Before Cowboys Trevon Diggs confronts local media members, he should watch the film

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs retreated to the “safe haven” by appearing on teammate Micah Parsons’ podcast, making things worse for everyone.

Before burying his coaching staff, Diggs explained why he hounded a local reporter after the team’s loss Sunday in San Francisco.

“I didn’t think it was necessary,” Diggs told Parsons about why he confronted WFAA’s Mike Leslie now viral and benign, Tweet. “I felt like he was using my name for snitches.”

Trevon Diggs contributes as many clicks for WFAA and Leslie as he does for the Cowboys. According to Pro Football Focus’ rankings of NFL defensive backs, Diggs ranks 94th out of 110 players. Explain that to Mike Leslie.

The delicious irony here is that it’s Diggs’ own teammate using him for snaps.

Within two weeks, the Cowboys big boss suggested he do just that have different members from the team’s flagship station conducts its weekly radio interviews; now the team’s heavily funded cornerback is showing more pursuit against local media than against ball carriers.

This is the US team; confusing fame for production and perceived value for achievement, while showing a child’s sensitivity. As is so often the case, the men the media idolizes for their gladiatorial feats of strength and athleticism are merely scared children afraid of words.

A player lashing out at us teeming with media members is a goal that many of them want to achieve; most of them are smart and lack the courage to complete the task. Most of these guys are so angry not only about the constant criticism they receive from people ‘who never played the game’, but also about the enormous pressure that comes from the responsibility they have taken on as the primary breadwinner.

Diggs’ empty slant against Leslie is as disturbing as it is stupid, and indicative of where the team stands: 3-4 looking for answers, but rather excuses, as many losses are on the horizon.

An NFL player wasn’t even out of his uniform before he scrolled through his phone to see what people were saying about him. Boy, you’re making a lot of money for a team that just lost again and your defense allowed 30 points to an offense that had its best players out due to injury.

What did you think people would say in an atmosphere of anonymity and technological protection that turns the meek into monsters? Turn it off. Don’t look at it. You’re not going to win, and neither Mike Leslie nor any other member of the media is your main concern.

Players do this a lot more than you think. Texas Longhorns Cornerback Kris Boyd Tweeted during halftime of a loss at TCU in 2015. Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant famously checked his social media accounts a few minutes after a loss to Seattle that same year.

Diggs is not a bad person or a bad player. However, he is a professional athlete whose life is a ball, and he is stuck in a bad season. He hasn’t looked the same since suffering a season-ending torn ACL early in the 2023 season.

He can waste his time explaining that he actually did what he was supposed to do on the play in question, which involved not actively pursuing 49ers tight end George Kittle with a long pass and catch.

Diggs can spend a few minutes explaining that Kittle wasn’t his man, and his job was to make sure the ball carrier couldn’t make cuts. Bravo; his defense gave up a 43-yard play and it wasn’t all his fault.

If Diggs starts to dig into this, he’s leaving himself to the flood of video evidence of other plays in which he’s been a danger. When your defense is penultimate in the NFL in points allowed per game, and you’re one of the highest paid players on that unit, don’t explain how good you are, and that it’s not your fault.

Have your agent argue this case during contract negotiations.

All Diggs has done now is create the perception that this team is imploding under the weight of a series of management decisions and the pressure created by big money contracts with Diggs, receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott.

Diggs didn’t help himself with his performance at Parsons when he all but blamed the coaching staff for the loss to the 49ers. He specifically referenced the lack of changes made by the staff that allowed the 49ers to score 21 points in the third quarter.

The creation of social media platforms has given players places to express their opinions and their ‘side’ outside of traditional media. Most of it is an example of famous people running their mouths and glorified product recommendations.

It’s a place where they aren’t challenged, and they can make it ‘boys club’ without us media dorks who were never good enough to be on their teams. Exceptions are made for famous people, the very rich who collect the check, and beautiful women they want to have sex with but not marry.

You can decry this evolution of the marriage between sports and media all you want, but it exists because the market supports it. Players have podcasts, Twitter accounts, IG handles, etc. to sell themselves. And because it’s fun.

The players, and those who benefit from it, defend this as ‘new media’. It’s all the same except where the checks go.

Trevon probably doesn’t realize that going on Micah’s podcast made him accustomed to clicking, and somehow made him look worse in his attempt to explain himself.