Brandon Marshall is one of the NFL's most enigmatic characters. In the majority of his media appearances, he comes across as mature, intelligent and respectful. But he's also been arrested on multiple occasions, stabbed, accused of hitting a woman, and has gained a reputation as a locker-room nuisance.
There's actually a logical explanation for the polarity. See, Marshall's been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
And that's why you could literally smell the hypocrisy in the air when NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp attempted to criticize Marshall's lack of knowledge in regard to football history by exhibiting his own lack of knowledge of Marshall in childishly calling him a "retard" on the Dan Patrick Show Friday.
“These kids that play the game today have no relevance for the past, have no conscious of what it is. I mean, Brandon Marshall talking about Shannon Sharpe, who is he to talk? He’s the first 100-catch receiver, back-to-back, retard. What you just did in Denver for three years. You don’t know this? No, of course he doesn't’t, because it’s not about Brandon Marshall, it ain't about Shannon Sharpe, it ain’t about the past, it’s about me. It’s about personal success, pay me, and now I’ll think about being a team guy.”
Marshall responded in a pair of videos which it appears he made while driving his car (seriously). The gold can be seen here and here, but the fine folks at CBS Chicago also provided transcripts:
“Good morning, world. Listen, I got a very disturbing heads up on something Warren Sapp said. He called me ‘retarded.’ That’s really disappointing to hear that form an NFL Legend. But I’m going to take this as a lesson. I think we all can learn from this. Be very careful who you take advice from. You want to surround yourself with good people, Godly people. Warren Sapp, I can’t go to him and talk about finances because he filed for bankruptcy. I can’t go to him and talk about my marriage because he filed for divorce. I can’t go to him and talk about being a great father, because one day I’m going to have kids, because he’s not active in his children’s life. The lesson that we should all learn here is to surround yourself with good people and be careful who you take counsel from. I’m not saying he’s been there on my side giving me counsel. That’s not a guy that I can go to. Football doesn't make us. There’s more to life than just playing football. Make sure you have a great balance in your life and surround yourself with good people. Guys like. Warren Sapp, I feel sorry for. Hopefully, one day he’ll change his life. We’ll pray for him. Instead of using words to destroy, he’ll use words to uplift.”
Sapp's sad but somewhat predictable response?
So @warrensapp just emailed where and when. I assume he wants to fight. Exactly what I'm talking about. #comeonmannn
— Brandon Marshall (@BMarshall) September 24, 2012
Sapp has since apologized, but this is just the latest example of complete idiocy from a guy who offers literally nothing as an analyst. He's entertaining, but only in a can't-turn-away-from-the-car-wreck kind of way, and he's been phoning it in since the day his broadcasting career began.
Can anyone still tolerate his tired act, especially when he continues to bring nothing of substance to the table and uses offensive language that can't be tolerated in grade school anymore, let alone by a national television network? What does it say about NFL Network when one of its contracted television personalities is challenging a current player to a fight? Combine this latest episode with the controversial personal problems justifiably mentioned by Marshall and it's astonishing Sapp still has a job with the league's official television network. At this point you have to wonder what, if anything, Sapp could possibly do to put his NFL Network analyst job in jeopardy.
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