Today I had my first experience as a media member at a press conference involving one where a lawyer read a prepared statement on behalf of his client who happened to be a talented athlete. I was standing outside the door when lawyer Royce West led Angela Bryant and her son into the room full of those same media members that had been following this story since it first broke a week ago.
My eyes focused on Ms. Bryant as she made her way past me, she showed no emotion, no feeling, just a blank stare of a lady that looked straight ahead trying to find her seat at the table. I honestly felt terrible for her. I have heard all the awful things about her that people have said about her background and trying to blame this all on her because her son is a great football player. To me, this didn't matter one bit, she was still a mom. A mom that was put in a situation to have to make a 911 call because she was threatened by a family member who happened to be her son.
As Mr. West read the statement, he said something that didn't quite set right with me, "They are here together to show they do love and support each other just as much as they did before the incident a week ago. But like all families, the Bryant's have disagreements." Sure families have disagreements all the time but the majority of the time, the local police are not called in to break them up. But the bigger question in my mind after hearing this was why didn't I feel this so called "Love and support"? Why did I feel something forced? Not a true, 'hey mom I am really sorry this happened to us, would you please forgive me?' Love and support was the furthest emotion that I felt from this whole 40 yard dash of a statement read by Mr. West.
Dez Bryant doesn't miss many opportunities on the football field but in the game of life today, it was an incomplete pass.
I saw a different person on the field this past spring in Bryant. I saw a player that redid his body, committed to running better routes and becoming better at his craft in the class room. There has never been questions about his talent in the open field but off the field, well that is a completely different story. Dez Bryant had a chance to grow up today and stand before us and say he was sorry what he put his mom through but the ball glanced off his hands just like those words that were thrown out by his lawyer. No feeling, no emotion, no meaning. It's funny because I have never seen Dez Bryant play that way.
We will fully never get the whole truth but the family asks us not to rush to judgment concerning their family. Okay, I understand but I would have just felt better if Dez was telling me that instead of his lawyer. I don't know if Dez is guilty or innocent but I do know a 911 call was made so something happened. I was happy to hear that the family is seeking counseling , good for them but again it would have been better if Dez would have been looking at his mom and offering this in his own voice but it wasn't it. There will be a day hopefully soon where Dez Bryant grows up, it just didn't happen today and that is a shame.
Obviously, Dez has been advised by his lawyer not to make any comments on the matter. Until that happens, it's hard for me to expect any changes.
