why he dropped almost out of the entire first round when he should have been a top 10 pick with his talent.
 
And again the question that was asked of him had absolutely NOTHING to do with his football ability or playing. Nothing. If he pulled an Albert Haynesworth in college and cleated somebody's face then yea you ask him what the heck is wrong with you? Asking him about his mother? Yea that has a whole lot to do with his ability to catch a slant pass.

Like I said bet Rick Smith has never ever asked a guy these type of questions.
 
I'd have not problem at all with that especially if I knew that there were rumors circulating around the media that my mom was a drug dealer and a prostitute. Common sense would tell me that every GM and scout is wondering about that and how it effected my life. If this was for a football career and something that I had worked my entire life towards, I'd answer any question they threw at me.

Many of you seem to forget how many owners have got completely screwed out of their first round investments with these players. I literally find it pretty amazing that so many people have such a soft mentality about this and expect these "MEN" to be treated like Junior High children when they're about to have every temptation and distraction you could think of thrown at them. At the WR position there are so many of these talented guys that end up being busts more than any other position. MIke WIlliams, Charles Rodgers, Braylen Edwards, Roy Williams, and so many more. Then you guys act like you forget about guys like Pac Man Jones and Lawrence Phillips types of guys who can't control themselves any more than a wild animal at the zoo. Shoot, we're talking about some of the dumbest athletes in the entire world here. Hell, usually like 2 or 3 potential first rounders every year fail a freaking drug test at the combine. These guys aren't even smart enough to stay clean before the most important interviews of their lives, and you guys don't expect these team owners to due their extra dilligence now days when they're cutting huge signing bonus checks and making these guys the face of their franchise? Please, they have every right to find out what these guys are about.



You may not think that what Bryant did in college was a big deal, but it was a big deal. He got kicked out of college football for god's sake. On the forefront it may not have been a violent crime or anything major, but it was still an offense that got him kicked out of college football and immediately ruined any chances his team had at having the big season that they expected to have. OSU lost their star player in what was supposed to be his final big season. Regardless of what you think about it, he hurt his team by that and he has already shown the ability to make poor decisions that effected his team. So yes, he should looked at a lot harder by teams who are making a big investment in a player like that and obviously he was, because that's why he dropped almost out of the entire first round when he should have been a top 10 pick with his talent.

I just don't see the correlation. The guy obviously has been through a lot, has bounced around as a young man, knew what he had to do to get into college and did, it and was doing fine in college until the NCAA decided to throw a hissy fit about him hanging out with Deion Sanders.

Should he have lied about it? No, but I understand WHY he did. Should he have been suspended an entire season for it? Hell no. you're screaming common sense on one end but, did the NCAA show it on in the suspension?

Again just don't see the correlation of his mother's activities with his character, his work ethic on the field, his production playing at OSU, or even his off the field activities. If you want to KNOW his character, fine. It's all out there on the table.

If his mom was his agent, or was going to play or work for the Dolphins and he was listed as a reference, yeah I might see some relevance.

Just because there's 10-15 million on the table doesn't give anyone the right to ask such an asshole question. But, then again I guess some one in this thread have already outed themselves on their principles and dignity having a price.

Congrats Bullnation.

Other thing I have to ask the people that seem ok with this question or line of questioning. How would you feel if Rick Smith asked it?
 
Other thing I have to ask the people that seem ok with this question or line of questioning. How would you feel if Rick Smith asked it?

And how would McNair feel about it?
 
Other thing I have to ask the people that seem ok with this question or line of questioning. How would you feel if Rick Smith asked it?

I wouldn't be surprised considering the fact that the Texans want choir boys playing for this franchise and if he did, I'd have no problem with it what so ever. That would show that he's doing everything possible to make sure that we're not drafting player who can't control his emotions and can display stable responses to tough questions that he's not expecting.

Like Bullnation pointed out earlier, these athletes haven't experienced jack like they will shortly enough when the NY and Philly media and ESPN (TMZ) are baiting them with all sorts of ridiculous questions just to see them go off the handle or some loony drunk fan in the first row's calling his mom a hoe just to get him unfocused. Or hell, ask Hines Ward the amounts of racial crap he's heard for years from opposing players on the field. The last thing some team wants is a player that's going to start piling up tons of penalties from personal fouls in games or try to pop someone in the stands because they can't control their emotions when someone's baiting them.
 
I think it interesting to see the diverse attitudes in this thread. I have been following it without commenting for several days.

I am fully on the side of those who think this is an appalling question, and that it had no place in an interview. Quite frankly, I think it showed incredibly poor decision making on the part of the GM and I am convinced he only bothered to apologize because it made the press. I hope he may have learned a lesson from this, but I doubt the ability of someone with such poor judgement to do so.

There, having stated unequivocally what side of this debate I stand on, I would think it interesting to see the breakdown of age and gender of the people who approve/disapprove of the question.

My unscientific and not very careful perusal of the thread leads me to believe that the females fall on the side of disapproval. The males that approve seem to be of the younger generation. No idea if this is accurate or says anything, just thought it worth remarking on.
 
One thing not mentioned in any of these posts is that most of these guys come from colleges that play in front of larger college crowds than they will in the NFL and nobody is going to tell me that they don't get cussed at from the fans in the stands or harrassed going to the locker room. Wasn't it the OSU coach that went off on the press for something somebody wrote about one of his players? Those players have been exposed to the horrible media and I'm absolutely sure they've gotten it from the fans in the stands.

Please. I'm not buying that that question was some sort of maturity test.
 
Considering what these teams are about to pay these young men, I have no problem with the questions asked. He shouldn't of apologized

I will say it once again. If you are going to ask a question like this for the shock factor, then once you see the result you explain yourself. This guy was just a douche bag and if he did not think it was wrong, he would not have apoligized.

Man, I can tell I was in a bad mood. HOU-TEX, you're an asshole!

I'd like to change my opinion similar to that of JB's. I think it's obvious teams want to try and get a rise out of players to get a sense of their personalities and what not, but like JB mentioned, at least let the dude know what it was all about before he walks out of your room.
 
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Man, I can tell I was in a bad mood. HOU-TEX, you're an asshole!

I'd like to change my opinion similar to that of JB's. I think it's obvious teams want to try and get a rise out of players to get a sense of their personalities and what not, but like JB mentioned, at least let the dude know what it was all about before he walks out of your room.

Exactly!
 
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