To cap a week full of fines and finger pointing regarding the ongoing feud between Cowboys tackle Flozell Adams and Giants defensive end Justin Tuck, Adams gave an “exclusive interview” . . . with a writer from his team’s official web site. (Why not just send out a press release, guys?)
“A lot of people, reporters and some coaches have been around long before me and in 12 years and over 100-something games and they start calling me a dirty player now,” Adams said Friday. “I’m not doing anything different than I’ve always done. They can be the judge of whatever they want to say, but I know people in here -- teammates, coaches and family -- they know I’m not like that. I wouldn’t do anything deliberately to hurt another player or take anyone out.
“At my position, I want to give some guys a few bumps here and there. That’s how you play. But I’m not a dirty player. I’m not like that because I wouldn’t want anything like that to happen to me.”
As to the shove of Tuck at the end of the first half of Sunday’s game, Adams swears that he thought the play was still going, and that he didn’t know he was pushing Tuck.
Still, there’s no plausible defense for Adams’ habit of throwing out a leg when beaten by a defender, like he did to Tuck in Week Two.
Adams vows to not change.
“I can’t be less aggressive,” Adams said. “I have to go play. I can’t be worried about anyone watching me. I’ve got to block [Chargers linebacker Shawne] Merriman this week. He’s not worried about me. He’s not going to say, ‘Hey Flozell, I won’t get your quarterback.’ I’ve got to do what I do. I know I’m not a dirty player, but I have to go out and play the way I’ve always played it.”
And, apparently, if that means tossing one of his tree trunks into the road in the hopes of knocking Merriman down, that’s what Adams will have to do.