On the second day of 2008, Jeff Ireland got the type of big-time NFL gig he’d always wanted, leaving the Dallas Cowboys’ personnel department to serve under football czar Bill Parcells as the Miami Dolphins’ general manager.


“We might pop a bottle of champagne!” Ireland’s elated mother, Sandi Holub, told The Miami Herald’s Jeff Darlington upon learning of the hiring. Holub explained that Ireland, the grandson of longtime Chicago Bears personnel guru Jim Parmer (and the stepson of E.J. Holub, a Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker/center), had yearned for such an opportunity from a young age.

...

I wonder how Sandi would feel about the story I’m about to share, one which simultaneously illustrates the Dolphins’ organizational arrogance and the NFL’s complete disconnect from society when it comes to such things as respect, decorum and class.


In fairness to Ireland, the Dolphins’ habitually brusque treatment of their current and prospective players is purely a Parcells production. Unfortunately for the general manager, he’s about to be unmasked as an A-list A-hole.


Last Wednesday, the night before he was selected 24th overall by the Cowboys, former Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant(notes) told me that during one of his predraft visits, a high-level executive of one NFL franchise had asked him if his mother, Angela, was a prostitute.


“No, my mom is not a prostitute,” said Bryant, whose background – including his mother’s lifestyle and past legal troubles – was under great scrutiny prior to the draft. “I got mad – really mad – but I didn’t show it.”


I’ve since been told by a source close to Bryant that Ireland was the person who asked the question during a meeting in the GM’s office. On Monday, Ireland declined to comment on the allegation. Harvey Greene, the Dolphins’ senior vice president of media relations, said: “It’s our organizational policy that we don’t discuss publicly the process we use to evaluate potential draft choices.”


That’s a wise idea given the demeaning, offensive and possibly actionable evaluation process that was used to assess Bryant’s fitness to catch passes for Miami, a franchise that apparently holds nothing sacred in such contexts.

...

“I don’t care who you are or who you’re talking to – that kind of question usually gets your [expletive] teeth kicked in,” says former NFL lineman Kyle Turley(notes). “I mean, where do these people come from? That’s just completely [expletive] classless and totally unprofessional.”

...

I’ve been covering the NFL for more than 20 years, and when I think back to the best, most passionate players I’ve encountered during that time, I’m convinced that a high percentage of them would have had Ireland up against the wall by his collar in that situation, or at least have been very close to doing so. Ronnie Lott, Ray Lewis(notes), John Elway, Junior Seau(notes), Michael Strahan(notes) and Warren Sapp(notes) come to mind.


“They’re trying to break people down in ways they’ve never been broken before, to see if a kid will snap,” Sapp says. “They know exactly what they’re saying, and it’s a darn shame we’re still at this point.”

...

In March, free safety Ryan Clark(notes) – one of Miami’s top targets in free agency – paid a visit to South Florida, dining with head coach Tony Sparano and spending the following day meeting with various officials at the team’s facility. Clark, who’d spent the previous four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, told the Herald’s Darlington upon his arrival in South Florida that he didn’t want to leave without a contract, saying: “I’m praying it goes well.”


It didn’t. A few hours before a scheduled dinner with Dolphins assistant head coach/secondary coach Todd Bowles, Clark called an audible, heading for the airport to catch an earlier flight and telling his agent, Joel Turner, he wanted to re-sign with Pittsburgh. After inking a four-year deal with the Steelers, Clark didn’t offer up many specifics, and Turner didn’t reveal the impetus for Clark’s action, either. The agent portrayed staying in Pittsburgh as a family lifestyle choice, insisting, “Honest to God, it wasn’t about the money.”


That may not be completely true – it’s possible Clark wanted to remain with the Steelers all along and used the Dolphins for leverage. Perhaps he felt a sudden wave of attachment to Pittsburgh and rushed back to make sure he was still wanted in Steeltown.


Or maybe he paid a visit to Ireland’s office and got the Dez Bryant treatment ....

On Thursday, Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant was selected 24th in the NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. Two days before, the Dallas Morning News profiled the Cowboys draft target and focused on Bryant's troubled family life and relationship with his mother Angela, who had Dez when she was only 15 years old and later came out as lesbian.

The Cowboys' draftee has become "comfortable" with his mom's "change in sexual in sexual orientation" —originally published as 'sexual preference"—but "still" doesn't "like it":

I can see where asking this type of question could tell you a good bit more about a persons attitude, and or his capability of handling certain situations. If another team mate, or if someone else of the like were to ask him the question in the locker room, is he going to blow up, and "kick his teeth down his throat", because yeah, that's what we want in the locker room. For that reason alone, I have no problem with the question.

