?Jerks? like Strahan make NFL look bad

Big Ol? Michael Strahan, bullying a woman on national television. His momma ought to be proud of the absolute jerk he made of himself.

For those who don?t set their clicker to ESPN and leave it there like I do, I?m referring to comments made by the Pro Bowl defensive lineman during an interview by reporters a few days after the Giants? 24-21 meltdown against the Titans last Sunday. Questions were fired at Strahan after he publicly criticized teammate Plaxico Burress? lack of hustle during a ?Pacman? Jones interception in the Titans? big comeback. He fires this attack, throwing his own teammate under the proverbial bus, despite the fact Strahan hasn?t played in three games due to a foot injury.

Then he takes it out on reporters for being ?divisive? in their questions, after he was the one who started the whole thing. Frankly, his attitude toward the whole thing stinks worse than his underarms in the Right Guard commercial which I hope the company cancels.

What he did to the female reporter asking a simple question about his comments about Burress was nothing more than a thug-like attack, using his brawn to try to intimidate a female and cover up for his own ineptness. He kept referring to himself being a ?man? like it was a badge of honor, and telling her to ?look him in the eye? like he was going to break bad or something.

If the Giants were half an organization they would suspend this thug ? oh, wait a minute, he?s played as many downs as I have in the NFL the past three weeks because of the little boo-boo on his foot, so no need to bench him. Perhaps a public apology for his Mike Tyson-like attack on a female reporter would be a good start. Then maybe he can limp himself back into the lineup and try to right the Giant ship instead of criticizing folks who actually are playing.

I guess my main problem with his behavior is the way he almost physically threatened a female who was doing her job. He?s a big man. He could whoop me and he could whoop you. He could whoop both of us at the same time even if we back jumped him. However, with this size comes responsibility not to use it to bully other people, especially women. What he did gave a black eye to professional athletes, further stereotyping them as steroid-injecting, hot-tempered rich boys who don?t care about anybody but themselves.

Jerks like Strahan contaminate the pool for folks with class like Warrick Dunn, who spends millions every year to fund housing programs for people who are homeless. Or even for folks like Peyton Manning, who has, and I expect he will again this Sunday after the game in Nashville, stand out back of the stadium and sign autographs in the cold for all comers, not because he has to, but because he wants to.

I say if Big Ol? Michael Strahan wants to be a jerk, let him. The endorsements like Right Guard will dry up because no one wants to do business with a company represented by a punk. And, seeing his career is entering its twilight, maybe he can get on Celebrity Boxing, maybe fight ?The Fridge? or somebody, get that aggression out of himself. Of course, given Strahan?s track record, he?d probably rather fight a woman, make her look him in the eye like a man.

I hate the Cowboys, always have, but I hope they beat the Giants like a rented mule today just for Big Ol? Michael Strahan. How about them Cowboys?