First off, I'd like to say that this seems to be a case of "sour grapes". If Dez was so angry by the question, why did he wait until weeks later, AFTER the draft to express his anger? The answer: because his love of money is greater than his anger over the question. If Miami had drafted Dez, he never would have gone public with this. By dropping so far in the first round, he lost big bucks. I can't help but feel his anger is more about the money he could have had.

Now, onto the congratulations part. Congratulations on bringing this up to the media. Now, fans of the 31 other teams have something to harass you with when you come to their stadium. If that question made you angy, how will you feel when fans shout things like "Hey Dez, can your mom score me some crack cocaine?". Now that this is so blown up in the media, journalists who are always searching for anything to get some props for themselves, are digging for anything to keep the story alive. This includes your mother's past. I did not know, until I read it yesterday, that your mother has been busted twice for selling crack cocaine, and that she served 18 months for doing so. Although I have no idea what really took place between you and Ireland, this is the only instance that I know of that he possibly did something terrible. But now we all know about you being suspended by the NCAA for lying, showing up late for games and practice, and your anger issues. Oh, and the fact that your mom is a convicted felon. Great job, you just gave fans from the 31 other teams ammo to use against you. Kinda funny how karma works, huh?

did he really bring it up to the media? or did he just tell someone close to him, who then leaked it. regardless of what really happened in the interview, I think this is not fair to say that Dez is bringing this up. He's basically refsued to discuss it to the press, other than denying that he said in the interview that his dad was a pimp--and if he really didn't say that, wouldn't you deny it if asked?

yes, all of this sounds like sour grapes. he's done nothing since being drafted to show that his "off the field" concerns will be a problem in the nfl. this is just the case of media and fans refusing to let a stupid story just die already.

Well, I was one of those that wanted it to die, but once his mom chimed in and wanted an apology from Ireland, she opened up a can of worms, and now we know more about Dez and his mom than we ever wanted to. So neither of us know what really happened in the interview. But I don't know of Ireland ever being disciplined for lying. Dez was disciplined, I believe to the tune of 10 games, for lying to the NCAA. If Ireland ever tells his side, I will believe him over what Dez says. By his mom asking for an apology, she is the latest to keep this open in the media, and it backfired, because somebody in the media published her arrests/conviction, serving 18 months for selling crack cocaine. SHE should apologize to the families whose kids/brothers/sisters/mom's/dad's she sold the crack to. That certainly was more destructive to the world than a question that "offended" Dez and hurt his feelings, don't you agree?

The story is dead. Ireland appologized. Ross said the matter is closed. Nobody is getting fired over it. Dez is in Dallas. Time for everyone to move on!

If this story happened in any other month except May or June, it would be a 1 day story. But since nothing happens in May and June it is getting dragged out and played out every day.

Yep, I agree with MikeO. There is a temptation to take sides when the reality is that none of us know but more importantly, none of us will ever know since it is not withing the interests of the organization to explain (which translates into keeping the story going instead of letting it die).

With respect to his mother talking further, there is another phenomenom of today's society that when a story hits the news, people get paid for talking about it.

In the ole days, the media had a steadfast rule that they all abided by that they would never pay a cent for a story. In those days you could trust almost everything you heard. But now with people having an incentive to come out and tell their story (and the more sensational the more money) who can really say how much is truth. So if she did sell crack, would you be surprised if she talked on the basis that she would get paid?

I don't know whether we would have drafted Bryant anyway given 1) the acquisition of Marshall and 2) the fact that our eventual draft picked 7 out of 8 defensive players and 4 out of 8 being linebackers.

ChyrenB, I believe the acquisition of Marshall came AFTER the interview with Dez. Maybe they went after Marshall because of the interview results. Marshall is a proven pro bowler with baggage. Dez is only proven in college, and also comes with baggage. I think the Dolphins made a wise choice getting Marshall instead of Dez. And we ended up getting a 2nd round pick by trading down. Dez can whine all he wants, but in the real world real men rise above insults and carry on. That is life. Once he gets his contract, his mom won't have to sell crack anymore because Dez will give her money. What she does with that money is her business, unless the police catch her buying or selling drugs again. I wouldn't want even an EX drug dealer living near me. There are those that have successfully reformed from their evil ways. Everybody deserves a second chance. In this case, it will be her third chance because she was busted twice selling crack. Only time will tell if she has straightened her life out. Anyway, funny how Rob Konrad, an ex-Dolphins fullback, just said that during one of his combine interviews he was asked is he thought he could make it in the NFL as a white running back. That would be more offensive than the Dez question, because this question attacks race, which has nothing to do with your morals or how your family brought you up, or character. The only reason, after all these years, that Konrad came out about that question, was to show that Dez's question isn't the worst asked. Konrad rose above, and didn't let the question affect his life. If that happened to me, I would confront the person directly and immediately, even if during a job interview. Sometimes dollar signs cloud judgement, until it is learned that there is no job offer. Then it is time for the whiners to complain. This is proven by the timing of all this, waiting until after he was drafted, and thinking the Dolphins dissed him by not drafting him. That is what he is really upset about.

I didn't know about the timing. I guess my memory was that the trade came a couple of days before the draft. I guess I was wrong.

I'd get more upset about the question about my mother. (Keeping in mind we still don't know the facts). I guess I have a thicker skin about race. That's what they asked Jackie Robinson. Definitely. They asked him how would he react to being the first Black in Major League baseball.

But bottom line is I wholeheartedly agree with you that I'd rather take a pro, even one rumored to be a head case, than any college player, even one of sterling character because you just don't know how he will perform.

I have been, with Aqua & Orange, a defender of Ted Ginn on this board but there was a perfect example. Blazing speed that could blow defenders away but with a mental problem about catching the ball. Who would have known?