Jay Ratliff has to be separated from Cowboys beat writer

[Midswat]

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 15, 2011, 6:17 PM EST


Cowboys defensive tackle Jay Ratliff had to be separated from ESPNDallas.com writer Calvin Watkins on Thursday when Ratliff didn’t appreciate the line of questioning.

Watkins is a well respected writer that has worked at the two major papers in town. He reportedly asked Ratliff about former teammate Sam Hurd’s arrest for drug trafficking and the conversation “quickly went South” according to Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

NFL Network had footage of the argument, which looked very close. The two men had to be kept apart while yelling at each other. The incident didn’t come as a total surprise to those who know Ratliff, who has apparently had a testy relationship with the media and has a moody personality.

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was standing nearby and broke it down: “My money’s on Ratliff.”

 

[superpunk]

Good for Ratliff.

 

[Rock Slamdance]

Good for Ratliff, and a lol for Rob Ryan

 

[carphalen5150]

Yeah...awesome for Ratliff...he is going to beat up a writer. Lame.

 

[Rock Slamdance]

Yeah...awesome for Ratliff...he is going to beat up a writer. Lame.

Might as well beat up somebody.

 

[superpunk]

Yeah...awesome for Ratliff...he is going to beat up a writer. Lame.

You come in talkin shit about his boy you know what you're going to get.

 

[Theebs]

Lol at well respected.

Pro football crap calling calvin Watkins well respected is right on the money.

Joe avezzano said in the post game the other night that the media here asks some stupid dumbass questions.

This was right after Clarence hill and Calvin Watkins asked romo about 5 straight irrelevant questions.

Funny stuff.

 

[carphalen5150]

You come in talkin shit about his boy you know what you're going to get.

...or he could act like a grown up and not be ready to throw down with a much smaller man. His boy got busted and you would have to expect those kind of questions. Maybe Ratliff has something to hide.

 

[superpunk]

...or he could act like a grown up and not be ready to throw down with a much smaller man. His boy got busted and you would have to expect those kind of questions. Maybe Ratliff has something to hide.

Or maybe the much smaller man could know his place and not poke the bear? NFL Players are people too, and most people I know wouldn't appreciate being asked impertinent questions by some snot-nosed reporter who is just looking to drag your boy's name through the mud.

 

[Theebs]

...or he could act like a grown up and not be ready to throw down with a much smaller man. His boy got busted and you would have to expect those kind of questions. Maybe Ratliff has something to hide.

I would imagine dumbass Watkins said something along those lines, questioning if anyone has something here is involved.

Ratliff in interviews is all buisness, he is aikman like where he doesn't put up with nonsense.

There has been some back and forth with McMahon and some players on twitter recently and Bennett told McMahon no one on the team likes Tim or anyone he works with....I.e. The espn 1033 crew.

So there was probably some tension there to begin with.

I would prefer he tackle Brandon Jacobs.

 

[carphalen5150]

Or maybe the much smaller man could know his place and not poke the bear? NFL Players are people too, and most people I know wouldn't appreciate being asked impertinent questions by some snot-nosed reporter who is just looking to drag your boy's name through the mud.

His boy just got busted for charges on being a big time distributor of cocaine...Hurd drug himself through the mud.

 

[jiggyfly]

...or he could act like a grown up and not be ready to throw down with a much smaller man. His boy got busted and you would have to expect those kind of questions. Maybe Ratliff has something to hide.

You have no idea what was being said by Watkins or if this was all related to Hurd. Why must you assign blame?

 

[Theebs]

You have no idea what was being said by Watkins or if this was all related to Hurd. Why must you assign blame?

Mac engle was right there and he said Watkins was asking repeated questions about Hurd to Ratliff, and jay got pissed off.

 

[superpunk]

His boy just got busted for charges on being a big time distributor of cocaine...Hurd drug himself through the mud.

It's cool to sit in your ivory tower of rationality and say that but when it's your boy emotions are involved and you don't want to be pressed on it by some moron with a typewriter.

If I had to guess Jay probably refused to answer questions on it a few times, then said does anyone want to talk about the Bucs, then when this ****** pressed him on it some more he went off. Just a guess, it could have been instantaneous, but we'll see.

 

[carphalen5150]

You have no idea what was being said by Watkins or if this was all related to Hurd. Why must you assign blame?

Everyone else is assigning blame to Watkins...in the interest of fairness please ask them the same question.

I guess the consensus is that if someone asks you a question you don't like it is alright to fight them. Pretty childish, but alright.

 

[carphalen5150]

It's cool to sit in your ivory tower of rationality and say that but when it's your boy emotions are involved and you don't want to be pressed on it by some moron with a typewriter.

If I had to guess Jay probably refused to answer questions on it a few times, then said does anyone want to talk about the Bucs, then when this ****** pressed him on it some more he went off. Just a guess, it could have been instantaneous, but we'll see.

Take it easy tough guy...clearly Ratliff could not have overreacted, that is silly to even think that might have happened.

 

[jiggyfly]

Mac engle was right there and he said Watkins was asking repeated questions about Hurd to Ratliff, and jay got pissed off.

He said the conversation "went south" after asking about Hurd, you have no idea what went south meant or what actually set him off.

 

[superpunk]

Mac engle was right there and he said Watkins was asking repeated questions about Hurd to Ratliff, and jay got pissed off.

See also: my guess

 

[jiggyfly]

Everyone else is assigning blame to Watkins...in the interest of fairness please ask them the same question.

I guess the consensus is that if someone asks you a question you don't like it is alright to fight them. Pretty childish, but alright.

All he said was good for Ratliff, you took it there.

 

[superpunk]

Take it easy tough guy...clearly Ratliff could not have overreacted, that is silly to even think that might have happened.

Yeah that's what happens when you are emotional about something and some dickhead won't stop pressing you because he feels safe enough to ask these jerky questions without the normal repercussions that would be there if he was just asking Ratliff these things in public.