Craig Bowen 
Whitlock, are you reading something into T.O. Skipping the Hall of Fame sports?
– Yes, I am. They are about to realize their worst nightmare– the worst teammate in all sports is coming to the Hall of Fame. And he is already off to an awful beginning, in my view. Now, maybe he has some explanation, and there are a few justifiable reasons for why he wasn’t there. I reached out to T.O. Over Twitter– we followed each other– over a D.M. and asked him why we weren’t at the Super Bowls or any of the events. “None of your business. Again, kick rocks! Please don’t subject yourself to an excessive amount of approximately me. Keep kissing ass over there.” That was T.O.’s response.
– He instructed you [INAUDIBLE]
– And so he’s telling me to kick rocks. To me, he is telling his Hall of Fame class inductees to kick rocks, too. Again, he left on Saturday to come back right here to be in a few Chris Paul bowler’s charity events. But when you decide on Saturday, there’s a private jet to take you to Minneapolis so that you can beat the Super Bowl, be together with your class of inductees, and begin participating in things with your elegance. It’s like pledging a fraternity. These are your line brothers. And he hasn’t been part of it. I assume this is a signal he will preserve to walk to the beat of his drum, and thus– this won’t be pretty.
– Well, I mean, he has the worst excellent, for me, of everybody– neediness. I don’t have needy pals. I do not like being around needy humans. He’s a needy man. He’s the opposite of Larry Fitzgerald. You understand, I suggest; he just constantly desires interest and approval. Not my type of guy. That said, while you voted him in, you knew that. He’s always been–
– What if he snubs the Hall of Fame, right?
– Well, you know what? By the way– I know you get mad once I say this, and I examine the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to the Players’ Hall of Fame– but gamers– Paul McCartney and others neglected the Hall of Fame rock and roll induction. They’re rock and roll stars. He’s a rock and roll famous person. He is a diva, needy, excessive-maintenance wide receiver who changed into honestly effective. Could you not count on him to be a left shield?
– It’s not a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame brotherhood. The NFL Hall of Fame is a brotherhood.
COLIN COWHERD: Aah–
– Talk to the Hall of Famers.
– I was given the news to you. That rock and rollers all trashed hotel rooms. It’s a little bit of a brotherhood. They all drank an excessive amount and partied too much.
– I would say this- glaringly, it isn’t enjoyable. He committed. Maybe the concept he wasn’t going to get in. I don’t know what is going on in his thoughts. But right here’s the difficulty– if you are seeking to get returned to the voters because you were not a first-ballot Hall of Famer– There have been — Randy Moss and Jerry Rice in the receiver position. They have been first ballots. You’re not in that equal– Like, you are a Hall of Famer. However, you aren’t Jerry Rice or Randy Moss. So I could say this– and he was a first-rate participant, don’t get me wrong. He’s a great player. But the lowest line is if you’re seeking to get back at the Hall of Fame citizens, you are missing the factor. The factor that you’d reached rarefied air, man. You’re with a collection of fellows who laid the path earlier than you, who made sacrifices you do not even realize.
- JASON WHITLOCK: So you may make–
- – That’s– this is–
- JASON WHITLOCK: — all that cash.
– That’s the problem is that– I get around– I had the terrific privilege of assembly considered one of my youth heroes, Rocky Bleier, this weekend in Minneapolis. And you already know what? I changed into one, frightened. Two, I just went to Rocky and said I need to thank him for laying the basis that allowed me to play this game. And watching you as a kid made me need to be a soccer player. I’m a soccer player because I comply with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
So the reverence I have for those guys and the reverence you should have for the ones guys you’re within the Hall of Fame with– I’m in no way getting inside the Hall of Fame except I buy a price tag. And I’m OK with that because I wasn’t truly sufficient. But doggone it, those men sacrificed so I could live out a formative year dream. And that is what you are lacking. You want to get lower back at the electorate because you don’t like them. What you’re doing is you’re just hurting the men that– that created– that is– are the cause you’re there.
– Yeah, however, you must keep in mind that football teams are made of a chain of different people. Gronk can be a meathead, and Brady’s obsessed. And then they have got a wide receiver that is funny. Your view of the arena isn’t always TO’s. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame– Even inside my own family–
- – Would you prevent it?
- – Even within one’s own family–
- – Stop!
- – –Personalities are specific. You guys all need T.O. To be Larry Fitzgerald.
– And that’s what is going to be my point on this. I suggest, come on. You guys knew– you realize who T.O. Is. You understand what form of persona he is. He’s going to inform you to kick rocks. You’re going to reach out to him and try to offer an olive department– which is what you were probably trying to do in the previous textual content earlier than this one D.M.
JASON WHITLOCK: Told him to be a perfect teammate.
– Yeah, something. Hehe, I would not care. He doesn’t want to pay attention to that from you. He got in; he feels jaded now. He’s going to be it will be T.O. This is who he is.
– Why is it OK within the NBA to have flaky Wilt, needy– gregarious Magic? Kawhi Leonard does not talk, and we are OK with it. But all football players should be the same man.
– No, they mustn’t be the exact equal guy. We’re speaking about people who performed football and like it, this– stepping into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is like heaven in the world.
- COLIN COWHERD: He doesn’t love it; he likes it.
- – I get– no, he likes what it can do for him. He sincerely does not love football.
- COLIN COWHERD: That’s OK, too.
– But again,– when you get a threat to join the greatest of the greats of soccer gamers, your reverence for them and the reverence for the guys you’re getting in with have to be so overwhelming that whatever bitterness you’ve got in the direction of the citizens–
TONY GONZALEZ: Why? Why are you–
- – –Should go away.
- – Why are you talking logically?
COLIN COWHERD: He’s now not logical.
- – You’re talking realistically right now. It makes no–
- – You’re asking him to be you.
JASON WHITLOCK: No!
COLIN COWHERD: He doesn’t love the game; he likes it.
– There are two hundred or three hundred men in the Hall of Fame. When Lawrence Taylor got in– Ray Lewis was one of the greatest players ever. He’s rattling near tears because he gets to enroll in Jim Brown and these people.
TONY GONZALEZ: Yeah, however, T.O.’s different. This is who he is. This is who he was when he became in the sphere. Why– Why could he change now? He stated, get your popcorn ready. Come on, that is who he is.
– Here it’s far– wherein common feel isn’t so common. And you recognize what? You were given to live with it.
– And appearance, I wish that he has some valid excuse that–
– Yeah, maybe.
– –Why he wasn’t there. But all of us else, you prevent what you’re doing and prefer. I was given to get to Minneapolis and be with my guys.
– Even if he has a legitimate excuse, I assume it’ll be like Belichick– ain’t none of your commercial enterprises.