But IF it is true, Ireland is suppose to be held to some type of higher standard? The NFL coaches / gm's openly admit they lie, all the time, especially leading up to the draft etc. They said it 20 times over the draft weekend, so what make anyone think they wouldn't ask a question like this? They lie, use tactics, throw stuff in peoples face all the time....

And seriously... come on, my little cousins run around saying worse stuff to each other on a daily basis than this. And they are in grade school.... wha wha, that big mean ol' GM asked if my mom was a hooker, wha wha wha... heck I've seen some of you call each other worse things, and asked / stated worse things than this... lol

Oh, but this is the new NFL that has transformed to what we see today... don't ask if their mom was a hooker, don't be drinkin' in public boys, don't be going out to party, let's not hurt the 20 year olds feelings that will be making mulit-million dollars per year. Hell back in the day I would be willing to bet that 3/4 of the guys on the team were drunk by half time and the coaches wouldn't ask if you mom was a hooker, he'd tell you she was.

I have to agree with you. It's part of the process and I'm sure that Ireland meant no sort of disrespect to Dez or his mother. GMs and coaches ask all sort of ridiculous and personal questions to judge the qualities of a player, and this one seems to have some sort of a background that may warrant it. It comes off as sounding harsh and disrespectful, but I'm sure it wasn't meant that way.

Even if they do win us a Championship... I'll still be upset about the handling of Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor... you just don't treat a team's icons like that...

The speculation about why Clark left and resigned with Pittsburgh really discredits the article. I think its ridiculous to try to put these two issues together in the same context; talk about a monumental reach. That's irresponsible journalism right there.
As for Ireland's comment, IF it were true, that's outrageous and totally out of line. Something tells me the whole truth has not come out yet.

by Edgar Thompson

Dolphins’ general manager Jeff Ireland admits his need to know everything he can about potential draft picks went too far.

Ireland has apologized for asking wide receiver Dez Bryant during a pre-draft interview if his mother had even been a prostitute.

Bryant’s troubled upbringing, including his mother’s past legal troubles, was a major concern of teams.


Ireland’s misstep was reported Tuesday by Michael Silver of Yahoo Sports.


Ireland reached out to Bryant to apologize and has issued a statement through the team.

“My job is to find out as much information as possible about a player that I’m consider drafting,” Ireland said. “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.”

Bryant, the first wide receiver selected in the NFL draft, met with the Dolphins on April 1-2.

What's the big deal? He should be honored that he was asked whether his mom belonged to the oldest profession on Earth.

He shouldn't have asked the question.

He applogized and man'd up to it. He did the right thing in the aftermath.

He apologized due to the PR hit Miami took. Had the question never been leaked to the press, would he have apologized? I'm guessing no.

Dez's answer was "no shes not a prostitute, shes just a crack dealer"

I'm thinking the same thing.

I have been a fan since the Dolphins began. When the holy trimisters arrived I got a bad feeling. I know football is a business. However when you look at the happings of the last 2 going on 3 years and the lack of respect to the fans the players. It is time to say. Enough is enough when it comes to "This is a business" like that is some freepass for the TRIMISTERS and company to disrespect the history, the players, ans the Dolphin fans. There are many great Dolphin fans out there. I have a real hard time thinking any supports ot the "holy tuna and company " are true Dolfhin fans I think they are really jet implants.

Idk what the big deal is. Do people really think Ireland wanted to know about his mother being a prostitute? No. Where was it that I read that team's do this kind of thing all the time, with ridiculous questions in the interview just to gauge their reaction?

I really can't remember, but I know this isn't only limited to Jeff Ireland.

I don't have a problem with the question at all since the entire nation already new about Bryants Mother.
It is very unfortunate.

But were talking about:
* drafting a kid overall # 12, paying a 21 or 22 yr old Millions & turning him loose on S Beach.

Can he handle the real world preasure ?
Can he be expected to act responsibly around women ? (Rothlesberger)

Theres a huge level of responsibility that comes with making that decision.
We need to know exactly what were getting.
Besides he will hear a whole lot worse on Sundays & has to show he won't lash out & get flagged.

I find it ironic given how deeply painful & personal the subject is for Bryant that he would choose to
share even further with the media.
Especially from behind closed doors.
Dallas has to be on edge now knowing one verbal slip up from "Jerruh" & he could end up like Ireland.

sug

And if they continue to do that crap they are going to lose fan support and sign fewer free agents. I don't know that they are doing it with others, but if they did it with Dez, it's not a stretch to imagine they have pissed others off with inappropriate questioning as well. Classless

There are a lot of insinuations in that article. And no proof of anything. It's impossible to give it any credibility