The line between pro wrestling and the NFL continues to blur. And we like it.
After taking a quick but biting slap at Eagles running back LeSean McCoy in comments to the New York Times earlier today, Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora provided a more thorough explanation of the acrimony between the two players to Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger.
The trouble started Thursday, when McCoy referred to Umenyiora via Twitter as “overrated n soft.” Umenyiora has opted to respond verbally.
“I mean, he’s a girl, man. Who does stuff like that?” Umenyiora said. “If he has more of these things to say, he can say ‘em to my face. Don’t be no Twitter gangster man.”
The friction began, predictably, during games between the Giants and Eagles. "[W]e had words on the field -- both times we played,” Umenyiora said. “I hate him, he hates me, period. He chose to take that off the field and make it public when it’s something that’s between me and him. It’s something we can address on the football field. He let the whole world know about it, so I’m going to respond.”
Umenyiora admitted that some aggressive words were exchanged between the lines.
“Oh, he said all kinds of stuff. He called me an ‘African [expletive].’ It was bad,” Umenyiora said. “It was pretty intense between me and him. I said a couple of things to him. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but it was rough.”
We’ve got a feeling McCoy remembers. And we’ve got a feeling he’ll be sharing it with the world soon. In Umenyiora’s view, however, that stuff should stay on the field.
“People talk trash, people go at each other,” Umenyiora said. “This is a very violent and physical game. You’re attacking each other, you’re hitting each other. Things are going to get heated, especially against Philly.
“This year was the worst in my eight-year career as far as animosity toward that team. There’s a real hatred toward Philly and there’s a real hatred for them toward us. So it was rough out there. But I feel things like that stay on the football field. Off the field, we respect each other because at the end of the day we’re all brothers. But he decided to take it so far that there’s no going back from it now.”
It’s your move, McCoy. Don’t disappoint us. It’s the lockout, and we’ll take whatever we can get.