Hall-of -Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin will be in the Rio Grande Valley this Friday night for an event at Shotz Bar & Grill in Mission. Irvin, who was inducted into the Hall last summer, is making his first visit to the Valley since coming in the early 1990s.

One of 20 tables for six at the event cost $4,000, while there will be two tables for $10,000. Those tables will include Irvin sitting at the table for one hour.

Last week, The Monitor caught up with Irvin to discuss his radio show, the Cowboys and what he would tell troubled New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress.

Q: How's the radio show?
A: I love it. I love the radio show. It gives me a great opportunity, and I've always felt a great connection with the fans, it gives me an opportunity to speak with the fans. When I was doing TV, I certainly enjoyed doing it, but I would only speak to the fans. Radio gives me the opportunity to speak with the fans, and that's what's great about it.

Q: What have you learned about the fans?
A: I consider my show to be my ministry, I really do. But I've learned so much about the whole thought-process of a fan. It helped me understand why they have the passion they do for the game. When I was playing, they would do some things that I thought, ‘why would they have these thoughts?' It certainly helps me to learn the psyche of the fans from that perspective. I've gotten an understanding of things I never had an understanding of when I was playing.

Q: What have you been telling people about the 2008 Cowboys?
A: Dallas can be, and do, what they want to do. It's a matter of being self-motivated because I don't know, well I do know, that Wade is a serious motivator. They have to be self-motivated to get some things done. That's the bottom line. They are as good as anybody, anybody in this league. But can you continue to push yourself to get done what you need to get done, how you need to get it done? I'm talking about paying attention to details, that's what matters. You have to pay attention to the details. If they can do that, then they can make things happen, because the talent is incredible.

Q: Is this team going to be able to fulfill the preseason expectations?
A: From this point on it's going to be a tough go. And they placed themselves on this tough road. Certainly still, they can get it done.

Q: Could going through what they did without Tony Romo be a good thing in the long run?
A: I think they all realized they need their starting quarterback. I think what was good out of it is they realized they need a back-up quarterback. Let's just call a spade a spade. That's the conclusion they came to. ‘We got starter, but we need a back-up. What are we going to do about that?'

Q: What does Pacman's return change for this team?
A: This is a tough situation. Most NFL players, and other people and the media, wonder ‘How will they handle it, bringing Pacman back?' Most guys understand this that have been in the business longest, and they see right there, we can't decide who's here, but what we can do is determine if we can get our job done. Let's go get our job done. Adam's part of the team, he's worked hard. Like Romo's said, he's worked hard and does what he's supposed to do on the field. We can't ask for more than that.

Q: If you were in that locker room, would you trust him?
A: You throw the word ‘trust' out there and I don't know if it's really applicable. Would I trust him to play hard? Yes. Yes I can. Can I depend on him to be there every week and not get suspended? You have to think from a coach's perspective, I'm going to play you if you can play and help us win. But, I also have to have my contingency plans in place.

Q: What are your thoughts on the Plaxico Burress situation?
A: I feel sorry for him, I really do. But I'm blown away with it.

Q: How so?
A: Let's think first. We can talk about how many players have been involved here lately. How do you take a gun? Why are you taking a gun to a night club? You know, you're with Antonio Pierce and other guys, why are you taking a gun to the night club? And second, what are you doing by having no safety? And how in the hell can you shoot yourself? You are in the NFL, and I don't mean to make light of it, you are a professional athlete. How can a professional athlete be that clumsy with a gun?

Q: If Burress were to call you, what would you say to him?
A: I'd tell him that I don't care what anybody says, hold a press conference. The biggest mistake we make as athletes is that we take advice from counsel is that when something goes down, everybody shuts up. Doesn't say a word and be quiet. And while you are quiet, everybody else is talking, so that is swaying the public's opinion at that time. I would tell him hold a press conference and let people know you're not the raving maniac that they're making you out to be. And maybe Mayor Bloomberg and all of them will scooter back off to what they're doing. They're not seeing a guy that made an honest mistake. What they're seeing is a guy who didn't show up for meetings, didn't call, a guy that's trying to do whatever he wants to do and now make sure he gets this message.

(themonitor.com)

Michael Hiestand of USA Today recently reported that Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin, who was dropped by ESPN in early 2007, will join NFL Network.

The assignment is temporary, but is likely the television equivalent of dipping a big toe into a small pool.

Irvin will work the league-owned network’s coverage of the 2008 Hall of Fame induction ceremony. 
 
”There’s no better example of true passion for the game . . . than the emotional induction speech given by Michael last year,” NFLN executive producer Eric Weinberger told Hiestand. 

We agree.  And, as we’ve previously observed, the various networks could use more genuine passion for the game in their presentation of it to an impressionable public. 

In Irvin’s case, the challenge will be to keep him from going over the top.  A good start?  Never allow Irvin and Deion Sanders to be in the same city (OK, same state) at the same time.

