Maybe Tyrann Mathieu was sick.
Or maybe he knows something we don’t.
The LSU cornerback, who skipped a pair of visits last week due to illness, is planning on celebrating Thursday night, though no one really expects him to be chosen until Friday.
Mathieu tweeted out an invitation/flier for his draft party in New York Thursday night, which reads: “For 1st round draft pick Tyrann Mathieu, AKA Honey Badger of LSU.”
Now, this wouldn’t be the first time a flier for an athlete’s party contained information the athlete himself wasn’t aware of. These things are drawn up by promoters who are looking to attract a crowd.
And while he’s tried to distance himself from the college nickname — as well as his college drug suspensions — Honey Badger is an easy hook for someone making an ad.
And there’s also the not-insignificant fact that few have him pegged as a first-rounder.
So he’s either planning a party that might might turn into a pumpkin before midnight, or he’s just feeling confident and throwing a party.
There’s nothing insidious about that, in and of itself. But for a guy working to sell a new image, it might not have been the one he wanted to present.