Dez Bryant was reportedly punched in the face during a joint-practice brawl between the Dallas Cowboys and the St. Louis Rams earlier this week.
As things get testy on the gridiron, fights happen from time to time on the football field. But Bryant took offense to a particular Dallas Morning News writer, David Moore, claiming that the wide receiver might have sparked that fight. Bryant didn't hesitate to let Moore know all about it via Twitter, either.
"You are a sucky writer," Bryant tweeted in Moore's direction in a since-deleted post on Friday, August 21. "You know damn well I didn't start the fight…I'm defending my teammates and I'll do it again."
Moore took the harsh criticism in stride, even sarcastically jabbing back at Bryant, while making fun of himself.
Had a sucky night's sleep. Time to wake up and read @DezBryant and others on Twitter to see what I missed.
— David Moore (@DavidMooreDMN) August 21, 2015
I'd like to thank those who have come to my defense & said I'm not a sucky writer. I'm sucky at radio. Your support helps in these times. — David Moore (@DavidMooreDMN) August 21, 2015
With Moore as the Cowboys' beat writer for the Dallas Morning News, Bryant is going to have to deal with him all season long and beyond. That said, we're in a digital age, and if an athlete criticizes a writer or vice versa, Twitter or Instagram are likely going to be avenues for a retort.
Bryant is fresh off leading NFL receivers with 16 touchdowns last season. Earlier this offseason, he inked a five-year, $70 million extension with the Cowboys with $45 million guaranteed — the highest amount of guaranteed money for a wide receiver in league history.
All being said, the expectations for Bryant are higher than ever and it will be interesting to see how he deals with the media moving forward.
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