jeff ireland is a piece of shit.

[jtex316]

If Jeff Ireland was walking down the street, and Dez Bryant was walking towards him, and Jeff Ireland asked Dez Bryant "Is you mom a prostitute?", Dez Bryant would have probably beaten the shit out of him.

But, because it was in a place where Jeff Ireland knew he wouldn't get his ass kicked, he asked the question.

[Phishfan]

You want an instance? He flat out lied about Gibril Wilson. Flat out lied about Ted Ginn, Jr (who we now find out was being shopped since 2008...that's great for a persons confidence).

What were these lies? I'm not sure I'm following these references.

[JVides]

I will say this:  if an employer asked a prospective employee this question, a lawsuit, brawl, or both would ensue.  I get why he wanted to know, in a sense, but he could've asked the question like this:

"Hey, kid, is your family life going to pull you under?  Is your mom going to be a distraction?"

And 'Stroke, the NFL is a business, and "54" and "99" were the team's showstoppers, the main gate attractions, the guys that put butts in seats, for over a decade.  A businessman would've said "the paying customer would like to see these two honored by the franchise, so I will honor them, in the name of goodwill and, hopefully, renewed season ticket packages".  A scout would say "you don't have it any more, you're out on your ear."  Ireland is a scout by trade and nature, not a business man.  This is beyond evident. 

[Defense54]

I'm not defending anybody, but we have been on both sides of the fence.

The Wannstadt era Kissed the ass of ballplayers. Took them on field trips to movies and shows. gave out draft picks and contracts like candy. Look where it got us.

I'm willing to wait and see if there is any truth to the saying that nice guys finish last.

[StL FinFan]

Sunstroke, they showed both Zach and JT the door.  OK if they did not fit into the team anymore.  Not ok that two beloved and iconic players were not allowed to say their goodbyes.  Not ok that Taylor was not just told face to face.  Post-it notes, vague maybes, give the guy a yes or no.

Phish, Ireland made it seem that the Dolphins wanted to keep and develop both Wilson and Ginn when he knew full well they were going to cut Wilson and were shopping Ginn.

[Phishfan]

^^^ Maybe I didn't read those articles but I don't recall them.

[Sunstroke]

I didn't either, Phish...and aside from the idiotic comment about Bryant's mother, I think Ireland has done an outstanding job as Miami's GM.

[JVides]

Here's the bit regarding Wilson:

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2010/04/ireland-the-interview-the-wilson-flap.html

He went on about how Wilson would perform better in the future, making it seem as though Wilson would be with the team.  He never said "he'll do better in the future AS A DOLPHIN".  He implied one thing and meant something else.

I think Ireland has done quite well as GM here, thus far.  I am concerned, however, at this apparent (and widening) perception that he's a classless A-hole.  Why?  Because what free agent in his right mind is going to willingly come to the Dolphins and be treated like meat, when other (winning) franchises treat their current, former, and potential players with dignity and class (Indy, San Diego, New Orleans, and, yes, the Pats come to mind)?  It's one thing to be a caustic ass if you're winning; it's quite another to be a middling success (both in Dallas and Miami) and act in this way.

[StL FinFan]

I didn't either, Phish...and aside from the idiotic comment about Bryant's mother, I think Ireland has done an outstanding job as Miami's GM.

I am not questioning his ability as a GM.  He has done a fine job.  I am questioning his interpersonal skills, which seem to need some serious help.

[Fau Teixeira]

Am i the only person that has no problem at all with the dez bryant question ?

Ireland already knew the answer to the question before he asked it. or he wouldn't have known to ask it. It wasn't foot-in-mouth .. it was a calculated provocation to see how Dez Bryant would respond. The fact that his mother was actually a prostitute was already out there. the point of the question wasn't to see if she was turning tricks or not. The point was to see what kind of reaction they would get. Think of it as a verbal rorschach test.

In fact i'd put good money down that these types of classless and questionable questions are commonplace in pre-draft player interviews and have been going on for years. And i'd put even more money down that the tape of the interview was shown to a psychologist at some point before the draft to evaluate the responses. To think that an NFL team when faced with the decision to spend 40+ million dollars on an unproven player wouldn't go to these lengths to make the correct choice is naive at best.

[MaineDolFan]

It wasn't a stupid question to ask. 

His mother was convicted of selling drugs.  She gave birth at 15 to Dez.  Had 3 kids by 18.  All kids have different fathers (according to reports).  Rumors are at least one of the baby daddys was a paying customer.

Dez is on record saying how close he is to his mother.  You're potentially going to be on the hook for six years, initially, with this player and millions and millions of dollars.  It serves you best to know EVERYTHING about the potential baggage being brought to the table.

It's very easy to sit back and second guess that when the money being spent isn't your own. 

You are who you run with.  If I were Ireland, and I had concerns about potential pot holes that Dez's mom could get her son into, I would have vetted her without him knowing.  That's me.

I don't know how the question was asked, however - as long as it's done in a respectful way - I don't believe any question is off the table when accessing potential risk.  I'm quite sure that he didn't say "so, kid.  Your mom fuck guys for money or what?  She spread for dough?  Turn tricks?"

I'm sure he was as respectful as he could be.

Anyone think other teams don't ask some whacked questions?  According to Yahoo! Sports, other teams asked...

• Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was asked during an interview with another NFL team at the Scouting Combine whether he plays in a G-string or a jock strap.

• Florida State safety Myron Rolle, who didn't play football at Florida State during his senior season to instead accept a Rhodes Scholarship, was asked by the Tampa Bay Bucs what it felt like to ``desert his team.''

• Running back Toby Gerhart was reportedly asked if being a white running back made him feel ``entitled.''

Source:  http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/28/1601113/miami-dolphins-gm-apologizes-to.html

So let's not get our undies all in a twist over this.

[JVides]

^^^Fau , you'd be OK with an employer asking this of you?  Or about some other family secret?  I don't buy the calculated provocation argument, either.  Like, "let's test this kid's resistance to taunting to gauge the chance he's going to cost us 15 yards".  Nah.  Not buying that.  As I said before:  the guy is a scout by trade.  Evaluation of players: good so far.  The other stuff that comes with being a GM: not so hot.

Maine, you just cited examples of other teams having a bunch of socially inept morons running their drafts, too.  That doesn't excuse Ireland; it just shows that the line of questioning is pervasive in the business.  Show me where else in the world a prospective employer could ask a prospective employee if his mom was a hooker.  I don't think Goldman Sachs is asking this of its brokers; many of whom rake in several hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars.  It's a preposterous question!

[StL FinFan]

The excuse that everyone else is doing it does not make it right.

[bsfins]

^^^ You're only having a problem with it now, because it's happening to your team.....Trying to compare it to an average joe is B.S.,Your job isn't scrutinized for every little move,and isn't in the public eye....

[Philly Fin Fan]

Show me where else in the world a prospective employer could ask a prospective employee if his mom was a hooker.  I don't think Goldman Sachs is asking this of its brokers; many of whom rake in several hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars.  It's a preposterous question!

When trying to obtain a top-secret security clearance to work aboard a nuclear sub, I was asked a lot worse questions that this regarding some of my family members, and their "involvements" in certain things. I was even asked certain questions about extended family members whom I didn't even know!