I can’t say I’ve ever been a big Michael Irvin fan. Maybe it’s because he’s nicknamed “The Playmaker,” maybe it’s because he played for the University of Miami, and then on those ridiculously good Cowboys teams of the 90′s, or maybe it’s because he’s always come across, to me anyway, as a smug, pompous, arrogant, egotistical blowhard.
But hey, that’s just me.
Either way, despite my dislike of Irvin, I have to give him credit on his response to last Thursday’s allegations by an unknown woman that accused “The Playmaker” of rape.
Because nothing says “I’m innocent” better than a countersuit against your accuser, Irvin has filed suit against the woman, to the tune of $100 million, for trying to destroy his reputation as a barely tolerable highly acclaimed sports broadcaster.
I wonder how they came up with $100 million though. Maybe they thought $10 million was too low, and a zillion dollars seemed a tad ridiculous.
Irvin’s lawsuit also calls the woman “morally bankrupt,” and that the timing of her allegations are suspect, as Irvin and his lawyer believe the accuser chose the week before the Super Bowl in order to “capitalize on the attention.”
The repercussions from the rape allegations were quick, as ESPN terminated their contract with Irvin, who had hosted a radio show in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Irvin’s other employer, the NFL Network, has stuck by the embattled broadcaster though, publicly stating that he will continue to work for the network through Super Bowl weekend.
Irvin’s lawsuit is contending that his accuser is nothing more than an extortionist, out to make a quick buck, and in the process, ruin Michael Irvin’s reputation. The suit claims that the woman’s attorney has been pushing Irvin to pay up to $1 million, and even went so far as to threaten to sue during the Super Bowl, and destroy Irvin’s career.
“This is nothing more than a weak attempt to extort a celebrity with baseless salacious allegations,” the lawsuit read. Her allegations will cause “the destruction of an innocent man’s hard earned career.”
In other words…lewd, lascivious, salacious, outrageous!
[Miami Herald, Image via Wikipedia]
