Warren Sapp’s on-air claim that Jeremy Shockey was the “snitch” who informed the league office about the Saints bounty program has earned him a talking-to from his NFL Network bosses.
In a statement to PFT, NFL Network Senior Vice President of Programming and Production Mark Quenzel said the matter has been addressed with Sapp.
“We have discussed it with Warren and stressed that he is an analyst and not a reporter for NFL Network,” Quenzel said. “In the future, if he comes across something he thinks is news he will let his producers know and before it is reported or Tweeted, that content will be subject to the same verification procedure that our reporters follow.”
Sapp did not name his source for the information about Shockey, which he first posted on Twitter and then reiterated on NFL Network. He said on the air that he had not asked the league office if his source was correct. Shockey has denied that he informed the league office and posted on Twitter what appeared to be a text message from Saints coach Sean Payton absolving Shockey of having anything to do with getting Payton in trouble. Shockey also said he wants the NFL to come down hard on Sapp, saying Sapp should lose his job or at least be suspended or fined.