New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott was apparently so furious with the media after his team’s 27-13 win over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday that he demanded his teammates participate in a boycott.
According to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post, Scott ordered every member of the Jets defense to answer all questions with “both teams played hard.” “Both teams played hard” is a nod to notorious NBA headcase Rasheed Wallace, who gave that line in response to every question he fielded during a press conference several years ago.
Scott apparently threatened teammates who did speak with the media, even name-calling fellow linebacker Bryan Thomas for breaking the boycott.
Scott yells at Bryan Thomas for breaking the boycott, calling him “a MF-ing sellout.” Yeremiah Bell tells Scott: “Stop it. Just stop it.”
— Bart Hubbuch (@HubbuchNYP) November 18, 2012
After the attempted media boycott failed, Scott apparently began speaking with reporters calmly.
Hubbuch says Scott called for the boycott in response to an anonymously-sourced story in the New York Daily News during the week that cited a Jets player as calling Tim Tebow a “terrible” quarterback.
The article was a source of much strife in the Jets locker room during the week. Coach Rex Ryan was forced to address it, and Scott responded to allegations that he was one of the anonymous sources.
This also is not the first time Scott has taken an anti-media stance this season. After the Jets beat the Bills in Week 1, Scott declared a media boycott in protest of the New York Post calling the team a bunch of clowns. He also had a run-in with a reporter in the team’s locker room that nearly involved a fight.