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Jabar Gaffney Appears To Be Out in Washington Following a Goofy Twitter Situation
A week ago, interesting messages began showing up on the Twitter account of Washington Redskins wide receiver Jabar Gaffney. They included the calling out of free agent defensive back Lito Sheppard — a guy Gaffney calls a friend in the following interview — and disparaging remarks about a soon-to-be ex-wife. Gaffney has since deleted the account after saying that his account was hacked and those messages weren’t published by him. That doesn’t seem to matter to the Redskins, who have since told Gaffney he doesn’t need to be at voluntary workouts. Gaffney says it appears his time in Washington is up and he is puzzled, because coach Mike Shanahan told him the decision wasn’t about the Twitter escapades yet he is the team’s leading returning receiver.
Jabar Gaffney joined 106.7 The Fan in Washington D.C. with LaVar Arrington and Chad Dukes to discuss the Twitter situation, who might have hacked his account, the surprise of his tenure ending in Washington, if he believes it had to do with the Twitter remarks, if there’s any way to make sense of the move and the Redskins’ decision-making.
You maintain that your Twitter account was hacked back when we saw messages about Lito Sheppard and your soon-to-be ex-wife, right?: “Yeah, correct. I’ve never been a guy that even did any of that social media stuff. I had one incident on Twitter with a Dallas fan and after that, I hardly ever tweeted. I wouldn’t dare get on there, starting any kind of Twitter beef or any of that type of stuff. I laugh at guys that do that type of stuff. Why would I go and try to tell
one of my best friends that I want to fight him on Twitter?”Do you have any idea who would do that to you?:
“I don’t have any idea who it could’ve been or why it was done, but all I know is I closed down that Twitter account. It’s something I never even really used and something I don’t need.”
After the season you had in Washington, how surprised are you that it sounds like you’re on your way out?:
“I was real surprised. Coming off of that year, each year my numbers have gotten better and better. I felt good and loved the offense last year and felt like I did some great things and thought I did everything that I was asked to do. I was brought in to help complement Santana Moss and I ended up being the leading receiver in all the categories and didn’t cause any problems besides that one little incident with the Cowboys fan. … Now, to hear that I don’t have to be around right now for the voluntary workouts and that I can just see if my agent can find a better situation for me kind of just took me by surprise.”
Do you feel like it has something to do with this Twitter situation?:
“I got a chance to talk to Coach Shanahan and he said it was just a coincidence and they were actually looking a couple of weeks ago into making a move for me. I didn’t hear about it until the day after the Twitter thing. If it’s a coincidence, then it’s really a coincidence that I heard I didn’t have to show up the day after that Twitter thing. It’s just real shocking because it really wasn’t me that did all that Twitter stuff. I’m a man and I admit when I’m wrong and I admit what I do. That just wasn’t me.”
Can you find any way for this move to make sense for anyone?:
“No, and that’s why it’s very disappointing. … I’m a guy that, whether I’ve had a workout bonus or not, I’ve always been there, from the first day of workouts until the end. … I just went out there and I worked. I worked last year, every game, game-in and game-out. Even when the season was supposedly over, I went out there and I showed up every game. … Now, all of the sudden, they want to go in another direction.”
It’s been said before that some of the Redskins’ decision-making has been a little off-base. Do you see this as just another example?:
“I just look at it as business as usual. Throughout my career, I’ve never been one to downplay anyone or talk bad about anyone on my team or in management. Whatever the decisions the team makes, that’s whatever the team makes. … I just, in this case, I don’t know. I was just puzzled.”
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