If you’re a serious, well known college football analyst (thus excluding JT and myself), you better not be talking smack about Phil Simms’ son, Matt Simms, because the CBS color analyst and former New York Giants quarterback will fight you.
Or, at least, threaten.
That’s something former Michigan receiver and current ESPN college football analyst Desmond Howard found out at a NFL Xperience event earlier today. To clarify, Howard had said some less-than-flattering comments about Matt’s performance at Tennessee this season. When Simms and Howard crossed paths at the event, apparently Simms was ready to throw down.
Naturally, after the altercation, Howard tweeted the events.
At NFL-Xperience and Phil Simms just threatened 2 hit me b/c I said his son was 1 of the worse QBs in the SEC. I told him “LET’S GO!”
I am DEAD serious about the Phil Simms thing. We all thought he was joking, but he kept going and said he wanted 2 take a swing at me!!
During the season we talked about the Tenn v LSU game and I said “u will see 3 of the worse QBs in the SEC” That’s what Phil did not like.
It ended w/police stepping in between so I could continue my appearance w/fans.
Of course, it wouldn’t be fair if we reported only half the testimony. In his own statement not over a social media platform, Simms said the following:
“Desmond and I were having a private conversation that became heated,” Simms said. “But at no time was there ever a chance of any physical confrontation, or that I felt the police officer assigned to me by the event planners for my appearance needed to separate the two of us.”
To put some perspective on this, I’ve met Howard -- albeit briefly -- but I can tell you he will let you know what’s on his mind and he won’t apologize for it.
Media personalities say a lot of things that are going to offend someone, and while Simms has every right to stick up for his son, sometimes you just have to let it go.