The Dixie Chicks are making a big deal of Falcons coach Mike Smith's fourth quarter confrontation with Bucs wide receiver Antonio Bryant, who dismissed Smith's words.

The Falcons are making a big deal of the sideline confrontation between Atlanta head coach Mike Smith and Bucs receiver Antonio Bryant in the fourth quarter of yesterday’s depressing loss to the Dixie Chicks.

After an incompletion along the Atlanta sidelines, Dixie Chicks’ cornerback Domonique Foxworth and Bryant got into a brief shoving match right in front of Smith. On TV, the images were clear that Smith got into Bryant’s face and said something quite loudly. But what did he say?

Bryant dismissed whatever came out of Smith’s mouth per Terrance Moore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Just as long as the man didn’t put his hands on me, I don’t care,” Bryant said, shaking his head. “I don’t recall what [Smith] said. It’s nothing personal. That’s over with, and if he wants to get in my face, that’s great support of a coach looking out for his players. I don’t think he took it as anything more than being a Falcon, just like I’m always going to be a Buc. And I’m not mad at him for that.”

The Falcons, however, claim whatever was said was a big deal and they used it as a rallying cry.

They remembered Smith’s passion, though, and they found ways to overcome themselves. “Yeah, because that guy’s crazy,” Foxworth said, chuckling, forcing a visitor to ask: Which guy — Smith or Bryant? “I’m talking about coach Smith, because he gets so fired up sometimes during games. That’s the kind of competitive attitude that he has, and it bleeds over into the rest of the team.”

Joe doesn’t think it was a big deal. Smith claims he told Bryant to get back to his sidelines. Was he lying? Who knows? If Smith had said something really bad, Joe believes Bryant would have reacted differently. Instead, he just went back to the huddle.

Joe’s guess is Smith wasn’t inviting Bryant for chicken dinner at Gladys Knight’s restaurant.