(profootballtalk.com)

The NFL decided to follow through on an idea conceived by Michael Irvin before his induction into the Hall of Fame last year, which has the rookies from all 32 teams traveling to Canton, Ohio, this spring.

On Friday, the Cowboys were joined by Philadelphia. Green Bay was supposed to be on hand but weather conditions postponed the Packers' trip.

Here's why Irvin came up with the idea: he was lauding Commissioner Roger Goodell about the get-tough Personal Conduct Policy last August and wanted to giver the younger players a sense of football's history.

"Most of these guys they come from the place I come from," Irvin said he told Goodell. "They don't understand the history of the game. They play the game to get away from their history - poverty, the ghetto. As soon as they are drafted and escape their history, bring them to the Hall and teach them this history and hopefully when they come to that fork in the road, they won't make the bad decisions like I made. They'll make better decisions."

The league is picking up the tab for the teams and there's talk the Rookie Symposium could move to northeast Ohio next year.

(cowboysblog.dallasnews.com)

Former Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin spoke to the Charlotte Touchdown Club on Wednesday at the Westin Hotel. Afterward, Irvin – a Hall of Famer who left his commentator job with ESPN in 2007 and now does a sports-talk radio show in Dallas – answered five questions from the Observer's David Scott:

Q. You've agreed to serve as a mentor to Adam “Pacman” Jones, who's had legal troubles but just signed with the Cowboys. How is that going to work? I'm a former player with a love for all the guys in the league and I understand what they go through. We all need guidance. I've made some bad decisions before, so I can help him. I'll be there for him, because I've been there.

Q. What's your take on the Carolina Panthers' receiving corps, which is led by Steve Smith and added Muhsin Muhammad and D.J. Hackett? Steve is just a strong guy and Muhsin will come in and give them veteran leadership. I never understood why they let (Muhammad) go the first time, after he had one of his best seasons. I understand the salary cap and business, but you've got to try and work the numbers if you want somebody bad enough. Those guys are smart in the front office and you can manipulate the numbers to get something done. I'm glad they manipulated it to get him back here, where he should be playing.

Q. How do you like having a radio show? I love it. I enjoyed TV, which gave you an opportunity to talk to people, but there's no response. Radio is a gift that gives you an opportunity to speak with people, and hopefully I can influence people.

Q. What do you remember about being knocked out early in a 1997 playoff game by the Panthers' Lamar Lathon? Tyrone Poole (who is 5-foot-8) was the corner. I remember lining up and thinking, “I'm going to kill him today! He's only this tall (Irvin holds his arm out about 5 feet off the ground).” It was a slant and I had an opportunity to take that all the way. But I slowed down and tried to make a move. Lamar came up behind me and I said to myself, “Wow.” That one play broke my collarbone and I was out.

Q. Your thoughts on the Panthers next season? John Fox has a squad he can go somewhere with. But they've been saying that for a couple of years, when they've been on the verge and on the verge. They went down, but now he has to step up and do something about it. It's not about talent. They have the talent, but they've got to play like a football family. Then they can be as good as anybody. If they're not, tell them to send Steve (Smith) to Dallas!

(charlotte.com)

Used to be that Michael Irvin could go to a neighborhood health club and enjoy relative serenity. But then, all he used to be was a lightning rod wide receiver on a three-time Super Bowl champion who would evolve into a big-time ESPN television analyst.

These days, even the steam room offers no sanctuary from inquiring minds who want to know.

"People are more interested in talking to Michael Irvin now than when he was a player," Irvin said, offering a smidge of third-person insight. "They want to respond to something they heard me say. They know my opinion or want to know my opinion on something else, and they want me to know theirs."

Such is life when Michael Irvin is a local sports talk show host with the most famous face on the radio dial.

The reason for the increased connect is logical. Most people believe players live in their own world and don't want to be bothered. (Most people are correct.) Approaching a player of Irvin's stature carries the possibility of rejection. Talk show hosts – good talk show hosts – ooze approachability.

Irvin, who has been on the job since late January, is growing into a good talk show host on the 11 a.m.-to-2 p.m. shift at ESPN-FM (103.3). To be sure, his show is a little different. A listener can never be sure how far from the sports path Irvin and sidekick Kevin Kiley might venture. Irvin fancies himself a Dr. Phil/Dr. Laura for the afflicted who happen to be sports fans.

Tom Lee, the station's program director, echoes what anyone who has ever worked with Irvin has reported: "He works hard and is hungry to learn. He's thrown everything he has into the show."

Irvin's effort has resulted in a 64 percent increase in ratings for his time slot among men ages 25-54, the most sought-after demographic in sports talk.

Irvin's guest list has been chock-full of celebs. He's had Adam Sandler and, more famously, Adam "Pacman" Jones. Ice Cube and the Round Mound of Rebound. He's even had an athlete calling in asking to be on the air. Surely, you've heard about the Josh Howard call.

