GM Sorry for Asking Dez Bryant if Mom was Hooker
Dez Bryant: "No, my mom is not a prostitute."
Miami Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland is saying sorry to wide receiver Dez Bryant, but he might consider adding a thank you for not having his lights punched out last month.
During pre-draft interviews where, according to Yahoo Sports blogger Mike Silver, front-office talent mavens probe potential picks with sometimes mind-boggling questions, Ireland asked Bryant if his mother had ever been a prostitute.
Bryant, not shockingly, was offended by the comment and reportedly responded with a curt, "No."
Realizing his faux pas (after the question became public, of course), Ireland issued this statement:
"Having said that, I talked to Dez Bryant and told him I used poor judgment in one of the questions I asked him. I certainly meant no disrespect and apologized to him.
"I appreciate his acceptance of that apology and I told him I wished him well as he embarks on his NFL career."
The Cowboys grabbed Bryant, a standout wide receiver at Oklahoma State, with the 24th overall pick last week. He missed most of his final season at Oklahoma State because he lied to the NCAA about a meeting he had with Deion Sanders.
Maybe Ireland thinks most liars are the spawn of prostitute moms.
According to Silver, some other questions posed to players include the kind of underwear they play in (G-string or jock strap), asking a Rhodes Scholar (Myron Rolle, Florida State) how he felt deserting his team for England and whether a white running back (Toby Gerhart, Stanford) felt "entitled" because of his race.
Is the famed Wunderlic test no longer the best interrogation tool?
In any case, Ireland may want to call in sick Sept. 2 and skip Miami's preseason game at Dallas.
Hall of Fame or Bust: Top NFL Draft Picks Await Fate
Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford is likely to be chosen first or second in the 2010 NFL Draft
/ AP Photo/Charlie RiedelAmid all the hyperventilating over the size, speed, strength and leadership of each prospective football players heading into each NFL draft, one label hovers over the young athletes and lingers on the tip of every team scout's tongue: bust.
To be sure, draft day is littered with unfulfilled potential -- Andre Ware, Tony Mandarich, Steve Emtman, and nearly every Penn State running back come to mind. JaMarcus Russell and Alex Smith are waiting in the wings.
While the players selected first or second overall will get a giant heap of pressure along with their multimillion dollar checks, history tells us that they can be assured of collecting NFL-type money for at least five years.
In fact, among the 74 previous NFL drafts, 21 Hall of Famers have been selected either number one or number two; and that list doesn't include likely Canton inductees Bruce Smith, Payton Manning, and possibly Donovan McNabb and Marshall Faulk.
For those counting, that's about a 14 percent chance of achieving football immortality.
Among the history of the top two picks -- the draft first began in 1936 -- 30 players stayed in the league for less than five years (according to the NFL Players Association, the average career for a player is 3.5 seasons). On the flipside, the top two picks have appeared in more than 350 Pro Bowls.
So, Sam Bradford, Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy or whoever else might land the top two spots Thursday night, you're well on your way to not being a total bust.
CBSSports.com complete coverage of the NFL Draft:
CBSSports.com: Inside the Draft Live (Starts 6:30 Eastern)
CBSSports.com Live Draft Tracker
Bettis: NFL Should Suspend Big Ben for 2 Games
Jerome Bettis, former Pittsburgh Steelers standout running back and teammate of Ben Roethlisberger, says the quarterback should be suspended two games over his latest brush with the law.
Roethlisberger has been twice accused of sexual assault in the past 12 months, most recently in March by a college student in Georgia.
"I am surprised," Bettis said. "This is not in his character."
"I was definitely disappointed," Bettis told CBS' "The Early Show" Friday.
Bettis, however, said in light of the NFL's crackdown on bad behavior, a suspension, "would definitely serve as a notice" to the rest of the league.
More coverage of Ben Roethlisberger:
Accuser: I Told Roethlisberger "This Is Not OK"
Read more police report excerpts at The Smoking Gun (Warning: graphic language).
Steelers: We Will Punish Roethlisberger
Which Superstar Athlete Should Play Pro Golf?
Jerry Rice dominated NFL cornerbacks, but can he do the same to pro golf fairways?
Jerry Rice announced today that he will try and turn the athletic talent that made him a Hall of Fame wide receiver in the NFL into a gifted golfer.
Rice will join the Nationwide Tour and play in the Fresh Express Classic at Stonebrae, Calif. Thursday.
Of course, Rice is far from the only superstar athlete in one sport to take a stab at golf, though he is among a few who actually have decided to try and play golf professionally. Rick Rhoden, a former standout pitcher for the Pirates and Yankees, joined the senior tour after retiring from baseball and has enjoyed a decent career as a golfer.
While the Masters certainly had its share of drama, one can only imagine the fun viewers could have if more athletes were as colorful as the clothes worn on the course.
Click here to read Golf Digest's 2009 rankings of the best Athlete Golfers
Tiger Woods cursing himself was cute, but what if it was Charles Barkley slicing a tee shot into a forest? Think Roger Clemens might launch his 5-iron at a spectator after a poor fairway shot? Put him on the Tour and let's find out. And who wouldn't want to see Michael Jordan sink a 30-foot putt with his tongue out -- lord knows it would be better than watching him destroy his NBA legacy as a mediocre front office man.
Answer the poll or add who you think would be great for pro golf in the comments section below:
Martina Navratilova: I Have Breast Cancer
Martina Navratilova, legendary tennis player and one of the greatest female athletes of her generation, says she has breast cancer.
Navratilova, 53, in an interview with People magazine, says doctors detected the cancer early and the prognosis is excellent.
The nine-time Wimbledon champion said she cried upon first hearing the news.
"It knocked me on my ass, really. I feel so in control of my life and my body, and then this comes, and it's completely out of my hands," she told People.
The form of breast cancer Navratilova has is DCIS, which affects the milk ducts and has not spread to the breast tissue, Dr. Mindy Nagle said.
Navratilova, who still plays tennis and competes in triathlons, and serves as a fitness ambassador for AARP, told the magazine she is lucky the cancer was caught so early since she had not scheduled a mammogram in four years.
"I let it slide. Everyone gets busy, but don't make excuses. I stay in shape and eat right, and it happened to me," she said. "Another year and I could have been in big trouble."
