Rex Ryan Apologizes -- Sort Of -- For Calling Amari Cooper A 'Turd'

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- Rex Ryan made a name for himself in the NFL by being brash, bombastic, and unapologetic. As a television analyst, well, that last part cannot really apply.

The former head coach and defensive mastermind took some time on Friday to apologize for a comment he had made earlier about Amari Cooper. Ryan had referred to the Cowboys wide receiver as a "turd."

"First off, I mean, I can't believe I said that. I used that word. Obviously it was a poor choice by me to say what I said about Amari," Ryan said later on Friday on "SportsCenter."

Ryan concluded his comments by saying, "What I added at the end of that, I want to apologize to Amari again and hope he accepts my apology."

Of course, Rex being Rex, he used the middle part of his "apology" to reiterate why he thinks the Cowboys made a poor decision when they dedicated $100 million (with $60 million guaranteed) to Cooper.

"Quite honestly, I think the world of every player and have a great deal of respect for every single player in the National Football League, including Amari Cooper," Ryan said. "Now with that being said, I think the Cowboys overspent for Amari Cooper. And the reason for it is, I don't doubt this is an elite player. He has those traits. But an elite player to me shows up on the road, he shows up against great corners, and he shows up in crunch time. And those are three things that Amari Cooper has not done so far in his career. In fact, I think he's won one playoff game as a player. And all those things are how I feel about this young man as a receiver."

Sorry ... having said that ... not sorry?

Here's precisely what got Rex into some trouble to begin with when he said it on ESPN's "Get Up" program: "To me, this is the biggest disappearing act in the National Football League. He doesn't show up on the road, he doesn't show up against -- when the competition's good, when he's against the top corners, that guy disappears. ... I wouldn't have paid this turd. No way in hell -- no way in hell would I have paid this guy."

For that, Rextopher Ryan is sorry. But only for the word "turd." The rest, not at all sorry.

Fair enough.

Until next time, Rex.

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