Colts owner Jim Irsay was recently the subject of a feature on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. During one part of the interview, Irsay spoke with correspondent Andrea Kremer about his struggle with addiction and alcoholism and spoke on his infamous arrest in 2014 for suspicion of driving a car while intoxicated.
He blamed his arrest in part on the fact that he was “prejudiced against” for being a “rich, white billionaire.”
Irsay’s comment became a talking point in the sports world and a segment on ESPN’s First Take, in which Stephen A. Smith, Kimberley A. Martin, and Molly Qerim sharply criticized the Colts owner.
“His comments exemplify exactly what people think NFL owners are—detached,” said Martin. “Just a total lack of awareness of their privilege. And the flippancy of how they discuss their privilege.”
Irsay responded on social media about how he is going to sue First Take.
He even went as far as to personally attack Martin.
“If my Black Mother Dorthy was still alive..you’d be in some big Hot Water! You are mean and ugly.”
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Irsay also tweeted Wednesday he’d been treated with “mean-spirited contempt” by ‘Real Sports’ and “Bryan Gumbel.”
Yikes.
Thursday’s edition of First Take is going to be interesting, to say the least.
Taking personal shots at a reporter will certainly garner a strong response from Stephen A. Smith. We’ll have to wait and see if Martin has an even stronger reply to being dragged by an NFL owner.
