In one of the wildest and funniest stories of the off-season, a pair of NFL Insiders almost got into a brawl in a Starbucks. We know – it sounds like the beginning of a joke, but this was real.
One of those Insiders, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, has pretty much confirmed the details. However, as he repeatedly insists in an appearance on the Awful Announcing Podcast, he didn’t actually participate much in the “ridiculous” scrum with Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
Readers of Bounding Into Sports will recall that Schultz aggressively accosted Rapoport in front of a slew of horrified—and likely confused—baristas at an Indianapolis Starbucks a few weeks ago.
By all accounts, including Rapoport’s latest, Schultz was the unhinged aggressor.
“It was all ridiculous. Again, I’m not blind to the world,” Rapoport said. “I would say, looking back, it was a little amusing. I was part of it, I guess? I really, honestly, was just standing there. But I was part of it, I guess? It was sort of amusing, and people got a real kick out of it.”
Rapoport Confirms That Schultz ‘Screamed’ In His Face
Rapoport made repeated comments during the interview, reminding viewers that he didn’t do much but stand there minding his own business in the Starbucks when Schultz got a little nutty.
“I mean, it was ridiculous. Freaking [Mike] Florio had the whole thing, including what [Schultz] said to me, two hours later — ridiculous,” Rapaport said. “Now, as a professional gossip, I respect it. It was all amusing.”
“The crazy thing, for me, is like, I didn’t do anything,” he added. “I literally just stood there while somebody screamed in my face.”
Rapaport did take a couple of jabs at Schultz, noting that he got yelled at by a “Fox freelancer” and saying that he “hardly” even knows who Schultz is.
Schultz Played Tough Guy After The Incident
While it remains unclear what Schultz confronted Rapoport over, it must have been something significant for him to feel like he should accost him in the relative safety of a Starbucks.
Some reports suggest that the argument surrounded a scoop both NFL insiders had regarding a meeting between Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. The meeting took place at a ski resort in Montana.
The difference between the reports was that Schulz indicated it was a planned meeting, while Rapoport said it was a random encounter.
Other reports indicated that Rapoport had accused Schultz of offering players “Uber stock” for inside scoops. Which is in itself pretty hilarious. Who the heck trades stories for stock in a rideshare company?
“I didn’t know people gave that to players,” Rapoport said. “I had no idea. It was weird.”
Rapaport contends that he had nothing to do with that report. Meanwhile, Schultz went everywhere he could to brag about getting in somebody’s face at a Starbucks and prompting them to notify security.
According to reports, Rapoport was minding his business when Schultz confronted him. He then asked Schultz to step back and decided the final comments—”we’re going to have a f—ing problem”—amounted to a threat. He reported the incident to NFL security.
The whole thing is a joke. Rapoport seems mildly embarrassed by it, yet Schutz plays it up as if he’s some sort of tough guy. Yeah, of course, he called security. You were acting like a jacka** and making threats.
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