Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay will scale the highest mountain or unleash the strangest online tirade to protect his dignity.
Irsay flew off the hinges and threatened to sue ESPN after a First Take segment Wednesday morning accusing him of being a dopey, ignorant NFL owner.
The criticism against Irsay stemmed from an interview where the Colts owner said he was pulled over in Carmel, Calif., on suspicion of DUI in 2014 because he’s rich and white.
“I am prejudiced against because I am a rich white billionaire,” Irsay said. “If I’m just the average guy down the block, they’re not pulling me in, of course not.”
ESPN’s panel didn’t appreciate the “white privilege” from Irsay and slammed the owner. Due to its lack of eloquence, Irsay’s words clashed with the sensitive folks at ESPN.
“He doesn’t think about anything else, he just thinks about himself because he’s an entitled old brat,” Stephen A. Smith said.
“That’s really what it comes down to. And in the end, he’s lucky that he’s an NFL owner because they print money for crying out loud. You’ve got to be the stupidest person in the world to not make money as an NFL owner in this day and age.”
Irsay’s tirade on X threatened to sue ESPN for their coverage. He specifically called out commentator Kimberley A. Martin, which later prompted a tacit response from Martin.
Jim Irsay Goes Off On First Take’s Coverage
Martin critiqued Irsay for overlooking a racial element in his reaction.
“What’s frustrating is his comments, exemplify exactly what people think — NFL owners are detached,” Martin said.
“Just a total lack of awareness of their privilege and the flippancy of how they discuss their privilege. He came off like he’s a victim. And that anyone who has had as many opportunities as he has had share just by virtue of his name, the family he was raised in, and the color of his skin — like it just bothered me on a lot of levels.”
Irsay criticized Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo for bringing up the drugs and over $20,000 in cash found in his vehicle during the Carmel arrest. He addressed his critics on X, formerly Twitter, with some ill-typed rants:
“1st take,your gonna get your ass Sued,because there was NO Alcohol,No illegal Drugs/ $29,000 dollars is low for me to be carrying in ,2014 arrest/I give away $2000-$10,000 dollars to the homeless and needed on the street,All the time and pass it on,making the world better.”
“My Grandparents came across Ellis Island,with just the shirt on their back..penniless and escaping Jewish Concentration Camps… I grew up in a horrible home where both my brother and sister died in a Car Crash in 1971. I worked for my living/bought 30% of the Colts Bank Loan.”
“And on 1st Take, the Woman that preceded Stephen A… how dare you pretend to know me; I don’t know your name and I don’t care to. If my Black Mother Dorthy was still alive.. you’d be in some big Hot Water! You are mean and ugly. Your a Nothing Burger.”
Kimberley A. Martin updated her name on X to “Woman That Preceded Stephen A” to use Irsay’s words against him.
Irsay may have a claim to defamation in his ranting, but the network succeeded in raising a non-issue to prompt a response from Irsay.
(How should Irsay respond to ESPN’s comments? Let us know your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com)
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