Once in a while a sports article grabs you. It really gets your attention and given the amount of writing out there - it has to be something special. Having read an article in The Observer Sports Monthly named ‘Sex, drugs and shoulder pads’ words by Jeff Pearlman. I was amazed at some of the things that went on with the early 90’s Dallas Cowboys.
Just to give a quick overview, the team were known as 'America’s team' because of their flamboyant and arrogant football skills.
The Cowboys were the best team around and won 3 Superbowls in quick succession. A remarkable achievement given the fact that the NFL has salary caps and draft systems that hinder great teams from dominating year after year.
As is often the case in top level sport the Dallas Cowboys received many perks for their jobs. Women would throw themselves at the players and the players single or married would invariably accept the proposals. It was almost as if the aptly named Cowboys themselves could almost be forgiven for just going along with it all. Hey, if they are being offered it why not take it?
One of the perks of the job was a free haircut the players would be given by a guy named Vinnie. One afternoon in the training camp Vinnie was giving huge linebacker Everett McIver a much needed trim when Irvin burst into the room demanding that he got his haircut instantly.
Star receiver Michael Irvin was the self promoting self proclaiming ‘main man’. Irvin was the kind of guy who was great at his job and knew it. Even when the police bust into his house to arrest him on suspicion of drug taking and cavorting with prostitutes Irvin still had the guile to ask ‘Do you know who I am?’.
Irvin always got what he wanted and had grown accustomed to this so when McIver refused to give up his seat Irvin was insulted. McIver and Irvin were soon jostling each other and a fight eventually broke out. At the end of which Irvin took some of the hair scissors that were lying around and slashed McIver’s throat with them. There was blood everywhere and McIver was taken to hospital, no-one knew if he would survive or not. A horrible ending to a rather petulent argument.
McIver did not talk of the incident at the time and it was all swept under the Dallas carpet.
However, this was certainly not Irvin’s first violent incident. It had been alleged that in a charity basketball game Irvin had become so frustrated with the referee that he got angry and shattered the officials jaw.
Definitely a character, Irvin even pulled a ‘mooney’ at an NFL representative when they explained a new on the field ruling that he did not agree with.
This sort of behaviour would have seen most of us sent to jail long before he eventually was - but Irvin was an American hero and the Cowboy franchise fought tooth and nail to keep this the case.
As a result Irvin’s misdemeanors were almost celebrated to the point where Irvin felt untouchable. It is an uncomfortable thought to try and think of Irvin’s life had he not been a footballer, he was very fortunate to have such a path presented to him.
In the end, time caught up with Irvin (though he outlasted most of his fellow players in the living the fast life department - three are already dead) and after 800 hours of community service Irvin realised he had to change. It is said that he put his faith in God and was healed, others say rehab. Irvin a now hall of famer went out with a great sentiment when he said in his acceptance speech.
“I sat right where you are last year and I watched the class of 2006: and the late, great Reggie White represented by his wife, Sara White. And I said ‘Wow. That’s what a hall of famer is.’
“Certainly, I am not that. I doubted I would ever have the chance to stand before you today. So when I returned home I spoke with Michael and Elijah. I said: ‘That’s how you do it, son. You do it like they did it.’”
The crowd let out a great uproar that lasted seemingly forever and it felt that tears in his eyes Michael Irvin had fianlly found some redemption.
An unbelievable story but one which is probably familiar to many celebrities who have lived the high and fast life.
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