No one was more surprised than Irvin last week when Howard offered maverick talk about his marijuana use.

"I thought he wanted to come on and talk about his camp and tell me he was misquoted in the newspaper story about him," said Irvin, who had never before had a phone conversation with Howard. "Then I was going to ask him about the Mavericks game that night. That's what I really wanted to talk to him about."

Irvin grabbed a copy of The Dallas Morning News story on Howard's marijuana use, which appeared on the morning of Game 1 of the New Orleans series. Irvin read it back to Howard, waiting for the denials. They never came. Only confirmation blasted into his headphones.

"I got caught up in the moment, and I'm thinking, 'Should I stop him for his own good?' " Irvin said. "But I know I'm onto a story, and I have a responsibility to my listeners and to my employer. ..."

"I could not believe what I was hearing. I've been in the firestorm. My actions put me there, and I'm thinking, 'Why would anybody put himself into the firestorm with his own words?' "

Irvin said he doesn't miss his ESPN television job. In the NFL studio, he was simply a role player. On The Michael Irvin Show, he is once again "The Playmaker."

I confess that when I first heard Irvin was taking a local radio job, I thought it would be a pit stop until something bigger came along. Irvin says he is too happy to think about anything else. And, he reminds, he hasn't yet been on the air during what should be his strongest season: football.

"They can't do this one without me," he said. "I'm having a blast. We're live and unedited. Radio is reality. There are no outtakes ... no do-overs ... no taking things out of context ... no cutting out my mistakes ...When I say something, it goes all the way from my mouth to Pluto."

(dallasnews.com)

ARLINGTON -- Former Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin admits being “fascinated” by suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones.

He is fascinated by his legendary tails of woe and the apparent interest by the Cowboys in acquiring Jones.

And Irvin is fascinated because of the similarities to his own controversial entanglements to his career with the Cowboys that nearly derailed his chances of making the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Although Irvin says he still fights the battle of public perception, he was able to overcome them to become a member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2007.

And he believes it’s too early for people to give up on Jones _ who has been suspended indefinitely by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

“I’m not just interested in what happens, I’m interested in why it happened,” said Irvin, who will have Jones as a guest on the Michael Irvin show from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. today on KESN 103.3 FM ESPN radio. “That’s what I try to figure out with myself all the time. I self-evaluate. He is a young man. We pray and hope he gets it going again.” Click here to continue reading...

WACO -- Michael Irvin's first trip into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame might be forgettable because he looked and felt like a man kissed with the flu, but unforgettable because of the reminder it served.

When Irvin was escorted into the Tom Landry Theater on Tuesday he had to stop and take a bit longer to look at the exhibits on the iconic late Cowboys coach.
It's often overlooked that in 1988 Irvin was Landry's last first-round pick. Landry was fired after that season by new owner Jerry Jones.

It is often mistakenly assumed that Irvin was drafted by his college coach, Jimmy Johnson. But without Landry pushing to draft the star receiver from Miami, Irvin might never have ended up with the Cowboys.

"To walk in and see all of the other guys that are in the Hall of Fame, I stood and looked at Landry [exhibit]," Irvin said. "I wouldn't be here had he not pulled the trigger. It's definitely an honor."

Known for his gift with words, Irvin was not his normal, entertaining self Tuesday. He was sick, and he sounded and looked every bit the part of an ill man.

"I'm not my usual self," he said. "I wouldn't have missed it no matter how poorly I feel. I was going to make it."

Irvin was part of an eight-member class that was inducted in front of a crowd of more than 1,000 at Baylor's Ferrell Center.

(thescoreboards.com)

The Texas Sports Hall of Fame Induction Committee chaired by Dave Campbell announced its 2007 class of inductees who will be inducted during the special enshrinement ceremonies on Tuesday, March 11 in Waco. The class includes Dallas Stars Center Mike Modano, former Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Michael Irvin, former U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team forward Mia Hamm, former Baylor and Cleveland Browns Offensive Lineman Jim Ray, former Texas A&M and Houston Oiler Defensive Tackle Ray Childress, former Texas Tech Football Coach Spike Dykes, former North Texas State and Dallas Texans Running Back Abner Haynes and Granbury Girls Basketball Coach Leta Andrews.

(pegasusnews.com)

El Paso, Texas - United Blood Services, the selected non-profit organization for the Annual WinStar Derby Gala, is selling tickets to the public for the annual WinStar Sertby Gala.The event scheduled for Saturday, March 15, 2008, is traditionally sold out, but due to the event landing the week of Spring Break, some annual table sponsors did not renew their commitments this year. Approximately 100 tickets are available to the public, $125 each. The event, which takes place in the Signature Showroom at Sunland Park Racetrack, includes butler service with champagne and hors d'oeuvres, dinner, a silent and live auction, and the opportunity to listen to former Dallas Cowboy wide receiver, Michael Irvin. Click here to continue reading...