Washington Redskins TE Chris Cooley started a media brush-fire and generated a lot of page views when he gave a series of hot sports opinions to a Washington D.C. radio show on Tony Romo's second-half collapse against Detroit:
"It's amazing, amazing to watch him choke like that."
"It was hilarious to watch him throw pick-sixes, too, back to back. I loved it."
While Cooley was merely describing his state of mind as he watched another NFL game, some in the media objected to his tone:
The Washington Redskins' tight end had no business talking as gleefully in public as he did about Tony Romo's most recent collapse. Cooley's a fun guy who's free with his opinions, and that makes him entertaining. But in this particular case, as a contemporary of Romo's and a fellow professional athlete, he should know better and should have kept his mouth shut.
Cooley rushed to the nearest microphone to defend himself:
"I try to have fun, I try to goof around a little bit, and I think when things get printed, the hint of sarcasm goes away," Cooley said. "The hint of joking around goes away. It becomes a serious challenge, and you think, 'Oh my gosh. Just chill out for just two seconds.' I work in the entertainment business. I'm joking around on the radio. I'm not honestly talking trash to Tony Romo or the Cowboys."
Cooley has 7 catches for 66 yards this season.