Dwayne Haskins Death: Cowboys Icon Gil Brandt Should Lose NFL Job Over Outrageous ‘Eulogy’
FRISCO - Gil Brandt is a 90-year-old Dallas Cowboys icon and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer. But after his outrageous, nonsensical and extraordinarily insensitive comments Saturday, Gil Brandt should no longer be a respected voice.
Or, for that matter, a voice at all.
Former Washington No. 1 draft pick Dwyane Haskins, 24, was killed in a tragic accident on a Florida highway Saturday morning. During a segment on NFL radio, and in the immediate aftermath, Brandt offered his shocking reaction.
Said Brandt:
“I hate anytime anybody is killed or anybody dies, but he was a guy that was living to be dead, so to speak. They told him, don’t under any circumstance leave school early. ‘You just don’t have the work habits, you don’t have this, you don’t have that.’ What did he do? He left early. It’s a tragic thing any time somebody dies, especially when you’re 24 years old and have your whole life ahead of you. But maybe if he stayed in school a year he wouldn’t do silly things. Jogging on a highway on a road like that leaves it open.”
While the NFL and sports world reacted with sympathy for Haskins and accolades for his kindness off the field, Brandt inexplicably took a "toldja" attitude accentuated by a disgusting side of "he had this coming."
As an executive with the Cowboys from 1960-88, Brandt revolutionized scouting with his use of computer data. He was a analytics freak who was 50 years ahead of his time. After football, Brandt has been a relevant voice in the scouting and evaluation of incoming NFL talent. Still considered guru of personnel, Brandt has been a voice consistently turned to by writers and radio hosts seeking his decades of wisdom.
I like Brandt. Have interviewed him countless times on radio and for print. In 2018 I even stumped for him to be the next Cowboy inducted into the Ring of Honor. And he has since apologized for his unfortunate diatribe.
But what he said - and when he said it - about Haskins is as inexcusable as it is unfathomable. We always remind professional athletes that there are consequences for their actions. In this case that lofty standard should be in place for a member of the media, Canton bust notwithstanding.
Because we also need consequences for asinine words, Brandt should be removed from his public-speaking pedestal. Immediately.
Several media members have already called out Brandt.
ESPN personality Mina Kimes tweeted, “How is this real?”
Louis Riddick also chimed in, tweeting: “I really hope you didn’t mean what you said about Dwayne.”
Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward also reacted to Brandt’s comments on the radio.
“I do not know or will assume to but please don’t speak on my friend,” Heyward tweeted. “He will be missed and your words are disgraceful. We are all hurting right now.”
There might be numerous excuses for Brandt's heinous response - he showed in a Tweet about former Cowboys Rayfield Wright's death he's still wholly capable of a proper eulogy - but none are acceptable.
Gil Brandt holds an official position as an NFL voice. This astoundingly insensitive “eulogy” should end that.
