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Earlier this week, in the wake of Josh Gordon's DWI arrest, ESPN analyst and Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter appeared on the radio and offered up a suggestion for the Cleveland Browns: cut Josh Gordon.
Carter was speaking from his own personal experience. Another Hall of Fame wide receiver and current NFL Network analyst, Michael Irvin, profoundly disagrees with Carter's assessment.
Appearing on the Dan LeBatard Show (quotes via the Palm Beach New Times) Irvin he doesn't think people lacking in specific knowledge of Gordon's situation should be dispensing advice publicly.
"The people start thinking that you have insight on the situation or the issue or the problem so when you come out and make those kinds of comments and you're not in his sessions with his professional help, you don't know what's going on in those sessions, then you're being irresponsible," Irvin said. "I was a bit disappointed Cris Carter made that statement.
Le Batard then asked Irvin about his personal feelings towards Carter. Irvin, well, went off.
Irvin pointed out Carter's assessment to cut Gordon might've worked for Carter then but "maybe it's the worst thing" for Gordon now.
"Dan, I was so hot when I heard it. I was so hot. You know, I love Cris Carter and he's a good dude and I know what he's trying to do and he's doing his job because his job is to bring his experience to the desk, to a microphone, and share his experiences," Irvin said. "But he's touching these lines, just like I'm touching when I'm trying to help guys, and you're on TV. You have to toe a thin line here, you have to toe a very thin line. People consider you, like, you talked to Josh so you must know more. If you said they need to cut him, then my god, maybe they should cut him.
"Now, isolation for Cris may have been the best thing. Separation, for Cris, may have been the best thing. For Josh, maybe it's the worst thing."
Then Irvin proceeded to tell an extremely personal and awkward story about he and Carter -- and Irvin's wife and Carter's advice for her! -- from their playing days before pointing out Carter's "ass it out of line."
"I'm going to put a little personal on this even though I love Cris to death. I don't know what year it was we were in the Pro Bowl. And all Cris is trying to do, he's just trying to share his experiences," Irvin said. "He said to my wife -- he said to my wife --you know, Michael would never come out of this problem until you leave him. Till you leave him. For years, I've held it. I've never shared that with anybody. I've never in my life shared that with anybody. I was so irked with Cris because he was out of line then. His ass is out of line now. He is out. of. line."
Le Batard followed up by asking Irvin if he ever talked to Carter about the incident and Irvin said he "never confronted him" and never told Carter he knew of what happened.
Given the small circle of Hall of Fame wideouts who now cover the league for television networks , it stands to reason the two will run into each other at some point in the near future.
That could be interesting to say the least.
