Get your popcorn ready, NFL Network viewers.
Michael Irvin declared on New York sports radio Wednesday that he plans to confront NFLN colleague LaDainian Tomlinson over LT saying Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott "absolutely quit" on his teammates during America's Team's 42-17 demolition by the Broncos on Sunday.
MORE: Elliott bottled up in Cowboys' blowout loss to Broncos
The Pro Football Hall of Famers are scheduled to appear together on NFLN's two pregame shows ahead of its Thursday night telecast of Rams vs. 49ers: "Thursday Night Football GameDay" (6 p.m. ET) and "Football Night in San Francisco" (7:30 p.m. ET), NFLN spokesman Andrew Howard told Sporting News.
Irvin told WFAN midday hosts Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts on Wednesday he has a beef with Tomlinson over his Zeke comments.
Quitter is the "dirtiest" word you can sling at an NFL player, much less the league's leading rusher from last season, Irvin told Benigno and Roberts. On any given Sunday, you can pick out 50 examples of offensive players not chasing a defender after an interception. Irvin admitted he did the same thing himself when he played for the Cowboys.
MORE: Cowboys coach says he'll speak to Elliott about effort
But when you take it to Defcon 1 and say a player "quit," all rational debate goes out the window, Irvin said.
"It's a different subject in this game, in this sport, because of the commitment that each man makes to all 53 guys that's on that football field, that's required to play this game," Irvin said. "It's the dirtiest word, guys."
You put he didn't look like himself next to the word quit. We should not be using this word near @EzekielElliott name. Period!!!! https://t.co/8p7kNd12NZ
— Michael Irvin (@michaelirvin88) September 19, 2017
The Playmaker has a point. Maybe the three worst accusations you can lodge against a pro athlete are that they tried to fix a game, they choked in the clutch and they quit on their teammates.,
Benigno said he's looking forward to watching Irvin knock heads with LT on-air. Irvin himself promised a "great conversation."
"Two Hall of Famers going at it," Benigno said. "Can't wait."
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Tomlinson wasn't the only one who went after Elliott for standing with his hands on his hips and watching Broncos defenders return an interception thrown by quarterback Dak Prescott. Peter King of Sports Illustrated called out the 22-year old running back in his "Monday Morning Quarterback" column.
Ezekiel Elliott has decided to accept his suspension from Cowboys effective immediately after this interception pic.twitter.com/fCYOk6XoBD
— Mr. Beastly (@inbeastitrust) September 18, 2017
It should noted, as Cindy Boren did in The Washington Post, that Tomlinson has had the dreaded Q-word used about him, too. Remember how the former Chargers star left the 2008 AFC championship game against the Patriots with a sprained MCL while quarterback Philip Rivers played with a torn ACL?
If Tomlinson, therefore, is going to go there with Elliott, he should be prepared to answer questions himself, especially when Cowboys homer Irvin plays prosecuting attorney. After all, turnabout is fair play.
