Upon Further Review: A Correction
April 8th, 2010
Joe hereby stands tall to say he was wrong in stating in a Wednesday column that Trent Dilfer was collecting a check from Colt McCoy.
While Dilfer and McCoy share business representation, there is no sure evidence that Dilfer is benefiting or will benefit financially from using his platform as an ESPN analyst to tout McCoy as a top quarterback prospect in the 2010 draft while at the same time being very critical of Sam Bradford. And surely Joe didn’t spend time with McCoy and Dilfer to see if anyone passed a brown envelope recently.
However, Joe knows from personal experience that palms are greased all the time by agents when their clients are assisted. Sometimes that greasing comes in the form of a future favor. It could even come in a reduced agent’s fee. There are many forms of compensation. And it’s a common, well documented practice that those in the agent’s “family” help their own.
The point of the Wednesday column was to shine light on ESPN’s practice of non-disclosure when it comes to its analysts’ business relationships with players.
Much like financial networks require their analysts disclose relevant personal and firm stock holdings on-air, ESPN should require such disclosure and the NFL should demand it. Especially considering there is international gambling on the NFL Draft, among many other gambling interests.
Joe will have more to say later about inconsistencies in Trent Dilfer’s response last night to Mike Florio, of ProFootballTalk.com.
For now, Joe just wants to apologize and set the record straight. And Joe has made efforts to reach Dilfer to offer him an open forum, as Joe offers anyone who feels wronged by the writing here.
April 8th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Refreshing to see someone setting a record straight. Nice work. Dan Rather should take note.
a quick comment on an unrelated topic. I saw Mr. McCoy demonstrating some DT moves with Mr. Sapp last evening, and he was interviewed. Anybody else get a kinda Gaines Adams “Mr. Nice guy” meek vibe from the guy?
Probably means nuttin, Leroy was nice too. But it made me nervous.
April 8th, 2010 at 9:37 am
Joe here,
Eric – In an NFL.com chat yesterday, McCoy said his favorite movie was Little Mermaid. Seriously. And he explained. That should be enough to drop him into the second round. 😉
April 8th, 2010 at 9:44 am
oh oh, Don’t think I’d care to tale a locker room shower with a Little Mermaid lover.
April 8th, 2010 at 9:45 am
oh oh, Don’t think I’d care to take a locker room shower with a Little Mermaid lover.
April 8th, 2010 at 10:25 am
Glad to see the correction. I read the article yesterday and I completely understand pointing out how ESPN, among others, do not always disclose their analyst’s connections with players. I failed to see Dilfer’s connection to McCoy and thought you had jumped the gun some there. It seemed as if you had a personal agenda to attack Dilfer, not saying it is factual, just the perception.
I, for one, think Dilfer is an excellent analyst, one of the better ones on the ‘network.’
How he was as an actual QB back in the day is irrelevant. Many analysts and coaches never were good players. Just pointing that out, not implying that you were saying anything to contradict that.
April 8th, 2010 at 10:35 am
Good correction Joe. I usually like your rants Joe, but when reading that yesterday, i felt a ting of sensationalism. Dilfer is still a douche.
April 8th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Joe, nice of you to do, but is still a conflict of interest. He should not be able to give annalist if he is in a “business relationship” with players IMO…The same way TV hosts on NFL shows we decline to pick a team that they will later be doing the commentary for. McCoy’s success will help him, even if money does not change hands based on draft position. He can use it to land more clients if the McCoy stock rises.
April 8th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Props to you.
April 8th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
MrBuc,
But Dilfer is NOT, that we know of, in any sort of business relationship with McCoy. In order to be in a business relationship you need to get something for services rendered. There is no record that Dilfer, and he stately bluntly that he did not, receive anything for working out with the McCoy.
Dilfer is not the agent, he is a former player who is represented by the same agent. Logically speaking, his agents benefitting matters as much as your Realtor getting to sell a more expensive home. Of course if Dilfer does get a kickback, then there could be a story, but the Joe jumped the gun without any of those facts.
April 8th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
The smart thing for Dilfer to do is to recuse himself from talking about McCoy — or any other draftable quarterback — until after the draft, given the connected dots.