Two of the NFL’s newsbreakers finally managed to become the breaking news themselves. On Wednesday, multiple witnesses reported that Jordan Schultz of Fox accosted Ian Rapport of NFL Media at the Starbucks at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis. While tensions never flared enough for there to be a physical altercation, Rapoport reported the matter to NFL security.
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The catalyst for the encounter appeared to be Schultz’s report on Wednesday, claiming that Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford recently met with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady in Montana. While Ian Rapoport described the meeting as an unplanned, coincidental encounter, Schultz dismissed this explanation, rejecting the notion that the meeting was purely accidental.
In noting that the situation between the two had been “percolating for a while,” Florio explained on the CHGO Bears Podcast that
“There was reporting from Jordan about Matthew Stafford meeting with Tom Brady. Ian tried to throw some water on it and then Jordan doubled down, so there’s always a spark and I think that was the spark.”
NFL Insider Mike Florio revealed that Rapoport was talking to an agent when Schultz approached Rapoport and said, “We need to talk.” Rapoport has not said much on the matter, but Florio revealed exactly why the reporter felt unsafe.
“As I understand it, Ian felt physically intimidated and potentially threatened even though there was no violence, and so he was concerned that he was going to see this guy somewhere else and he’s going to get jumped by him so he let NFL security know,” he said.
Following the controversy, Rapoport joined the Pat McAfee Show to share his side of the story. Whether he simply wanted to avoid future issues, or simply had nothing else to say on the matter, Rapoport asserted that,
“It was all out there. Florio basically wrote the whole thing, so there’s not much to add… I woke up this morning and everyone in the world had texted me.”
Jokingly noting that “there are a lot of great coffee brands like Dunkin’,” the league’s premiere insider was hesitant to say that a handshake and an amicable relationship with Schultz is in his future. Stating that he is okay, Rapoport will now shift his focus back towards the daily happenings of the NFL.
Thankfully, the situation has seemingly deescalated, with the confrontation now being addressed in a purely jovial manner. Whether or not Schultz and Rapoport resolve their differences, the two men still represent the pinnacle of sports media.
Hopefully, all parties involved were able to walk away having learned some valuable lessons about communication and professionalism, as the main priority for both of them should be a safe and hospitable work environment for everyone. In all this, Starbucks must be more than thankful for the free publicity throughout the past few days.
