What was said about the Buffalo Bills’ Stefon Diggs that he found ‘hurtful’ and how did he respond?
It may seem superficial, but the Bills star’s recent spat with the media and his response raises some interesting questions about public perception.
Following an unscripted conversation between journalists, the image of the cornerback has been cast into the spotlight. Was it simply words that were misinterpreted, or was there something more in play?
Did Maddy Glab have a little go at Stefon Diggs?
While it’s true that their Week 1 loss to the New York Jets was already a cause for concern, the Buffalo Bills may have another situation on their hands where wide receiver Stefon Diggs is concerned. Let’s bring you up to speed. During a press conference on Wednesday, Bills reporter Maddy Glab was speaking casually about Diggs while sitting in front of an empty podium. What she didn’t know was that all of what she said was caught by a hot mic. As she spoke about who might appear, she gave her two cents on Diggs.
“I think they’re trying for Stef,” Glab can be heard saying in the video. “Stef and Micah [Hyde] is who they’re trying for. Hey, there’s no control over Stefon Diggs. He’s gonna do what he wants to do. He’ll look in my face, say ‘FU.’ It’s how he treats everybody.” Queue the backlash.
Trevon Diggs has his brother’s back
It goes without saying that Glab’s comments about Stefon Diggs were always going to be bulletin board stuff, however, what we didn’t see coming was his brother, Trevon Diggs, getting involved. That’s not to say that the Cowboys cornerback jumped to his brother’s defense. No, he bypassed that step altogether and called for Stefon’s departure from Buffalo outrightly in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter. “...Gotta get bro somewhere safe,” he said.
Stefon Diggs responds
As you can imagine, it wasn’t long until the man at the center of it all had his say. In a post on social media on Thursday, Stefon Diggs gave a thought-provoking response to Glab’s comments.
“The audio shared was very hurtful. And was insulting to my character and to how I was raised. I’ve always treated people how I want to be treated. I greet everyone with smiles and respect. From the people in our cafe to the people that keep our building in clean & in order. The media or fans may confuse my competitiveness that they witness on the field as who I am as a person. But off the field Id never treat anyone how she described & have never said anything remotely close to that to her. Idk why it was said, but this is an example of why people don’t want to deal with the media. It’s hard to fight the preconceived notions people have about you. Regardless of ever having a personal experience with them. We get you all have a job. And I respect it, but please remember I’m a human just like you. And if I ever made you or anyone else feel like you can’t approach me. I apologize.”
Maddy Glab clears the air
As is the case with any statement, it’s not what is said but rather how it’s said. In that regard, we’d venture to say that Glab sounded like she was making a joke. It’s also worth pointing out that she immediately took to social media to apologize. “I am very sorry for what I said and meant no ill will,” Glab wrote on X. “I respect the hell out of Stefon Diggs, and he has been one of my favorite players to cover. He has great character and treats us media with lots of respect.”
Glab didn’t stop there either, as she went on to give context about her comments. “Media was waiting for players to come out for press conferences when a reporter jokingly told me to go get Stefon Diggs,” Glab wrote. “I said I don’t have control over him - Stef marches to the beat of his own drum and I love that about him. He has a playful relationship with our video department, so that’s why I said he probably wouldn’t say yes to me grabbing him for an interview.” Now, here’s the thing. Glab most likely wasn’t being in any way disparaging toward Diggs. On the other hand, we can’t dismiss his point. There is a great deal of responsibility involved in how one reports on a public persona, and in that sense maybe it’s time we take a look at the way in which we do.
But what about Trevon Diggs’ comments?
It would be fair to say that the Buffalo Bills aren’t experiencing their best moment, and even more so where Stefon Diggs’ status is concerned. With that in mind, one has to assume that his brother knew all too well what effect his comments would have. Is this the pretext for further drama? We’re not sure, but having lost their Week 1 encounter to an Aaron Rodgersless Jets, they just might have bigger things on their plate ahead of a Week 2 clash with the Las Vegas Raiders.