Yahoo Sports Super Bowl 2023: Michael Irvin pulled from NFL Network after misconduct allegations
NFL Network pulled former Dallas Cowboys and Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin from its Super Bowl coverage this week following allegations of misconduct at a hotel Sunday night, the network announced.
“Michael Irvin will not be a part of NFL Network’s Super Bowl LVII week coverage,” said Alex Riethmiller, NFL Media vice president of communications, in a statement, per the Dallas Morning News.
Neither the claimant — a woman — nor NFL Media detailed the nature of the allegations. Irvin, though, told the Morning News that he doesn't remember any issues with the encounter with the woman, only that they shook hands and spoke for less than a minute in the hotel lobby.
“Honestly, I’m a bit baffled with it all,” Irvin told the Morning News. “This all happened in a 45-second conversation in the lobby. When I got back after going out ... I came into the lobby, and I talked to somebody. I talked to this girl. I don’t know her, and I talked to her for about 45 seconds. We shook hands. Then, I left. … That’s all I know.
“I don’t really recall that conversation, to tell you the truth. We were out drinking. It was just a friendly conversation. ‘What’s up?’ I don’t even know. … I am totally perplexed.”
Irvin has been an analyst for the network since 2009 and covered Super Bowl Opening Night on Monday. That's when he was reportedly told about his conversation with the woman. Irvin later told “Shan & RJ” on 105.3 the Fan in Dallas that he was told he had to change hotels following the interaction but still didn't know what happened.
"When I came into the hotel, they asked what I did and I said, ‘I just went straight to the room,'” Irvin said. “But I guess I had met somebody in the lobby. Talked to somebody in the lobby for about a minute and then I went to my room. And then after I got up there, they said they had to move me in the hotel. I said, ‘Move me in the hotel for what?'
“They said, ‘Well, last night you walked in, you talked to somebody.’ I said, ‘I didn’t talk to anybody. I went straight to the room.’ And then they showed it on camera that I did talk to somebody. I talked to this girl for about a minute. I don’t know what — they didn’t show it to me. They told it to me. I didn’t see it. But that’s why they moved me, because I guess the girl said I said something to her within that minute that we talked, and so they moved me."
No other updates on Irvin or the complaint against him have been released at this time.
