NEW YORK - APRIL 28: Keyshawn Johnson looks on during the 2007 NFL Draft on April 28, 2007 at Radio City Music Hall in New York, New York. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
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It's been a contentious year for former Dallas Cowboys' receivers employed by "the Worldwide Leader," ESPN.
First, Michael Irvin was fired from his show on ESPN Radio 103.3 a day after a woman accused the Hall of Famer of rape. Irvin was never charged with anything, and in his subsequent media address, he made his feelings concerning his former employer clear, praising the NFL Network--who retained Irvin through the proceedings--in comparison.
Johnson has taken issue with an unnamed colleague who reportedly said that Dez Bryant--the former Oklahoma State receiver who was suspended for most of 2009 for lying to an NCAA investigator concerning his relationship with Deion Sanders--would experience a drop in stock due to character questions.
"It pisses me off to listen to some of these [draft analysts] talk about Dez,'' Johnson told Don Banks of Sports Illustratedlast week, per ProFootballTalk.com. "I heard someone on the network I work at say his stock is going to be questioned because his mother was a former drug user or seller. Are you kidding me? Are you serious? Because his mom did that, therefore his stock will drop? I think anybody who judges him and who he is based on his family, it's ridiculous.
"He's getting hit with a lot of stuff that doesn't have anything to do with who he is as an individual. It's OK for Colt McCoy to hang out with the Manning family and work out with them, but as soon as Deion hangs out with Dez Bryant, it's an issue. What kind of double standard is that?''
Johnson said that he hopes Bryant goes to Miami, where he'll join Bill Parcells, Johnson's mentor and the Dolphins' executive vice president of football operations.
"It's just irresponsible for people to try and peg him as a problem," Johnson continued. "I've talked to Bill [Parcells] on a number of occasions about Dez already, and I hope the Miami Dolphins draft him. I hope he's lucky like I was to work with someone (Parcells) who cared about me as more than a football player, but as a person.''
