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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Kyle Koster

Ryan Leaf Encourages ESPN Writer to Post His Address So Someone Can Rough Him Up

Former NFL and Washington State Cougars player Ryan Leaf looks on before the game against the Michigan State Spartans in the 2017 Holiday Bowl at SDCCU Stadium. | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak posted a five-minute video breaking down what could and should have happened on the Buffalo Bills' late failed fourth-down conversion attempt against the Kansas City Chiefs. In it he concludes that Josh Allen would have been best served by throwing a swing pass to Khalil Shakir and hope that the wide receiver could make the line to gain. Obviously, it is very easy for him to do this from the comfort of a computer chair as opposed to when an exotic Steve Spagnuolo blitz is bearing down from all angles.

Still, it's a pretty well-researched and rather innocuous piece of content. Perhaps some people could find it a bit annoying and unfair to Allen but certainly not on par with any other pundit who talks about players choking or openly antagonizes them or whatever else they need to do to get engagement.

But some former NFL quarterbacks did not like it. Ryan Fitzpatrick brought up the chair thing and how most houses have heat in the winter while asking Solak to stop pausing tape and playing armchair quarterback.

Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf went much, much further.

Leaf tweeted:

"This right here is why in full transparency you have to post your address with these. Someone needs to put a boot in his ass. You work at ESPN. Call Alex, call Dan, call Timmy H. Just call someone before you do this and lose whatever credibility you had. I’m serious though, someone go rough this kid up! See if he throws the orbit!"

Perhaps a slight overreaction. And one that's tough to play off when you say you're serious about someone going and roughing a writer up.

It really is just a game and when you're posting that someone should have to give our their home address so people can come out of the woodwork and get physical that's a good sign that you're losing.


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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ryan Leaf Encourages ESPN Writer to Post His Address So Someone Can Rough Him Up.

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