"Shut the hell up and play": Cowboys icon Michael Irvin furious over CeeDee Lamb calling facility tour a distraction
Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin was fuming at CeeDee Lamb after the wide receiver said that the fan tours are a distraction 'sometimes.' His words didn't sit well with several people, including Irvin.
The three-time Super Bowl champion joined Colin Cowherd's "The Herd" show on Wednesday and called out Lamb for complaining about seeing fans in the facilities while making $60 million per year.
"I'm stunned. Let's just call it stunned," Irvin said. "I'm stunned that I'm sitting here on national TV. Think using my most precious resource called time, spending my most precious resource called brain equity, speaking about this being a distraction to players that make $60 million a year. ... Now, do you want to live in my year when we were making $6-7-8, ten million a year?
"You go back to those old practices where nobody was watching, but your a** is in this year, and you're making $60 million a year. The way they got it to 60 is by moving in and letting those people watch. If you don't want people to watch, go back. You're making five and six and $8 million a year. Otherwise, shut the hell up and play football."
The Cowboys tours are expected to bring $10,000,000 in revenue every year, which is great from a business standpoint. Not everybody will agree with this activity, including some players, but just as some players are against tours, others support this idea.
Dak Prescott's thoughts on fan tour contrast with CeeDee Lamb's
While CeeDee Lamb isn't fond of the fan tours, Dak Prescott doesn't have a problem with them.
"For one, this is all I know," Prescott said. "I'm not going to let a couple of people touring the building distract me. I'm present where I am. I think, honestly, it's an excuse."
Prescott said that having fans in the building was no different from having reporters in attendance.
"It's being professional, some things you deal with. Obviously, I guess, the nature of this organization, the tours are probably 10 times more than other places, if other places are doing them. ... You got to embrace it. Honestly."
Lamb and the Dallas Cowboys (3-4) haven't had the best start to the season (3-4). They face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9.